Rip blade for soft woods

[kwolfe]

I googled it a bit but didn't find a real good answer.

I'm building a strip kayak out of red cedar, poplar and white pine (all soft woods).  I need to rip about 140, 3/4 x 1/4 x 10' strips which I'll be using my track saw to do (no table saw in my shop).  I still have the stock blade which would work, but not be my best option.  Any recommendations?  Do I need something like the Tenryu 12t rip or more along the lines of 28t?  The finish does not have to be perfect, but then again I don't want a ragged edge either.

 

[Brice Burrell]

The standard blade would probably work.  However, I think the 28 tooth blade would be better suited.  I think a rip blade for such thin material is a bit overkill.  Of course, if a rip blade would be a better investment with the type of work you generally do, then by all means go for it.

 

[Holmz]

Would a jig saw on track work?
might be a it slower, but maybe not much??

 

[Gary in Texas]

I agree with Brice.  I wouldn't move to a rip blade unless I had to, as I would be concerned with the smoothness of the edges after ripping......  If your standard blade works, gives a quality cut, why not use it?  Just monitor the cuts and pay attention to how the saw cuts during the process of ripping 140 boards at 10 feet each as the blade might become dull....

Gary

 

[John Broomall]

I have been using a TS 75 with the standard blade to rip some roughsawn 6/4 Eastern White Pine; about 600/700 lineal feet so far. It does a fine job leaving only some very faint blade marks. The boards could be easily be glued up. The only problem I have encountered involves dust collection. Even with a vacuum attached particularly resinous chips can accumulate in the upper housing and clog the dust port. On one occasion so much waste had packed itself into the upper housing that the blade failed to fully retract.

 

[Bohdan]

Would a rip blade, assuming it throws larger sawdust minimise the resinous buildup in the housing.

 

[JimD]

This isn't a blade comment but the Festool parallel guide seems ideal for this.  It should make getting consistent strips much easier.