New to Scroll sawing

[winemaker]

Hi i have just bought a secondhand Performance Power PP20SS 85W scroll saw ( I know its a cheap one but it all I could afford ). I have been looking at the handbook that comes with it it does not tell me what size blades I need, looking a various sites I think I need to know the length ei 130mm?.Any advice I would be grateful. As I have said this is the first saw I have had, looking forward to learning about scroll sawing as a compliment to my lathe turning.
Thanks Tom

 

[Bryan Bennett]

Hi Tom welcome aboard to a very good site to get advice,blades are a standard length.The blade varies to the type and thickness of wood being cut.FD blades are very good and you can only try blades out to see which blade suits you.


Bryan

 

[Chippygeoff]

Hi Tom. Welcome to the site. You will get lots of good advice here. As Bryan said, blades are all the same length and if your machine can take pinless blades all the better as there is a vast choice. Flying Dutchman blades from Mikes workshop are just about the best, especially the ultra reverse blades. If you intend cutting plywood the a number 3 or number 5 blade will cater for most thicknesses but if you are like me and want to cut hardwood then a number 7 would be better. There are so many variables that go into blade choice, it all depends on what your cutting and how thick the material is. As you rightly confessed, your machine is not exactly top of the range but you may be surprised just what you can achieve with it. Patience is the secret. Practice on off cuts first with some squigly lines on and when you have mastered that you will be ready for you first project. If you want any particular patterns just give me a shout. Have a look at my face book page for ideas. Wooden crafts from Wales.

 

[mac1012]

as a rule of thumb choose the biggest blade you can get away with if your cutting straight lines and large curves in say 20mm pine then you could use a say 7 or 9 if the pattern has tight turns and intricate patterns then you may be better with a blade like a 5 or a 3 choose a dozen of 3, 5, 7 and 9 and have a play around you need at least two teeth in the wood you are cutting so if I cutting 4mm ply it would be over kill using a 7 or a 9 as the work would jump about and splinter so I use a 3 or a 1 which is more tpi and produce a smoother cut , its a bit like normal hand sawing principle I wouldn't use a big Stanley hand saw with coarse teeth to cut a piece of thin ply

niqua and olsen are other good makes of blades

mark

 

[winemaker]

Thanks for all your replies will do some searching on the net now I know what I need.

 

[ChrisR]

Hi Tom.

Welcome to the world of scroll Sawing.
I would echo the good advice on blades given in the above posts.

If you go to http://www.hegner.co.uk select the scroll saw section, then scroll blades you will not only find a good range of blades, but also advice on use and types of blades.

The price of blades on this site is also competitive, and good value if you order at the gross rate.
I appreciate that you will not be ordering blades by the gross to start, but once you find the blade/blades that best suits your type of work, this is the best way to purchase, I order by ten gross or more at a time.

Disclaimer, I have no connection with the above company other than being a satisfied customer of many years.

Take care, and enjoy your new hobby, warning, it is addictive. :roll:

Chris R.

 

[nadnerb]

hi Tom
welcome to the best site on the net
Regards
Brendan

 

[richard56]

Welcome
I am new too. Everyone here is really friendly and helpful.
Rich

 

[boysie39]

Tom ,by joining this forum you have possibly made the first most important decision in your scrolling career , Welcome.

 

[journeyman]

Welcome Tom, you have come to a great place. I haven't been here for a while myself but I know from past experieces that the folks here are very knowlegable and will help with any questions you have. I use FD blades from Mikes workshop. They are excellent blades and very reasonably priced, even allowing for the shipping from the U.S. Mike who runs the site is always willing to give advice.
Mick