oneleggimp Posted May 25, 2015 Report Share Posted May 25, 2015 (edited) I received a Ryobi SC165VS 16" Scroll Saw as a gift. It came with one 15 tooth pin end blade. I haven't touched a saw of this type for around sixty years. The last was an old belt-driven Delta "Jig Saw" in fifth grade woodshop in elementary school in 1954. I plan to use the saw to cut pen blanks to length but now that I have it, I have been looking at all the other things I can do with it and I have looked at fret work, and other things that scroll saws are made to do. I have read that many experienced scroll sawyers like Flying Dutchman blades and so I intend to order some Flying Dutchman blades from Mike's Workshop. I'm not absolutely sure of what to order for my very first order. I've read that blades with some reverse teeth are good because they give you a good back side finish. I read someone likes the FD-TC blades and so I was thinking on ordering the following to start out. The FD-TC blades are 2 tooth with 1 reverse tooth pattern. I'd like your expert opinions: (2 dozen) FD-TC-5 (2 dozen) FD-TC-9 (6 each) #55 Wire Size Drill Bit. There is a 3 dozen minimum so I just added one extra dozen of the FD-TC-9 and I added the 55 drill bits which the Flying Dutchman literature says is the proper drill bit for the FD-TC-5 blades. What do you "Pros" think? Thanks, Ernie Richardson Edited May 26, 2015 by oneleggimp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ike Posted May 25, 2015 Report Share Posted May 25, 2015 i HAVE SCAROLLED FOR MANY YEARS AND i DON'T REMEMBER EVER USING A #9 BLADE.i USE MOSTLY #5#4 #7#3 MORE #5 THAN ANYTHING ELSE.. I USE OLSON'S HAVE FOR YEARS AND iI AM A PERSON OF HABBIT, SO I WILL KEEP USEING THEM.I HAVE TRIED THE FLYING DUTCHMANS AND I CANT TELL MUCH DIFFERENCE. I DON'T USE BOX STORE BLADES. oneleggimp 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Guy Posted May 25, 2015 Report Share Posted May 25, 2015 Why not buy one of the sample packs and then decide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneleggimp Posted May 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2015 Why not buy one of the sample packs and then decide. The Flying Dutchman sample packs are all no 5's of different styles. I wanted the no 9s for cutting pen blanks etc which run from 3/4" thick and sometimes upwards counting bottle stopper and shaving brush blanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneleggimp Posted May 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2015 i HAVE SCAROLLED FOR MANY YEARS AND i DON'T REMEMBER EVER USING A #9 BLADE.i USE MOSTLY #5#4 #7#3 MORE #5 THAN ANYTHING ELSE.. I USE OLSON'S HAVE FOR YEARS AND iI AM A PERSON OF HABBIT, SO I WILL KEEP USEING THEM.I HAVE TRIED THE FLYING DUTCHMANS AND I CANT TELL MUCH DIFFERENCE. I DON'T USE BOX STORE BLADES. Ike, Thanks for your thoughts, I don't want to use box store blades for anything-hence the yen to order some good blades to replace what is a box store blade that came with the saw. I have read nothing good about box store blades (Ryobi etc). I have read good things universally about Olson and Fying Dutchman. Seems a few more have liked FD than Olson but that may simply be what I have read-where I have read it. The only exception to the box store might be Menards which I understand stocks some Olson -amd Woodcraft which does likewise. My reason for ordering no. 9s is primarily for cutting pen blanks bottle stopper blanks, and shaving brush blankswhich can run up to about 2" square - hardwoods as well as softwoods so I thought that maybe I should have a little heavier duty blade but I still wanted a good quality blade - not a box store blade - hence the FD Blades,although the Olson are also equally acceptable to me. The smaller blades (3,1, 3/0, 2/0 etc) I deliberately omitted at this time until I gain more skill with the saw which I felt could be accomplished with the 5s. I thought the tiny blades might just get broken unti I become more skillfull. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrappile Posted May 25, 2015 Report Share Posted May 25, 2015 It is very hard to tell a person what blades to buy because a lot of it is personal preference. I started with Mike's sample pack and it gave an idea of different teeth patterns and how they cut. Of the ones in the pack, I liked the FD-TC the best, but over time I have tried more and more types and are learning which ones work best for me for the type of cutting I am wanting to do at the time. The #9 will probably work good for the blank cutting you want to do. I use to make pens and bottle stoppers, I used a table saw or band saw for blank cutting but I do not see why the scroll saw would not work fine. I would think a #7 blade would handle the pen blanks also. Bottle stoppers are normally somewhat thicker. TC's will do it, but do not hesitate to experiment with other types. Especially when you start doing other types of scrolling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgman Posted May 25, 2015 Report Share Posted May 25, 2015 Hey Ernie, unless I'm missing something, FD doesn't have a TC blade. I think you mean UR which stands for Ultra Reverse. It an excellent blade to start with. I use the FD UR blades and I also use Olson skip tooth and reverse tooth blades. As a scroll saw instructor, I start my students off using Olson skip tooth #5 blades. But starting off with FD UR blades will be fine. Curios, do you have other woodworking tools? Although a scroll saw will cut pen blanks to length, it would not be my first choice. A table saw would be my first choice and a band saw would be my second. If Al your doing is cutting blanks to length, go with the biggest blade available. Good luck and let us know how it works for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrappile Posted May 25, 2015 Report Share Posted May 25, 2015 (edited) FD-TC I use them often Edited May 25, 2015 by Scrappile oneleggimp 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjR Posted May 25, 2015 Report Share Posted May 25, 2015 (edited) Be careful to order Pin end if that is what your saw uses. If you can use either, for the thick more or less straight cuts the pin ends will probably work better for you also! There are conversion kits available for some saws for plain end blades if that is your preference. http://pozsgaidesigns.com/Here is a link to the guy I buy blades from. He is a scrollsawer himself and a very "people" person. Great guy and good advice; with good service too! I met him personally because of trying to find a decent place to buy blades! Edited May 25, 2015 by rjR oneleggimp 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amazingkevin Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 I have all blades .That way im never without the right one for the job that comes up.Scroll reverse #3-5-7 & 9 are the ones i use mostly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrylee Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 I'M a olson blade man myself,use 5,7 and 2.Lot of #7 reverse tooth for my intarsia work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneleggimp Posted May 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 (edited) Hey Ernie, unless I'm missing something, FD doesn't have a TC blade. I think you mean UR which stands for Ultra Reverse. It an excellent blade to start with. I use the FD UR blades and I also use Olson skip tooth and reverse tooth blades. As a scroll saw instructor, I start my students off using Olson skip tooth #5 blades. But starting off with FD UR blades will be fine. Curios, do you have other woodworking tools? Although a scroll saw will cut pen blanks to length, it would not be my first choice. A table saw would be my first choice and a band saw would be my second. If Al your doing is cutting blanks to length, go with the biggest blade available. Good luck and let us know how it works for you. Tak a look at Mike's Workshop and you'll see FD-TC Blades. 2 down and 1 up tooth placement. Listed as "FD-2-way cut". Come in 2/0, 1,3,5,7, and 9 $2.95 a dozen / $17.00 1/2 gross $29.00 Gross. As for my shop I have a Harbor Freight VS Mini Lathe for pen turning and a Rikon 8" slow speed grindre with one-way Wolverine grinding jig to keep my chisels sharp. I am a full-time wheelchair user so no basement shop is possible and we have no garage so my "shop" is in a corner of the "dining room" NO Room for a table saw or a miter saw. Could maybe have fitted in a 9" band saw but I was given this scroll saw and this gives me an opportunity to add scrolling to pen turning as an activity and I CAN also use the scross saw for cutting blanks. Not ideal but better than going out on the back porch to use a plastic miter box (that's screwed down to the porch rail)and hand Hard back miter saw to cut blanks in the middle of winter. I really think I'll enjoy learning to scroll so this will work out just fine for me. Edited May 26, 2015 by oneleggimp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneleggimp Posted May 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 Be careful to order Pin end if that is what your saw uses. If you can use either, for the thick more or less straight cuts the pin ends will probably work better for you also! There are conversion kits available for some saws for plain end blades if that is your preference. http://pozsgaidesigns.com/Here is a link to the guy I buy blades from. He is a scrollsawer himself and a very "people" person. Great guy and good advice; with good service too! I met him personally because of trying to find a decent place to buy blades! Ryobi takes both pin end and plain end right out of the box without adapters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneleggimp Posted May 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 Hey Ernie, unless I'm missing something, FD doesn't have a TC blade. I think you mean UR which stands for Ultra Reverse. It an excellent blade to start with. I use the FD UR blades and I also use Olson skip tooth and reverse tooth blades. As a scroll saw instructor, I start my students off using Olson skip tooth #5 blades. But starting off with FD UR blades will be fine. Curios, do you have other woodworking tools? Although a scroll saw will cut pen blanks to length, it would not be my first choice. A table saw would be my first choice and a band saw would be my second. If Al your doing is cutting blanks to length, go with the biggest blade available. Good luck and let us know how it works for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Scroller Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 3'S 5'S AND 7'S UR I mainly use and never used a 9 yet. Roly oneleggimp 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danny Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 (edited) WOW! This has been a GREAT SUBJECT. I am a FDUR PERSON. Love the #1. ME also have not heard of the FD-TC BLADE. But from this discussion....It makes me get Curious. Danny Edited May 26, 2015 by danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heppnerguy Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 (edited) I ran across this post in another web sight and I obtained permission to post it here. I found it very informative, I hope it helps others. I will make a new post with it so others not reading this thread might see it too Dick heppnerguy Edited May 26, 2015 by heppnerguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heppnerguy Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 Sorry for the above post. I tried to remove it when I realized my mistake but could not do so..Darn I am getting too old , I guess Dick heppnerguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsN Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 I use mostly 3's and 5's at home. I give my students mostly 3's. I think that using a 9 for cutting pen blanks to length would work out well for you. They will give the best chance of a straight cut. oneleggimp 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneleggimp Posted May 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 I use mostly 3's and 5's at home. I give my students mostly 3's. I think that using a 9 for cutting pen blanks to length would work out well for you. They will give the best chance of a straight cut. Thank you. I have been giving thought to adding a dozen 3s to the order so I'd order 3,5,9s maybe 2 dozen 5s and one dozen each 3s and 9s. and the drill bits for the 3s and the 5s. Thank you for the advice.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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