Here's What You'll Need to Cut Hardwood Like a Pro
Ripping is you cutting wood along its grain for a lengthy cut. It's easier cutting wood most especially when the table saw is equipped with a durable and sharp blade. Today there are tons of hardwood species that are used for hardwood projects and these woods include oak, poplar, birch cherry, and walnut.
More so, some types of cutting require a table saw, and that's just it, others require manual circular saws, hand saws, and reciprocating saws, and they all have their niche as they can produce a wide variety of cuts. Regardless, when it comes to making a lengthwise rip cut in a wood, you need a table saw, only a table saw can do that kind of cut, more so when you cut the wood with a table saw the cuts end up looking like factory edges.
Best Blade For Ripping Hardwood.
There're many blades used for ripping hardwood. But if you want a suitable blade to rip hardwood, the best blade you can use is a chainsaw with the best chainsaw chain for hardwood or rip blade - A rip blade is used specifically for cutting through wood fibres, so using a rip blade to cut hardwood shouldn't be a problem as it leaves clean edges.
Furthermore, rip blades have 10 to 40 flat-topped teeth, even though this is a small number, it will move through the grain thoroughly and quickly. More so, the space between the teeth is large, and this makes it easy for the blade to cut a lot of materials with ease.
Other Blades You Can Use To Cut Hardwood.
General-purpose blades are great for ripping and crosscuts, or even more, cuts made against the grain. This is possible because they have alternately bevelled teeth like crosscut blades and FT teeth like rip blades. General-purpose blades can be used for different types of projects. If you don't have much to spend, then you can just buy one blade, which is a general-purpose blade or combination blade. This blade is good because you won't need to switch out blades when making different types of cuts.
Safety Tips You Should Know When Cutting.
A popular and dangerous condition that injures people when rip cutting is kickback. This happens when the workpiece squeezes against the blade while cutting and in turn, the spinning blade can throw the workpiece with great force towards your direction. And this can hit you in your stomach or chest, causing a puncture in the skin or even worse break bones. Standing narrowly to one side rather than standing directly behind the board will keep you from getting hit in the chest or stomach if a kickback occurs.
More so, make sure the blade is properly and correctly aligned, so it's parallel with the rip fence - kickback occurs more likely if a misalignment is forcing the workpiece to press against the blade.
Furthermore, keep the saw unplugged except when you're not cutting, a lot of accidents occur when the table saw is mistakenly turned on. Use a push stick, to push the workpiece through the saw blade, when using a push stick, you don't need to place your hand on the blade, it's easy to buy one. Also, it's important to use safety glasses and hearing protection when you're using the saw and avoid using gloves.
How Do I Rip Hardwood?
Once you have all the tools needed for ripping wood, you're good to go. Tools you need for ripping a hardwood includes, a table saw with a rip blade, stop block, clamp, and measuring tape
Steps for ripping hardwood:
Unplug the table saw and put the ripped board along the blade.
Then use the measuring tape to gauge from the edge of the board a distance proportional to the thickness of the blade and the strip thickness.
Place the stop block based on the measurement, then secure it with a clamp.
Place the ripped board against the edge of the stop block then set the fence along the edge of the rib block, which is of course parallel to the blade.
Plugin your table saw, turn it on, and then steer the ripped board through the blade.
You must keep the blade guard on the saw, whenever you possibly can, your saw blade will be safer to use if you leave the blade guard in place. Finally, don't rip a curved wood, if the wood is curved or bowed then place the convex edge against the fence when you cut.
Cutting hardwood may seem daunting at first. Of course, it gets easier with constant practice, the right tools, and how to properly use them. By following the tips stated above, you can cut through wood better than you expected soon.
