What’s a decent blade for ripping accurately? I’m using an old Craftsman 113 belt-driven saw, which I understand isn’t very powerful. I’d like to get nice rips on some 3/4” thick oak. If I can rip thicker stock in the future, that would be great, but as long as I can at least rip thicker softwoods too I think I’ll be satisfied.
I don’t expect to do enough woodworking to worry about a blade made to last through many re-sharpenings; I just want nice rips. Is a $20-30 Diablo from a big box store going to do what I want, or do I really need to step up to the $70-80 range for cut quality? Thanks!
I’ll second the Diablo recommendation if you can drive down to the hardware store and pick one up off the shelf. Home Depot has them in my area.
If you’re ordering online you have all the choices and I can’t help you there.
I prefer a coarser 24-tooth blade for speed, and especially if you’re going to be ripping stock thicker than 3/4". The finish it leaves it leaves is perfectly fine, and if you need it any smoother you can give it one pass with a plane. High-tooth-count blades are slow and it takes more effort to push the stock through.