Odd question - how to tell blade # that's loose?

[new2woodwrk]

I got a few blades with my new Wen saw - how do you tell what they actually are so I can organize them ie- TPI I guess I could count, but what about the number.

Some them the teeth are barely visible for these old eyes even with a magnifier!

Thanks in advance

[Iguanadon]

16 minutes ago, new2woodwrk said:

I got a few blades with my new Wen saw - how do you tell what they actually are so I can organize them ie- TPI I guess I could count, but what about the number.

Some them the teeth are barely visible for these old eyes even with a magnifier!

Thanks in advance

If they weren't marked in the package they came in, it would be a total guess as to what brand, type, size, etc.  Best thing to do is buy some variety packs of Flying Dutchman or Olson, or whatever brand you're interested in and be sure to keep them in the packaging they come in until you set up a blade sorting system.

P.S.  You'll drive yourself crazy trying to figure out what blades to try/use.  :-)  Just don't overthink it.

[Dan]

If those blades came with the saw they are probably low quality blades. I wouldn't worry too much about what # they would be as the numbering system isn't really standardized. A #2 blade from one company may have a slightly different kerf and thickness than another company. If the blades work for you and you're happy with them, by all means use them. When ordering new blades try different brands in various sizes and teeth configurations to see how they work for you. We all have favorite blades, but we all don't agree on what we think is best. It's a personal choice. 

[SCROLLSAW703]

I'm in agreement with Dan. If those blades came withe your saw, my advice would be to use those blades for practice, or trying to cut different woods. You'll drive yourself to drinkin' tryin' to figure out those blades.

My advice would be to go to Flying Dutchman, Olson, whatever breed you decide on & get yourself a sample pack of their blades. They ain't goin' to have every blade they sell, but, they will have the general blades used in most projects by most beginners & starters. From there, write down the blade numbers that work best for you in the projects you have interest in. Keepin' in mind, you're "finesse" of changin' of & settin' your blades will improve greatly as you keep changin' blades. Stick with pinless blades, if at all possible. You'll have less headaches, & gain more knowledge of your machine.

[lawson56]

Some Great advice up there.

[ike]

That is good advice, the only thing that I have to add is stay away from the big box store blades,rockler and woodcrafts have good blades . i am trying pagus now and so fr they seem like they are a good blade, but Lowes and Home depot have cheep blades at a high price for the quality.

IKE

[Jim McDonald]

3 hours ago, ike said:

That is good advice, the only thing that I have to add is stay away from the big box store blades,rockler and woodcrafts have good blades . i am trying pagus now and so fr they seem like they are a good blade, but Lowes and Home depot have cheep blades at a high price for the quality.

IKE

If you live in the upper Midwest, Menards carries packs of Olsens.  Higher than mail order, but if you get caught and need a blade in a hurry...

[OCtoolguy]

I just went through this same problem with the saw I bought. It came with a bunch of blades and I had no idea how to sort them. After reading all the answers to my question, I bagged them up and put them in a drawer for possible future use. Or trash. Whatever the case might turn out to be. Best advice.......go buy some good quality blades of the 3 main brands. Flying Dutchman, Olson, or Pegas. It's a crapshoot as to which ones you will like but you gotta try them all for a while. I'm in the middle of that right now.

Ray

 

[CharleyL]

The blades that come with new saws are worthless to me. I either give them away or put them in the trash. Any blade that I can't identify also goes the same way. I keep my identifiable blades in 5" tall prescription bottles and keep the label that came on them inside the bottle, just in case I miss place the cap, but I label the bottle caps with the blade information to make it easier for me to just look in the box at the top of the bottles to find the blade that I want. I made a kind of tool box with half of it for blade container storage and half of it for the small tools that I use when working with the scroll saw. It sits on a milk crate next to me while I saw, and it goes with me when I teach or demonstrate scroll sawing. It keeps me from forgetting anything. 

This box was made from 1/2" Baltic Birch with a 1/4" Baltic Birch top and bottom. I box jointed the corners and just glued on the top and bottom. Who said that you can't box joint plywood? It seems to work very well for me. I have made many sizes  of this same style box for my shop tools, to protect them and keep all of the small pieces of each tool together with the tool and well organized.  This one is not stained, just clear coated with 3 coats of polyurethane. Most of the others are stained in different colors to make the right box  easier to identify. I made a second larger version of this box, also clear coated,  for the rest of my blade stock that don't usually go with me when I teach or demonstrate. Each one of the prescription bottles will easily hold 3 or more gross of blades and still have space for a finger to pull out a single blade. I usually open only one bundle of blades at a time and keep the loose single blades in the same bottle along with the rest of the bundles.  My pharmacy gives me the bottles whenever I ask for them. I don't have to take this many pills in order to get them.

Charley

 

[new2woodwrk]

2 hours ago, CharleyL said:

The blades that come with new saws are worthless to me. I either give them away or put them in the trash. Any blade that I can't identify also goes the same way. I keep my identifiable blades in 5" tall prescription bottles and keep the label that came on them inside the bottle, just in case I miss place the cap, but I label the bottle caps with the blade information to make it easier for me to just look in the box at the top of the bottles to find the blade that I want. I made a kind of tool box with half of it for blade container storage and half of it for the small tools that I use when working with the scroll saw. It sits on a milk crate next to me while I saw, and it goes with me when I teach or demonstrate scroll sawing. It keeps me from forgetting anything. 

This box was made from 1/2" Baltic Birch with a 1/4" Baltic Birch top and bottom. I box jointed the corners and just glued on the top and bottom. Who said that you can't box joint plywood? It seems to work very well for me. I have made many sizes  of this same style box for my shop tools, to protect them and keep all of the small pieces of each tool together with the tool and well organized.  This one is not stained, just clear coated with 3 coats of polyurethane. Most of the others are stained in different colors to make the right box  easier to identify. I made a second larger version of this box, also clear coated,  for the rest of my blade stock that don't usually go with me when I teach or demonstrate. Each one of the prescription bottles will easily hold 3 or more gross of blades and still have space for a finger to pull out a single blade. I usually open only one bundle of blades at a time and keep the loose single blades in the same bottle along with the rest of the bundles.  My pharmacy gives me the bottles whenever I ask for them. I don't have to take this many pills in order to get them.

Charley

 

Very cool boxes @CharleyL - thanks for sharing that!

[OCtoolguy]

3 hours ago, CharleyL said:

The blades that come with new saws are worthless to me. I either give them away or put them in the trash. Any blade that I can't identify also goes the same way. I keep my identifiable blades in 5" tall prescription bottles and keep the label that came on them inside the bottle, just in case I miss place the cap, but I label the bottle caps with the blade information to make it easier for me to just look in the box at the top of the bottles to find the blade that I want. I made a kind of tool box with half of it for blade container storage and half of it for the small tools that I use when working with the scroll saw. It sits on a milk crate next to me while I saw, and it goes with me when I teach or demonstrate scroll sawing. It keeps me from forgetting anything. 

This box was made from 1/2" Baltic Birch with a 1/4" Baltic Birch top and bottom. I box jointed the corners and just glued on the top and bottom. Who said that you can't box joint plywood? It seems to work very well for me. I have made many sizes  of this same style box for my shop tools, to protect them and keep all of the small pieces of each tool together with the tool and well organized.  This one is not stained, just clear coated with 3 coats of polyurethane. Most of the others are stained in different colors to make the right box  easier to identify. I made a second larger version of this box, also clear coated,  for the rest of my blade stock that don't usually go with me when I teach or demonstrate. Each one of the prescription bottles will easily hold 3 or more gross of blades and still have space for a finger to pull out a single blade. I usually open only one bundle of blades at a time and keep the loose single blades in the same bottle along with the rest of the bundles.  My pharmacy gives me the bottles whenever I ask for them. I don't have to take this many pills in order to get them.

Charley

 

Very nice Charley. Those prescription bottles look like the way to go. I'll have to investigate them at my local drug store.

Ray

 

[amazingkevin]

On 1/30/2018 at 1:59 PM, octoolguy said:

I just went through this same problem with the saw I bought. It came with a bunch of blades and I had no idea how to sort them. After reading all the answers to my question, I bagged them up and put them in a drawer for possible future use. Or trash. Whatever the case might turn out to be. Best advice.......go buy some good quality blades of the 3 main brands. Flying Dutchman, Olson, or Pegas. It's a crapshoot as to which ones you will like but you gotta try them all for a while. I'm in the middle of that right now.

Ray

 

I'd love to own free blades .The club SSV has kept me in blades quit awhile now with ones they don't want or use anymore .I'll cut with anything.The amazing kevin141 west,prospect rd. Oakland park florida 33309,Please and thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[OCtoolguy]

15 hours ago, amazingkevin said:

I'd love to own free blades .The club SSV has kept me in blades quit awhile now with ones they don't want or use anymore .I'll cut with anything.The amazing kevin141 west,prospect rd. Oakland park florida 33309,Please and thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kevin, you're a hoot. Love it.

Ray

 

[CharleyL]

Kevin, 

When I get the chance, I'll send you a package.

 

Since you all seem to like my boxes, here are a few more that I also  made last week. The first is the larger box that holds all of the scroll saw blades that I'm not currently using. The outside is finished, but I need to add some dividers inside to keep the bottles held in place better. While the previous box will travel with me and my saw to trade shows and classes, this box will likely remain in my shop.

The box with the black handle isn't finished yet either, but it will hold a small tool and all of it's accessory parts. I make boxes for my tools when they don't have a protective case, or when there are many small parts and accessories that would quickly get lost otherwise. The photo with the two boxes shows both of the scroll saw related boxes together. All of these are built from 1/2" Baltic Birch with 1/4" Baltic Birch tops and bottoms. I use an Incra I-Box jig and a Freud SBOX8 blade set on my Unisaw to make the box joints in the corners. This method works better than any other way that I've used for doing this in my past 55+ years of woodworking. Who ever said "You can't cut box joints in plywood?"

I make a lot of boxes.

I hope you all enjoy the photos.

Charley

Edited February 3, 2018 by CharleyL
Added info and photos