Yes! Another blade question

[OCtoolguy]

I'm still trying to figure out the whole "blade" thing. I was wondering a couple of things. First, how do you know when a blade is worn out? Second, since there are blades for all different kinds of cutting, what do you do with a used blade that still has life? How do you keep track of which blade is worth keeping and what it is etc, etc, and so on. I'm just sort of curious as to how each of you keep track of your blades. It's easy for blades that have never been used and are still in the package or tube or whatever but what about the semi used ones. If I'm being a nuisance, please tell me. I just want to figure out the best methods for organization.

Ray

 

[Scrappile]

I have a system for used blades.  I remove them from the saw, and place them on a counter next to the saw. I know I will remember what they are and then I immediately forget.  If you were to come to my workshop, you would see a pile of used blades sitting by my saw, that I know I will someday figure out what they are.  That's my system, has worked for me for a long time.

[OCtoolguy]

That's what I'm doing now. I figured that there must be a better way.

Ray

 

[fredfret]

When its worn out the blade is hard to make follow the line and turns are worse. I seldom have a blade that I keep after use unless I am doing another project that will use the same blade. I put my "dead" blades in an old parmaesan cheese container then when its full I trash it and get another container. Blades are 25 or 30 cents each not the most expensive part of this hobby/obsession.

Fredfret

Wichita, Ks

[MrsN]

I typically start every project with a new blade. I like the fresh start.

I keep about 5 or 6 blades on an old butter dish, and the rest are in packages in one of the drawers. 

I really think of blades as disposable and don't think much of getting rid of them when they outlive their usefulness. If I don't want to use a blade on the next project, I toss it.

[Bill WIlson]

For me, it's the smoke and smell of burning wood that are the first indications that perhaps my blade is performing at less than optimum.

Seriously, it boils down to how the blade is cutting.  I know that sometimes the deterioration in performance is gradual enough not to be readily noticeable, but it comes down to what you will tolerate.  I tend to push a blade beyond what some might consider its effective lifespan.  But I do have my limits, so eventually I will get tired of how slowly the blade is cutting and swap it out for a new one.  There really isn't a hard & fast rule.  The lifespan of a blade will vary, depending on size, brand, material being cut, etc, so all these variables will play into how long a blade will last.  I'm cutting a bunch of compound cut, birdhouse ornaments right now.  It's much easier to tell when the blade is dull in 1 1/4" thick African Mahogany than if I were cutting 1/4" BB ply.

[OCtoolguy]

8 minutes ago, MrsN said:

I typically start every project with a new blade. I like the fresh start.

I keep about 5 or 6 blades on an old butter dish, and the rest are in packages in one of the drawers. 

I really think of blades as disposable and don't think much of getting rid of them when they outlive their usefulness. If I don't want to use a blade on the next project, I toss it.

Thanks, I'm not trying to use old blades when they are done. But, in the process of trying blades to see what works best, I might only put a few minutes of cut time on one and it's a shame to just toss it when it's almost new. So, I guess I'm trying to figure out a system to keep them sorted by their type/size/brand away from the new ones. I hope I'm explaining myself clearly.

R

 

[OPi]

Back in the day when I was still young and stupid – I got over being young, still working on the other – I had a tendency to push the blade past its limit and ruined more than a few projects. Now I use a timer set to 20 minutes for most wood and 15 for the hard stuff. I have gone as low as 10 a few times. When the timer goes off, I change the blade no matter what. Then I make a tally mark somewhere on the pattern – helps me keep track of how long I spend on a project which helps me determine what I should charge if I ever decide to sell my handiwork.  If I use a blade for just a few minutes, I stick it back in the bag and pretend it's new. 
That’s my two cents worth (actually I think it’s worth at least a nickel).
 

[kmmcrafts]

42 minutes ago, OPi said:

Back in the day when I was still young and stupid – I got over being young, still working on the other – I had a tendency to push the blade past its limit and ruined more than a few projects. Now I use a timer set to 20 minutes for most wood and 15 for the hard stuff. I have gone as low as 10 a few times. When the timer goes off, I change the blade no matter what. Then I make a tally mark somewhere on the pattern – helps me keep track of how long I spend on a project which helps me determine what I should charge if I ever decide to sell my handiwork.  If I use a blade for just a few minutes, I stick it back in the bag and pretend it's new. 
That’s my two cents worth (actually I think it’s worth at least a nickel).
 

I do something similar... except usually once I set the timer.. one of the kids come out to ask me something or the wife comes out and starts talking.. had a few blades I had to trow out that never even got use Hahaha.. then I started just using a blade until its not cutting as it should.. depending on the wood.. some blades I can get 30min.. and others 5min.. so I just run them until I feel like I'm having to push though harder than I should.. Now.. on delicate work.. I do change them often.. like you say.. a bad blade can ruin several hours worth of work and some lumber real quick..   

[Roberta Moreton]

My method is simple, when I am having problems, change the blade. When I remove a blade put it in the trash can.

[Lucky2]

36 minutes ago, octoolguy said:

Thanks, I'm not trying to use old blades when they are done. But, in the process of trying blades to see what works best, I might only put a few minutes of cut time on one and it's a shame to just toss it when it's almost new. So, I guess I'm trying to figure out a system to keep them sorted by their type/size/brand away from the new ones. I hope I'm explaining myself clearly.

R

 

Ray, your going to have to decide which type and brand of blades you want to use, I've tried a few different brands and settled on Flying Dutchman brand. Others have different brands they like better, but that's them, not me. You have to do the same thing, pick a brand and stick with it. Otherwise your going to have so many different types and brands of blades, you won't know what type or brand your using. No matter what brand you choose to use, they all have different types of blades for different types of material. So no matter what brand, you can find a blade in that brand to use. Once I settled on the brand I was most pleased with, I gave away most of the blades I owned of other brands. I've never regretted my decision, FD blades do everything I expect and want them to do. For saving blades, if they're worth saving they go back into the container they came out of. I don't save many blades, they are cheap enough that I don't worry about saving them. I used to save used blades, I stopped doing that because I never used them.

As for the dullness of a blade, to me, that a feel type of thing. You should be able to feel when your blade is starting to not cut as well  as it did when you first starting the cut. Plus, it will take more force to feed the blade into the wood, or the wood into the blade however you want to look at it. Plus, if the blade is real dull, you'll be able to tell from the amount of smoke coming off of your project.

Len

[OCtoolguy]

7 minutes ago, Lucky2 said:

Ray, your going to have to decide which type and brand of blades you want to use, I've tried a few different brands and settled on Flying Dutchman brand. Others have different brands they like better, but that's them, not me. You have to do the same thing, pick a brand and stick with it. Otherwise your going to have so many different types and brands of blades, you won't know what type or brand your using. No matter what brand you choose to use, they all have different types of blades for different types of material. So no matter what brand, you can find a blade in that brand to use. Once I settled on the brand I was most pleased with, I gave away most of the blades I owned of other brands. I've never regretted my decision, FD blades do everything I expect and want them to do. For saving blades, if they're worth saving they go back into the container they came out of. I don't save many blades, they are cheap enough that I don't worry about saving them. I used to save used blades, I stopped doing that because I never used them.

As for the dullness of a blade, to me, that a feel type of thing. You should be able to feel when your blade is starting to not cut as well  as it did when you first starting the cut. Plus, it will take more force to feed the blade into the wood, or the wood into the blade however you want to look at it. Plus, if the blade is real dull, you'll be able to tell from the amount of smoke coming off of your project.

Len

You are probably right on. I guess once I figure out what blades to stick with, it would be silly to have a bunch of "sort of used" blades hanging around. They are cheap enough to just not hassle with them. Thanks. Makes perfect sense. 

R

[WayneMahler]

There have been times when I finished a project just after changing the blade. Those blades I set aside with a piece of tape beside it marked to the blade size etc. When I reach for the blade later it moved on my workbench or fell on the floor or the Gremlins took it :). SO adapted a new policy in my shop. Out of the saw into the trash. At the price of blades I don't worry too much about it. Those Gremlins found other things to play with though  

[stoney]

Ray after you have been at this addiction for a while you will get the feel for when you need to trash a blade.   I have a magnetic strip on the frame of my saw that I will occasionally put a blade that is still cutting well but I changed for another size or type.   I do not use any type of timing method most of the time I can tell by how the blade is performing when its time to trash it.  

[dgman]

It's real simple Ray. I tell my students this: when the blade no longer does what you want it to, it's time to change the blade. I buy blades by the gross, a single blade is pretty cheap. When I'm done cutting with the the blade, I toss it. I never save them for reuse. It's as simple as that!

[Scrappile]

3 hours ago, octoolguy said:

That's what I'm doing now. I figured that there must be a better way.

Ray

 

Nope, you are a pro!  That is what us pros do.....

[OCtoolguy]

I guess what I meant in my original post is there are a ton of different blade patterns, and manufacturers and sizes so if a blade still has life in it and you want to save it, is there an organized way to save them? I like the magnet idea and I'm sure that after I get more, shall we say, learned, then I will be able to pick up a blade, scan it for pattern and size but the brand will still come into it. Right now, I am trying Pegas blades and I have some FD and Olsen too. Different cuts and sizes. So, I still haven't homed in on the brand that I like. That's why I have blades that still have life in them. I don't want to just trash them.

Ray

 

[kmmcrafts]

I personally don't recommend pegas blades for a beginner.. they are quite aggressive blades for a beginner in my opinion.. I personally recommend a flying duchman ultra reverse.. they cut most anything you want to cut.. just depending on what you are cutting as to the size you'd want to use.. I've used a lot of the Olsen blades too years ago.. and about the only one I like from them is the PGT series.. and the Mach speed not too bad.. My issue with the PGT is.. they are somewhat aggressive like a Pagas blade.. but.. the downfall to them is the smallest size I've ever seen is a number 5.. and the ends of the blades are bigger than the actual blade.. so getting them through smaller pilot holes is sometimes tough and I end up bending the blade sometimes.. Those Mach blades aren't bad blades.. but they do cut on a steeper angle that I'm used to..

Over the years of seeing these type of post about what blades to use.. it seems to me there are more people happy with FD blades than any of the other brands.. not to say the others are bad.. but just saying I think by choice.. more people's go to blade is FD...

I keep on hand.. FD blades .. in many styles and sizes.. but I also keep a few sizes of the Pegas MG blades as well as Olsen PGT blades.. Sometimes I just like to switch things up... and remember why I like my FD & Pegas blades... LOL    

[bandaideman]

Ray lots of things to consider above. I will add my 2 cents. I keep all my new blades in half inch PVC pipe capped at both ends in a holder with several holes large enough for the pipe and label the size with a black marker. Like most here if I have a blade that I think is done I put in the big plastic Planters peanut container with a hole in the top for discard. Holds about 6 months of blades to toss out. The ones I think have life left I have plastic containers which were full of mini M&M's which you get to eat and then the tube is just big enough for a blade to fit. I label it with the blade number and set it on the bench but instead of having blades setting and hoping to know the size It is known. I always keep a few no use ones in the containers and label used and then they can be used to just cut a piece of wood to size before cutting the actual pattern. 

[OCtoolguy]

15 minutes ago, kmmcrafts said:

I personally don't recommend pegas blades for a beginner.. they are quite aggressive blades for a beginner in my opinion.. I personally recommend a flying duchman ultra reverse.. they cut most anything you want to cut.. just depending on what you are cutting as to the size you'd want to use.. I've used a lot of the Olsen blades too years ago.. and about the only one I like from them is the PGT series.. and the Mach speed not too bad.. My issue with the PGT is.. they are somewhat aggressive like a Pagas blade.. but.. the downfall to them is the smallest size I've ever seen is a number 5.. and the ends of the blades are bigger than the actual blade.. so getting them through smaller pilot holes is sometimes tough and I end up bending the blade sometimes.. Those Mach blades aren't bad blades.. but they do cut on a steeper angle that I'm used to..

Over the years of seeing these type of post about what blades to use.. it seems to me there are more people happy with FD blades than any of the other brands.. not to say the others are bad.. but just saying I think by choice.. more people's go to blade is FD...

I keep on hand.. FD blades .. in many styles and sizes.. but I also keep a few sizes of the Pegas MG blades as well as Olsen PGT blades.. Sometimes I just like to switch things up... and remember why I like my FD & Pegas blades... LOL    

Thanks for all that info. I am too new to understand what is meant by "agressive". I am doing a plaque out of 5/16 BB plywood. I am using it as my practice before doing the actual one. It will be out of 1/4" BB. Anyway, I'm using the Pegas #3 MGT blades on a very slow speed to learn control. At this point, I don't feel like I know what I'm doing to go any faster. I like what I'm experiencing but I don't have anything to compare to yet. If I was to take out this blade and try an FD, the Pegas blade is still cutting good so I don't want to toss it. That is what brought up my original question. I'll just muddle through and figure it out I suppose.

Ray

 

[Brianr24]

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/14904

But I personally use scrappiles method:)

Edited November 9, 2017 by Brianr24

[JustLarry]

For the used keeper blades, I fold a piece of painters tape around the top teeth slip it back into the package with the new ones.  It is right there when I go to that size blade again and it can be the first out of the package. 

Larry

[lawson56]

If you look close at your blade you will see that only a small amount is actually being used.I myself cut 1/4 wood.so after awhile when my blade isn't cutting great,I will remove the blade snip off a small portion of the bottom,then reclamp it and continue cutting I can double my blades life.I have been doing this for over a year.I do this with all my blades.

[ScollSaw Slasher]

I set up a test tube rack. Label a test tube with the blade name (say FD 3) and put the new blades into it. Next to that is another test tube which is where I store my slightly abused FD3 blades. Works for me. As to the question of how long a blade lasts, there are so many variables to that it boggles the mind and most have been mentioned in this thread or others similar. It comes down to the old adage "I know pornography when I see it". You will develop that sense when to toss it into the garbage can. Personally though, I don't think a timing method is to good if you are cutting different woods such as yellowheart versus cedar. But to each his or her own.

[Bill WIlson]

During your learning curve, I would think it's important to mark the slightly used blades in some way as to distinguish them from new ones, so putting them back in the new blades may not be optimal.  Reason being, if the next time you try that blade, you may not realize it's used and wonder why it didn't cut as well and thus skew your impression of that particular blade.

I occasionally save slightly used blades.  I usually set them off to the side somewhere and once I get a variety of blades, it's not easy to tell which is which.  I like the suggestion above of marking the slightly used blades with a piece of tape.  When you put it back in the pack with the rest of the new blades, you can tell what it is as well as that it's used.   It seems simple and effective.