used blades

[kardar2]

Hello All,

I just ordered some blades and sanders and while I was switching out blades I was thinking " ok now where do I put this blade so I don't get it mixed with other blades" I ended up putting it back in the bag that they came in with new blades. Now I have a used blade floating around in a bag that has new ones. I know that you can buy tubes containers for your blades but what do you do with the used ones?

[Travis]

Mine go in the trash. I'll never use them again. I suppose if you want to save them for a project, you could store them away in a tupperware, a ziplock baggie or something. I was reading in the last SSW&C issue that one guy uses those tubes M&M's come in. I ended up making a Scroll Saw Blade Holder last week to keep my new blades. It was nothing more than 1/2" PVC with end caps in an MDF tube holder. Works great and you could certainly reserve a couple slots for your used blades.

[blame]

I'm like Travis mine end up in the trash and i made a blade holder for my new blades out of 1/2" pvc but i was too cheap to buy the end caps lol so i used a fostner bit to drill out some angled holes in a piece of scrap wood and then pressed them into the holes then i set it next to me on the bench(or i used to have a bench anyway i need to remedy that)

[dankc908]

I keep 2/3 used blades, of each size, in a horseradish jar labeled "Used Blades". I use these blades for cleaning out small areas of my cuttings where I get really tiny pieces of sawdust, glue, 'finish', etc. stuck. They make great cleaning tools for small areas.

[greasemonkeyredneck]

If I understand your post correctly, it wasn't your intention to mix the old and new. That being said, when you grab that old one, you'll probably know it as soon as you start cutting. I tend to agree with the others. I just don't see the benefit of keeping a used blade. If you order them online, by the gross, they are cheap enough you can throw one away now and then. Now there are times that I switch back and forth between several different size blades for a particular project. In those cases, I just lay the blade I'm not using at the moment on a little table I keep right beside my saw for accessories and my coffee cup.

 

In the beginning, when I first started scrolling, I had the attitude that I was getting every bit of use I could out of a blade. I refused to throw a blade away until it broke. When I started doing more delicate cuttings, I soon realized the error in this attitude. For the few pennies they cost, a new blade will always cut easier and faster. If I sat down and worked out some fancy mathematical equation for the money saved using every bit of blade life versus the time wasted working with a less then sharp blade, I come out cheaper throwing the old blade in the trash where it belongs.

[Clockman]

I toss them in a bin and if a project is big enough I tape one to the back of it so people can see the type of blade that was used to cut the item

 

Mike

[Clayton717]

I too throw my used blades in the trash.

[Travis]

I toss them in a bin and if a project is big enough I tape one to the back of it so people can see the type of blade that was used to cut the item

 

Mike

 

That's a clever idea. Usually fretwork is a conversation starter anyway. Its kinda neat to show people the kind of tiny blade that is used to make the design.

[Handi]

Hello All,

I just ordered some blades and sanders and while I was switching out blades I was thinking " ok now where do I put this blade so I don't get it mixed with other blades" I ended up putting it back in the bag that they came in with new blades. Now I have a used blade floating around in a bag that has new ones. I know that you can buy tubes containers for your blades but what do you do with the used ones?

 

I have to say... I save some of mine.. It all depends on how Badly worn they are. I have a kerf in the back of mySaw that holds blades, so all of my Used ones go there for now.

 

The reason I save my Old Blades... Is for the simple fact that if I have a project that needs a little cutting and don't require a Really Sharp Blade for such a Small project, I chuck in a old blade, make my few little cuts I need, then take it out for another use later on, this saves money. Not to mention, depending on what kind of blade it is... You can Flip the Blade around and cut on the upper 1/4 of the Blade as well, I get inbetween 2 to 4 uses out of my Plywood Blades.

 

When I chuck them, I use them til they are badly worn, then I flip, do the same, then on one side, I take off bout 1/4" from the bottom of the Blade, then rechuck it, when that's worn, I flip and do the same, this gives me several uses out of a single blade.

 

Handi

[Travis]

Good ideas for getting the most out of your blades, Handi. Welcome back! Glad to see you again!

[Handi]

Good ideas for getting the most out of your blades, Handi. Welcome back! Glad to see you again!

 

Hey Travis.

 

Well I seen the post on the blades, and thought it would be beneficial for me to post something since it's been awhile since i have. i've been posting 1x a week on my Workshop blog with Woodworking Tips, and that's about it.

 

Been Playing warcraft and watching a little TV catchin up on some Old Shows i've not see in a month or so. And waiting and pondering what to do next on the Saw or the Workshop.

 

I think i do have it figured out thou of what my next project is going to be..

 

i'm a BIG Billiards Fan. I have a professional Pool Cue called a Mali. 19 oz. Cue. 150 Dollar Cue paid 25 Bucks and a game for the rest of it lol.

 

Anyway, I had a Pleather Case that held my Cue along with a Pouch to hold my Chalk. The Zipper Corrouded shut, so i couldn't get it unzipped. So the plans here soon are to build me one out of Mahogony or maybe Cherry, I've not really Decided... my Pool Cue is a Blueish Green marble effect. I will take a picture and post the link here...

 

So with that in mind, i'm going to build one that will hold 6 pieces of Chalk, 1 or 2 Rows of Quarters Pokerchip Style, and then my Cue.

 

I'm thinking of doing it Finger Joint Style all the way around it to give it a pattern, then on top I'm going to do some Inlay work, will be my first... So Most likely I will be doing a Video on the Whole Process, expecially the Inlay process.

 

So this will be a learning Experience for me as well as everyone else... If I had the time and all, and knew when I was really going to do it, i would broadcast it live, but I think I'm going to focus on a Podcast on this one... i think everyone on my Blog is getting a little bit tired of my Woodworking Tips lol And no action.

 

Anyway, i will still be in and out... I need to do some Catch up blogging lol...

 

Handi

[Travis]

That sounds like a really cool project! Can't wait to see some pix. I grew up with a pooltable in our basement. Hardly ever played it. I'm really, really bad a the game.

[RipCat]

Like Handi, I tend to use blades over and over, trimming here and there etc... used blades (especially the bigger sizes) are good for small jobs, or quick and dirty cuts that don't need accuracy etc. Main problem here has not really been economic, more blade supply... only recently have I found a supplier that can get me blades quickly; I tend to be rather impatient, lol and want to start 'that project' right now, and it kills me if I don't have the right blades to hand! Only recently realised the benefit of buying in LOTS of blades in one batch, duh.

For the used blades, I have a couple of tubes just for them, so I don't get them mixed up with the new ones.

[steveh]

I have a DeWalt saw. I attached several 1 inch magnets on the sides of the upper arm with silicone. I use these to hold used blades that still have useful life. By attaching several along the arm, the blades are held parallel to the arm and out of the way but handy if I want to change blade sizes. As for well worn blades, if they are not good enough to use, they are not good enough to keep.

[Travis]

That's a great idea. I guess there's times when I want to switch between different blade sizes in a project. This might be a good way for me to keep the blades within reach. Thanks for the tip!

[RipCat]

... I attached several 1 inch magnets on the sides of the upper arm with silicone...

Hi Steve,

that's almost what I did too... I found a magnetic socket set holder strip that's double sided, so sticks onto the base, with the other side free for holding blades, small drill bits etc.... very handy, and a cheap solution.

On the topic of blade holding, not having a scroll saw stand or decent table to sit it on, I bought one of those foldable saw horses and bolted the saw to that; in the the wooden slats on the top there are pre-built holes (normally used for the plastic clamps). These holes are exactly the right size to hold the blade storage tubes I found from WildWood Designs, so keeps my oft used blades right next to the saw, but protected and sorted. I'll take a pic and load it up so ppl can see what I mean; might be useful info for someone short on space.