What speed?

[Nathan May]

When scroll sawing through hard wood (oak,ect) isn't it best to lower the RPM on the saw, to keep it from burning the wood?
Nathan May, Auburn AL

[Carl E Jacobs]

RPMS saw teeth and you

This is a more complicated question than it appears.The answer depends on hardness of wood ,thickness of same,number of teeth on blade ,lubrication
afforded ,speed of saw ,and then tension of blade and probably the biggest
variable your speed .any and all of these ,in any number of combinations will
adversely effect the cutting results . Normally ,thicker wood requires less but
bigger teeth per in. slower rpms more tension .taunter blade[ higher ping pitch]
and slower even push [you] as usual there is always a trade off ,larger teeth not
as fine a cut,experiment till you find the combination that works for you!

my very best!
Carl

[Doug Nelson]

Carl's answer is perfect, work on your own speed combination. That speed will change with time, but in the meantime enjoy what you cut at whatever speed you decide to use.

[dgman]

I look at it this way, If I can't stay on the line, slow down the saw. If it seems like it's slow going, turn it up.
Using clear packing tape or blue painters tape on the wood will help with burning the wood. I use clear packing tape over the pattern. Just my choice.

[walnut]

Ditto Carl.. Good luck

[ubgoofy2003]

Nathan, you have a lot of good advice here, so, now it's up to you to choose how you cut your piece of wood. I have cut name plaques from 3/4 in. Oak & used a #3 polar FD blade. I did use a #1 spiral for some of it too. If I could, I would use the spirals for everything I cut. I love those spirals.

[sawdustus]

I agree with Carl and Dan that there are many variables and you have to choose your own combination. Here is my two cents. I have cut 3/4 oak and other hardwoods using everything from a #2 RT blade to a #7 ST blade. What I use and how many SPM I set the saw at depends on the details in the cutting. Many sharp turns or corners generally need a smaller blade and a slower SPM to make them come out clean. It just takes some practice. If you try your skills on a piece of scrap wood, using different blades and speeds, before tackling your project, you will save yourself a lot of frustration.

george