Minimizing saw fibration

[NiTay614]

I have been working on the lighthouse portrait and found that much of the building was held by one smal anchor. As I was cutting the large section that encomapssed the roof, building, and the ground, I could feel a lot of vibration. I minimized damage by placing pieces of scothch tape along the cut cut path behind the blade. the wood no longer vibrated and the structure remained in contact.

 

I also found that the obnoxious pop with the breaking of scroll saw blades can be minimized by afixing a piece of foam to the upper blade fixture. I am no longer jumping out of my skin!

[m_r_dxn]

Hey, thanks for the tip! My fiancee' wants to learn to scrollsaw. She says she would, but it scares her when the blade breaks suddenly (sometimes she watches me). Maybe that's the trick I need to get her started!!!

[Travis]

Yup, blades break on occasion and it can give you quite the startle. But it shouldn't happen too often. Blade breakage is usually caused by too much pressure, often on the side of the blade. When you're cutting, give this a try. Loosen your grip a bit and see if your work springs back. If so, you're adding too much pressure to the blade. I often do this exercise because sometimes I don't even realize I'm doing it.

[m_r_dxn]

I don't have blade breakage too often, but when I do it's usually because I have a bad habit of overusing my blade. I use it until it stops cutting like it should, then sometimes (depending on what I'm cutting) I'll tighten the blade and slow down a bit on my feed rate, maybe up the speed of the saw. I do this too often if, say, I've only got a couple more pieces to cut out to finish a project and don't wanna stop to change the blade. Usually it'll get ya by to finish up, but sometimes it won't.

 

Like I said, bad habit I know!!

[WolfmoonCT]

I know this is an old thread, but why start a new one. What I'm seeing on my Delta, is the blade breaks down by where the bottom is clamped in the bottom blade holder. I have never broken a blade in the cutting area. I'm not sure if I'm over tightening the blade or what is going on. I use the 1/8" flex rule. I prob have a little less flex than an 1/8" but not too much less.

 

It does not happen a lot.. I'd say especially if I'm minding my pressure. Just seems strange that it's not in the thinnest part where the teeth are. I've only used #2R blades so far.

[toolbeltman]

Check your blade holder for burrs and the screws if it looks like the blade is rubbing, that is what kept braking my blades at the bottom...I just filed the edge of the holder where the blade sits and the face of the screws with a smooth file....It's worth a try...

[WolfmoonCT]

On my Delta, it is 2 blocks that a screw goes through. So when you tighten it, it brings teh 2 blocks together. The screw never touches the blade.. but maybe I'll take them apart and check the blocks. Thanks.