Perplexed

[Badgerboy]

I got an assignment from the wife, please cut the old plastic fan blade in the shape of a dragonfly wing for an outdoor decoration she is making. I thought to myself , well the scrollsaw should work great!  I loaded a PS #9 skiptooth in the saw and off I went. As you can see the cut went fine. However, then I became perplexed and chuckled a bit. Apparently the friction from the blade heated up the plastic to the extent that it essentially glued itself back together. 

So Here I sit wondering now what. I tried recutting the line and quickly inserting a small wedge to create a gap, no luck. Plastic too hard to cut with a utility knife. A chisel  will not split the two pieces with out significant force which worries me. 

Any ideas?

[jollyred]

What speed are you cutting?  Higher speeds will increase heat, and the plastic melts.  Try recutting the line at the slowest speed your scroll saw has.  If that doesn't work, try lubricating the blade with a little wax, such as from a candle.  Final idea, use a little spray bottle to keep a bit of water on the cutting area.  Be careful to not get water in the electrics.  Dry thoroughly afterwards.

Tom

[fredfret]

A drop of mineral oil along the cut line, slow saw and feed speed, use skip tooth blade.

[NC Scroller]

Slow the saw down and use clear packing tape.

[Badgerboy]

So slowing the saw down and recutting helped a bit.  I did end up crossing my fingers and using a chisel with a few firm taps and finally got separation.  Task complete and 1 honey on the list checked off.  Thanks for the suggestions.