Blades for cutting white oak

[logman]

What's the best Wood-Mizer blade to use for cutting white oak, some green
and some seasoned?  I have a 25hp LT30.  That stuff is hard.  Thanks for
any suggestions.

[Norm]

I use the .045, 1.25", with the 9 degree hook angle for white oak. May want to think about using the 4 degree ones, WM recommends them for seasoned wood, never tried them myself though.

[just_sawing]

The 4 degree does work but it is a real pain keeping blades separtate. My fours are now nine due to them getting lost in the mix.
I run 1.5 9degree and cringe at white oay and cheastnut oak. I cut them but it doesn't mean I like them.

[Larry]

Fresh WO can usually be cut with a 10 degree band.  8 degree for the old dried out WO logs.  If you have enough length on the log cut 3 or 4 inches off the end you enter.  I think it makes the band cut longer and easier.

I get old WO beams and posts out of falling down tobacco barns to re-saw...better have a sharp 4 degree band for that stuff.

Like just_sawing, I had a big mess on my hands for a while keeping my bands straight.  I've cut way back and only have 4 to 6 bands in the rotation now.  Sharpen to the hook angle I will need for the day.  Keep 30 or so new bands on hand but they are all the same hook angle.

[ohsoloco]

I have no idea what hook angle my blades are  : I just use em out of the box (Lennox Woodmaster)  and put em on my Norwood sharpener when they're dull. 

Not sure what you're talking about, though...I love cutting white oak 

[customsawyer]

I use the 1.25 .055 WM blade fresh WO is not to bad and when you get into the seasoned WO turn your water off and it will help alot don't turn it down turn it OFF the water will make the sawdust swell inside your cut pinch your blade.

[TN_man]

I use an 8 degree angle and cut WO alot of the time. I actually perfer it because it makes great RR ties.
I don't use any water this time of the year, especially since I cut mostly oak. Water seems to stain it so quickly. Since I am cutting ties, I only get a few boards/ day and they may have to sit a week before I get enough to justify making a trip to the flooring buyer.
Is there another reason for using water other than blade temperature and may be the sap build up?
Am I missing something?

[Kelvin]

When deciding on blade hook width is also a concern.  Wider than 16" cut?  4 degrees is the blade in most hardwoods.  Chip clearing is a problem in super wide cuts, you want to reduce the amount each tooth grabs, otherwise sawdust will spill out of the gullets.  Using less set for harder or softer woods helps as well for the same reasons above.  Pine chips expand something like 3x's what hardwood chips do, so when you use a hardwood style blade on pine you get worse production b/c the chips are spilling out of the gullet, not clearing effectively and causing heat, which dulls your tip!  Softwood blades idealy have wider tooth spacing as well.  So the opposite is true of harder woods.  Less set, less hook, and closer tooth spacing.  Of all these set is easier to change while sharpening yourself.  I use a paint pen and mark my blades set for the purpose.  I sharpen everything to about 9-10 degrees, then set from .016-.022 depending on how hard or wide you are cutting.