Rip Cut vs. Cross Cut: What Are the Differences?

Rip Cut vs. Cross Cut: What Are the Differences?

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If you are planning on getting into woodworking, then you need to know what the different types of cuts are. Two of the most common cuts in woodworking include the rip-cut and the crosscut. Today, we will compare these types of cuts to see what exactly they are all about, and what makes them different from each other.

Let’s figure out how to rip-cut and crosscut, so you can start being a proficient woodworker.

What Is a Rip-Cut?

First, we have the rip-cut, which is a type of cut performed on pieces of wood where the cut is made with the grain of the wood. For those of you who don’t know, wood does have grain, which means that the fibers are oriented in a certain direction.

When you perform a rip-cut, you cut in the same direction that the grain faces, which generally means cutting a piece of wood lengthwise. In other words, if you are cutting a board into two thin and long pieces, or cutting it lengthwise, this is a rip cut. This method is usually something that you would do with a table saw or a circular saw.

What Is a Crosscut?

We then have the crosscut, which involves cutting a piece of wood against or across the grain. In other words, here we are talking about cutting a piece of timber widthwise. Generally speaking, when you do this cut on wood, such as on a board, you will cut it widthwise, which means cutting it into two shorter pieces.

This technique is something that you can do with a table saw, circular saw, jigsaw, and many other similar tools.

Are Rip-Cuts Easier Than Crosscuts?

People often ask which of these two types of cuts is easier to perform than the other. When it comes down to it, this is rather subjective, and there is no right or wrong answer.

On the one hand, we have the rip-cut, which means cutting a piece of wood lengthwise. This means that you have to make a very long and straight cut. Due to the way in which the wood fibers are oriented, when making a length cut, it’s going to take a lot of force to get through that wood, so you do need a very powerful saw that can power a blade to spin at very high speeds.

On that note, because the cut is so long, keeping it straight without a fence can be very difficult. With that being said, because you are cutting with the grain of the wood, the wood should come apart easier, and there is less of a chance of you damaging the wood when making a crosscut. Rip-cuts are easier to make in the sense that they usually don’t produce quite as much tear-out.

Crosscuts are more susceptible to suffering from tear-out, although some people do think they are easier to make because the cut itself is much shorter.

Due to the cut being much shorter, it’s much easier to keep it straight, you don’t need a saw that has quite as much power, meaning it can be done with a wider range of tools. Cutting a very long board lengthwise requires a special type of saw, such as a table or circular saw, whereas a crosscut can be made with virtually any type of cutting tool.

Should You Rip-Cut or Crosscut First?

Generally speaking, it is recommended that you perform rip cuts before crosscuts. The reason for this is that if you rip cut first, the cutting envelope for the crosscuts to be made subsequently will be smaller, therefore making them easier to perform. However, if you perform a crosscut first, it’s not going to make much of a difference from performing rip cuts.

Rip-cuts should always come first.

Rip-Cut vs. Crosscut Blades: How Are They Different?

These are two different types of cuts, which means that two different types of blades are required. First, we have the rip-cut blade, which features teeth that are flat, just like a chisel. These are designed to make long cuts with the grain when there isn’t much resistance.

These blades generally have a flat top grin pattern with teeth that have a hook of roughly 20 degrees, combined with a low tooth count (usually between 10 and 30 teeth), with the teeth being fairly large.

We then have the crosscut blade, which features teeth that alternate in terms of the direction they point. These blades are designed to cut across or against the grain of wood while producing a very smooth finish. Crosscut blades have much smaller and sharper teeth than rip-cutting blades, and many more of them too, up to 120 teeth. These blades also tend to have an ATB or Hi-ATB tooth design.

Can You Rip-Cut with a Crosscut Blade?

You really should not perform rip-cuts with a crosscut blade. Although crosscut blades can produce a clean cut against or across the grain, the cut may not be very even when trying to cut with the grain. A rip-cut blade is also designed to produce a bit more force than a crosscut blade, therefore making it easier to get through a long cut. A crosscut blade used for making rip cuts might also produce some dangerous kickback.

Can You Crosscut with a Rip-Cut Blade?

The same really applies in the other direction too. You generally don’t want to use a rip-cut blade to make a crosscut. It’s not going to produce a very clean outcome, and can even be dangerous. There is a reason there are two different blades used to make these cuts, as they are optimally designed for those exact purposes.

Summary

Now that you know what rip cuts and cross cuts are all about, you can start being a more proficient and knowledgeable woodworker.