There a
re some woodworking tools that are nice to have and some that are MUST HAVES ... Freud's Thin Kerf Glue Line Rip blade is a must have. If you are working with any kind of hardwood or softwood, or even plywood, this blade will make your jointer all but obsolete. The triple chip set tooth design is specfically created to reduce wood tear-out and make a much finer, smoother cut ... and it works like a dream. This is one blade that every woodworker with a table saw should own because of what it can do and the time it can save.
Available at the Woodworkweb Amazon Store
The Thin Kerf Glue Line Rip is optimized to work with woods that are not thicker than one inch. It will cut wood thicker, just the cut will not be a fine as it will be for one inch and thinner. Freud blades have a number features that make the safer and more accurate for the average woodworker. For example, Freud actually grinds it's own carbide. The advantage to this is they can change the formula by adding other materials like titanium in order to make the carbide less bittle and therefore last longer for specfic blade types. Grinding their carbide finer also makes the carbide last longer because there are smaller grains to torn off the tips during use. This keeps the blades sharper longer, which in turn makes the blades more cost effective to use.
What about blade balance you ask? Freud blades are "pre-tensioned" which means each blade is balanced for optimum tracking ... under load. The laser cut anti vibration and heat dispersion cuts also help ensure this blade runs true through your wood working projects. The Thin Kerf Glue Line Rip also has anti kick back teeth which means the blade will be less likely to kick the wood back and making safer to use.
Now the important part, the Thin Kerf Glue Line Rip ... like any blade should be positioned a quarter to a half tooth legth above the wood you are cutting. This means the top of the blade should be clearing the wood by no more than one quarter inch above the wood. The reason for this is that this is the optimum cut angle for the Glue Line Rip and any other blade. The blade tips need to be cutting horizontalling into the wood not pounding down of the fibers like they would be if the blade was positioned at it's highest depth. The other benefit to positioning the blade just clear of the wood you are cutting is that it makes woodworking with the table saw MUCH safer.