Just wanted to throw another topic out there for us to discuss.  Blade Preparation.  Do you do anything to your blades when you put a new one in your saw?  Most of the time, I DO prep the blade.  

 

Our blades are fresh from the factory and usually contain all kinds of stuff on them - even though the manufacturers do a great job of getting 99% of it off.  Probablyh even chromium blades have stuff on them.  

 

The blades are secured in our machines by friction - meaning we tighten the screws down onto the blades tightly.  I see quite a few threads about blades coming loose at all the wrong times (Murphy's Law).  That being said, I have gotten into a routine of prepping my blade before inserting a new one.  Let me explain:

 

1.  Cleaning top and bottom (especially bottom).  I have my Dremel tool hanging on a nail right close to my saw.  Use it mainly to get rid of any feathers I might find (saves me from getting up to get it  ).  I use it to also clean both sides of my blades (as shown in the pictures below.  By doing this, I get rid of any residual oils and crud that may be on the blade itself and there by not transferring any to the screw heads.  Keeps the blades good and secure when cutting ( don't come loose any more).

    

The blade on the left is fresh out of the factory bag and the one on the right is shined up.  Takes about 5 seconds to do both sides.

 

2.  The blades have a square end on them.  When putting a #3 blade into a #60 pilot hole don't ya see.  (Hense, putting a square peg into a round hole.)  Of course, I have come up with a quick way to take care of this as well.  Whilst having my trusty Dermel in my hand, I simply "shave" off a little steel on one side.  Makes it a whole lot easier to insert.  See pix below.

 

3.  And finally - our blades also have a square back on them.  Sometimes these are very sharp when cutting tight corners and will, therefore, try to cut into the wood.  Quite often, this dull cutting edge might burn the wood.  How do I prevent this, you ask?  By "honing" the back edge when first putting the blade in and tightening it down.  Takes only a minute of your time but well worth it in my opinion.  I keep a little "diamond" honing pad next to the machine, turn the saw on, lay the pad next to the blade, a little on each back edge and it's done.

 

Hope this helps some folks out that may be experiencing these problems.  OF COURSE, comments are always enjoyed on this forum.  We want to know what Y'ALL think, too.

 

Ciao - back to make some talcum power sawdust.

 

Thanks, Fred, I appreciate these posts. 

1 hour ago, lew said:

Thanks, Fred, I appreciate these posts. 

I do too...

a lot...

1 hour ago, Fred Wilson said:

Just wanted to throw another topic out there for us to discuss.  Blade Preparation.  Do you do anything to your blades when you put a new one in your saw?  Most of the time, I DO prep the blade.  

 

Our blades are fresh from the factory and usually contain all kinds of stuff on them - even though the manufacturers do a great job of getting 99% of it off.  Probablyh even chromium blades have stuff on them.  

 

The blades are secured in our machines by friction - meaning we tighten the screws down onto the blades tightly.  I see quite a few threads about blades coming loose at all the wrong times (Murphy's Law).  That being said, I have gotten into a routine of prepping my blade before inserting a new one.  Let me explain:

 

1.  Cleaning top and bottom (especially bottom).  I have my Dremel tool hanging on a nail right close to my saw.  Use it mainly to get rid of any feathers I might find (saves me from getting up to get it  ).  I use it to also clean both sides of my blades (as shown in the pictures below.  By doing this, I get rid of any residual oils and crud that may be on the blade itself and there by not transferring any to the screw heads.  Keeps the blades good and secure when cutting ( don't come loose any more).

    

The blade on the left is fresh out of the factory bag and the one on the right is shined up.  Takes about 5 seconds to do both sides.

 

2.  The blades have a square end on them.  When putting a #3 blade into a #60 pilot hole don't ya see.  (Hense, putting a square peg into a round hole.)  Of course, I have come up with a quick way to take care of this as well.  Whilst having my trusty Dermel in my hand, I simply "shave" off a little steel on one side.  Makes it a whole lot easier to insert.  See pix below.

 

3.  And finally - our blades also have a square back on them.  Sometimes these are very sharp when cutting tight corners and will, therefore, try to cut into the wood.  Quite often, this dull cutting edge might burn the wood.  How do I prevent this, you ask?  By "honing" the back edge when first putting the blade in and tightening it down.  Takes only a minute of your time but well worth it in my opinion.  I keep a little "diamond" honing pad next to the machine, turn the saw on, lay the pad next to the blade, a little on each back edge and it's done.

 

Hope this helps some folks out that may be experiencing these problems.  OF COURSE, comments are always enjoyed on this forum.  We want to know what Y'ALL think, too.

 

Ciao - back to make some talcum power sawdust.

 

I appreciate information like this! Thanks, Fred.

 

As a neophyte scroller this is fantastic information. I saw a guy (in a video on another forum) run a piece of sandpaper across the back of the blade. When I asked, why, he gave the same reason that you did. I would have never thought of doing this type of blade preps.  However, it all makes perfect sense.

 

Bill

Thanks, Bill - appreciate the roses.  You can search down through the Scroll Saw forum and find a bunch of "Tips and Tricks" that we put together last year.  (Hopefully they are still there).

There's a lot of material I'm still trying to get to. I'm sure that I'll find a lot of good info there.

 

Bill

 

I too prep every blade I use but do not get that elaborate. I have a piece of sandpaper next to the saw and every blade I just hit all four top edges with the sandpaper and it is ready to go. If I find I am getting burning for some reason then I will also hone the back edge as Fred does. But usually for what I do it is not necessary. Maybe once every few months I will run the sandpaper through the blade clamps to take off any dirt or oil residue that may have built up over time and it will last another few months. 

 

Good tips to keep in mind for sure. Thanks Fred. Just doing some catch up of interesting threads.

Edited October 13, 20169 yr by jttheclockman