Advices

[Eric67]

Hello everyone,
I'll give you some feedback with my new scroll saw.
Magnificent! it is very comfortable to work with.
but .... there is always a "but" I broke three blades of the given sample with the saw.
MGT No. 2/0
I was surprised by the fragility, the tension was good and the thickness of the plywood respected, but I don't doubt my inexperience.
I continued to work with a Super Skip #3 blade and it works well.
If you have some advices, they will be welcome.

Au plaisir de vous lire.

Eric

[OCtoolguy]

2/0 is a very small blade so I would imagine that tension, speed and wood thickness would all be factors. Probably a learning/experience and practice situation will solve your dilemma.

Edited April 26, 2022 by OCtoolguy

[kmmcrafts]

I don't use those real small blades often, but when I do I normally use my Hawk scroll saw because it has a "variable blade adjustment " so I can adjust a lighter tension on the blade. The Pegas and like saws you mount the blade and flip the lever to tension it with no way to really adjust that tension. I don't know if this is the problem for you or not, but those smaller blades do break easy and finding the right tension is more picky with them.. too loose of tension they break.. too tight they break, LOL so it might be something with the tension.. saw speed shouldn't affect the breaking blades provided the proper tension is applied to the blade. Those small blades also easy to push / feed the wood too fast.. thin piece of steel blade will heat up a lot faster than a heavier thicker blade. I'm not sure what advice to give you, I think it'll be something you'll have to give trial and error to figure out.. I just know that tension is a big factor of breaking blades.. especially those small ones. Some people with the Pegas and like saws that have no "adjustable" tension will place it in the saw with a slight amount of slack and then tension it.. eventually you'll find that sweet spot on the blade tension and it'll come natural for you to just know what is the right amount.  

[OCtoolguy]

41 minutes ago, kmmcrafts said:

I don't use those real small blades often, but when I do I normally use my Hawk scroll saw because it has a "variable blade adjustment " so I can adjust a lighter tension on the blade. The Pegas and like saws you mount the blade and flip the lever to tension it with no way to really adjust that tension. I don't know if this is the problem for you or not, but those smaller blades do break easy and finding the right tension is more picky with them.. too loose of tension they break.. too tight they break, LOL so it might be something with the tension.. saw speed shouldn't affect the breaking blades provided the proper tension is applied to the blade. Those small blades also easy to push / feed the wood too fast.. thin piece of steel blade will heat up a lot faster than a heavier thicker blade. I'm not sure what advice to give you, I think it'll be something you'll have to give trial and error to figure out.. I just know that tension is a big factor of breaking blades.. especially those small ones. Some people with the Pegas and like saws that have no "adjustable" tension will place it in the saw with a slight amount of slack and then tension it.. eventually you'll find that sweet spot on the blade tension and it'll come natural for you to just know what is the right amount.  

I have to add to your comment Kevin that you do have some adjustment for tension on the Pegas and like saws at the rear of the saw similarly to the Hawk. It is recommended to keep the upper arm parallel to the table but backing off the knob as the rear of the saw until the blade is mounted and the lever is flipped is the way to "adjust" the tension downward for tiny blades. At least that's how I would do it. Sneaking up on the tension is doable with those saws. Not knowing what the OP has for a saw is a problem.

 

[kmmcrafts]

53 minutes ago, OCtoolguy said:

I have to add to your comment Kevin that you do have some adjustment for tension on the Pegas and like saws at the rear of the saw similarly to the Hawk. It is recommended to keep the upper arm parallel to the table but backing off the knob as the rear of the saw until the blade is mounted and the lever is flipped is the way to "adjust" the tension downward for tiny blades. At least that's how I would do it. Sneaking up on the tension is doable with those saws. Not knowing what the OP has for a saw is a problem.

 

I agree with you Ray however I don't encourage people to do that.. simply put.. I've seen hundreds of post topics about the saw not working right and or the blades are way too long / short for the saw now.. apparently a lot of people have used that knob at the back of the saw a few too many times without resetting it back to it's parallel position.. so I rarely talk about that method.. as it apparently messes up a lot of folks new to the hobby that use these saws. Randy ( Hotshot ) put a video up on YouTube about how he uses his finger to "deflect the blade" as he clamps it into the saw which gives the saw some slack, then once he flips his tension lever it's at the correct tension needed for the small blades.  

Edit to add:

If I remember correctly he is the one that bought the new Pegas 30" saw that has the on / off switch back by the motor? 

 

Edited April 26, 2022 by kmmcrafts

[OCtoolguy]

I agree Kevin but I regretfully forgot to say, "reset the tension knob" after using these blades.

 

[Dave Monk]

I have never used a 2/0 blade, never bought any because I have never seen a use for one for what I do.

[OCtoolguy]

54 minutes ago, Dave Monk said:

I have never used a 2/0 blade, never bought any because I have never seen a use for one for what I do.

I bought some just because I thought I should have some. Have no use at this point but who knows what's around the corner?

Oh wait, I remember now why I bought them. When I took that marquetry class, that's the size of blades we were told to buy for doing it.

 

 

Edited April 27, 2022 by OCtoolguy

[Millwab]

1 hour ago, Dave Monk said:

I have never used a 2/0 blade, never bought any because I have never seen a use for one for what I do.

And then there are those of us who use them routinely.  Jig saw puzzle cutting requires a thin kerf so the puzzle doesn’t have a lot of slop in it. 2/0 or 3/0 blades fit that bill nicely. 

[kmmcrafts]

7 hours ago, Millwab said:

And then there are those of us who use them routinely.  Jig saw puzzle cutting requires a thin kerf so the puzzle doesn’t have a lot of slop in it. 2/0 or 3/0 blades fit that bill nicely. 

About the only thing I use them for.. I have on occasion done custom requested ornaments where I only want / need to cut one piece of 1/8" ply and they fit the bill for that quite well. Like I said above, I don't use them often, but when I do I usually use them on my Hawk.. because it has a less aggressive more straight up down blade movement which is much easier to control when using just one piece of thin stock.  

[Dave Monk]

8 hours ago, Millwab said:

And then there are those of us who use them routinely.  Jig saw puzzle cutting requires a thin kerf so the puzzle doesn’t have a lot of slop in it. 2/0 or 3/0 blades fit that bill nicely. 

You have a point. I have never made a jig saw puzzle. I sure see the point of using a blade that small for something like that. 

[TAIrving]

@Denny Knappen had an article about this in the ArtCrafters Scroll Saw Newsletter April 15, 2022 as follows: 

"Tip for those with the Pegas Chuck Head Sets for popular saws.  The way the 2/0R MGT blades are made, they tend to break when the tension is applied.  The black knob in the back is not to be used for tensioning, but it works as long as you remember to set it back.  Tighten the blade in both clamps, move the knob one mark to lessen the tension and then flip the white lever slowly.  No blade breakage.  Remember to return the knob to the original position."

I corresponded with him about this and he replied that this is what the good folks at Pegas suggested.  

I sometimes use the Pegas 2/0R MGT blades and I use the deflection method.  

[Denny Knappen]

3 hours ago, TAIrving said:

@Denny Knappen had an article about this in the ArtCrafters Scroll Saw Newsletter April 15, 2022 as follows: 

"Tip for those with the Pegas Chuck Head Sets for popular saws.  The way the 2/0R MGT blades are made, they tend to break when the tension is applied.  The black knob in the back is not to be used for tensioning, but it works as long as you remember to set it back.  Tighten the blade in both clamps, move the knob one mark to lessen the tension and then flip the white lever slowly.  No blade breakage.  Remember to return the knob to the original position."

I corresponded with him about this and he replied that this is what the good folks at Pegas suggested.  

I sometimes use the Pegas 2/0R MGT blades and I use the deflection method.  

Thanks for the mention.  Anything to lessen the tension works.

[Eric67]

Hello everybody,
i thank you for your responses and advices.
I will try to applied your methodes, the video is very interesting for me, I get to remove and put back  the blade without many difficulties.
you are all right, it is with practice that I will know which blade will be the best with which type of wood.
I learn much tips here.
Thank you vey much.

[OCtoolguy]

5 hours ago, Eric67 said:

Hello everybody,
i thank you for your responses and advices.
I will try to applied your methodes, the video is very interesting for me, I get to remove and put back  the blade without many difficulties.
you are all right, it is with practice that I will know which blade will be the best with which type of wood.
I learn much tips here.
Thank you vey much.

Excellent feedback. Best of luck to you and please post pics of your work at some point. We do love to see what others are working on.

[Eric67]

1 hour ago, OCtoolguy said:

Excellent feedback. Best of luck to you and please post pics of your work at some point. We do love to see what others are working on.

Count on me Ray!