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Best Scroll Saw Blades, page 4
Scroll Saw Blade Sizes & Numbering System:
The blade numbering system for traditional scroll saw blades goes from #1 to #12, with the small numbered blades being small both in thickness and in width and the larger numbers representing blades that are thicker and wider.
As a general rule the higher the number the less inclined the blade is to breakage. This should make sense to you. The higher the number the thicker the blade, so it has more metal to handle more load... ie. when you get impatient and try and cut the wood faster than the scroll saw blade wants to perform. That's me 100% of the time!
The lower the number, the finer the blade so these very tiny blades really like to go at their own pace. If you push the blade it will heat up, de-temper and break. If you are cutting woods with a high sugar content, like say hard maple the heat will burn the sugars in the wood and create burn marks along your cut line.
Going to a higher numbered blade will give the blade more room between the teeth to clear the sawdust.
Slowing down the speed will reduce the friction and the heat if you can't upgrade to a larger blade.
Jewelry Blades:
You will see blades numbered with a slash as in 2/0.
Any blade with this type of identification is a jeweler's blade. The numbering system works in reverse to what is found in traditional scroll saw blade sizes. Larger numbers are finer blades, so an 8/0 is finer and thinner than a 2/0.
They actually make a 10/0 blade that is about the size of a coarse human hair.
These blades were originally made for hand jewelers saw frames (see picture to the right) with no intent that the blades would be operated under power.
Today MANY scrollers use these blades as a smaller blade option especially for fretwork with great intricacy where access holes need to be extremely small.
Of course along with the tiny size is their tendency to break frequently. They are cheap though if the cost appeases the frustration. The important thing is to use patience and let the saw do the cutting.
General Principles in Regards to Scroll Saw Blade Sizes:
- Use larger scroll saw blade sizes for thicker wood.
- Larger numbered blades are easier to use and create smoother cuts for long sloping curves.
- Using a higher numbered blade when possible will get you a longer shelf life
- Finer smaller numbered blades with higher teeth per inch are necessary for intricate cuts and thin wood.
- When you evolve to extremely intricate portraiture then you migrate into using jewelers blades for the ability to turn sharp corners
- Jeweler's blades are also used for puzzle work, where the width of the path the blade cuts is important. If the blade removes too much wood, then when you put the puzzle back together again it will have a sloppy fit. The smaller the blade, the less wood is removed and the tighter the fit between pieces.
Here's a Chart of Scroll Saw Blades Sizes.
The blade widths and thickness are approximate as every manufacturer subtlety changes these dimensions depending on whether the blade is a reverse tooth, skip tooth or regular and in accordance with different tpi and sometimes just because they like to be different.
Again this affects the drill bit size. I have given you a link to both the Olson and Flying Dutchman blade charts (the two most common brands of blades) to find the specifics you need on the first page of this series of articles about scroll saw blades. You may want to print them out for reference.
In the meantime this is just designed to give you an idea on what to expect with a give scroll saw blade size.
Width |
Thickness |
Tpi |
Drill Bit size |
|
8/0 |
.016 |
.007 |
70 |
|
4/0 |
.018 |
.009 |
65 |
|
2/0 |
.023 |
.01 |
15-30.5 |
67-71 |
1 |
.025-.031 |
.011-.013 |
15-26 |
68-73 |
3 |
.031-.037 |
.012-.016 |
13-21 |
62-65 |
5 |
.037-.044 |
.014-.017 |
13-17 |
57-63 |
7 |
.043-.047 |
.017-.08 |
10-15 |
55-57 |
9 |
.049-.059 |
.017-.019 |
8-14 |
55- 1/16 |
12 |
.062-.067 |
.020-.024 |
7-9 |
1/16 (.0652) |
Spiral |
Diameter |
|
|
|
2/0 |
.027 |
.008 |
35 |
65 |
1 |
.030 |
.011 |
27 |
63-68 |
3 |
.035 |
.013 |
27 |
59-63 |
5 |
.037 |
.015 |
27 |
56-57 |
Ok, so we have discussed the various innovative tooth designs that various manufacturers have created, the challenges of factoring in the type and thickness of wood as well as your experience level and on this page we've had a brief discussion of scroll saw blade sizes. In the 5th article we'll try and tie this all together and make a few recommendations.
More Information:
Here's our master index of all the articles and tips for using a scroll saw that have been posted on this website.
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