just received my first spiral blades- question

[gramps]

just got my order from mikes workshop (only 3 days!). they are fd-ns 3/0 new spiral blades. my question is how thick of baltic birch plywood can these cut? i would like to do some stack cutting. thanks in advance, gramps

[julief]

I wouldn't go much more than 3/4 - 1".  Even though the teeth go farther up, that blade is very fine and will stress easily.  Take it slow and let the blade do it's job.

[Judy Hunter]

I use them for everything. they are great! I would say 1inch max.
I use them to cut 3/4 inch maple for my puzzles and they are great. Slow and steady feed.

[ChuckD]

I wouldn't go much more than 3/4 - 1".  Even though the teeth go farther up, that blade is very fine and will stress easily.  Take it slow and let the blade do it's job.

julief is correct.  If you go more than this you will find the cut-outs are different because the blade is in a different place on the bottom than on the top due to the bending of the blade.  Always with spiral blade, regardles of the amount of thicknss of the wood, go slow.  You are not so much as cutting the wood with a blade as you are filing it with a file grinding out the wood.  Have funn and good luck.  If you take your time and be pactient you will fine there are another tool in your box.

[tdub4ever]

It's been my experience that I can't cut wood any thicker than 1/4" with the 3/0 spiral. I've tried it on 1/2" with no luck at all. I mainly use the 3/0 on 1/8" when I do portraits. Just my opinion.

[RangerJay]

It's been my experience that I can't cut wood any thicker than 1/4" with the 3/0 spiral. I've tried it on 1/2" with no luck at all. I mainly use the 3/0 on 1/8" when I do portraits. Just my opinion.

I'm with tdub4ever on this - I've found a 3/0 to be a great blade for fine work - but it is fragile - my go to spiral blade is a #1 with flat ends - and if there is a need for finer work on some portions then a 2/0 or 3/0 in smaller bites - careful with the tension, fast speed and slow feed.  Also like tdub4ever - I don't think I've done anything thicker than 1/4 inch material with one - maybe 3/8 tops.

Jay

[UHMNL]

tdub4ever is right.
A # 3/0 is very tiny and when stack cutting you need maybe a # 1
FD Mike

[pddesertrat]

I believe you need to experiment and find out what works best for you.  I have done all my stack cutting with the 3/0 Spiral blade, however, as yet I have not gone over a stick equaling 1/2 inch.  I have had no problem with that blade up to that point.  That is cutting stacked Baltic Birch also.  I have not tried that blade on harder woods.

I do use more blades, but that is a price I am willing to pay because I love using that blade.

[APG (Al)]

I also have some of the FD-NS blades but I haven't really haven't used them for a complete project.  I have tried them but wasn't happy with the results, and then going right back to the blade I was originally using and comfortable with.  Reading some of the posts here I firmly believe it's just me and the saw speed probably wasn't fast enough and I may have been moving the wood to fast.  I really need to get a project and use the spiral blade for all the cuts.  Make sense?

Al