Kerf Preference

[Knottscott]

Any of you folks prefer a full 1/8" kerf over a 3/32" thin kerf on your BT or other sub-3hp saws?

My saws seems much stronger with a TK vs a full kerf, and I've never experienced any deflection. Just wondering if any of you have had issues with a modern alloy high quality TK?

[JimD]

I like the 1/8 inch blade. I notice no difference in cutting ability when I use a thin kerf. The grind seems to make much more difference. When doing a deep rip in hardwood, I use a dedicated rip blade which is full width. It cuts more easily than any of my thin kerf blades.

I also do not have any real problem with the thin kerf blades but not everything is made thin kerf - like the dedicated rip blade. Occasionally it is nice to have the 1/8 kerf - like when I get lazy making a dado and just make multiple cuts or when cutting a tenon I also like to just nibble away the sides using the micropostioner on the rip fence to do the nibbling in a controlled way. The thicker kerf makes these processes slightly quicker. It is not a big difference, however.

The good price on a Forest thin kerf mentioned in the bargain section has me tempted, however. If I see a good thin kerf blade like this, I would not avoid it just because it is thin kerf. Similarly, when I see what I think is a good deal on a regular kerf blade, I buy it. If the price is the same, I would probably buy the thicker kerf blade but for no real good reason.

Jim

[Knottscott]

...but not everything is made thin kerf - like the dedicated rip blade.

You can find purebred FTG rippers in TK that I know about from Leitz, DeWalt, Schumacher & Sohn, CMT, and Infinity. I had a 24T Freud LM72 flat tooth (FTG) full kerf ripper that was better at ripping than any of my general purp TK blades...then I stumbled into a great deal on a DW7124TK 24T FTG ripper that had a very similar tooth geometry...tried that one, and found it cut alot more efficiently than my LM72 on the 2 saws I tried them on. The Leitz 24T TK ripper (currently $11 from Mike Jackson @ Woodnet!) is about identical to the DW and cuts like the DW...never tried the other rippers I mentioned. I keep hearing about deflection issues with TK's but have never experienced it, nor have I read about them with good TK's made from recent modern alloys.

[newbie2wood]

I use a TK blade exclusively for all my cuts. I have never really compared the two kerf sizes. The issue of deflection with TK is not really a problem with a good quality blade. I seem to recall that a TK blade is recommended for saw with 2-hp or less. I believe that the reason is less stress on the motor with TK. Full kerf is recommended for saw with at least 3-hp.
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Child Wellbutrin

[Ken Weaver]

Never used the full kerf. From what I can tell, the TK has done everything I've wanted in fine style.