SCROLL SAW TIPS
WHAT BLADES SHOULD I USE?
No one ever likes to answer this question. There are so many
different blades and everyone has there own preferences. The first thing you
will notice when cutting is that the blade wants to cut to the right. This is do
to the way scroll saw blades are made. Blades are milled and have a burr on the
right side of the blade. This makes the right side sharper then the left. A
blade will try to take the path of least resistance. This is easily corrected by
just turning your work to the left about 5 to 20 degrees. With a little practice
you will be able to adjust with no problem. Olson makes a precision ground tooth
blade (PGT) that is formed in hardened steel with a stone wheel. Because there
is little to no material flow in the processing there is no burr on the edge.
These blades cut in a straight line. The only drawback is that the blades are
wider and that makes cutting corners a little harder. Also these blades only
come in sizes 5, 7 and 9 (I will get to sizes later). Here is a list of
different types of blades and what they are good for:
-
Skip tooth blades w/reverse teeth on the bottom: These are
the most popular blades. They cut fast and leave a smooth surface on the top
and bottom. They are good for soft and hard wood.
-
Skip tooth blades w/o reverse teeth on the bottom: These are
the fastest cutting blades but, they also leave fuzz on the bottom of your
work. Use these blades when you want to cut out your project really fast and
don't need to have it very smooth.
-
Double tooth blades w/reverse teeth on the bottom: These
blades have two teeth then skip one tooth. They are less aggressive and
offer a little more control of where you cut. They are very good for
hardwoods. They give a smooth cut with very little sanding.
-
Two way cut: These blades have two teeth pointing down and
every third tooth points up. They give a very smooth cut and are not very
aggressive. You get very good control over where you cut and don't have to
do a lot of sanding. These blades are good for soft and hardwood and especially
good for cutting plywood.
-
Crown tooth blades: These blades have one tooth up and one
tooth down. They are not aggressive blades and provide smooth cuts with very
little sanding. You can also turn these blades over when the bottom gets
dull. The problem with this is that now it wants to cut to the left instead
of the right (very hard to get used to). These blades are good for soft and
hardwood.
-
Spiral blades: There are 3 types of spiral blades regular,
flat end and reverse. These blades cut in any direction. They leave a rough
edge and require a lot of sanding. The reverse tooth spiral blades cut down
on the amount of sanding. The flat end spiral blades are easier to put in
the blade holders. These blades are used when cutting a project that is to
large to turn on the scroll saw. They are also good for veining when the
first cut has been made already with a regular blade.
-
Pinned Blades: These blades are used for scroll saws that
don't take plain end blades. They have a small pin in the top and bottom
used for installing them in the saw. This pin makes it almost impossible to
do small fret work (the making of inside cuts). If your saw takes regular
5" plain end blades you will not want to use these at all.
-
Metal cutting blades: These blades have more teeth per inch
required for cutting thin metal and other hard material.
All blades come in different sizes ranging from a 3/0 to a 12.
The smaller the number the smaller the blade. For best results use smaller sizes
for thinner stock and larger sizes for thicker stock. Use smaller sizes for
tighter radii and larger sizes for more general purpose cuts. Cut your project
out with the largest blade you can get away with. Smaller blades make sharper
turns but don't last as long or cut as fast. Here is a chart just to get an idea
of what size to use for the thickness of wood you are using. This is by no means
what you have to use. You will get your own preferences and there are also
changes with how hard the wood is and how much detail there is to the work you
are cutting out.
-
#3/0 good for veneers and wood up to 1/16"
-
#2/0 good for veneers and wood up to 1/8"
-
#0 good for veneers and wood up to
1/8"
-
#1 good for wood up to 1/4"
-
#2 good for wood up to 1/3"
-
#3 good for wood up to 1/2"
-
#5 good for wood up to 3/4"
-
#7 good for wood up to 1 1/4"
-
#9 good for wood up to 1 3/4"
-
#12 good for wood up to 2"
So in conclusion to "What blade should I use?", now
you see why no one ever likes to answer this question. My best suggestion is
what ever gets you to the final result that you are looking for is a good blade
to use. Try to get a little of everything and try them out and see what you
prefer. You will most likely want several sizes of the skip tooth blade
w/reverse teeth on the bottom. And also some two way cut blades. Get a few of
the spiral reverse or the flat end spiral blades. This should take care of
almost any of the cutting needs that you have.
Flying Dutchman Scroll Saw
Blades Olson Scroll Saw
Blades
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