Author Topic: cuttiong speed  (Read 1669 times)

Offline Hutch

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cuttiong speed
« on: April 03, 2016, 04:23:34 pm »
When cutting 1/4 inch Baltic birch what is the best speed and blade on the scroll saw

Offline Bill Wilson

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Re: cuttiong speed
« Reply #1 on: April 04, 2016, 09:30:24 am »
Speed and feed rate are very much a matter of personal comfort.  If the pattern is very detailed, I would slow the saw down a bit to prevent overcutting in very delicate areas.  If your saw has variable speed, you can simply turn it up, when you feel comfortable.  I often change speeds during the cut and tend to run my saw at slower speeds than others.  I know guys in my scroll saw club who only run theirs wide open.  I rarely do.  It's all a matter of what you are comfortable with.

1/4" plywood won't offer much resistance to a sharp blade, so I would go with the smallest blade I could.  Again, this is dictated somewhat by the detail and complexity of the pattern, but the smallest blades will give you the most control.  For a pattern with lots of detail, I would typically use a #2/0, reverse tooth blade.  If using spirals, I would use a #2/0 or #3/0.  If the pattern is fairly simple, I may go a size larger.
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Offline RangerJay

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Re: cuttiong speed
« Reply #2 on: April 04, 2016, 09:39:41 am »
This is something you will work out for yourself - if there is a rule of thumb (and I don't think there is) - then start at the slowest speed with a smaller blade and work up to your comfort level.  If you start fast, with an aggressive blade that gets away from you - then you may have ruined the piece.


Jay

 

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