Spiral VS Straight the great saw off

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

If there is a person or persons that use both spiral and straight blades with about the same efficiency than this challenge is for you. I am not a spiral blade user and could never get the hang of them but I am a proficient straight blade user in that I can scroll straight lines and circles pretty well. 

My test or challenge for those people is to cut  a circle and a straight line  and a wavy line ( same size and length use pattern if you like which probably is better to make comparison. ) in the same wood material using both types blades. No doctoring with either cuts. Post a photo so that all can be compared side by side. If cutting a circle leave both pieces together so that they fit within each other and we see that they were cut from a larger board. I would like to see first hand what each cut looks like compared to each other. As I said I can not cut with spiral blades so I am not the candidate. But if someone uses both type blades this would be what I would like to see. Use whatever blade size you are comfortable with but mention size too. Has nothing to do with ease of cutting a pattern but just want to see side by side cut quality and if someone does this all the time they would be the perfect person to see their cuts.

 

Also maybe give us a little insight to the nuances of using either, or ,blade.  Thanks and this is just for fun so there is no grading or backlash from it. 

[Bill WIlson]

I've always considered them to be apples and oranges.  I occasionally use spirals and don't have any trouble with them, but I would never consider using them for certain types of projects.  On some projects, I've used both.  I don't regard one as necessarily better than the other.  It's more a matter of using the blade best suited for the application. 

[MrsN]

sounds like fun! I will try to do this over the weekend. 

I made a pattern that I am going to use. If anyone else wants to try.

scroll practice.pdf

Edited March 23, 2018 by MrsN

[Chunkthekid]

I will give it a shot as well. I use mostly straight blades but I am pretty efficient with the spiral and use them on some of my fretwork when I can get away with it.

[kmmcrafts]

If I get some decent weather and some shop time I may give this a try..

I use either blade.. but for the most part I like the straight blades best.. and like someone posted above.. it really depends on the project at hand.. I've used both style blades on the same project.. for instance.. these two clocks was cut out with both.. straight and spirals... most all the inside cuts was with the spiral.. normally only do the veining with the spiral, but I was experimenting since I've never actually cut thick wood with a spiral.. usually just thin ( stack of 3 bb ply at 1/8" is the most I've done with spiral blades )  

First time was the truck.. cut from pine since it was soft and easy cutting.. then I tried the cherry with the Camaro.. The text and outline of the Camaro was done with a straight blade..  Both cases was 5/8" thick wood.. both times was with a FDNS #1 One thing about spirals is.. they like to take the path of least resistance (in my opinion ) so you have to really be watching what the blade is doing or trying to do.. 

 

[RangerJay]

I hope this isn't cheating - my pictures aren't exactly what you asked for .....

I've made this clock 3 times - one with straight blades - 2 with spiral blades - I will leave it up to others to guess which is which (hope the dates don't show up in the properties of the pictures .....) - but I am guessing that it will be difficult if not impossible to tell - both clocks include tons of fretwork, some sweeping curves, some straight lines - all of which were done by either the straight or spiral blade that was used throughout the particular project.  In the straight blade project I should tell you that my 16" saw was not quite sufficient to use the straight blade throughout so this particular project actually became my first introduction to the spiral blade so I could finish it .....

I will be happy to show a few more detailed pictures of the finished spiral blade project - and the results you can get with a spiral blade.

Thanks!

Jay

[kmmcrafts]

45 minutes ago, RangerJay said:

I hope this isn't cheating - my pictures aren't exactly what you asked for .....

I've made this clock 3 times - one with straight blades - 2 with spiral blades - I will leave it up to others to guess which is which (hope the dates don't show up in the properties of the pictures .....) - but I am guessing that it will be difficult if not impossible to tell - both clocks include tons of fretwork, some sweeping curves, some straight lines - all of which were done by either the straight or spiral blade that was used throughout the particular project.  In the straight blade project I should tell you that my 16" saw was not quite sufficient to use the straight blade throughout so this particular project actually became my first introduction to the spiral blade so I could finish it .....

I will be happy to show a few more detailed pictures of the finished spiral blade project - and the results you can get with a spiral blade.

Thanks!

Jay

First photo looks to be the one done with flat blades and the other was done with spiral..  

What kind of prize does the winner get? 

[spirithorse]

Pic two was done with spiral blades.
Although I can see slight differences in comparing the two cuttings, they are both
extremely proficient cutting.
Thanks for sharing and God Bless! Spirithorse

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

5 hours ago, MrsN said:

sounds like fun! I will try to do this over the weekend. 

I made a pattern that I am going to use. If anyone else wants to try.

scroll practice.pdf

Oh that would be perfect for side by side comparisons. If anyone want to use that pattern that would really set them up. perfect. Thanks a bunch

 

 

 

55 minutes ago, kmmcrafts said:

First photo looks to be the one done with flat blades and the other was done with spiral..  

What kind of prize does the winner get? 

I am with Kevin on the choice and will reserve the reason for after the  thread dies down. Just was a curious thing over the years when ever I read someone uses straight blades and someone uses spirals. I grew into this hobby with pinned blades but quickly switched to straight blades. I tried a few times with spirals because I think I mentioned this before I use to test blades for Mike Moorloch of FD fame and he would send me those spirals and I basically used for veining when I needed a wider cut but accidentally bumping into a side of a small area being cut drove me nuts because those blades all around. I always told him I was not the person to test them. 

[RangerJay]

Well folks - the one done with the spiral blades is the one with the red lantern - it and it's sister clock were completed at the same time - one as a gift for an Aunt of mine and the other is in our home.  The clock with the bucket was done with straight blades (excepting a small section in front of the seat) and completed in 2012 as a gift to my youngest son on his enlistment as a fireman for the city of Thunder Bay.

I've included a couple extra pictures of detail in the clocks I finished last year - should point out that the Whippletree was made and provided by the gal who did the horses and the harnesses.

You're all winners in my book - be glad to host you for a serious BBQ if you ever get up this way!!

Thanks,

Jay

 

[Gonzo]

Holy crap Ranger Jay! Nice work!!!

[Dave Monk]

37 minutes ago, RangerJay said:

Well folks - the one done with the spiral blades is the one with the red lantern - it and it's sister clock were completed at the same time - one as a gift for an Aunt of mine and the other is in our home.  The clock with the bucket was done with straight blades (excepting a small section in front of the seat) and completed in 2012 as a gift to my youngest son on his enlistment as a fireman for the city of Thunder Bay.

I've included a couple extra pictures of detail in the clocks I finished last year - should point out that the Whippletree was made and provided by the gal who did the horses and the harnesses.

You're all winners in my book - be glad to host you for a serious BBQ if you ever get up this way!!

Thanks,

Jay

 

Did you use the spiral blade just for the heck of it? You do awesome work.

[Dave Monk]

Any time I have used a spiral I have pretty much gotten frustrated............between dealing with the twisted ends and all the darn fuzzies on the back of my plywood project besides not being able to cut straight.

[Sparkey]

I am looking forward to seeing some pictures. I will probably pass because I use spiral blades for just about everything so I don't cut too good with straight blades.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Very nice cutting on everything and you are talented and also very skilled with both blades. hard to see the cuts from the photos but I based my opinion on the fine detail on the white trim around the clock of the carriage. Seemed better cut on the top photo. Did you get this pattern from somewhere that it is available??  Looks familiar but can not place it. I would have guessed a John Nelson pattern. The horses were carved and painted??? 

[tomsteve]

id show pics of my shot at doing that with spirals, but i cant cut very straight with them either. however, i do use them for portrait work. in this one, there are some cuts that(3 in particular), if laid out in a straight line, are quite long and jagged. using a straight blade, i would have had to swing this piece every which way to complete the cuts. with a sprial, no need to swing it all over- just move the piece left to right,front to back or whatever direction necessary without having to spin it.

 

[trackman]

I will cut a vain with a straight blade and then go back and cut with a spiral blade to get a wider kurf.  As said the spiral has a mind of it’s own to follow the grain. This way the blade will have a path to follow. 

[RangerJay]

Thanks everyone for the kind words.

Dave:  Yes - there are always fuzzies on the back that I use the sanding mop to remove - and no - I didn't just use spiral blades for the heck of it - I like larger fretwork projects so morphed into spiral blades over a period of time - and once I got comfortable with them they gradually became my go-to blades for almost all projects that I do.  About the only places I regularly use straight blades now are on larger fretwork cutouts where the interior edge is readily visible and also on compound cut ornaments.

John: That piece of white trim is Maple - and on that project it was my first effort at ever cutting a wood as hard as Maple - in hindsight I was using the wrong blade and the wrong speed - lots of chatter - lots of frustration - and more than a little CA glue ......

 

Jay

[kmmcrafts]

Very nice work Jay!!

In my photos you can clearly tell where the spiral was used.. I usually do like someone else mentioned and cut the veining with a straight blade and then go back to cut with the spiral.. I didn't do that with these clocks...

While I feel I can cut a project out with a spiral and have acceptable results.. They do not cut with the fine detail that the straight blade does... I use the spirals for certain types of cutting.. but the straight blades give a more detailed project.. Not saying that one that uses them do any less quality of work.. just a spiral cannot cut sharp crisp points on corners etc.. and for the most part.. the average person ( non scroll sawer ) would never know the difference..  but when one pays very close attention to a piece.. you can tell a difference.. if a piece was entered into a show to be judged even a non scrollsawer judge may not catch that.. so that is how close to the average persons eye these pieces are..

Working in the autobody repair for years has trained me in looking closely at the details.... when we are out and about many times I use to say.. that cars fender/door or whatever panel has been painted.. everyone in the family will look and say..how do you tell that? lol.. the paint itself can match perfectly but I can still see it was painted because the way the texture of the paint is different than the rest of the car.. There are some awesome painters that can spray that same texture as the rest of the car.. but.. again.. mostly only us painters would see that difference.. most people look for color match.. and that is all they see..    

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Kevin that is a natural occurrence I am guessing. I was an electrician in the trades for 43 years and over that time I have done just about every type of electrical work you can think of. I prided myself on being able to bend pipe with the best of the best. I loved it because it was something that you could look at when done and actually see. many times we pull wire in a pipe or hook up panels and control boards and when the cover is placed on you do not see the end results any more. Now the next electrician in there will get to see and I always did judge others work when I had to enter panels. I was meticulous about bending and shaping wires in panels and boxes. That is why today when I go into these stores such as Home Depot and others where there is no ceiling and all pipe work is exposed I am forever checking out bends and layouts of pipe runs. In my mind I work out things that I would have done differently. pretty much was able to get on a job and see ahead of time what needed to be done and how. Many times though I wound up being the foreman on the job and I did not get to do the fun stuff.

Same is scrolling, I find myself looking for the details in a project and seeing how people handle them I know everyone is different and skill levels are different but it is inbred in me I guess. This is the reason for the challenge in that I would like to see the side by side cuttings of both blades. and see is it possible to use either or. If I put lots of effort in using spirals I probably could get the hang of it but they are a different breed for sure. 

[Sparkey]

I am the same way John. I have been a electrician for 42 years. Every place I go the first thing I do is look at the construction.