How do you store your blades?

[powertools]

As a very new scroll saw user I have tried blades of different types from various suppliers and have now settled with one make that I get on well with.
My problem now is that I have 6 different blade types new and used (but still good) and I need a way to store them.
How do you guys store yours?

 

[Chippygeoff]

I keep my blades in test tubes with caps available from e-bay. I have a carousel I made on the lathe that holds 12 tubes. If you buy tubes make sure they are the 6 inch ones.

 

[Gary Morris]

Being old and in need of supplements, I use Sainsbury's 'Revive' plastic 'fizzy vitamin tablet' tubes. They are 5 & 5/8ths long, so the tips of the blades protrude a little. (no lid used) These are placed in a block of wood (drilled out holes) I've not knocked em over yet, but there's still time, and the tablets don't work either, I still have two speeds - dead slow and stop

Gary

 

[RogerP]

Steradent denture cleaning tablet tubes.

 

[ChrisR]

I use short lengths of plastic 20mm electrical conduit, with end caps.
Held upright in a home made carousel.
Each tube labelled with the type/size of blades held.

Take care.

Chris R.

 

[martinka]

Mine are still in the packets in a drawer. In my usual fashion, rather than finding out what suited me right at the start, I bought some of everything I could find, so finding the blade I want now is a nightmare.

I've just been and bought 10 plastic test tubes from ebay. 150mm (6") x 16mm with stoppers. £3.19 including post. Thanks for the test tube tip, Geoff.

Martin

 

[John51]

The one make you've settled with wouldn't be Flying Dutchman would it?

 

[martinka]

The one make you've settled with wouldn't be Flying Dutchman would it?

Nope I haven't settled on one make and I've never used an FD blade. I still can't get my head round why FD blades should be better than the same blade under its manufactures name of Niqua. I'll get round to trying them eventually.

Martin.

 

[powertools]

Thanks for the replies.
Also being of that age but not wanting to have any more health supplements put in font of me every morning to take with the fruit juice and still being in possession of most of my own teeth I will take the ebay route.
With my limited experience it would be unfair on suppliers and of no use to the forum for me to make recommendations on the blades. I am sure that once I move on from making 3 or 4 piece jigsaws to impress my 2 year old grandson to doing something more intricate my choice of blades will change again hence the need to have them organised from the start.

 

[stevebuk]

The one make you've settled with wouldn't be Flying Dutchman would it?

Nope I haven't settled on one make and I've never used an FD blade. I still can't get my head round why FD blades should be better than the same blade under its manufactures name of Niqua. I'll get round to trying them eventually.

Martin.

hi martin
if you let me know what type of blade you use, and i have some availible i would be pleased to send you some to try..

and NO, i do not have any connection with Mike either..

 

[martinka]

That's very kind of you Steve, though I haven't settled on any particular blade yet. Having said that, I was using an Olson PGT #5 reverse last week, which may or may not have been skiptooth as well, I can't remember, and I was doing all sorts of twists and turns with that blade that I have been unable to do with any other I have used so far. I suppose a #3 of the same variety would be better for when I finally get some 3mm ply. If that suits me the same, that's probably what I will stay with, along with some #7 for thicker wood. Does that sound as though I am heading in the right direction?

Martin.

 

[Chippygeoff]

Martin. I use in the main 3s, 5s and 7s and that covers just about everything from thin ply up to 3/4 hardwood. I would strongly urge you to try some FD ultra reverse blades as soon as you can, I feel they will give you a new experience in scrolling.

 

[redmoorphil]

Hi Martin, Geoff is right about the Fd blades. I have used Olson PGT and I love them but they don't do them in a no. 3 so this week I took delivery of some Olson Mach speed no. 3s for cutting nameplates in 25mm Oak.
I found that although they cut finely and with good control they aren't up to the standard of PGT. The tension has to be really high for them and they produce tearout when they exit the timber.
They are also incredibly slow going and when I first tried them I checked the blade wasn't upside down. I bought them as I much prefer PGT to FD but I must admit that having compared them, when it comes to no. 3s the FD ultra reverse takes some beating. Its surprising how quickly you pick a few favourites and once I have tried some pegas modified geometry I will know enough to decide on what I will use from now on.
The likelihood is that I will revert to FD ultra reverse but stick to PGT for No 5's.

 

[martinka]

Thanks to all who have posted, and abject apologies to 'powertools' for hijacking his thread.

I found the Olson PGT blades are very good for me, but as Phil points out, there's no #3. They also seem to be very expensive, though I have only seen prices at two places so far. I just tried a standard Olson #3 and snapped it in seconds. The FD Ultra Rev don't seem to be in the Niqua catalogue, so I guess ordering from Mike is the only option. The Eclipse blades I bought originally for the Jet saw work OK in that saw, but they are rubbish in the Hegner, which shows that there are blades that suit particular saws, or vice versa.

Out of interest, I've just had my camera in the garage for something else and took the following photo while I was there. There's similarities between the Pegas and the PGT, but what a difference between the Olson PGT and the standard blade! I can't see these differences without some magnification as my near sight is terrible.

Martin.

 

[powertools]

Thanks to all who have posted, and abject apologies to 'powertools' for hijacking his thread.

No problem to me, having got ideas for storage it would be interesting to find more out about blades

 

[martinka]

My test tubes arrived today, about 27 hours after I sent for them. Ideal for the job and take up a lot less space than all the cards the blades were in, though if you buy by the gross in a box, you already have your storage space.

If I pack in with the scroll saw, I can always become a mad scientist.

Martin.