Blade Speed

[wazabiker]

What determines the best blade speed? Off hand, with very little experience, it seems that the higher the saw blade speed the neater the cut. And, I assume that the more teeth per inch, the faster I can run my saw? Am I anywhere near correct? Thanks for all the past help. Y'all are fantastic.

Rob Banks

[Gill]

This is such a difficult question because it can be so variable. If I'm cutting 2 1/2 inch plywood I like the speed to be fast otherwise the cut takes ages and I'm prepared to accept the greater risk of burning. On the other hand, if I'm cutting a 1/16 inch board then I like to turn the speed down because the saw can seem to 'run away'.

I think the only right answer to this question is that the correct speed is the one that you're comfortable with for the particular project you're working on.

Gill

[Mick Walker]

Rob, I believe Gill hit the nail on the head. Whatever speed you are comfortable with is the correct one. The kind of wood, the thickness of the wood and the type of blade determines the speed also. This will all come to you with experience. I use a blade with many teeth when cutting intricate work out of thin wood and run the saw fairly slow, I feel that I have more control that way. Good luck with your projects. Mick.

[Greenfield_Bob]

Many times I will cut something slower or faster than I normally do on the same thickness of wood. Some times it just seems better to cut it at a different speed.

Bob

[sawdustus]

sawdustus of hiawatha

Rob,
In general, the thinner the blade, the thinner the wood, the slower the speed. Thin blades, 5,2, 2/0 have more teeth than thicker blades 7,9,12 thus you get a smoother cut with out the speed that tends to break the thin blades. You also get more control with a thinner blade. For soft woods, walnut, basswood, poplar you can use a thin blade and increase the speed as the wood gets thicker. For hard woods, oak, maple, cherry, use a thicker blade and a faster speed. These are general rules and should be broken depending on your confidence level and the detail of what you are cutting. Practice on some scrap first and keep a record for future reference.

sawdustus

[GrayBeard Phil]

Rob Banks:

About your comment about number of teeth---

Be aware that for thicker wood, too many teeth and the wood chips (AKA saw dust) won't clear the kerf. The gullets between the teeth of the blade just sort of accumulates the waste product and allows the wood waste to sort of run down the sides of the blade.

This excess wood dust causes friction, which causes heat, and then:
The blade teeth gets dull,
the blade metal gets hotter and hotter duller teeth and more dust,
the wood starts tp burn,
and then the blade breaks.

If you look at the range of blades, you will see all sorts of combinations of skip tooth designs. This is why we have so many choices for blades.

But as always, too few teeth and you will also spoil the cut. Solve one problem and two more appear.

Just thought you should know.

Phil

[bronco]

Rob,
I still have more success with a slower speed especially cutting tight corners,my blade seems to wander at faster speeds no matter how tight I clamp the blade,its probably me and not the norm but thats how I have to do it.
Bill

[minowevie]

What determines the best blade speed? Off hand, with very little experience, it seems that the higher the saw blade speed the neater the cut. And, I assume that the more teeth per inch, the faster I can run my saw? Am I anywhere near correct? Thanks for all the past help. Y'all are fantastic.

Rob Banks

Hi Rob. the # of teeth does not determon the fastness of your scrolling. you can crus at any speed you are confortable with. the amount of teeth meens that there is more teeth per inch and they are in your wood at the same time. i find more teeth per inch can give you more controle. it is slower. for they carry the sawdust with them. that don't meen you are cutting faster just becouse you have more teeth.. less teeth per inch meens there is less teeth in the wood. and carryies out the sawdust with it faster. the one thing with less teeth per inch is , becouse it carryies out the sawdust , with less space inbetween the teeth. you can go faster. and also turn corners faster. or easyer. it is alittle confuseing at first. I think for a begginer. a skip tooth at 24 or more teeth per inch, is a slower and more ackruit cutting. your speed should be at below 1300 rpms. giving you more time in the cut. and at a corner. you have more time to think about where you are going. trust me. its slower. the less teeth per inch cuts way faster. becouse it moves throuh the wood faster, it doesn't have to work so hard to remove the sawdust. does this make sence. also it does depend on the thickness of you wood. more teeth per inch has to work harder. and the less teeth say 13 or 15 teeth per inch. cuts way faster. say your cutting a steak. and you are useing 3 nifes taped together. it would take longer. even though you have more sharpness.it would carry more of the meet with it. but if you use one blade. it is thiner, and will glide right on through. well thats the same thing even though it don't sound like it. you can cut cheese with a hair better than a mashetie. and be more preecise. does that make sence. anywy my friend hope this helped. your new friend Evie