I understand the dilemma. Seems my life is controlled by medical appointments. It never ends. Take care of yourself. We need you here and we enjoy seeing your work.
Not much I can offer. I think you have gotten great advise. I will say blades are the cheapest part of this hobby. I think you are getting off to a great start. The pattern you have chosen is very nice. With just a little care you will do very nicely. Thanks for joining us in the village.
Just avoid WD40. It is NOT a lubricant. I get clocks for repair which have been sprayed with it. It eventually gels and gets sticky. It screws up my cleaning solution so I charge an extra $25 to replace the cleaning solution.