Going through blades like water

[Big_red_S]

I'm going through blades like water and wondered if anyone has any advice?

I got a lot of good info on this forum lurking around, but yesterday I made another hanger and must have went through 3 #5 Flying Dutchman reverse tooth blades and 3 #7 Flying Dutchmant blades.

I used oak I bought at Home Depot.

Seems like I keep bending the blade when cutting the wood.

Any advice?

Where can I buy scroll saw blades stocks?

[BobD]

Hmmm...my first thought is blade tension. If you don't have it tight enough, they will break. I know some people will disagree with me on this, but I keep my bigger blades (#3 up) very tight...as in, if i tighten it anymore, the blade will pop out of the holder tight. I'm a very aggressive cutter, and if I don't have the blades tight enough, especially if I'm cutting hardwood, I'll break blades left and right. I'm a little nicer with #1/#0, and really nice with #2/0 (which I hate to use because no matter what I do, they break all the time)

Bob Duncan
Technical Editor

[3_M]

You might not have enough tension. This would be the reason for the blade bending. The blade should not move sideways more than 1/8". If not enough tension, the blade does not cut right and you might be pushing too hard into the blade. 3/4 speed is a good speed, make sure you let the blade do the cutting.
Mike

[3_M]

Sorry Bob,

We must have been posting at the same time.

Mike

[BobD]

Mike,

Great minds think alike!

Bob

[ragiarn]

I agree with both above postings and would like to add that perhaps you are using a blade that is too small. I do a lot of work with hardwoods such as oak and some even denser and harder. The rule of thumb that I have learned to live by when it comes to blades is as follows.
Thicker, harder - higher number blade- The thicker the wood the higher the number should be and the harder the wood the higher the number should be. For 3/4" Oak I generally use a #7 for 1" or thicker I would go to a #9.

For tension I listen to the blade as it is running, when it is at proper tension there is no rattle and the blade hums..

Don't push to wood through the blade just simple pressure and let the blade cut.

I had the same experience of using up several blades per cutting sessions. Nowadays I almost never break a blade and have to remember to change blades when they get dull.

Doc

[Big_red_S]

Thanks guys, I'll try to tighten the tension.

I forgot to mention it was 3/4" oak.

[Janette]

For 3/4" oak a #7 blade should be adequate. I don't know how you 'd get a #3 through it easily - if you're pushing too hard with a #3 then it would likely snap.

[greatdane2]

Not sure what saw you have but when I started I had a Delta saw and was going through blades like crazy. Part of the problem was the way the saw worked. they have a rocking motion with the blade. Someone said to try a Dewalt saw because the blade goes straight up and down. At that time the Dewalt was about $900 in Canada. That saw paid for itself in the first year with what I saved in saw blades. I just ordered a new Excalibur 30" which has the same design as the Dewalt 788 and the Excalibur 21".

[Big_red_S]

I have the Ryobi 16" Variable Speed Scroll Saw.