Ready to scroll

[Arlin Eastman]

Bill

Awhile back I had several of the guys ask me to try using a scroll saw and I also have the same DeWalt.

Since money is always tight I just want to buy the blades we needed most and found that the most used were #1, #3, #5, #7, and #9 depending on thickness of wood, but no one talks about which type.

I am thinking the one where the teeth go both up and down think it is called the reverse tooth or double reverse tooth.  I would also like to know which manufacture is the best also.

Can you give me the advise and some links to where to buy them please?

[Bill Wilson]

Arlin, I think the best place to start when buying blades is Wooden Teddy Bear.  

https://www.woodenteddybearonline.com/x/home.php?cat=87

They sell both Olson and Flying Dutchman blades which are the most popular among most scrollers.  There are other places to get the Olson, but I think Wooden Teddy Bear has the exclusive U.S. rights to Flying Dutchman blades.  I like to order there because they let you mix & match blade types and brands to get bulk pricing.  As for which brand is best, some folks use Flying Dutchman exclusively, others use Olson.  I use a mix of both.  I prefer some types/sizes of Olson blades over the comparable FD blade, but in other sizes/types, I like the FD's better.  There are other, more obscure brands such as Pegas or PS Woods that have their devotees as well.

As you have already discovered, the blade size roughly corresponds with the thickness/hardness of the material being cut.  The bigger the blade, the more aggressive it will cut hard, thick material.  They are harder to use for cutting very fine detail, so you tend to end up in a compromise between the blade size, the detail level of the pattern and the thickness of the stock.

By & large, reverse tooth blades are the most common for general fretwork.  They have a few teeth at the bottom that point up, so that they reduce tear out on the back of the wood.  Skip tooth blades have all the teeth pointing down, with slightly larger gullets between the teeth.  These work well for cutting man made materials like plastics & Corian.  They are also recommended when doing compound cutting, where tear out on the back side isn't as issue.

Spiral blades are specialty blades.  They can be a challenge to learn how to control, but if one is cutting portraits or very large pieces, they are the blade of choice for those kinds of projects.

There are a bunch of other tooth types and it can get confusing.  I always tell people who ask about blades that one really has to try several different ones to see what works best for them.  I can tell you what blade I like for a specific application, but that doesn't mean it will be the best blade for you.  It happens all the time where 2 scrollers can cut the same project from the same material and will use different blades, each claiming theirs is the best.

I can go on & on when it comes to blades, but if you have specific questions, post back or PM me and I'll bore you as much as you can stand.  

[Steve N]

I like Flying Dutchman and Pegas brand blades the best. I grab several packs every time I go to the Artistry in Wood show, there are dealers fighting for your dollar there.


Bill I don't know the teddy bear guy, but I have seen several vendors selling Flying Dutchman at AIW, and they are always around 1 to 2 bux a dozen, depending on the blade. Have you tried the Pegas blades? They are pretty sweet, and have better selection I think on smaller sizes.


Has anybody used the spiral blades? I keep thinking I'll try them, and I keep not doing it

[sawdust703]

what bill said, arlin. You just have to play with different blades to find out what works for you. I also use wooden teddy bear for my blades. I use fd & olson both. I keep 25 - 30 different sizes in inventory. Every project takes more than one size blade. And blade size affects speed & feed rate, too. That's why you need to get several sizes & figure out what type of projects you're going to create with your saw, & go from there. You can ask two scrollers that same question, & get several different answers. Same as with lathe work. Happy scrollin', brother! keep askin' questions, & keep at it! It's VERY addicting, so be careful
take a look at my fb page Sawdust Haven if ya get a chance & look at my scroll work. pm me if I can help in any way! God bless!

[Bill Wilson]

I like Flying Dutchman and Pegas brand blades the best. I grab several packs every time I go to the Artistry in Wood show, there are dealers fighting for your dollar there.


Bill I don't know the teddy bear guy, but I have seen several vendors selling Flying Dutchman at AIW, and they are always around 1 to 2 bux a dozen, depending on the blade. Have you tried the Pegas blades? They are pretty sweet, and have better selection I think on smaller sizes.


Has anybody used the spiral blades? I keep thinking I'll try them, and I keep not doing it
 

Wooden Teddy Bear is one of the major suppliers of scroll saw patterns, blades and supplies.  They got the rights to US distribution of FD blades from Mike Moorlach a couple years ago.  Mike has since passed, but his website is still open and linked to WTB, so scrollers who were accustomed to using his site still can.  Mike was well known in the scrolling community for his customer service.

I'm not familiar with the Artistry in Wood show.  Blades for 1-2 bucks a dozen is a steal.  They typically retail for around $3 most other places.

I've never tried Pegas blades.  F olks on the scrolling forums seem to like them though and I may have to give them a try.  Spirals can be a challenge.  Some people take to them right away and others never are able to get the hang of them.  I use them on occasion, when the pattern dictates.  I have the best luck with FD spirals.  They seem to have the best selection of the smallest sizes (2/0 & 3/0).  I've used Olson, but had trouble with them years ago and have been using various FD spirals since.

[Papa Jim]

Jim

Is there anyway you can show us several pictures of what you did?  I read but not understood.

I didn't want to risk snapping off a piece by trying to take it apart but I think I have figured out a way to show the procedure using the assembled product:

1. This photo shows the wrench inserted between the first and second segments of the line. I used a 7/16 but a 1/2 or a 12 mm would work just as well. Just has to be large enough to fit in between the two segments but small enough not to fit over the flaired end of the first segment. In actual assembly you would be holding the wrench and holding the flaired end against the machine fitting.

   

2. In this photo we have slid a piece of thin wall 1/2" PVC over the line and pressed it up against the face of the wrench. The PVC is 1/2 longer than the line.

   

3. Here we are about to give the PVC a whack which will press on the face of the wrench which in turn will then press the flaired end of the first segment onto the fitting. You can see the nozzle sitting about 1/2" inside the PVC

   

The only differences between this and the actual assembly is that the line comes in two pieces so I had to use two pieces of PVC and do it twice.

Papa Jim

[Arlin Eastman]

Jim

So I guess you are adding hose to the blower end?

Bill

I will send you a pm