Blade Slippage?

[tec]

Hi Steve,
I'm new to scrollsawing and I love it and your website! I'm having a problem which i'm sure you can help me with. When sawing thick hardwoods (1.5 to 2") my blade is coming out of the bottom hold and usually bending badly not to mention being very difficult to remove from the wood. I'm using a #12 or thicker blade with my Dewalt 788. Your help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Tec (Tom)

[daveo]

hi and welcome
WOW  now a  size 12 blade is one big beast and I might suggest that it is breaking on turns?
However not being even able to get hold of a 788 I am not up on the clamp system, but I am sure there will be someone along quite soon that can clarify

Dave

[Rapid Roger]

Are you wiping the oil off of the blade and/or sanding the blade ends before installing?
Have you removed the lower clamp screw and scuffed it with sand paper for better friction contact?
Are you pushing the wood into the blade too hard?
Are you trying to make very sharp turns with your larger size blade?

I use a #10 as my very largest blade but, it doesn't like sharp turns. I use it mostly just to cut straight or very easy curves. A # 7 will cut thicker (1-1/2") wood with tighter turns just fine for me.

Rog

[tec]

Hi rog,
The answer to your 4 questions is no. I will definitely wipe off the oil and sand. Thanks for the imput.
Tec

[EIEIO]

Tec - I use Mike's #12 blades in my EX-21 on 1.5" red oak and found I need to scrape the ends of the blade with sandpaper before clamping. Cleaning/sanding the anvils (the inside end of the thumbscrew in the clamp) also helps. Stinks when they slip out and get kinked - takes a lot of life out of them.

I like that blade, but it takes too big a pilot hole for bowl work.

[Becky]

I've got a chunk of wood in my shop that still has a piece of blade stuck in it.  I try to use the smallest blade I can get away with but I realize that slows down the cutting and it all takes longer.  I haven't done anything much thinker than 1.5" (whatever size a 2 x 4 really is) and I used a #5.  Of course that was pine too.

I don't know what you're making, but if you have a lot of long lines and a few corners, You could use the big blade and just curve the corners in the waste areas and then come back and clean it up with a smaller blade.  That would speed up the easy parts but still give you precision in the tight spots.