It is currently 28 Mar 2024, 19:27

Question - Blade & speed

The place to be to discuss Scrolling and other artistic forms of Woodbutchery

Question - Blade & speed

Postby Phil » 24 Dec 2019, 14:40

I have some Beech which is the right size for the Reindeer project.

40mm X 40mm

BUT, Big BUT ............

I am struggling to cut it

Using a No. 12 blade, wrapped the Beech in brown box tape, all I smell is burning Beech.

Adjusted the speed to 700, extremely slow, may as well cut by hand. Took the speed back up to 1100.

The blade gets itself in a corner, grips the timber, and then the Beech hammers my fingers.
Not fun at all.
Breaks the blade.

So, what do I do now?

Gill - Calling Gill .............................

Phil
We don't stop woodworking because we grow old, we grow old because we stop woodworking!

https://www.instagram.com/phil_pretoria/
User avatar
Phil
Old Oak
 
Posts: 3499
Joined: 23 Jul 2014, 05:11
Location: Southern Africa 0054
Name: Phil

Re: Question - Blade & speed

Postby 9fingers » 24 Dec 2019, 14:48

Caveat: I have no experience with scroll saws.

I'm assuming the reindeer project is quite a long cut compared to most scrollsaw work and so a much coarser tooth pitch would be indicated for a band saw to allow clearance of sawdust. So maybe the same is true for scroll saw blades?

Bob
Information on induction motors here
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dBTVXx ... sp=sharing
Email:motors@minchin.org.uk
User avatar
9fingers
Petrified Pine
 
Posts: 10038
Joined: 21 Jul 2014, 20:22
Location: Romsey Hampshire between Southampton and the New Forest
Name: Bob

Re: Question - Blade & speed

Postby Phil » 24 Dec 2019, 15:26

9fingers wrote:
I'm assuming the reindeer project is quite a long cut compared to most scrollsaw work and so a much coarser tooth pitch would be indicated for a band saw to allow clearance of sawdust. So maybe the same is true for scroll saw blades?

Bob


Bob, spot on.

That is why I moved to a #12 blade. I am not aware of a coarser blade. I know there is a skip-tooth blade.
Maybe I will see if I can source some locally (next year when business is back to normal).

The tape is supposed to 'lube' the blade, but all I smell is burnt Beech. Not the best smelling wood around.

Cheers
Phil
We don't stop woodworking because we grow old, we grow old because we stop woodworking!

https://www.instagram.com/phil_pretoria/
User avatar
Phil
Old Oak
 
Posts: 3499
Joined: 23 Jul 2014, 05:11
Location: Southern Africa 0054
Name: Phil

Re: Question - Blade & speed

Postby 9fingers » 24 Dec 2019, 15:31

In my experience, beech is one of those woods that does burn easily. Hoiw do your blades behave in other woods?
Can you get blades with greater set and thus create a wider kerf?

Bob
Information on induction motors here
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dBTVXx ... sp=sharing
Email:motors@minchin.org.uk
User avatar
9fingers
Petrified Pine
 
Posts: 10038
Joined: 21 Jul 2014, 20:22
Location: Romsey Hampshire between Southampton and the New Forest
Name: Bob

Re: Question - Blade & speed

Postby Robert » 24 Dec 2019, 15:57

Can't really help as I don't scroll cut very often. A couple of months ago I cut a thick puzzle in 20mm thick beech and it did the whole puzzle no problem and I just used whatever blade was in the saw. I've found beech to be pretty scroll saw friendly and my saw is as basic as they get with no speed control.

Is yours definitely beech? not something with resin in it?
Robert
Old Oak
 
Posts: 2490
Joined: 21 Jul 2014, 19:31
Location: Woodford Green
Name: Robert

Re: Question - Blade & speed

Postby Gill » 24 Dec 2019, 18:24

Crikey, 40mm is a thick chunk of wood for any scroll saw!

Phil wrote:The blade gets itself in a corner, grips the timber, and then the Beech hammers my fingers.
Not fun at all.
Breaks the blade.


I'm concerned that you're breaking blades. A #12 is massive! It sounds as if the blade is binding, probably on sawdust trapped within the block of wood. Don't forget, if your saw has a cutting stroke shorter than the thickness of the wood then not all saw dust will be able to escape. Slowing down the saw will help to keep the blade cool and retain its cutting edge but if you are still having problems I suggest you keep backing off the blade to allow sawdust to escape. I'd definitely prefer to use as large a skip-tooth blade as possible, but that advice is useless if you don't have any to hand.

If you can lubricate the blade as you cut, that will help too - try smearing molten candle wax along the cutting line but not so much that you can't see the pattern. Alternatively, stop every now and then and cut into a candle.

I'm not sure what else to suggest :eusa-think: .

Gill
Gill
Sapling
 
Posts: 456
Joined: 18 Sep 2015, 00:57
Location: East Lindsey
Name: Rumpelstiltskin

Re: Question - Blade & speed

Postby Phil » 24 Dec 2019, 18:29

9fingers wrote:In my experience, beech is one of those woods that does burn easily. Hoiw do your blades behave in other woods?
Can you get blades with greater set and thus create a wider kerf?

Bob



I have cut oak, mahogany, beech up to 25mm without any issues.

I will have to see what is available, blades, locally in the new year when business wakes up.
We don't stop woodworking because we grow old, we grow old because we stop woodworking!

https://www.instagram.com/phil_pretoria/
User avatar
Phil
Old Oak
 
Posts: 3499
Joined: 23 Jul 2014, 05:11
Location: Southern Africa 0054
Name: Phil

Re: Question - Blade & speed

Postby Phil » 24 Dec 2019, 18:33

Robert wrote:Can't really help as I don't scroll cut very often. A couple of months ago I cut a thick puzzle in 20mm thick beech and it did the whole puzzle no problem and I just used whatever blade was in the saw. I've found beech to be pretty scroll saw friendly and my saw is as basic as they get with no speed control.

Is yours definitely beech? not something with resin in it?



Robert, yes Beech. I have cut it before but not thicker than 20-25mm when I did a lot of doorstops years ago.
No previous issues with hard woods.

I did some maintenance this afternoon before cutting, will do another thread.

The results were better.
We don't stop woodworking because we grow old, we grow old because we stop woodworking!

https://www.instagram.com/phil_pretoria/
User avatar
Phil
Old Oak
 
Posts: 3499
Joined: 23 Jul 2014, 05:11
Location: Southern Africa 0054
Name: Phil

Re: Question - Blade & speed

Postby Phil » 24 Dec 2019, 18:45

Gill wrote:Crikey, 40mm is a thick chunk of wood for any scroll saw!

Phil wrote:The blade gets itself in a corner, grips the timber, and then the Beech hammers my fingers.
Not fun at all.
Breaks the blade.


I'm concerned that you're breaking blades. A #12 is massive! It sounds as if the blade is binding, probably on sawdust trapped within the block of wood. Don't forget, if your saw has a cutting stroke shorter than the thickness of the wood then not all saw dust will be able to escape. Slowing down the saw will help to keep the blade cool and retain its cutting edge but if you are still having problems I suggest you keep backing off the blade to allow sawdust to escape. I'd definitely prefer to use as large a skip-tooth blade as possible, but that advice is useless if you don't have any to hand.

If you can lubricate the blade as you cut, that will help too - try smearing molten candle wax along the cutting line but not so much that you can't see the pattern. Alternatively, stop every now and then and cut into a candle.

I'm not sure what else to suggest :eusa-think: .

Gill




Hello Gill! (The Scrollsaw Queen)

Thanks for the reply.

I have only broken 2 blades so far :D see other thread on what the last blade looked like.

I have done the backing off thing and tried to let the blade do its thing, but then we go nowhere, so its time to apply pressure.

Wax was a thought, but then I would need to keep the fire extinguisher close by :shock:

I will look for other blades next year.
Will finish off this Beech reindeer just to prove a point that I can do it. There are still 20 #12 blades left in the tube.

40mm Beech is thick, but then I have also run out of pine.

Phil
We don't stop woodworking because we grow old, we grow old because we stop woodworking!

https://www.instagram.com/phil_pretoria/
User avatar
Phil
Old Oak
 
Posts: 3499
Joined: 23 Jul 2014, 05:11
Location: Southern Africa 0054
Name: Phil


Return to Scrolling

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 6 guests