Gave Pegas Spirals Another Try...

[kmmcrafts]

Last year I bough a few packs of the Pegas spiral blades in various sizes.. Tried them doing some portrait work on the Hawk.. but I was on a mission and I kept breaking them so I went back to the FD-NS .. today I started cutting the dog portrait from my pattern request section that I asked for. Using the Excalibur to do the cutting since I have never cut a portrait or used spiral blades on it.. The FD blades was quite slow going.. stack cutting 2 at 1/8" BB ply.. and using the FD-NS # 0/2 so I bumped up to the FD #1 which was too aggressive going.. I remembered the Pegas and thought I'd give them a go on the Excalibur for this project.. Gotta say those blades are awesome.. I'm almost done with the cutting and have only used the one Pegas blade and two of the FD blades.. The Pegas is still cutting better than the FD blade when the FD blade was brand new.. I must say though.. They are faster cutters and I've slowed my saw speed down considerably for better control.. I think the FD-NS is easier to control especially if you're new to spirals.. those would be the choice.. The FD -NS blades was always slower than the other spirals from FD.. and I no longer have any of the others as I always like the easier control to the NS...

With spiral blades... having an aggressive cutting set up on your saw.. the FD-NS blades are a must in my opinion if you're new to spirals.. Those blades work awesome on the DW saw.. but they are quite slow going on the Hawk and the EX since I tuned the EX to be not as aggressive.. set up to cut much like the Hawk.. In fact They way it's set now.. I think the Hawk is more aggressive.. Impressed with how much you can tune that EX.. 

Should be finishing up my portrait tomorrow.. hopefully some pictures in a couple more days once cut and the poly dries...   

[Scrappile]

My favorite spirals are the FD NS 3/0 and the Pegas 2/0.  That are about the only two I ever use.  I find,  although slower cutting as you say, I can cut more detail with the FDNS 3/0 and it does not break easily.  You would be surprised how bent up I can get one yet once under tension, it keep on going.  The Pegas is much more aggressive, but cut nicely.  I find it more brittle than the FD, the slightest bend in it and I know it will break soon. 

[kmmcrafts]

Yeah the Pegas and also the Olsen blades are more brittle if one gets bent at all.. I've never used any blades smaller than a 0/2 that I remember of.. Does seem like I had some years ago that was 0/3.. but that would have been when I was just learning to saw.. around 2005-6.. 

Those blades are easy to get bent too.. since they have teeth on all sides they get hung up sometimes trying to feed them through the pilot holes..