Hello from CA!

[PeggyL]

Hi all-  Just started scrolling a few months back and it's going well. Loving my new hobby! I've been lurking here for a bit and trying to figure things out on my own. But now I'm stuck. I'm having a lot of trouble when I want to do any really fine work. Pretty much any time I use a 2/0 blade and sometimes #1 blades also, they just twist in the wood and I can't corner accurately at all.    I figure it's probably the tension, but I'm applying tension about the same as my larger blades. Last time I tried to crank it up more, I broke the blade. Is it just finding a happy medium? I have good blades - FD & Pegas. Maybe my wood is too thick/hard? This has happened to me with 1/2" plywood, 1/2" maple and 1/2" butternut (usually 2 pieces of 1/4" stacked). Thanks in advance for any suggestions!    ~Peggy

[DWSudekum]

Welcome Peggy. 
As for your blade twisting issue.  What thickness of wood are you cutting.  For 1/4 and below the 2/0 and #1 are good.  For 1/2 to 1" #3 and larger work well.  The problem as I understand it from what you have written is the 2/0 and #1 blade are too thin to easily cut anything but a straight line in stock thicker than 1/4 or there about.  You best bet would be the #3 as it has enough metal in the blade that it will be ridged enough for the turns.  Unless you are doing really really intricate work in very thin stock I have found that the #3 blade a very good all around blade.  Just remember the thicker the wood the bigger the # blade.

DW

[Jim Finn]

A good tip, when turning sharply with a scroll saw, is: " do not turn any faster then your blade will cut."

[Toneman]

Welcome Peggy! I agree with DW. You are using too small a blade for stack cutting 1/4". I use a FD UR #3 for stack cutting 1/4" and for 3/8"to 1/2" thick single pieces. I will even use a #5 for 1/2" if it is hard wood. If you have intricate cuts in a thick wood, you can get by using a #1, but go slow, slow, slow. Have you tired pulling the blade back when you reach a corner and spin the wood 180 deg. and back into the corner with the smooth edge, then turning 90 deg to start cutting the other direction. This usually keeps the blade straight on the line.

Toneman

[PeggyL]

Thank you DW, Jim & Toneman! It didn't occur to me to just use a larger blade. If I can make my small cuts with a #3, that should work. I probably shouldn't have attempted such small cuts on 1/2" hardwood (made my own pattern) but I'll work through it SLOWLY!

[julief]

Hi Peggy and welcome to the forum.  They are all right.  Just go up a size and you should be fine.  You should be able to get a pretty fine fretwork with a #3. 

[Swampy]

Welcome aboard PeggyL.

Swampy
FL