Can a combo blade rip without burning?

[Dave Cullen]

I have a 10" CMT thin combo blade on my 1 hp saw that I use for everything. It's served me well for about 10 years but lately I've been ripping 1-1/2" maple and I'm getting saw marks and burning. I think the tooth configuration is 4+1.

A lot of people recommend the Diablo 50T combo, yet I notice they are just ATB. Can a blade like that actually rip hardwood?

I'm torn between getting a different combo blade vs a dedicated rip blade. I know if I have to change blades between operations it'll get old quickly.

[glenn bradley]

Just so you know where I am coming from . . . I change blades frequently based on operation and desired result. I can change a blade faster than I can get a cup of coffee or go to the bathroom so I consider this a non-issue as it can be accomplished in about a minute.

That being said; I have a 50 tooth 4+1 that rips 1-1/2" stock without much issue. Maple, cherry and others are burn prone and of course, stress release can cause more or less burning depending on what happens. I generally reach for a 30 tooth "glue-line" rip when ripping in general but, will grab a 24 tooth FTG for thicker or burn prone material.

[Rod Sheridan]

In my opinion, at about an inch of thickness, you need to change to a rip blade.

I don't know why you think it will be a bother, do all your ripping at once and you won't be swapping blades.

I put the rip blade in the saw, and croscut to oversize length, joint and plane 2 faces/one edge and then rip to width.

At that point I change to a crosscut blade and complete all the other sizing operations............Regards, Rod.

[johnny means]

I think all combo blades should be lined up and shot. But seriously, besides doing nothing really well, what is the upshot to combo blades?

[Phil Thien]

I've never noticed a difference between a sharp combo blade and a sharp rip blade. Actually, I take that back, I have some combination blades that will rip faster than any rip blade I've got.

[Lee Schierer]

I also change blades frequently and don't own any combination blades. However, you indicated that the blade in question used to do a decent job. I suspect that it may be time to get the blade sharpened and to check your saw for proper alignment. As a first step take the blade off and soak it for about 5 minutes in sudsy ammonia and then brush the teeth with an old tooth brush. The accumulated pitch on the teeth may be the majority of your problem.

[Chris Fournier]

It sure can. I never bought into the thin kerf thing though so all of my 10" blades were heavy. My planer or combo blade worked very well for ripping but if I knew that I had a bunch of ripping to do I put a rip/glue blade on the saw. Very quick and best results for the task, also easier on the motor.

[David Kumm]

Depends on the saw too. A good saw with little runout and a stiff blade of 40 teeth or less will handle most wood. Key is enough power to keep the stock moving through the cut without having to slow down and a well set up fence. Sounds like your blade is getting dull. Doesn't take much with a 4=1 to as the teeth are heating up in the cut and wear more quickly or at least build up resin which does the same thing. Dave

[Lee Reep]

My 1.75 HP contractor table saw just got a Forrest thin kerf 30 tooth blade. It is an absolute joy to rip with. I have not tried cross cutting with it, preferring my radial arm saw for crosscuts. But the Forrest website does say that the Woodworker II can be used for crosscutting as well as ripping. I called Forrest before buying, since they have both a 30T and a 40T Woodworker II blade and I wanted more clarification from them on recommendations.

I wanted to rip thicker stock, but just could not power thru thick woods without burns. The Forrest blade goes thru 8/4 oak effortlessly. They are expensive, but worth every penny in my mind. I was going to buy a 3 HP SawStop PCS and have delayed that for awhile, since this blade has breathed new life into my saw.

[Kevin Womer]

Does the blade have pitch buildup on it? Have you had it sharpened recently? Those factors aside you should be able to rip 1-2 inch hardwood with few problems.

[Rod Sheridan]

Phil. there's something wrong with your rip blades or saw setup.

A rip blade is substantially faster at ripping than a combination blade.

You'll really see the difference when you use the saw with a feeder, typically most people don't feed a rip blade fast enough..........Rod.

[Nathan Callender]

For thick stock get a 24 tooth ftg blade and you will be amazed!

[scott spencer]

After 10 years is there any chance your CMT blade has become dull and/or dirty? The Freud Industrial, Irwin Marples, Infinity Combomax, and Tenryu RS25550 are all ATB/R blades if you're interested in replacing it with a comparable design.

With that said, a good 24T dedicated rip blade should be considerably more efficient at ripping than a 50T combo or 40T general purpose blade....it's simple physics, as is the rougher cut it leaves, though many are marginally capable of leaving a glue line edge.

[Larry Frank]

I do as some others keeping a good rip blade on the saw for both ripping and rough cross cutting. I change over to a cross cut for final length cuts. I also have a high ATB blade for plywood.

I am surprised to hear that anyone would comment that their combination blade rips would better than a rip blade. Something sounds a miss.

[Phil Thien]

Phil. there's something wrong with your rip blades or saw setup.

A rip blade is substantially faster at ripping than a combination blade.

You'll really see the difference when you use the saw with a feeder, typically most people don't feed a rip blade fast enough..........Rod.

LOL, I respectfully disagree.

I used to notice a big difference back in the day when I used steel (non-carbide-tipped) blades.

With carbide, not so much.

PLEASE ANYONE READING ROD'S POST: There may be a tendency for someone reading that to try pushing stock into a rip blade faster than they're accustomed to doing so, to see how it works. Don't.