Rip Blade Recommendation

[Jeffrey Schronce]

Ripping 16/4 oak on TS today (resaw BS blade not here yet!). 22124 saw bogging down, tripping fuse in switch etc. I was using a decent combo blade. It became clear that I needed a high quality rip blade.

Freud LU87R010 Thin Kerf the way to go?

[ragswl4]

I have that blade on my 22124 and it works fine. I haven't ripped anything thicker than 4/4 so don't know how it might perform on 16/4. I am ripping Goncalo Alves and its very dense (denser than oak) and it works fine using moderate feed rate, saw does not slow down. I would wait for others to chime in as there might be a better blade for what you are doing.

[Cheeky]

i have that on my ridgid ts2400. i've ripped that thick, but it was pine, and i flipped it over, so that doesn't really help you. also did a nice job on 6/4 azek, 5/4 hickory, and oak.

my saw is underpowered and the thin kerf made all the difference. can only imagine it on a 1 3/4 saw, compared to a 15amp.

fortunately, if it doesn't meet your expectations, it isn't really that big of an investment for the current price ($28, which i'm sure the king of deals is aware of )

[cgallery]

Cutting 4" oak is going to be a challenge for that saw with any blade. I'd cut halfway, then raise the blade or flip the piece and cut the other half.

[Jeffrey Schronce]

Cool. I think I'll pick up the discussed Freud. I have found myself doing a lot of ripping lately (not typically 16/4) and have been slowing the motor down even on 6/4 QSWO.

[SARGE..g-47]

Evening Jeff..

What cgallery said.. You are going to be challenged ripping 16/4 hard-wood of any type on a 1 3/4 HP saw even with the correct 24 T blade. If you were having trouble with less thick stock as you mentioned, it is probably due to not having a 24 T rip blade on the saw.. your blade is getting dull or is gummed up.. or a combo of both.

There are those that think a good quality combo blade will do it all. It will do all your cross-cutting sufficeintly, but when ripping and you get over 6/4 on hard-wood it is going to falter in degrees as the stock gets thiicker.

BTW.. I use a CMT 24 T TK on my BT and a CMT 24 T standard on my Uni-saw. I used the Freud for years and it's an excellent blade. Just get deals on the CMT's whiich I like even better for ripping.

Regards...

[Knottscott]

The LU87 should be fine, but the Irwin/Leitz blade thru Mike Jackson is a better deal at $10 plus s/h for a very similar style and similar quality blade. You could get two shipped for about the cost of one LU87 on sale.

I was just ripping 2-7/16" (~ 12/4) QSWO over the weekend and the 22124 plowed right thru several dozen linear feet at that thickness with that the Leitz ripper. The lumber was old wine vat oak.

http://www.forums.woodnet.net/ubbthr...apsed&sb=5&o=7

[SARGE..g-47]

Morning Dustmight...

I have heard you guys mention the Lietz blade here, but being a hit and runner with posting squeezed into much to do, I have not tryed one. For $10, if the blade is newly sharp that is not a large gamble and Leitz is a well known source. My question is:

Does Leitz use the same set-up in the blade as marketed under the Leitz name, or is it private label made to Irwin's specs? Still worth $10 one way or the other, but that would influence how many I would consider ordering to save on future shipping by consolidating when I know I would use another in the future.

Regards...

[Knottscott]

Hey Sarge - It was made by Leitz for Irwin's upper Woodworking series, but I'm not sure who's specs it's made to....it's far nicer than the Marathon or Sprint series stuff. It appears to be identical to the H.O Schumacher & Sohn ripper also made by Leitz....which sells for ~ $47. Where I come from, it's easier and usually cheaper in the long run to maintain one spec, than to risk a mix up...but I'm just "spec"ulating.

I've been pretty impressed with the ripper, and ordering a couple definitely improves the shipping value. This one's my favorite of the blades available thru Mike.

[SARGE..g-47]

Thanks Dustmight...

The flat tooth 24 T is the rip em up.. tear em up blade to have for pure ripping as it allows a pretty fast cut in that operation.

Is Mike Jackson hard to get hold of.. or do you just e-mail.. etc. etc.. as I could not quite get a handle on that from the link you posted. In other words, for a computer illiterate as myself... how do I get to the ticket booth? ha.. ha...

[Knottscott]

Sarge - You got the "the rip em up.. tear em up" part right! The better ones will make a pretty decent cut, but not as clean as the better 40-50T blades....all things being equal, there's no reason for a 24T blade to cut as cleanly as a 40 toofer, but you may find them to be glueable right off the saw depending on how critical the application is. That's why I don't fuss as much about rippers...once you get to a certain quality level, there isn't a great difference, and it's still a cut from a 24T blade, which typically shows more blade marks, but makes short work of the bulk rips. I think you'll find the Leitz rippers to be as good as any, and better than most.

You can send Mike a PM at WN, or email him @ mjackson@leitztooling.com.

Tell him what blades you want, how many, and ask for a quote to ship to your zip. He takes visa or PayPal AFAIK. He's usually pretty responsive, but IIRC, Monday's are an inventory day for him so the responses may not be immediate.

[rh111]

I have ordered several blades from Mike for my Delta Contractor as well as my miter saw. Have liked them well enough that I bought a set of blades for my father in law for Christmas. I think that they are very good blades for the money. I have not experienced any problems with his products to date. Shipping was good and so was the packaging. From what I have seen, for the price you pay compared to a lot of higher priced blades, they are very comparable.

[SARGE..g-47]

Thanks Dustmight........... and welcome RH! As usual, I'm in a hurry as I have to get to Year One to work on "muscle cars". I hate it, I tell you.. I just hate fooling with those "old classics".

I suppose it could be worse. ha.. ha... ha..ha..ha..

Regards for the day...

[Rob3100]

I've been extremely happy with my LU87R010 on my BT3100. Here is a mini-review I did when I first ran it.

http://www.bt3central.com/showthread.php?t=23826

[JimD]

I use a full width Freud 24 tooth rip blade on my 3100. I have ripped 3 1/2 thick oak with it. The only "problem" I have with it is not power but marks on the wood if I try to feed too fast. I think the sawdust isn't cleared fast enough and it causes the blade to wobble or something. Going a bit slower minimizes it.

If I use a 50 tooth comb blade I have to push a lot harder on the wood and go a lot slower. I get a smoother cut, however. It is harder to avoid burning due to the slow speed. Burn marks are harder to remove than swirl marks. Oak doesn't burn easily but maple does.

Jim