'8/4' Ash bogging motor down

[Gator95]

Was cutting some '8/4' ash that was actually a full 2" thick- was just over 2" rough and staightline ripped and planed on one side.

I was ripping 1.75" strips from a 10' x 7" section with my Ridgid 3660 and on the first rip, I actually stalled the motor. As in blade stops moving with power still on. I immediately hit the power off switch, and then was able to back off the kerf a bit and carefully restarted the motor and continued cut with less aggressive feed rate. Got through rest without a problem on the first rip. Ripping 2nd 1.75" leg I used more mellow feed rate, and while the motor loaded and slowed a bit, didn't stall.

When ripping a smidge off the unsurfaced side (planed side on fence, side I ripped earlier facing down) to square up to 1.75 I had no problems cutting through even with a more aggressive feed rate.

I was kind of suprised I actually stalled the motor, I'd basically been feeding into the Ridgid with a 30T WWII blade about as fast as I could guide it, and it was eating it with no problems before.

Is Ash a species known to be a kerf grabber? Or did I just get a funky piece?
Is a 2"/sec. feed rate really that aggressive? This is about what I'd done previously, but had to back off a bit to keep from stalling with the ash today.

Other stuff to add: had blade guard and splitter on with anti-kickback pawls. Checked for blade-miterslot-fence parallel and was within 0.003" as if 4 days ago.

[cgallery]

That is a tall order for any 1-1/2 HP contractor's saw. Back in the day when I had a contractor's saw I would have done that in two passes.

[jgrobler]

I've ripped 2" think Ash and Maple on the BT3100, using a 24t Freud thin kerf blade, took it slower than 2"/sec, but it worked. On the maple I did burn a few spots, but the ash came out clean. I think the motors on the BT3 and TS3650 are comparable in power.

[Knottscott]

As you've discovered, shaving a bit off an edge is easier than taking a whole slice. A lot depends on moisture content and the individual board. Ash is typically easier to cut than hard maple or hickory, etc. It cuts better if the wood is flat and straight from the jointer first. A full 8/4" can be a tough go with a 1.5 hp motor and a 30T blade....a decent 24T TK would have an easier time of it. Also, how clean is your blade? Keep your eyes peeled for a deal on something like an LU87, DW7124PT, or Infinity 010-124.

[pelligrini]

From what I've read on here ash can be difficult to cut sometimes.

I have the same 30t WWII TK on my 21829. If I'm going to be doing a lot of ripping I will put on a 24T blade. I picked up an Oshlun when Holbren was doing their bit clearance not too long ago. I have been pretty pleased with this blade. It was fairly inexpensive. I will get a very few blade marks on the cut wood, but the overall cut is really clean. It does make ripping much easier than the 30t WWII.

[Uncle Cracker]

Ash is a kerf-grabber. It is dense and reactive (that's one reason they use it in baseball bats). To cut a thick piece, you'll have better luck if you keep the feed rate down, and use wooden framing shims to wedge the kerf and keep it open as you cut.

[dbhost]

I don't like cutting at that fast of a feed rate anyway, just because I like knowing exactly where my fingers are... Slow it down for safety, and your saw and you should be okay...

I have ripped 8/4 ash on my BTS21 using a Freud Diablo 40T blade, your 3660 shouldn't have a problem with it.

[Gator95]

Thanks for the replies. I've cut plenty of 8/4 Poplar and some Lacewood before and it never taxed the motor at all with any reasonable feed rate using the WWII 30T TK blade. Might just be that slab of Ash.

Cut some more today and keep the feedrate down to about 1"/sec and had no problems nor burning. Must have just hit a funny spot while trying to feed too quick.

[Bruce Cohen]

No one's mentioned this, but do you have the saw plugged in to a dedicated 20A outlet. And, are you using an extension cord.

Too low amperage and probably voltage, will cause the motor to stall and eventually burn out from the lower amount of amperage (usually anything grossly under 15 A)

Bruce

I've ripped 10/4 Rosewood on my BT3100 using a Freud glue-line rip blade (not the thin kerf model) without any problems.

Bruce

[cabinetman]

Ash is a kerf-grabber. It is dense and reactive (that's one reason they use it in baseball bats). To cut a thick piece, you'll have better luck if you keep the feed rate down, and use wooden framing shims to wedge the kerf and keep it open as you cut.

I'm trying to imagine inserting those while cutting.
.

[Wood_workur]

I've ripped 8/4 oak on my bt3100 with the stock blade. no problems. Sounds like the ash you have is really dense, the blade is dull, or the extension cord is too wimpy.