Table saw blades

[Chet]

Submitted on he old forum by bushwacked

Curious what people are running? 

I have my basic blade that came with my sawstop. It’s finally wearing down so I’m looking into getting a new one ... 

Should I get a good rip (20-24T) and good crosscut one (60-80T)? 

Or just grab a good 40T combo blade?

Follow up posts

1) I have a 24t rip thin kerf that came with my old table saw that I ver seldom use. Also have a 40t Freud combo thin kerf that I am currently using as my 40t Forrest is off seeing if it can be repaired. Have a 90t Amanda that I use mostly for miter cuts. 

As I am in limbo on the Forrest being repaired I was looking for a new blade the other day. I really liked the 50t diablo, was like $65 1/8 kerf (I prefer 1/8 over thin kerf, seems to be less blade deflection) I need to stick with the 1/8 as I recently put in the splitter system after I had a pretty nice kick back. 

2) I run a 60 diablo crosscut an 24 diablo rip both ATB. I don’t have any complaints they do what I expect from them. I also don’t have any experience with any other than the stock 40 tooth rigid blade

3) I use dedicated Rip and Cross Cut blades both regular kerf and both made by Freud. I have had them for six years and been real happy with them. I know a lot of folks like the combo so they don't have mess with switching blades, but I am in no hurry in the shop.

4) I use Oshlun blades, rip, crosscut and combo. Generally I keep the combo in unless I'm doing a bunch of rips. My saw is a 1 1/2 hp so using right blade is important.

5) Thanks guys! 

Do the lower teeth count rip blades rip plywood just fine as well or just hardwoods?

6) A little late to this party but, I'll toss in my 2..

On hardwoods, a separate rip and CC blade are the "best" option! However, I run a forest 40T blade as a combo and don't notice enough of a difference to matter in what I do.

When it comes to ply, the best blade option is a high tooth count (80T) as the best option. I usually use the same Forest 40T and only notice a real difference when that blade is starting to get dull. By all rights, I should be switching my blades out for ply as ply is much harder on a blade!

7) I will add, I have a ply and melamine blade which is also Freud and I have had that one for a long time maybe ten years. I originally bought it to cut a bunch of ply parts for my neighbor but I still us it when I I cut ply for my. I believe it is an 80 tooth like my cross cut.

8 ) I get some splintering when I cut plywood with my 24 rip blade. It’s not real bad I run a ZC inset so that seems to help.

9) So question on the ply... 

Does the 80-90T blade rip and crosscut ply or does it only do one? 

It kinda sounds like I need 2-3 blades possibly 
1- a plywood cutting one 80-90T (if the above answer is that it does both) 
2- a good 40T convo for hardwoods 
3- if I go 3 blades a 24ish T blade to rip hardwood and a 60-80T blade for cross cutting hardwoods 

Would that be right?

10) Yes, if you want to change your blades a lot..

Being honest, I run the 40T Forrest for pretty much everything.  Yes, I could get cleaner cuts if I changed the blades out for the appropriate cut direction and material but, if the cuts are "clean enough" with just one blade then, I'm going to be lazy about it.  

11) It does both.  You have to remember every cut on plywood is a rip and cross cut at the same time.  Each layer of the ply is turned 90 degrees to the adjacent ones.

My Rip is 30 tooth - its what Freud refers to as a glue line rip,  It gives a really nice rip cut but I have never glued anything up right of the rip cut so I can't speak to the quality of the cut being something you can just glue up without running over the jointer.

My Freud Cross Cut is 80 tooth and my ply/melamine is also 80 tooth.

12)

         

is that the 2 you are referring to? 

13) The reason I run two blades is my saw is a touch under powered compared to a cabinet saw (rigid contractor saw).

14) Yep those are the two I have.  My cross cut is called the Ultimate Cut Off.  I guess they call it that because it can be used on a miter saw as well.

15) Im with Kev on the Forrest blade being the do it all blade, yes plywood is harder on it than hardwood but it’s not like any of us are a full production shop. I really think if we are going to sharpen blades once a year or more that money is probably best spent on one high quality blade that can do any job well. I have glued right off the table saw with no issues. The cabinet shop that I worked at, we very seldom used a jointer for glue joints. Granted, a 15k straight line rip saw did a nice job. It still won’t give you as nice of cut as a Forrest 40 t on a table saw. 

After using my Forrest for a few months I almost wish I would’ve went with the 48t. Think it would’ve done more things well. Granted I have a 5hp saw so ripping has never been an issue. With that said coming from a ridgid contractor saw, which was a dang nice saw. More blade options were needed to get the power and preference out of it.

16) didnt realize there was a difference in the ult cutoff and the ply blade ... apparently they mess with the angles on them ?? I just assumed they were all the same haha