Thin material is kickin' my butt!

[dansnow]

Here's the deal.

I have an Excalibur 21" Anniversary Edition, and just love it. Usually when I'm cutting a plaque, it's for the home business so I usually cut out 2 or 3 at once and usually out of 5/32 or 1/4 ply. But occasionally I want to cut a single piece out of 1/8 - 5/32 material, and I suddenly grow 3 extra thumbs and have a devil of a time controlling the blade! I tried using a 2/0 blade and slowed the machine down to almost its lowest speed. That helped a little. Have I become lazy cutting thicker stock or is there a trick or technique that I, in my limited experience have yet to learn?

 

Any help, advice, friendly banter muchly appreciated!

[Travis]

The smaller the blade, the more squirrely it behaves.  I'd increase your blade size to a #3 or a #5 (depending on the sharp corners).  Slowing the machine helps too.  If you're still having trouble, I'd add a 1/4" backer to it and stack cut them.  Much easier to control.  You'd have to throw away the 1/4" backer, but on the plus side, you won't have as many fuzzies to clean up.  

[dansnow]

Now see, I thought that the tiny teeth on a 2/0 would be so much less aggressive that it would be easier to control. NUH-UH!!

 

 I had thought about using a sacrificial backer, but didn't have any on hand I wanted to "sacrifice". 

 

I normally use a 3R on 1/4 - 1/2 stock and an Olson 5PGR on 5/8 to 3/4"

 

 

That's why I figured I better ask you folks that's smarter than me!

 

Thanks 

[woodknots]

I also will use a scrap piece of ply

[Clayton717]

I normally use a number 5r blade for thinner material. And use the smaller blades just for the areas where I need a thing kerf line.

[heppnerguy]

I have found the double tooth blade like the penquin is a lot less aggressive and a lot easier to control. I really think that a backer board is your best friend here. If you really do have one, maybe you should take a look in the phone book and see if you can find a cabinet shop around where you live and go visit them. they usually have scrap wood that is filling their dumpster and would be happy to let you have at it, as long as you assure them that you will not leave any messes behind. My thought is with you, if I have to cut only the 1/8 inch stock, I want a #3 or less penquin and make me cuts slow and easy. That is my take. You have to try different things and see what works for you. The really small blades seem to take special care when cutting corners because if you watch your blade you will see it takes a moment for the blade to straighten out and be ready to cut the direction you have in mind. I hope you understand what I mean.

    Just one old mans oppinion

 

Dick

heppnerguy 

[amazingkevin]

Lol ,I run into this problem time and time again ! In my younger days the brain was much sharper and figured things out faster but HERE'S THE TRICK! On thin woods you don't have the weight of the wood to help slow things down.Now to help you control your detailed cuttings you need to find your pivot point with one hand and press down on the wood keeping it from moving around on you.That's it in a nut shell.You have no control of whats going on if you don't press down.You can turn on a dime and get a nickel change if you do this.. I forget this  enough cutting thin wood and am overjoyed when i remember to do this.

[nrscroller]

hI

I agree with Zen scroller. I use 1/8 BB all the time for my ornaments and etc. I pivot with my left haand and press down with my right. I run my hegner at a low speed also unless I am doing some wide open lines or edging that is not complex  I use the FD puzzle blades a lot also.

Good luck.

Bill

[Scrappile]

Thanks for the post.  As a novice I am learning a lot here.

[Bendita]

As I only cut 1/8 and 3/16" material I think Kevin hit the nail on the head, Pressure is key I never slow my machine down unless I use a spiral blade other then that it is #3 blades for me with a backer. Good luck.