Cutting help

[RPM]

Hello everyone,

I have a question….several in fact, I will start with this one.
Is it easier or harder to control a cut in thicker wood?
I have only tried the ply at the moment and I seem to “run away” with the cutting.
The best cutting I have managed at this time is nowhere near the cut I would have hoped for.

I won’t blame the saw as it seems the fault lies at my end.

Thanks


RPM

[Bill Wilson]

Of course there are a lot of variables that come into play that will affect one's ability to control a cut. I think you could make a general statement that all things being equal, it is harder to control cuts in very thin material than thick.

Feed rates, blade speed, size & type of blade, thickness of material all factor into ones ability to control a cut. Thin stock cuts easier and faster, so if you don't compensate you can find yourself wandering off the line pretty quickly. Thicker material cuts harder and slower, so accidental slips caused by being overaggressive on the feed rate and/or blade speed aren't as likely.

If you are trying to cut one layer of a thin material, baltic birch plywood for example, you need to slow the blade speed down, select a less aggressive blade (such as a higher TPI count) and be very gentle with your feed rate. If you still have problems, you can always stack cut a couple layers, that way you end up with an extra of your project.

[Forester21]

It depends on how thick your thick wood is! 3/4" wood is easy to control the cut line. Once you get into real thick wood - 2" stuff - it becomes hard to control again.

How thick is the ply that you are using?? I find that the 1/8 and 1/4 " wood, the saw speeds through the wood, and I need to turn the saw itself to a slower speed in order to stay online. If you don't have any thicker wood to try, you can always stack cut the thinner plywood.

Theresa

[Mick Walker]

RPM, I have never cut wood thicker than 1/2". I would suggest if you want more control cutting 1/8" or 1/4" wood, use a 2/0 28 t.p.i. blade and run your saw at slow or medium speed. Just my 2¢ worth.
Mick Delta P-20

[workin for wood]

I use big aggressive blades and thick hard woods. If you give me a piece of plywood, I cut through it like a rampaging tornado. I would think though that depending on the blade and speed and practice, you can control a thin piece of plywood. Seems to me that most people stack cut their plywoods, so that probably helps slow them down too.

[minowevie]

RPM I cut mostly one piece of 1/4 oak ply wood. mostly, becouse , to save money. I find , when i put in a new blade, it wonts to go crazy on me. so i have to cut slow. untill the blade dulls some. one trick i do, is use my new blades on a thicker stack, or hard wood. but I don't trow them away. save them for your thinner woods. the duller blade will give you more controle while you are learning. also good advice on the size. I also use a #2 skip tooth. or a 2/0 skip tooth. 28 teeth per inch, I think. also, as good as the revers tooth is. maybe just stay with the skip tooth for now. they do leave more frezzies on the bottom, but a regular blade wont pull the wood up so much. and you can consentrate, on just moveing the wood. as you advance in your learning skills, you can go to more aggrsive blades. like 13 and 15 theeth per inch. also. the higher the # the thicker the blade is. and they work fine. but are harder to do turns with. It really depends on what you get used to useing. and how thick you really wont to go. hope this helps some. Evie