Saw Blade Types: Teeth, TPI and Which Blade to Use

Choose a saw blade by the cut and the material. A 10 in blade with about 24 teeth rips fast along the grain, 40 teeth is a general-purpose compromise, and 60 to 80 teeth leave a smooth crosscut in trim and plywood. Use a triple-chip carbide blade for non-ferrous metal and laminate, and a diamond blade for tile and masonry. Tooth count, tooth grind, kerf and blade material are the four things that decide what a blade is good at.

Blade types at a glance

Blade	Teeth (10 in)	Tooth grind	Best for
Ripping	24	Flat-top (FTG)	Cutting along the grain in solid wood
General purpose or combination	40 to 50	Alternate top bevel (ATB) with a flat raker	Ripping and crosscutting mixed work
Crosscut or finish	60 to 80	ATB	Trim, plywood, smooth crosscuts
Triple-chip (TCG)	60 to 80	Triple-chip	Laminate, plastics, aluminum and other non-ferrous metal
Diamond	None (continuous or segmented rim)	Diamond grit	Tile, stone, masonry
Dado set	Stacked set	Chipper and outer blades	Grooves (typically about 1/4 to 13/16 in wide)

Teeth counts are typical for a 10 in blade. A 7-1/4 in circular saw blade has fewer teeth for the same job, so compare a blade with others of the same diameter.

What tooth count changes

More teeth mean a smoother cut and a slower one. Each tooth takes a smaller bite, so the edge comes out cleaner, but there is less room between teeth to clear the chips. Fewer teeth take a bigger bite and clear chips faster, which suits ripping, but they leave a rougher edge and can splinter plywood.

Teeth per inch (TPI) is the same idea for jigsaw, band saw and hand saw blades; for a worked example, see jigsaw blades for a 2x4.

Tooth grinds

• Flat-top grind (FTG): square teeth that chisel out the wood. The standard for ripping.
• Alternate top bevel (ATB): teeth angled in alternating directions to slice the fibers. The standard for crosscuts and plywood.
• Combination: groups of ATB teeth separated by a flat raker tooth, so one blade rips and crosscuts acceptably.
• Triple-chip grind (TCG): a flat raker follows a chamfered tooth, which cuts hard and abrasive material without chipping.

Kerf and blade plate

Kerf is the width of the cut. A full kerf blade is about 1/8 in (3.2 mm) wide and a thin kerf blade about 3/32 in (2.4 mm). Thin kerf removes less wood and needs less motor power, which helps a corded or cordless circular saw, but the thinner plate can flex. Use the blade the saw’s manual allows, with the arbor size and RPM rating that match. For how a blade is made hard, see are circular saw blades hardened.

Choosing a blade by job

1. Cutting solid wood along the grain: a 24-tooth ripping blade.
2. Framing and mixed jobs: a 40-tooth general-purpose blade.
3. Trim, molding and plywood: a 60 to 80-tooth crosscut blade. On a miter saw, see can you put a smaller blade on a miter saw.
4. Aluminum: a triple-chip carbide blade made for non-ferrous metal; the setup is in can I cut aluminum with a chop saw.
5. Tile: a diamond blade. See best 10 inch wet saw blades for porcelain tile, and cutting tile with a circular saw for the limits of a hand-held saw.

Safety

Check the blade’s maximum RPM against the saw, and the arbor hole against the saw’s arbor. On a table saw the arbor nut may be left-hand threaded; see are table saw blades reverse threaded. Unplug the saw or remove the battery before changing a blade.