D788 question

[Iamdead]

new to scrolling and was wondering to cut a striegt line i had to hold the wood at a 45 degree angle has anyone ever had this prob?

[Marcel in Longueuil]

Hi,

It will depend on the brand and type of blade you use, the tension on the blade, the wood and it's thickness and how you "push" on the piece.

Yes, an angle can be normal, but I fell 45 degrees is a little bit much.

I"ll let others add to this that have more experience with this than I do,
Marcel

[Gill]

Like Marcel, I think we need a few more details. I'd particularly like to know what blade you are using and how you are judging the appropriate tension. I'd also like to know how long you use your blades before changing them.

Gill

PS Please confirm that the 45 degree angle relates to right hand bias. If it's left hand bias...

[Iamdead]

not really sure about the blade tention just playing with it really and the blades are from sears there 20 tooth per inch revers blade i know there junk but just got the saw and have to order blades.

[Marcel in Longueuil]

Sears junk blades?

Yep, 45 degrees is a possibility

As for tension, it is said a "C" note (not a 100$ bill) is the right tension.

Have a look at Rick H's web site, it will help. http://www.scrollsaws.com

Regards,
Marcel

[popsshop]

i know there junk but just got the saw and have to order blades.

A good blade does wonders for both cutting and bias. In my humble opinion and experience, I get mine from Mike Moorlach (Flying Dutchman). His prices are good and I find the blades excellent quality and durability. www.mikesworkshop.com

I'm sure others have their favorite blades - just adding my 2% of a dollar.

[PeteB]

Here's an audible "ping" test for saw blade tension:

http://www.intarsia.com/ScrollSawTension.html

I'll second Marcel's referral to Rick H's page, probably the best how to's for scrolling in summarized form. Videos, too. This site is terrific for more specific questions using the Search function.

Best of luck,

Pete

[Marcel in Longueuil]

(I copied this from a previous post I made)

In regards to the blades, you need to try different brands and see which one you like best.

The most popular brands, in no order, are Pégas, Olson and Flying Dutchmen

And you will find different models inside each brand. Which makes it a little intimidating even for some that have been scrolling for a little while. Some blades are targeted at specific tasks (puzzles, metal, Corian) others have different teeth configurations ( skip tooth, reverse teeth, crown teeth). You can easily find blade charts on the web (Olson has a nice one) describing the different blades and suggested usage.

Some of the Rules are:

• You should always have 3 teeth touching your material when cutting (at least, that's what I heard )
• The more teeth on the blade, the smoother the cut
• The more teeth on the blade, the more heat gets generated
• The more teeth on the blade, the harder it is for the sawdust to get expelled.
• Reverse teeth help prevent "fuzzies" on the bottom
• Reverse teeth are more aggressive
• The smaller the blade, the finer the cut
• The smaller the blade, the tighter the radius you can turn
• The smaller the blade, the harder it is to see against your black pattern lines
• The smaller the blade, the easier it is to insert upside down
• The smaller the blade, the easier it is for it to want to follow the grain on some woods
• Keeping the blade tensioned tight helps cut straighter, too tight and it breaks
• And let us not forget that the density (type) of wood used will call for different blade types also

I guess we could make an equation of it:
Type of wood + Thickness of wood + type of blade + size of blade + speed of blade(saw) = Nicest cut

So my point is that there is good and bad to every type of blades and you have to adapt yourself to them, as well as make the best compromising choice.

Lots of good advice has been given to you by others here, and we are here if you have further questions.

Good luck with your new hobby, kiss any family lovingly, cause once that saw comes in and you get bit, they'll be wanting for your presence. It's addictive, be warned.

Regards,
Marcel

[Bill Wilson]

I think what you are experiencing is the dreaded scroll saw blade drift. Most SS blades are manufactured by punching them out of a sheet of material. This process causes the teeth to be slightly more aggressive on one side of the blade than the other, thus the blade wants to drift, generally to the right of the line.

It's something that almost all common blades do. You can buy blades that say they are machined or precision ground that claim to minimize or eliminate this problem. In my limited experience with them, they do track straighter, but they are a bit more expensive. Most folks just compensate for it and once you get used to it, it's no big deal. What I do is set my chair off to the right of the saw a bit, then I have the illusion of feeding the wood straight into the blade, when I'm really compensating for the drift.

[minowevie]

I know for me, I have learned to always, feed the wood into a blade , for a straight cut at a angale. trying to cut straight with the saw. dosen't work for me. as too the exsackt 45 degree. well you have to know your saw, the tention, and the levaleness of your blade. also, the flatness of the wood you are cutting. if you don't like the burr on the right side of the blade. you can sand it off. just by holding a sanding block agenst it while running your saw, to remove it.(just for a couple seconds.) BUT, I love that little burr, it keeps my blade in the wood. you can also use it to shave off little nicks and booboos. i most always, cut , with the burr against the line. it realy helps me when coming out of a corner. i have used all kinds of blades. and they all work ok when you get used to what they are doing.I know i have more problems, when i am to tens. and my tention isn't right. or mostly when my wood is warped some. some time too. my clamps are warn some. that meens the blade is rubbing on the side of the clamp. and when you wont to turn . say like a corner. the blade wonts to drift, when you turn, the blade keeps going to the right. thats normaly tention, or wood warp. or hard wood grain. or a too small blade in the wood you are trying to cut. just keep practicing. and yourll get it. Evie

[3_M]

I think what you are experiencing is the dreaded scroll saw blade drift. Most SS blades are manufactured by punching them out of a sheet of material. This process causes the teeth to be slightly more aggressive on one side of the blade than the other, thus the blade wants to drift, generally to the right of the line.

The above is not correct. All blades are milled and NOT puched out of a sheet of material.
I have been able to visit two different factories that make scrollsaw blades. Except for some proprietary engineering process, both companies use the same methods for producing blades.
A big roll of wire-about 4 or 5 feet in diameter- is set up in front of a press. This press makes the wire flat.
The press also sets the desired thickness of the blade they want to produce in a particular run.
There is a small table right behind the press where the teeth are milled.The now flatted steel wire is moved forward 5 inches at a time and a cylinder moves into the steel to cut the teeth for each blade. This cylinder is about 4 inches in diameter and has very sharp edges which cut the teeth of the new saw blade. A different cylinder is needed for each type/size of blade that can be produced. As the cylinder moves back out of the way, the steel wire moves forward again 5 inches so the next blade can be milled. The process of using this "cylinder" is why this is called being milling
I would not try to sand the burr, you might also sand some of the teeth and dull them. Go to http://www.mikesworkshop.com/Q&A-FP.htm
There are a lot of good tips.
Mike

[minowevie]

Hay Mike. I was wondering why you said this
(I would not try to sand the burr, you might also sand some of the teeth and dull them. )
I do this all the time. I have never lost the teeth. only the burr. when sanding it. But, I should say. I don't use a soft sanding block. but a hard sanding block. I use the stick on sanding papper to a piece of 1/2 piece of wood. that way it only sands off the burr. not the front of the teeth. personaly. I don't like sanding off the burr. but sometimes it is nessasary. (if thats a word). you can also rap a piece of sand papper around something. and hold it next to the blade. to do the same job. I don't always have a problem with the burr. but sometimes it seems, like it is more narly than I would like. so I do a smooth down. so to speeck. on cheep blades that is. soooooooo. guess i have more to learn . drats darn dang. Evie

[3_M]

Evie,

Most people would not do it that, that was the reason what I said. However, I like the burr, I can use it to sand when I get a little of the line.

Your friend Mike

[Marsha]

Blades!!!! again

I am fairly new to fretwork, and I also use a DW788.
The best blade I have found for fretwork in 1/4" wood of any type is the PSR # 3 blade from FD. It dosen't matter whether I'm cutting one layer or stack cutting 4 layers, I always use the same blade.

I have tried Olson blades, and I can't believe they rank higher then a FD blade, I thought they were crap.

I can not speak about Pegas blades because I've never tried them. I simply can't afford them.

I have found that I always cut on the left hand side of the line and the PSR blade pulls to the right and therefore keeps me on the line.

When cutting a straight line I do find the wood is at a bit of an angle, but certainly not 45 degrees.
I always tension my blade as tight as it will go, because the least little bit of slack in the blade makes it harder to follow the cut line.

I have never sanded any blade, I've never felt the need.

BTW Mike, what does the P in PSR mean, I've been meaning to ask for awhile now and never got around to it, but this seems like the perfect opportunity.

Just my 2¢ worth
Marsha

PS Mick Walker, can you show me how to make a Degee sign.

Marsha

[Iamdead]

i want to thank u all for the replys they where very helpful and to let u know how bad the blades i wher using where i found a place that sold olsens and now its just alittle cocked like everyone eles. i really should research alittle more the websites u have suggested are gret thanks agian