--- title: "Which circular saw blade for wood?" description: "24 teeth for ripping and framing, 40 for general work, 60-80 for a clean crosscut finish. The ranked options, the technique that changes the outcome, and what goes w" url: https://atoneplace.net/which/blade-wood/ site: "At One Place" --- # Which circular saw blade for wood? **Which circular saw blade for wood?: 24 teeth for ripping and framing, 40 for general work, 60-80 for a clean crosscut finish.** Tooth count trades speed against finish, and the reason is waste clearance: ripping produces long fibrous shavings that need large gullets to carry them out of the cut, while crosscutting severs fibres and produces small chips, so more, finer teeth can be used. Grind matters as much as count — an alternate top bevel slices across the fibres and gives clean crosscuts, a flat-top grind chisels along them for efficient ripping, and a triple-chip grind is for laminate and non-ferrous metal. A sharp blade with the wrong tooth count usually outperforms a blunt one with the right count, and burning, wandering and excessive effort are almost always blunt teeth rather than the wrong blade. ## The options, ranked *Ranked best-first for the stated job. The third column is why the others exist.* | Option | Good at | Bad at | | --- | --- | --- | | 24T rip blade | Big gullets clear a lot of waste fast, which is what ripping along the grain needs. | Rough crosscuts with visible tearout. | | 40T combination blade | The sensible one to leave on the saw: acceptable in both directions for most site work. | Not the best at either job. | | 60-80T crosscut blade | Fine alternate top bevel teeth slice the fibres, leaving a finish that needs almost no sanding. | Clogs and burns when ripping thick timber because the gullets are too small. | | Thin kerf blade | Less material removed means less power needed, which matters on a cordless saw. | Flexes more, so it wanders in thick stock. | ## Technique that changes the outcome 1. Set the depth so the teeth project only a few millimetres below the workpiece 2. Support the offcut so it cannot pinch the blade and cause kickback 3. Let the blade reach full speed before entering the cut 4. Clean pitch off the blade with a resin remover; a gummed blade behaves exactly like a blunt one ## What goes wrong - A fine crosscut blade for ripping thick timber, which burns and stalls - Cutting timber that may contain nails or grit - Standing directly behind the saw, in the line of a kickback > Compiled practical guidance rather than a published standard. Product formulations vary by brand and market, so read the label — and where the work is structural, electrical or gas, the regulations that apply where you are govern rather than anything here. ## Other blade questions | For | Use | | --- | --- | | Metal | A bi-metal or carbide-tooth blade with at least three teeth in the cut — that tooth-count rule matters more than the machine. | | Tile | A continuous-rim diamond blade with water — and cut wet, because dry cutting tile produces respirable silica dust. | | Plywood without tearout | A sharp 60-80 tooth blade, a scoring pass, tape on the line, and the good face oriented for the tool you are using. | | Brick | A segmented-rim diamond blade, cut wet or with on-tool extraction — brick and mortar dust is a serious silica hazard. | | Laminate | A triple-chip or negative-hook blade for worktops, and a reverse-tooth jigsaw blade for laminate flooring cut face up. | | Acrylic | A triple-chip negative-hook blade on a table saw, or score-and-snap for thin sheet — and keep the feed steady so it does not melt. | | Glass | None — a tungsten carbide scoring wheel, one firm pass with oil, then snap it. And toughened glass cannot be cut at all. | | Plasterboard | A utility knife for straight cuts and a jab saw or multi-tool for cutouts — a circular saw is the wrong tool entirely. | | Plastic pipe | A fine 24 TPI hacksaw or a proper pipe cutter — and deburr the inside afterwards, which is the step people skip. | ## Common questions ### Which circular saw blade for wood? 24 teeth for ripping and framing, 40 for general work, 60-80 for a clean crosscut finish. ### What should I avoid? A fine crosscut blade for ripping thick timber, which burns and stalls Cutting timber that may contain nails or grit Standing directly behind the saw, in the line of a kickback ## Related pages - [Which blade cuts metal?](https://atoneplace.net/which/blade-metal/) - [Which blade cuts tile?](https://atoneplace.net/which/blade-tile/) - [Which blade cuts plywood without tearout?](https://atoneplace.net/which/blade-plywood/) - [Which blade cuts brick?](https://atoneplace.net/which/blade-brick/) - [Which blade cuts laminate?](https://atoneplace.net/which/blade-laminate/) - [Which blade cuts acrylic?](https://atoneplace.net/which/blade-acrylic/) - [Which blade cuts glass?](https://atoneplace.net/which/blade-glass/) - [Which blade cuts plasterboard?](https://atoneplace.net/which/blade-plasterboard/) - [Which blade cuts plastic pipe?](https://atoneplace.net/which/blade-plastic-pipe/) - [Which glue works on wood?](https://atoneplace.net/which/glue-wood/) - [Which drill bit should I use for wood?](https://atoneplace.net/which/drill-bit-wood/) - [Which screw and pilot hole should I use for wood?](https://atoneplace.net/which/screw-wood/) ## Sources - Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place (/about/)