Narrow kerf rip blade by Freud

[Cooler]

A few years ago I purchase a narrow kerf rip blade by Freud.

The project I bought it for was waylaid and I did not use it until this weekend.

It makes a cut about 1/2 the width of my standard rip blade. And as a result it wastes less material and my saw works less hard making the cuts.

It did a very nice job of ripping the stock and I improved my yield from the stock I cut from.

But then my laziness kicked in and I needed to cut a piece of 1/2"thick utility plywood. I was too lazy to change blades and I expected a crappy cut.

I was amazed how clean the cut was. It was easily as clean as the special blade I use for plywood/melamine covered particle board that has a high tooth count and a negative hook angle.

I then tried it on melamine covered particle board and it again did an excellent job with perfectly clean top cut and a very clean bottom cut.

I have never tried using a rip blade on ply. Is this typical?

[sweensdv]

What blade model was it? If it was the LM75 then it's supposed to give you that kind of finished edge on stock 3/4" and smaller.

[AHill]

Are you using a zero clearance insert? If so, then that helps reduce the tearout, even with a rip blade.

[jteneyck]

I've had similar impressive results with the low cost Diablo narrow kerf ripping blade. It rips like a maniac and even crosscuts surprisingly well, though not as well as the HiATB Popular Tools blade I use for plywood and Melamine when it really matters. But I would say the Diablo ripping blade is on par with the two combinations blades I have and almost never use anymore.

John

[Cooler]

AHill said:

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Are you using a zero clearance insert? If so, then that helps reduce the tearout, even with a rip blade.

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I am not. But I intend to make one for the next project. I was just surprised how well the rip blade did the plywood and particle board.

[danw]

I use this blade 80% of the time now.



If I have plywood or melamine I put on a crosscut blade.