Is there such a thing as too many teeth?

[ironhat]

Going with the old mantra that the more the tooth count on a table saw blade for cross-cutting. But, is there such a rule as performance fall-off after a given number or a given number vs machine power. Scott referred us to Ebay for a deal on Onsrud blades and they have 10" blades of 50, 60 and 80 teeth for a real steal (Thanks, buddy! ). What say ye?

[Knottscott]

It's definitely possible to have too many teeth. There's never a free lunch...for every upside, there's a downside (but the manufacturers tend to "market" only the upside). "If" all else is equal, more teeth tends to equate to a cleaner more highly polished cut, but it also means more resistance, more heat, and more tendency to burn.

The correct number of teeth is a variable that depends on several things, mainly the material, thickness of the material, moisture content, flatness, saw power, tooth geometry (side clearance, hook angle, kerf width, top grind), etc. The rule of them is to have 3 to 5 teeth in the wood for rip cuts, and 5 to 7 teeth for crosscuts.

In practice, I've never needed more than 80T, and usually 60T is plenty depending on the blade and material. I tried a Forrest Duralast 100T blade and was tough to push the wood through it.

More reading for those interested

[phrog]

Great article, Scott. Thanks for the link.