blade questions =)

[frommauiwithlove]

Aloha everyone!! I am a new to this wonderful artform and have a couple of very basic questions about blades. I am trying to cut two pieces of 3/8" plywood at the same time. The blade that I am using is a regular tooth with 15 TPI. I selected it to use based on nothing so maybe it is completely wrong. It is burning my wood really badly and it seems like I am really forcing it. The cuts that I need to make are fairly curvy. What kind of blade should I be using?? Please help!! Thank you --Heather =)

[miamw]

What type wood is the plywood?

[Carter-Johnson]

Check with Mike at Mikes workshop.

[MikeDingas]

See this post.

[Dragon]

Hi and welcome to our group.
Diane

[CanadianScroller]

A good rule of thumb when selecting blades is to have at least 3 teeth in contact with the wood at all times.
This will minimize splintering, if the blade has skipped teeth then there is ample space for the sawdust to fall out of the cut without getting a buildup, which would lead to burning.

[frommauiwithlove]

THank you all!! Miamw - I think it is birch. --Heather

[Mackem]

Welcome to the forum Heather.

[chrispuzzle]

Welcome Heather!

Birch ply can be quite tough, the amount and type of glue in the plywood makes a big difference too so it varies. It sounds like your blade ought to be OK but if they are generic blades and not one of the top brands they could just be dull and difficult to control, there can be a lot of variation in a batch.

If you are not using either Pegas, Olson or Flying Dutchman blades buying some would be one of the best moves you can make. Sometimes you can find a blade you like that isn't one of the top three but mostly it transforms what you're doing to have a really good blade. Mike at Mike's Workshop (Check out the Other Great Sites link in the left column for his site) does a sample pack of Flying Dutchman so you can try a range of solutions.

If you put clear packing tape over the pattern when you cut then it helps stop the burning. The plastic tape melts and lubricates the blade. Bizarre but true.

Chris