Tension on spiral blades

[Dawie]

Lately I have started to use spiral blades. I think they are great. I only have one problem, I tend to break them far quicker than I do flat ones. I'm not sure wheter I don't have the right tension or if my technic is not the right one. I did notice that sometimes I tend to push into the blade which puts it a bit at an angle. All ideas and tips are welcome.
David

[Charlie Dearing]

The nature of how spirals are made and how they are used can make them more fragile than flat blades.  With flat blades you're pushing towards the teeth with minimal flex in the blade.  Due to the spirals cutting in any direction, it will flex in multiple directions, therefore making them break sooner.  I tend to do large pieces and stack cut pieces so I use thicker spirals.  It's hard to know whetehr or not it's your tension or lack thereof without seeing it in person. 

[Rightarm]

    Charlie, I still can't get the hang of cutting with a spiral blade. More practice I quess. Dave

[dgman]

Yeah, I don't like using spirals. I only use them when necessary.

[yyyyyguy]

Soooo, today I used a spiral more than I ever have, making ornaments, I tried them before but today I seemed to have better control but - like Dawie, I broke three early, seems to me to be about how it fits in the bottom clamp, if it goes in well it seems to last longer, just can't seem to find the best way to fit it into the clamp/holder/thingy

[Russ C]

It depends on what I am doing. On large work or portraits I sometimes us spiral blades. I really don't have a problem with them. Slow and easy for better control.