variable speed

[hayes222]

variable speed, what is the rule of thumb..
fast for sharp curvs and slow for lines?

[wood-n-things]

It is a personal preference and a personal comfort level....at least it is for me. I tend to turn up the speed if I have long straight cuts....

[unixpro]

Like Mike said, it's a personal preference. I find that at higher speeds the blade tends to wander away from me , so I keep it slower. I go higher for thicker or harder woods. Experiment to find the point where you're comfortable.

As far as turns are concerned, the most important factor is actually the sharpness of the blade. A sharper blade will yield a tighter turn, in my experience.

You can also use a blade to "shave" perpendicular to a line. This is where you need to clean off just a little bit, so you turn the blade perpendicular and let it just graze the wood. For this kind of thing, a sharp blade and a slightly faster speed work well.

[minowevie]

gosh I don't think there is a rule of thumb. but I do like to speed up alittle when going straight. but mostly I just go slower. it also depends on the thinckness of the wood, and the sharpness of the blade. I always slow down on a new blade. I can just handle it better. and then speed up some when it starts getting dull. I don't like going fast. ONLY for me. because it heats up the blade. and burns the wood. and also the heat will cause the blade to brake faster. to tell you the truth. I just don't see how going faster, gets me there faster. I can only move the wood at my speed. and it doesn't seem to cut it any faster. but thats just me. your friend Evie

[groverd]

I agree with Evie, , I run my saws at about 3/4 speed normally. If I am cutting 1/8 in stuff, and rarely do, then I will slow it down. .

[Ronc80]

I have found that takeing a fine sharpening stone Ya know the ones used to sharpen knifes. Take and just slightly round over the back two edges of the blade. It seams to help turn it alot easier. It reduces the friction on the wood when makeing turns. I do not know if anybody else does this but I pretty much do it everytime I put in a blade. I have the stone sitting next to the saw. Unless its one of them times that the darn thing grows legs and runs of. Maybe this will help
Ron

[Okie_Arkie_Wood_Cutter]

I also agree with Evie. I think everyone has an optimum speed that they can cut. For me it is probably slower than the majority of the scrollers. In fact, I use mostly FF double tooth blades to help me control my speed of cutting. When I start getting bit fatigued and really want to finish the project right now, it is huh O time. I have trashed more than one project at this. So I always try to remember my limitations, and that the project does not have to be completed today.

[CanadianScroller]

I prefer slower speeds than most. I enjoy the cutting process. Thinner materials will benefit from a slower speed allowing you more control. I speed things up when cutting thicker woods and hardwood.
Personal preference is mentioned a lot, how can you argue with that.

Think of it as a set of golf clubs, where each pitch allows you to drive different distances with the same swing, the same is true for the saw speed, it allows you to feed the wood past the blade at the same rate offering the same control regardless of the characteristics of the wood.

Thats my story and I am stickin to it

[dankc908]

Originally Posted by Ronc80

I have found that takeing a fine sharpening stone Ya know the ones used to sharpen knifes. Take and just slightly round over the back two edges of the blade. It seams to help turn it alot easier. It reduces the friction on the wood when makeing turns. I do not know if anybody else does this but I pretty much do it everytime I put in a blade. I have the stone sitting next to the saw. Unless its one of them times that the darn thing grows legs and runs of. Maybe this will help
Ron

Ron - There is an excellent article on pp. 26-28 of the January 2009 Creative Worodworks & Crafts magazine titled "Making Smoother and Tighter Turns" that shows how to make a jig to do exactly what you are talking about. It seems to be much easier than the stone method.

I just read this last night and thought "That is the solution to my current problem".