Blade depth question

[oakchas]

Yes,
You can rip/resaw nominal 4X4 on the BT. Everyone else has given you the answer(s).
1. Proper alignment
2. Rip blade, deep gullets.
3. Dedicated circuit.
4. Some patience

I've done it without all 4 of these. But 3 out of four is the bare minimum.
Dave in cairns usta do some pretty hard wood resawing and ripping thick stock on his BT... His had a re-wound motor for a few extra amps. But It has been can be done without much difficulty.

[gjat]

I've ripped some 6/4 x 5' Mahogany with the stock blade with no problem. Then I was ripping some 3/4 oak and it was very slow. It was the saw-dust build up. The longer the cut, the more the heat, the more sawdust builds up, the more sawdust, the more heat which builds up more sawdust....

When I only had a $88 Craftsman tablesaw, I was forced to ALWAYS use a clean ripping blade with few teeth. I clean my ripping blade after using it and put it aside. I took for granted that the BT would just power through it. Heck, I used to use my circular saw to rip 2x pine all the time. Just use the the proper blade and make sure it's clean.

[scorrpio]

When ripping something that thick, each tooth collects quite a bit of saw dust on its way. You really want a blade with large, deep gullets in order to take all that wood away without jamming in the kerf.

WWII has very nice carbide, but the gullets are very small. It is really more suited for smaller, precise cuts.


In my TS, I use a Ridge Carbide TS2000. Its gullets are much larger than on WWII. I did not try a 4x4, but you can feed a 2x4 through it in seconds without feeling any resistance - and the cut is glass-smooth.

Later, based on searching here, I ended up getting a Freud LU87R010 rip blade. Boy, what a difference! It really makes ripping easier.

Have to agree with that one. I have the Freud blade and it went through 4x4 red cedar with no problems.

[Wood_workur]

It is possible. I have ripped 3" maple on mine with no problems. You just have to take it a bit slower than normal.

[Black wallnut]

I've bevel ripped fir 4"x stock with mine before with no problems!
You need to match the blade to the job at hand and make sure the saw is getting all the amps it needs. (nothing else on the same circuit as the saw and no extension cord!)

[eweu]

I know what you mean. The legs on my workbench are 3x3 made by laminating two 1-3/4" pieces of birch together. I decided to cut the legs to size after they were laminated, so I effectively ripped 3" of birch.

Like you, I had trouble keeping it moving. I had to feed very slowly and I still ended up with some burn marks where I paused. This was using a WWII thin kerf blade.

Later, based on searching here, I ended up getting a Freud LU87R010 rip blade. Boy, what a difference! It really makes ripping easier. I wish I had it for my bench legs.

So based on my experience, it can be done with the stock blade. It just takes patience and planning. Oh, and a good ROS to clean it up afterward.

[LJR]

Yes, the BT will rip to the full height of the blade. Been there, done that. I've used the full blade capacity in white oak and had no problems with the saw's power or poor quality cut. I use a rip blade for that. It's of decent quality, nothing high end, and it's sharp. It's also important to have the saw in alignment. Fence paralled to blade. Longer work supported on both infeed and outfeed sides. Use featherboards.

Even the stock blade that came with my saw would do that cut. So, if you're having problems ripping, make sure the blade's in good shape and the saw is aligned because the saw is sure capable of doing it.

[Sawatzky]

I have a question for those of you who own a BT. One of the selling points for the saw was that it had the capability to rip a 4x4 in half. This means that the BT has one of the deepest depth of cuts on the market. I want to know how many of you have actually ripped a 4x4 on the BT with ease before. I love my BT, but to me it seems like this claim was mainly an advertising gimmic. I have a lot of trouble ripping a 2x4 with the stock blade. The motor almost stalls and I have to go really slow. If it is that hard to rip a 2x4, I can't imagine ripping a 4x4, let alone a 4x4 of hardwood. Do any of you get good relusts ripping at that depth, and if so what do you do to get good results? I am not bashing the BT, I just want to know if this saw can really do what it claims. So far anything over 1 inch seems to be a real struggle.