I just got through sawing a very simple cat puzzle of 3/4" white oak. I used a #3 Pegas blade and went really, really slow and still it's tight. It's not so tight that a little sanding won't fix it. If I ever white oak again I will use a #5 or #7 blade. I have cut quite a few puzzles with a #3 blade and never a problem but white oak is hard, real hard.