Blade Collection

[Tramsey4]

What are your recommendations for a good starter set of blades? I currently have #4 Olson spiral pinless blades and #5 ryobi standard pin end blades. I assume the bigger the number the bigger the cut with less attention to detail.

[Dan]

Everyone has their favorite and you will find yours. I suggest getting a dozen of the types you plan to use from several blade manufacturers. In the realm of scrolling, blades are pretty cheap so order, say #3, from three or four (or more) manufacturers and see what you prefer. Also realize not all #3 (or any other sizes) are not exactly the same. A lot has to do with the type of scrolling and material you use. Olson has a good blade chart to get you started, but I'm not saying they are the best blades for your work. 

Good luck and let us know what you end up liking. 

[JOE_M]

For regular blades, the bigger the # also means the fatter the line cut out, so if you're doing something like those dogs with the 3 toes on each foot, the line you cut between each toe will be bigger if you use a bigger # blade. I like a thin blade but I cut some angel ornaments out once with a #1 and the lines that were supposed to simulate the flowing of the wings/dress were so thin they didn't look right. Bigger blades cut straight lines easier, smaller blades can turn easier. Higher TPI gives a cleaner cut in thinner woods - just like a bandsaw blade or a handsaw, you want teeth in the wood at all times, not tooth or half a tooth. Reverse teeth are supposed to help prevent tearout on the bottom, especially if you're using plywood,  but if you're cutting fat stuff they might not clear all the dust out and you could end up burning the wood. Skip tooth are like regular blades with every other tooth missing, they're supposed to stay cooler longer. If you're cutting hard exotics or metal inlay then Flying Dutchman makes a "polar" blade that works good, other makers probably do too. Olson has their chart, if you find the page for Flying Dutchman they describe what each type of their blades is supposed to do.

 

 

[Tramsey4]

Thanks for the advice. We have a Woodcraft here in Knox that apparently has blades cheaper than Amazon so I plan on going by and see what they have. My question was is it good to have one of each size blade? I didn't know if they made a kit that had all sizes.

[MrsN]

For a newbie I would recommend getting several packs of just one size and practicing a lot. Once you have a good feel for what that blade will do, try a pack of a smaller or different style blade.

I would pick a #5 skiptooth blade for a newbie. It is what I typically have on my saws for my students.

[Bill WIlson]

Blades can be pretty application specific.  If you have a particular type of project/pattern and material you expect to use most, it would make narrowing down the options a little easier.  If you expect to work with a variety of woods and thicknesses, cutting a variety of pattern styles, then the whole spectrum is open to you.

As others have stated, the bigger the blade, the fewer teeth per inch (TPI) and the more aggressive the cut.  Conversely, the smaller the blade, the more TPI and the more control you have in the cut.  Generally speaking, you would use the smallest blade to cut the finest detail in the thinnest material and vice versa.  Reverse tooth blades offer the cleanest cut.  Skip tooth blades work well in thick, dense, hard materials, but leave a little more tear out on the back side of the piece.  Spirals are not really a general purpose blade, IMHO, but are perfectly suited for certain types of patterns (such as portraits).

Blade styles and brands compound the variables and can make selecting a blade even more confusing.  Do not despair.  Blades are relatively cheap, so trial & error testing of different blades is a bigger drain on your time than it is your budget, so with the general guidelines in mind, spend some time with size and type blades that fit the patterns and materials you want to cut to learn which one works best for you.  I like to tell folks who ask about blades that polling scrollers will only get you so far.  Give 5 different scrollers the same pattern to cut from the same wood and you will likely find that they will each use a different blade.  Once you get past the basics, it is only with experience that you will learn what works best for you.

Good luck and have fun making sawdust!

[Tramsey4]

2 hours ago, Bill WIlson said:

Blades can be pretty application specific.  If you have a particular type of project/pattern and material you expect to use most, it would make narrowing down the options a little easier.  If you expect to work with a variety of woods and thicknesses, cutting a variety of pattern styles, then the whole spectrum is open to you.

As others have stated, the bigger the blade, the fewer teeth per inch (TPI) and the more aggressive the cut.  Conversely, the smaller the blade, the more TPI and the more control you have in the cut.  Generally speaking, you would use the smallest blade to cut the finest detail in the thinnest material and vice versa.  Reverse tooth blades offer the cleanest cut.  Skip tooth blades work well in thick, dense, hard materials, but leave a little more tear out on the back side of the piece.  Spirals are not really a general purpose blade, IMHO, but are perfectly suited for certain types of patterns (such as portraits).

Blade styles and brands compound the variables and can make selecting a blade even more confusing.  Do not despair.  Blades are relatively cheap, so trial & error testing of different blades is a bigger drain on your time than it is your budget, so with the general guidelines in mind, spend some time with size and type blades that fit the patterns and materials you want to cut to learn which one works best for you.  I like to tell folks who ask about blades that polling scrollers will only get you so far.  Give 5 different scrollers the same pattern to cut from the same wood and you will likely find that they will each use a different blade.  Once you get past the basics, it is only with experience that you will learn what works best for you.

Good luck and have fun making sawdust!

So far the only wood I've messed with is knotty pine 1 inch (3/4 technically), 1/4 inch plywood, and 1/2 inch MDF. 

I broke a #4 spiral last night after just one project and I imagine I will break many more in the future. They are not my favorite when scrolling on the outside of a project but worked well in the small holes I needed to cut.

[Tramsey4]

16 hours ago, JOE_M said:

For regular blades, the bigger the # also means the fatter the line cut out, so if you're doing something like those dogs with the 3 toes on each foot, the line you cut between each toe will be bigger if you use a bigger # blade. I like a thin blade but I cut some angel ornaments out once with a #1 and the lines that were supposed to simulate the flowing of the wings/dress were so thin they didn't look right. Bigger blades cut straight lines easier, smaller blades can turn easier. Higher TPI gives a cleaner cut in thinner woods - just like a bandsaw blade or a handsaw, you want teeth in the wood at all times, not tooth or half a tooth. Reverse teeth are supposed to help prevent tearout on the bottom, especially if you're using plywood,  but if you're cutting fat stuff they might not clear all the dust out and you could end up burning the wood. Skip tooth are like regular blades with every other tooth missing, they're supposed to stay cooler longer. If you're cutting hard exotics or metal inlay then Flying Dutchman makes a "polar" blade that works good, other makers probably do too. Olson has their chart, if you find the page for Flying Dutchman they describe what each type of their blades is supposed to do.

 

 

Wait, we can cut metal? 

[JOE_M]

38 minutes ago, Tramsey4 said:

Wait, we can cut metal? 

Don't know about "we" but "he" sure can  :

 

[Dan]

Travis, Breaking blades will happen. If someone says they never broke a blade their nickname is lier. Knotty pine can be tough on blades. The knots are very hard, causing the blade to heat, which causes them to break. Larger blades are more aggressive but sometimes harder to control, but they'll probably last longer in knotty pine. Although naughty... oops, I mean knotty pine, is beautiful, scroll saw work may not be its best application. 

[Tramsey4]

On 9/28/2017 at 8:41 PM, Dan said:

Travis, Breaking blades will happen. If someone says they never broke a blade their nickname is lier. Knotty pine can be tough on blades. The knots are very hard, causing the blade to heat, which causes them to break. Larger blades are more aggressive but sometimes harder to control, but they'll probably last longer in knotty pine. Although naughty... oops, I mean knotty pine, is beautiful, scroll saw work may not be its best application. 

I found that out the hard way. I've mostly been using 1/4 inch plywood and 1/2 inch MDF. MDF looks great after being spray painted. 

[Tramsey4]

I've ordered a blade set starting at 2/0 to 7. I've been using #5 lately and I now feel more comfortable with getting more detailed cuts. I officially don't like spiral blades. Way too unforgiving.