blade speed

[hankinst]

I know that I will be using lots of blades with my new hobby so I am now in the process of ordering an ample supply. I do have a question about blade speed. When should I slow or speed up the blade. Should I slow it down for sharp pattern turns. thank for your help in advance.

[Dan]

Trace,

 

I select the speed based on my own comfort with the work I'm doing. I know thin blades will heat up and break more frequently when run at higher speeds.

 

Have fun making dust.

 

Dan

[Travis]

I agree with Dan. Blade speed is really dependent on your own comfort. Its not a big deal to have the blade speed turned down while cutting. The only thing to watch out for if you are scrolling at a slower speed is make sure you're not putting too much side-to-side pressure on the blade. Sometimes, I'll release the pressure on my project to see if it springs back. If it does, I know I'm putting too much pressure on it. The blade will do the cutting, you're job is to guide the project.

 

The type of blade, material, and thickness of your wood will also make a difference on the blade speed. Here's a quick rundown on what I do:

 

I keep my saw at lower speeds when:

[*:177s4arl]cutting thin wood
[*:177s4arl]cutting lots of detail
[*:177s4arl]sharp corners
[*:177s4arl]want to be extra careful.

 

I speed it up when:

[*:177s4arl]cutting thick wood
[*:177s4arl]cutting dense wood
[*:177s4arl]cutting long lines or curves
[*:177s4arl]roughing out shapes
[*:177s4arl]I'm impatient.

[PawPawRay]

I usually run at a slower medium speed for comfort and to cut down on vibration.

[WolfmoonCT]

On my Dewalt 788, I run the saw pretty much at speed 4-5 no matter what I'm cutting. it's not terribly fast, but not real slow. Seems to work for me. I use this for pretty much any sized blade. #2/0 - #5.

[FD Mike]

I like to use high speed most of the time, it gives a nice smooth cut. If not enough spedd you might push too hard into the blade and the blade will start cutting with a bevel. Let the blade do the cutting they say. Go to my web site and click on Selecting a blade and Q & A many good tips.

FD Mike

[smitty0312]

I use medium to slow speed most of the time, I like fretwork and I take my time to get great results, but if I'm cutting plexiglass, I slow it way down or it will melt the cut together. I use a foot pedal for better control. My 2 cents. Smitty

[amazingkevin]

Travis hit the nail on the head for my style of cutting!

[Marshall]

I'm in agreement with the green man Travis ..........