Spirals

[Dragon]

I have spirals but have not used them yet and thank Sharon, I didn't know there was a up and down on those. Thought they could go which ever way.

[PuzzledMoose]

Are all spirals flat-ended? I noticed on Mike's site that some are described as being flat-ended but others don't say?

What kind of spirals are people having trouble with clamping? That's one problem I didn't have ..lol

[Dragon]

I tried one once and had a lot of trouble because the ends are spiral and not flat. So I guess you have to clamp extremely tight for it to stay in there properly. It rolls between the clamps.

[William Young (SE BC)]

Dragon.
For the twisted ends if you have thumb screw type blade holders just straighten out the ends by twisting them between between two pairs of pliers or tap them lightly on the ends with a hammer while putting the ends on a piece of steel like a vice anvil. On my saw the blade holder straightens the ends itself without having to straighten them first because it has two flat plates that come together to clamp the blade in the holder.
W.Y.

[Bill Wilson]

I used spirals extensively for the first time making Christmas projects this year. It didn't take me long to get the hang of cutting with them and I actually found them kind of fun to use........once I got the blasted things to stay in the blade clamps!

I too had a lot of trouble getting the spirals to clamp in my saw. I tried straightening them before inserting them and broke several. Then I tried twisting them slightely with pliers while tightening the thumbscrew, but found that extremely tedious because I was making a lot of inside cuts.

Many times the clamps would crimp the end of the blade and it would break before I even started the saw. Then there were the times the blade would slip out of the clamp during a cut, get crimped in the wood and break.

I must have broken 3 dozen blades on this project and was about at my wits end by the time I got it finished. Not sure I am too anxious to try them again until I figure out what I'm doing wrong or maybe I should buy the spirals with the flat ends.

[earlinjax]

Don't give up on spirals. For me they now have a place. I still prefer flats for most things, but after cutting the "lichterbogen" with all spirals I can see that for me they are the easiest way to go for that type of project. It did take practice. I still have problems with the blade holders at times. I think there is a variation in the blades in that some may be twisted more at the top or something. Some last a long time but others snap off nearly right away.

What I learned in using them is to go slow at first. I find that the biggest problem I have is trying to move the wood too much and overshooting the line. I now try to have at least one hand about half flat on the wood and half flat on the table. This helps me from moving the wood too fast. I sort of use the "Harold Hll" method by "thinking" how the wood should move and the small muscles tend to move it that way. I know this all sounds kind of silly but with practice spirals are a help. Being able to use both spirals and flats can be a benefit to a lot of scrollers. I know confirmed "spirallers" say they have a hard time with flats just as confirmed "flatters" say they have a hard time with spirals. Being able to use both is an asset.

EarlinJax

[Dragon]

Thank you for the advice about flattening the ends. I will try that next time I use the spirals. Boy there is a lot to learn around here.
Diane

[Rivari]

I use spirals exclusively and have had minimal problems with them. Granted they do have their place as do flat blades, each shares their own ups and downs. For doing portraits I can think of no better/easier way of accomplishing the task. It takes time to learn and the results will be worthy of your efforts.

[Minnesota scroller]

I am definitely not a fan of spirals even though I will occasionally use them for veining. I originally tried the 2/0 FD twisted end spirals because that was what was recommended to me. However, I had the same problems most of you are having. I then ordered some size 2 Olson flat end spirals and that solved the clamping problem. I was told the flat ends were much more aggressive, but I didn't find that to be the case for me. You would never catch me cutting a complete portrait with spirals though. Too much sawdust, too rough a cut and you don't dare get distracted for 1/2 a second.