Where To Get Blades & What Size

[AZMclintock]

I am very new to this hobby so please bear with me.

This is my first post and I am sure this has come up before.

I am getting ready to "fire up" a new Hegner saw I bought about 3 years ago and have never used, except some very minor sample cuts.

Questions are:
1. Some of the better places to buy blades and other supplies on the Internet?
2. What various size blades and types to start out with?
3. Any good books to get me started?

I want to make some Christmas presents for the family next year and would like to get started early since I know I have a long way to go to learn how everything works and pick up the little things you learn on the way.

I am looking forward to this new hobby now that I have the time for it and am hoping I can get started on a good note.

Thanks

[CanadianScroller]

This topic comes up many times. There are some good blade manufacturers and vendors out there.
You will find as many opinions as there are blades. Same with books.
If you do a search on this Bulliten Board you will find the answers to all three questions.

[Mick Walker]

Here are 2 to start with.
www.mikesworkshop.com and www.bensscrollsaw.com

[byounghusband]

I asked a similar question concerning books and was told that "Scroll Saw Workbook" by John Nelson is a great place to begin. It has 25 projects to assist you in building your Scrolling abilities. I just ordered it and based on the reviews I have read, it is exactly what we both need.

[Carter-Johnson]

Hi AZ.....

If you've explored this forum, you know that I'm the guy who cuts freehand jigsaw puzzles. In that role, I feel that people new to the scroll saw should not limit themselves to just following patterns. Please try cutting freehand: animals and familiar shapes. If you want a Christmas project, dig out some Christmas cards, glue them to 1/4" plywood, and cut freehand puzzles out of them.

Of course you will use patterns for most of your work, but I always like to put in a plug to newcomers so they don't get so locked in to using patterns that they can't break away from them.

Best wishes....and have phun.....Carter

[CanadianScroller]

Good point Carter. I would love to see others scroll freehand.
I used to cut butterflies geckos and turtles freehand for giveaways at the fair.
My artistic abilities limit what I can cut but you cant get better if you dont try

[Paul S WI]

As far as blades go the two sites Mick mentioned are my preferences. Through experience I would suggest not to waste your money on blades from the local hardware or big box.

[GrayBeard Phil]

AZ McLintock:

1st and most important: Welcome!
I hope you will enjoy your visits to this forum.

Now as to your 2nd question: What size blade: Start off with a #5 blade. Then you can move to a smaller #3 blade. Always use the largest blade you can for the task at hand. Until you can control your cutting, say away from any blade under #1. Gosh do those small blades break fast.

Blade configuration (type) depends on the wood you will be using. Most people go with cheap pine. Others find they like plywood at 1/4, or 3/8 inch thick. But go with inexpensive, but not the cheap junk plywood at the Home Improvement stores which warps before you get it out of your car. My local BORG sells plywood that never was dried, kiln or otherwise.

Wood over 1/2 inch thick, go with a skip tooth design. Under 1/2" to 1/4" don't make much difference, but a double tooth-skip (two teeth then a skip) would be a good choice. 1/8" or so thick, which is tough to cut for a newbie, stick with a full set of teeth blade.

After a few weeks of cutting, you can try a reverse tooth blade. That is a blade that has a few teeth at the bottom of the blade reversed which helps reduce bottom of wood frizzes. But that blade also causes "PoPing" of the wood when the backward tooth catches the wood.

Phil

[Minnesota scroller]

One more excellent source of blades and plywood, my favorite:

www.sloanswoodshop.com

[Tor]

Christmas presents? By the time you get there, you will have already made a collection of birthday presents. Others here have more time with the sizes of blades you need, so I won't bother advising there. Have a good time here, and ask any other questions that tome up.

Tor