Blades, Blades, Blades
So many blades to pick from

by Pat Lupori

As we enter the new Millennium, scrollers are faced with a vast number of choices that we didn’t have even a few short years ago. Not only are there more and more Scroll Saws available on the marketplace, but the choices of which blade to use has grown tremendously also. When I first started scrolling (a mere 10 years ago) the choices were limited to pin end blades or plain end blades, after that there were about 5 choices in the size of the blade. I think you could write a short book on just the variety of blade choices available now.

It used to be that the scroll saw you used would dictate whether you wanted pin end blades or plain end blades. Now there are saws where you can use either, or you can get an accessory that will allow you to use either. Pin end blades are usually needed for lower scale scroll saws (I.e. less expensive). For a beginner scroller, they may be easier to get placed correctly in the saw. Once you have some experience the plain end blades are just as easy to use, and you have many more choices available. Pin end blades can also be a deterrent to doing very fine fretwork. There may not be any way to thread the end of the blade through a very small start hole in fine fretwork, and no way to drill a larger hole without ruining the design. When faced with this, a plain end blade is the only way to go. Of course, you can always snip off the pin ends of the blade, but why bother doing that when there are comparable plain end blades all ready made.

Your choice of which blade to use is ultimately determined by what you are trying to cut, by your own experience, and by your particular likes and dislikes. I honestly believe that if you ask ten scrollers what blade they would use to cut a particular piece of wood and you will NOT have a consensus of opinion. There may be a lot of similarity, but they will not all agree on exactly the same blade and/or blade manufacturer. Just as we advise you to “Try” various scroll saws before deciding which to buy, you will also want to “Try” various blades before deciding which one to use. Even then, be prepared to change your mind as your experience grows. You may be willing to put up with a little more fuzziness on the bottom of the wood while you learn how to cut as straight a line as possible. Once you learn that technique, then it may become more important to have less finish sanding to do.

Always keep your eyes open for new blades in the marketplace and be prepared to try them. Most manufacturers/resellers will allow you to either buy a small sample supply or may even give you a FREE sample to try new blades as they come into the marketplace. Keep some notes on what you like or don’t like about particular blades and this may help you keep track of what you have all ready tried and didn’t care for.

The way each person cuts is truly unique to an individual. My mother used to say that the reason two people couldn’t do something exactly the same was because they didn’t hold their tongue in their mouth the same way. You may put more or less pressure on a blade than your best friend. You may attempt to cut faster or slower and more precise than your neighbor. A blade choice that is perfect for one person, may not be so perfect for you. It is still a very individual decision.

According to Chuck Olson, of Olson Blades, there are three ways that scroll saw blades are manufactured. Each method gives the blades certain features, advantages, and benefits. Understanding these methods may help you in making your blade choices.

Milled Blades: Milled blades have teeth formed by milling cutters. This method is similar to that for producing band saw blades. Because the milling process creates some material flow (in one direction only), a slight bur may develop. Industrial tolerances are strict—no more than .0015” is allowed. When this happens, the tooling is removed and re-sharpened. Milled blades are tooth formed in soft steel and then heat treated to optimum hardness and ductility.

Punched or Notched Blades: Punched or notched blades have alternately set teeth to proved blade clearance during cutting. They provide a medium smooth finish and are generally wider, with the narrowest about .068” wide across the teeth. Notched blades are made from pre-tempered (already hardened) steel.

Ground Blades: Ground blades have teeth that are formed in hardened steel with a stone grinding wheel. Because there is little to no material flow, ground blades cut straighter and with more precision.

Once past the method used to create the blades, you are then faced with a choice of how many teeth per inch, reverse teeth, skip teeth, double teeth, spiral blades, metal cutting, crown tooth. These are the design aspects of the blade.

Reverse Tooth: Reverse tooth blades have several teeth at the bottom of the blade that face the opposite direction of the bulk of the teeth on the blade. This is done to eliminate splinters on the bottom of the piece you are cutting. Some blades have more reverse teeth on the bottom than others. There is no hard and fast rule that says a blade with X TPI (teeth per inch) should have Y reverse teeth. But if eliminating as much sanding as possible is your goal, this is the type of blade you should be researching.

Crown Tooth: Crown tooth blades have a unique tooth design that cuts on both the up and down stroke. Because of this two way cutting action, crown tooth blades allow for cutting with more control while leaving a smooth, splinter free finish. Also, they can be turned over (reverse top and bottom) for cutting with a fresh set of teeth.

Skip Tooth: Skip tooth blades are exactly that. Some teeth are skipped (left off) of the blade. This allows for clearing more material from the kerf while cutting. This terminology is used in various blades (table saw blades, band saw blades, etc.) and hopefully familiar to most of you. The principle is the same when used with a scroll saw.

Double Tooth: Double tooth blades have two teeth together followed by a flat space for efficient chip removal. They cut fast, leaving clean edges in wood and plastic.

Spiral Blades: Spiral blades are twisted in a spiral fashion. This allows for teeth to cut from all sides of the blade. When using a spiral tooth blade it is not necessary to turn your work. All sides of the blade will cut. To some scrollers this can be an advantage. To those of us who are challenged in this area, this same feature can be a disadvantage. In general be prepared to do a little more sanding when using a spiral blade.

Metal Cutting/Special Purpose Blades: As scrollers expand their material usage, more and newer blades have been developed to help. There are special blades made to cut metals of various thickness. There are even blades with diamond edges to allow for cutting stone and other materials that regular blades are incapable of handling.

The features most commonly disagreed upon though are the number of teeth per inch, and the thickness of the blade (which determines the size of the kerf left behind). Again, there are no hard and fast rules to follow. In general, the thicker the wood (or stack of wood) the fewer TPI. The finer (thinner) the piece of wood the more TPI is desired. You must try various blades to find what you are comfortable with.

The thickness of the blade will affect how well you can turn tight corners, how much of an opening is left behind in the kerf (veining type cuts), and it will affect the longevity of the blade. Thinner blades may heat up faster and break a little more readily. Individual sawing styles will also affect the longevity of a blade. So this becomes a very personal preference on your part.

When looking at a blade chart, these are the areas that information is given. Consider some of the recommendations as a guideline, not necessarily a hard and fast rule. Remember there are few if any hard and fast rules. Extensive testing by the manufacture has led them to recommend say a size 5 skip tooth blade to cut hard wood 1/2” to 3/4” thick. In the end, you must try for yourself, compare your results with what you are trying to accomplish, and make changes as you feel necessary.