Spiral Blade usage

[Dennis Taylor]

Hi All, I have been a member of this forum for quite awhile, but don't post often, but recently I have ventured into using spiral blades, I got a 3 Stooges Pattern from Jeff Zaffino, nice pattern and I ordered 2/0 spiral blades to cut it, they cut great, but of course there is a problem, at least for me....I have a Dewalt 788, and the ends of the blades are spiraled also, they bend up so badly, I got more time in getting the tension on the blade than the cut...I tried to flatten them with needle nose pliers every few cuts but that don't seem to be a solution..anyone else have this problem and how do you combat it?....it is frustrating trying to get the blade threaded and into the holder and get the tension and it pops loose...any info is appreciated....thanks in advance....Dennis Taylor

[3_M]

Try the flat end Spirals. Ask Jeff for a sample of the new spiral 2/0. There is a lot less trouble with the ends.

Mike

[Gypsum]

I have used the FD NS #1 for some time in a DW788 feeding from the top without too much difficulty. When I start a new blade I taper the bottom end at 45 degrees and take some time to make sure it feels right in the bottom holder. By "feels right" I mean that it slips all the way back, there isn't a lot of leftover blade sticking out the bottom of the clamp, and the screw clamps firmly without overly twisting the blade. This may take a few minutes moving the blade up & down in the top clamp so the bottom clamp seats properly.

Additionally, care must be taken when feeding the blade that the bottom end doesn't get bent. If the blade is hard to feed, I keep a broken blade (1/8" longer than the wood thickness) in a pin vise and slide it through the hole a couple of times and try again.

I have cut a few of JZ's patterns which means a lot clamping/unclamping and this technique seems to work for me.

Good luck.
Dan

[lucky788scroller]

Keep in mind, I'm a bottom feeder, so this may all be backwards to you. I install the blade in the saw so its in the bottom clamp. I then will move my tension lever a little bit, which raises the upper arm a little, until it reaches a point where clamping it is easy without kinking the blade. Sometimes untwisting the blade a smidge helps as well. I can easily use a blade for 100 fretholes without bending up the end to much, or kinking the blade to bad. Dale

[ChuckD]

I use spirals quite a bit and I think I am repeating myself. I have a small block of steel about 6 inches long and maybe 2 inches square. I take a dozen blades at a time and one at a time I lay it on the steel block. Using a tack hammer and very lightly I tap about 3/8 of an inch flat on one end. then I lay my finger on the blade so that I am holding the flat part against the steel and tap the other end the same way. If you tap to hard you will spread the blade metal and it will break very soon. Works fine for me.

[Dennis Taylor]

thanks for that info also...I am going to try the tack hammer idea, you flatten one end, and hold that end flat yet, then tap the other end flat...I tried one but bent it, maybe hit it to hard...I have a small anvil that I used, flat anyway....I was going to do a group at once until I bent a few, figured there must be a problem with technique then!!!...Dennis

[don snethen]

Here's the method I use on the spiral blades. I lay out a dozen or so and then using two pairs of needle-nose pliers untwist about a half inch on each end. I just eyeball to match the orientation of each end and find that they don't have to be right on as the blade holders correctly align them. I find this is a fairly quick way to deal with the somewhat irksome problem of the twisted ends.

Don

Eclipse Saw