Cherry burnin, need blade suggestions...

[Allen Grenz]

I've been fighting smoking 6/4 cherry all afternoon.... The blade that does it the least is my Freud full kerf combo blade... I need anew rip blade blade anyway so suggestions is what I'm after... I just went through checking the cabinet saw setup and its good I think... Fence is .002 or so open at its tail... ...... BTW, I'm building a 36" x 90" glued up counter with 2-3" strips... Thanks

[Michael Dunn]

I used to use Freud blades. They cut great, but I find that they don't stay sharp very long.

Anyway, it's totally worth the extra cost to buy the Forrest Woodworker II series blades. +$100. They can be sharpened 10-15 times I hear.

That being said, if you cut your board about 1/8" oversize and then cut to final width you'll find you get a perfectly clean cut with zero burning. I still do this with my Forrest blades.

Another thing to check is that your fence is perfectly parallel to your miter gauge slots. This of course is only a good thing if your miter slots are perfectly parallel to your blade.

I use the iGauge Digital Saw Gauge. No affiliation. I'm just a happy user. With his you can measure and see if your miter slots are parallel to your blade. Then your miter slots to your fence. These are crucial adjustments that should not be overlooked. Even a great blade can suffer from burning and other bad effects if your saw is not tuned up.

Alternatively, you can just use a sliding double square to check alignment. I personally like to take things to the next level.

[Michael Dunn]

Oops. I didn't see that you checked the fence and the saw. I read your post. I just forgot all that it said. I'm on my iPhone and didn't reply with quote. So I couldn't reread your OP.

[David Hawxhurst]

i am not surprised that you are having burning problems with a combo blade ripping cherry. my combo blade will burn cherry during a rip cut. a rip blade is different than a combo blade. a combo blade will burn woods like cherry when ripping but rip walnut or oak just fine. tenyu and rigid carbide both make nice ripping blades. i think freud makes a good ripping blade but i have not use it.

[Allen Grenz]

Thanks for the tips... Micheal, I took your advice and when I trim the last 1/8'' or so off when I square up the board It's looking much better.... David, the only rip blad I have is my old Irwin which is ready for the scrap bin... I realize this isn't optimal, that's why I was seeking tips on some good blades for this... I'm kinda behind the curve here it appears... I have looked at the Forrest blades and their really not that much more than my source of Freud blades... I haven't heard of Rigid carbide? Will look into them as well..... BTW. sorry for posting this in the wrong section.... I thought I was in the general forum when I posted it... thanks, Allen

[Prashun Patel]

I find the freud 24 T rip blades from hd to be a good value. I tend to overuse my blades. However, alignment is usually for me a bigger factor in burning than the blade. This can be caused by poor splitter alignment, or technique also. Using a featherboard on the infeed can elpmkeep the stock fro twisting slightly as you push through.

Also, are you using fluid, smooth feed rate?

[Tom Hargrove]

Cherry often burns even if you have a properly set up saw and feed it through at a brisk clip. Cherry has natural sugar in the wood. It isn't really burning, it is carmelizing, like the outside of a piece of meat when you brown it. Thicker pieces of wood generate more heat when they are ripped, so you get more "burning." A good rip blade will improve your results, as will a blade of any kind that does not have build up on the teeth or plate.

I have two Freud rip blades - a thin kerf coated in red stuff (Teflon?) and a "normal" kerf model that does not have the coating. Both have worked well for me, but I prefer the normal kerf blade. The thin blade tends distort a bit when cutting thicker stock. Freud blades are fine, but I think Forrest blades are worth the extra money.

[Ruperto Mendiones]

If you care to spend >$100 for a blade, talk to Carbide Processors. I have their glue-line rip blade that cuts very smoothly and I prefer to use it over the forrest ww2.

[Rod Sheridan]

I use an FS Tools 24 tooth rip blade, it works very well........Rod.

[Lee Schierer]

You indicate your fence tails out .002 which is okay. Is that to the miter slots or the blade? How close is the blade aligned to the miter slots? If the burn marks are only on the fence side of the cut your alignment is still a problem and you should recheck it.

A combination blade is a compromise of cutting performance. It was made to save time when making general wood projects without the need to be changing the blade. You will be amazed at how much better a 24 tooth rip blade will cut. If your saw is between 1 and 2 Hp then use a thin kerf blade. For 3 Hp or greater use a full kerf blade. In both cases use a 24 tooth blade. Set the blade so the bottom of the gullets just clear the top surface of the wood for best performance. Personally I've had very good luck with Freud blades and their prices fit most budgets. Check the blades for pitch build up from time to time and keep them clean.

[Allen Grenz]

Thanks for all the tips guys.. Lee yes the rail was out (open) .002" or so at the tail. I reset it to equal distance front to back of the saw from the miter slot.. Miter slot is parallel to the blade... Arbor has un-measurable run-out.. I think my blades vary more than the arbor.. Like everyone pointed out the blade was at fault. I ordered a new Freud LM72M010 full kerf 24 tooth rip blade and it doesn't burn or carmelize what so ever now... I'm currently working with some Rock maple that was bought in 1917 and its a joy to rip with this blade.... Thanks for help guys..

[Allen Grenz]

Here's the cherry top I was building top I was building.. I did have to clean up some burn marks with the jointer in addition to what Michael advised... I used my track saw to cut the ends to size and square after glue up with good results from the stock Dewalt blade...