I plan to cut 1-1/4" hard maple with a jig saw mainly because I don't own a bandsaw. Most of the work is with the grain. Can anybody with experience recommend a good ripping blade for a jigsaw? FWIW, I own a Dewalt DW331K. A few preliminary cuts indicate this won't be as painful as I originally thought but it might be a breeze with the right blade.
Any thoughts?
My first thought is that you're probably better off with a portable circular saw than with a jig saw.
My second thought is that you're definitely better off finding a friend with a band saw or table saw, than using a jig saw.
If you happen to be anywhere near Indianapolis, bring it on by, and I'll cut it for you.
Thoughts, no blade is going to really be ideal for cutting 1-1/4" thick hard Maple or any other wood for that matter. The stroke on the saw is shorter than the thickness of the wood. Once that ratio is passed the effiency of the blade drops considerably because several of the teeth in the blade never come out of the kerf and stay clogged with saw dust.
Makes sense BUT...
A Sawzall has a stroke between 3/4 and 1 1/4 but you can use one to easily cut a 4x4 in half. What is the difference?
Generally with a Sawzall you aren't trying for a clean rip. Try ripping with one of the smooth cut Bosch blades and zero orbit and you'll see the difference in both speed and cut quality.
Not a big mystery, the teeth carry well on the cut stroke, poorly on the reverse. They may move out slower, but they move out. Especially when the blade orbits as with the better sawzalls or jigsaws. Then there's the business of tooth set to consider. Makes a built-in gap for the stuff to fall out.
A good ripping blade would have pretty much the same characteristics as a ripsaw blade. Good gullets and good set in the teeth. The Bosch blades which are filed to produce the equivalent of an ATB seem to do well on rips, even on a wood which burns easily like cherry. I've even cut aspen, a wood known for clogging a kerf with them.
If you move the saw to and from the 4x4 when sawing, you will cut faster than if you keep the foot against the post. Also the set on the teeth is wider and this makes a larger kerf that aids in the teeth clearing and some along with jigsaws have an orbital action that makes cutting much faster but with the cost of having a rough cut.
Hi Jeff: I had an similar problem and got some Bosch saw blades they are hollow ground and cut very well, take it slow and you,ll have no problem.
Sal
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