Need Help with Blades

[MFarley Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close MFarley]

What blade is a good blade to cut 3/4" thick oak. I have been cutting 3/4 thick pine, poplar and aspen and have been using a FD-UR No.5 and it cuts great. I tried using this blade on the oak and I am have a hard time cutting. I am burning up the blades. I also tried the FD-SR No.5 and No.3 and had the same problem. What blade do you use to cut 3/4 thick oak? Thanks for any help....Mark

[Rolf The WoodMeister Find all posts View Profile Close Rolf]

Try an Olson PGt 5 or 7

[NC Scroller Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close NC Scroller]

I will assume you are using a new sharp blade to make this cut. IMHO a number 5 is just too lite for 3/4 stock. I would move up to a #7 or #9 in the blade types you mentioned. I would also apply clear packing tape to both sides of the wood. That should reduce the burning.

[handibunny Carole Find all posts View Profile Close handibunny]

There seems to be a prejudice against using larger size blades. That's really unfortunate.

If you have hard, thick wood that doesn't require making sharp curves, the FD-UR 9 and the FD-R 12 are extremely aggressive. Tape never hurts, also, and change blades often.

[3_M Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close 3_M]

The FD-UR # 7 would be good. To help with eliminating burning. Use the 2" clear package tape on top of the pattern. Some use the blue painters tape on the wood with pattern on top.
FD Mike

[Bill Wilson Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bill Wilson]

In my opinion, the question boils down to expectations. Pine, poplar & aspen are fairly soft, so if you are used to cutting these woods, you have been conditioned to certain expectations of the blade's performance. If you are trying to use the same feed rate with oak as with these softer woods, that may be as much of a contributing factor to the problem as the size & type of blade.

I routinely stack cut hardwoods in thicknesses up to 3/4" with smaller blades, normally a #3 or even a #2. I would think that a #5 would do fine in 3/4" oak, as long as you compensate by slowing down your feed rate accordingly. For me, the pattern helps determine the blade size as much as type and thickness of material. If the pattern permits, by all means try a larger blade as it will cut faster. But, if the pattern has tight turns and a high degree of fine detail, you are better off with a smaller blade. The trade off is that it will cut slower and dull faster, but the results will probably be better.

[Rolf The WoodMeister Find all posts View Profile Close Rolf]

I agree with you Bill, Most of my work has lots of fine details so I tend to use much smaller blades than most.

[wood-n-things Grandpa making Sawdust Find all posts View Profile Close wood-n-things]

I agree with Bill and Rolf. A smaller blade will still cut oak you just have to let it. If you cant' change your cutting habits the m ove up to a larger blade like the FD ur#7 or 9

[MFarley Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close MFarley]

Thanks for the advice. I am still very new at this so I guess I need to use less feed with the smaller blades. I am cutting a puzzle so I figured I needed to use the smaller blade. I changed the blade for often. I went thru about 12 blades cutting the same puzzle I cut out of pine and only used 2 blades for it. Thanks for the advice I will keep practicing. Mark

[3_M Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close 3_M]

Mark, Some are talking about lower speed. With lower speed you might have a tendency to start pushing too hard into the blade, this will make the blade cut with a bevel. I feel that I have much better control with higher speed. Just push slow into the blade. Let the blade do the cutting, they say.
Try it both ways and see what is the best for you.
FD Mike

[wood-n-things Grandpa making Sawdust Find all posts View Profile Close wood-n-things]

I could have been more clear. The speed is the feed rate of your wood not the speed of the saw. Oak is a difficult choice for puzzles as it is fragile and can have very sharp splinters. I'd stick with some softer woods, like poplar and cherry and mahogany.

[Hawaiilad Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hawaiilad]

I agree with just about everyone here...I seem to use #5 and #7 blades in nearly everything I cut. Oh I will try smaller blades at first, and find I end up changing back. When I need to use Polar blades I may step down to a #3. But in Oak and woods like that I stick with at least a #5..works best for me. It may just be the way I have learned to cut, but I always have my saw (Hegner) at full speed and then slow the feed rate as I cut. On corners slow down a bit more so not to burn the wood. If I an stack cutting, I will use clear packing tape or blue painter tape under the pattern over and around the wood...this seems to lube the blade and holds the wood together when cutting. Remember, you can always use packing tape..don't have to be stack cutting...just makes it cut smoother.

[Bill Wilson Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bill Wilson]

For cutting puzzles, you probably want to stick with the smallest blade you can. Too big of a kerf will make for kind of a sloppy fit.

[MFarley Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close MFarley]

Thanks for all the advice. I have only been at this for a few months and I still have alot to learn. But all the help from everybody here has made the learning alot easier. Thanks Everyone.....Mark