Which Circular Saw (blade?) to cut with the grain

[AndrewR]

I'm looking to buy my first circular saw. Can someone advise a non-joiner please?

I want the saw because I'm building a picket fence, and due to the shortage of timber I couldn't get any 3" wide pales. So, I bought some 150mm x 4800mm planks and intend to cut them down the length of the plank.

From my understanding, I need a rip saw blade.

I've looked at Makita cordless tools but I can't find specifications on the blades that they come with. I've also searched Screwfix and the only rip saw blades that they have are described as "coarse ripping and cross cut": https://www.screwfix.com/c/tools/circular-saw-blades/cat5990012#category=cat5990012&suitablecuttingapplication=wood&typeofcut=coarse_ripping___cross_cut

So, I don't know whether these Screwfix blades are the right thing for the job. Am I just not looking in the right place? Is there a special rip saw blade for circular saws?

Thanks for any advice.

Andrew

 

[ToughButterCup]

Bosch GTX 10 XC. Because I'm a Bosch, and lack imagination. Vorsprung durch Selbstbau.

[joe90]

Generally ripping blades have fewer teeth, and more teeth for cross cutting.

Edited June 18, 2021 by joe90

[Declan52]

Rip saw blades have up to 40 teeth and generally cut very harshly and remove larger chips as it cuts.

Cross cut blades will have up to 80 teeth and leave a nicer finish but will cut much slower.

A rip saw blade down a fence board won't leave a smooth edge. 

[Temp]

Perhaps look at Saxon TCT blades. Not the best but cheap enough that you can buy more than one with different number of teeth. I'd look for something around 40 teeth. The overall diameter and the hole diameter need to match your saw.

 

Personally I'd use a table saw for this rather than a hand held circular saw. Its difficult or rather time consuming clamping narrow boards so they can be cut down the middle with a hand held. Not enough (any) board sticks out of the side so the saw can't go past the clamp. If you have a lot to do perhaps look on YouTube for ways to turn a hand held saw into a table saw?

[AndrewR]

Thanks for all the helpful advice.

I should have mentioned, I'm off-grid, and I've only got a 500W inverter. So, a high power table saw is not an option. That is why I was looking at the Makitas as I can charge their Li-on batteries with my system.

Andrew

 

[jamieled]

I did something similar myself when we were cladding the house as we had no mains electricity on site at the time but I charged batteries from my dewalt off the solar panels.

 

I'd be less worried about the blade and more worried about power - ripping timber using handheld circular saws really hits the batteries hard, if you have a lot to do you'll need a lot of battery power or it will take ages. Also make sure you have a good ripping guide.

 

The standard blade on my dewalt worked ok and left an acceptable edge for our cladding (which is fairly rustic in nature).