Blade size question

[cseymour]

Hi All,
I think this is a fairly simple question with regard to blade sizes:

What is the difference between a #1 and a #1/0 blade, also 2/0 blades?

Thanks.

Chris

[Fremmed]

Blades starting at #1 and up (ie. #2, #5, #7, #9) are increasingly wider and thicker. On the other hand #x/0 blades get finer as the number increases.

For example and Olson Skip tooth #2 is .029" wide and .012" thick while #5 is .038" wide and .016" thick. In the case of x/0 blades, a #2/0 is .022" wide and .010 thick while #3/0 is .022" wide and .008" thick.

BTW Olson has a chart to assist in choosing blades at this link

Olson Scroll Blade Selection Chart

And Mike, who sells Flying Dutchman Blades (I recommend them highly), is very helpful it you have questions about buying blades.
Mikes Workshop

[minowevie]

Chris, I think Kevin hit the nail right on the head. but I was wondering , are you looking for a praticular blade to do some kind of wood work. or just wondering about the sizes. I have noticed. that blade are differant from differant sellers. debt, thickness. and tpi. teeth per inch. milled or stamped.
what blades to use with differant projects is a great consern to a new commer. and it really take esperament and practice. to find the blade you like. are you cutting hard wood. or plywood. or even how thick is the wood. this all comes in place when chosing a blade for cutting. stick around, you'll find out lots of stuff. I love Olson, and Flying Ductmon, but for differant projects. they are both great. your friend Evie

[ajay]

Hi Chris. Not trying to hijack your thread, but your question is intriguing. I am finding blade use and sizes to be confusing. As I am new to scrolling, I read that I should order some #3's and 5's (skip tooth) and so I did. Mike also sent me some samples of his ultra reverse 3's and 5's. I am cutting okay, but wonder what I should be using to cut say 3/4" oak, 3/4" pine or basswood and 1/4" BB. For the record, my biggest problem so far, and it may be related to the blades I'm using, is following lines. I follow for awhile and then the blade and I tend to wander some. Sometimes more than some. It's a tad frustrating that I am having difficulty following a line. Does anyone have a comment or suggestion other than to keep at it? Be kind ; )

[minowevie]

Ajay, I will try to comment. but there is so many ideas. this is some of the problems I have had. in wadering. blades.
first, the thickness of the wood and what kind. most blades have a bur on the right side. and I like to keep it against the line. for some reason that works for me.
if I am cutting 1/4 inch plywood. I use a skip tooth , #2 or a 0. 2. that blade has lots of teeth per inch, and moves slower than a pmg blade, with less teeth per inch. the burr can pull your blade to the right. witch I find to be a good thing, like driving. keeping it against the line. if you go the other way. counter clock wise. it will weev back and forth. you always have to stir left to get it right, and make a weavy line. the more teeth per inch. is slower like i said. but more manageabale. the less teeth per inch is much faster, but very sharp. and can cutt faster than you might wotn too. but it can carry out the dust faster, and that why it is faster. a milled blade doesn't have the burr on the right side. and is very sharp. the teeth per inch is the same. the controle is differant. if you are cutting thick wood. you may wont a bigger,as in thickness and so to move through the woold easyer. but normaly, it is harder to turn. I normaly go slow at first. if you go fast, you don't cut faster. you just burn your wood. and the blade can break when hot. pluss you might be pusshing. just remmember. the blade only goes up, and down. you move the wood. no matter how fast or slow you are going. when I am cutting a 1/4 thick wood. I use a #2. or a #0/2. whicth is smaller. and when cutting a thicker piece. I use a #3 or up to #5. and on hard woods. even bigger. it really depends on the wood you are cutting. plywood. pine, oak, or other soft or hard woods. and also the grain. the grain can pull you off course fast. like in white oak, or even red oak. pine well that is papper. ha. gosh there is so much. you might have to tell us what wood and how thinck you are cutting. and, what blades you are buying. some blade sellers blades are thicker than others. OK confused. I am. your friend Evie

[Don Williamson]

Ajay
I use the smallest blade that will do the work. For me, a #3FDR will do the job and I use hardwoods for my projects that are 5/8-3/4" thick. The two most important things to remember aboout bl;ade tracking is tension and direct movement of the wood into the blade-like, no lateral pressure. Hope this helps you some.
Don

[3_M]

Hi ajay,
Make sure you have good tension on the blade. The blade should give a nice high ping sound or should not move sideways more than 1/8" and that is almost too much. Have good speed on the saw and do not push too hard against the wood, let the blade do the cutting.
Make sure that the blade does not move some out of the clamp.
Email me if you have more questions.
Mike

[ragiarn]

Ajay while I agree with Don in general principle, I would recommend for the beginner to start with bigger blades and once you learn to control them go to smaller thinner blades. As Evie pointed out the type of wood and thickness will also dictate the size of the blade. As a rule of thumb I would recommend the following:
The harder the wood the bigger the blade has to be. The thicker the wood the bigger the blade has to be. For most types of wood at 3/4" a #7 will do just fine and it is a lot easier to control than a #5. If you are working on denser woods you may have to go a size bigger. As you become more experienced you can always try smaller blades. I struggled in the beginning always trying to use smaller blades. Once I began to use large blades I was able to get control. As Don correctly pointed out the importance of proper blade tension and proper feeding of the wood into the blade with minimal forward pressure and no side pressure cannot be stressed enough.

Doc

[Pajaro]

Originally Posted by Fremmed

For example and Olson Skip tooth #2 is .029" wide and .012" thick while #5 is .038" wide and .016" thick. In the case of x/0 blades, a #2/0 is .022" wide and .010 thick while #3/0 is .022" wide and .008" thick.

are you trying to confuse an old man.......

[knothead]

Chris,
I think you can get a little nuts trying to fit a certain blade to a certain project. I use almost exclusively FD #3 double tooth. I believe it is all a matter of what blade you get used to. I use a smaller blade on inlays and puzzles and a skip tooth on waxy wood but thats it.

Tom