Birdhouses / 3D cutting

[jamieline]

I have just started cutting these little birdhouses and have a problem with the cut not being square. Been cutting a while but never over 3/4" material and never had a problem with cuts. Have cut lots of puzzles with no issues. So when cutting the thicker material I just started using my same blades I have used in the past.

I have tried several different materials. Machine is square. I have an older model Excalibur.  As I cut a few I was paying attention to not push sideways on the blade. Still ended up with a bad cut. 

Thanks to all that I have asked for suggestions.

One comment was the blade selection. I had been using Pegas #5 MGT blades. It was suggested to use a Skip tooth blade to help get rid of the saw dust. I have noticed that when I take these apart there is a lot of trapped dust.

Looking for ideas to apply to these and all 3D cuts.

Edited July 11, 2023 by jamieline

[Bill WIlson]

Several factors come into play with compound cut patterns.  

You mentioned 3 of them; blade square to the table, proper blade and not pushing sideways.  Those are very important.

Another is to make sure the blank is absolutely square.  If you buy your wood already to thickness or mill your own, it is critical that the sides be square to one another, especially the corner that the pattern is mounted to.  Also, take great care in how you mount the pattern.  Make absolutely sure that you fold the pattern exactly along the line indicated and when you attach it to the blank, make sure the fold is placed precisely on the corner of the blank.  Any mis-alignment will result in an out of square cut, no matter how well everything else is set up.

As for the blade, a skip tooth blade is preferable for compound cutting.  Reverse teeth are not necessary for compound cuts and do not clear dust from the kerf nearly as well as skip tooth.  The size will depend partially on the material and thickness being cut, but a #5 should be adequate for most applications.

[Wichman]

In addition to Bill's suggestions. On artcrafter.com all the MGT blade had the reverse teeth, these will pull some of the sawdust back into the kerf. Try their skip and superskip blades.

increase your tension slightly

slow your cutting speed, sometimes the blade will try to follow the hard grain (thin line in the wood) especially in softwood, most especially in redwood. slowing your cutting allows the blade to cut and not wonder so bad.

increase the saw speed slightly

 

How old is the wood and what type of wood is it. This does matter.

[BadBob]

I have cut about 60 birdhouse ornaments to date using the Pegas MGT blades. I have used both #3 and #5.

Pattern placement is critical. I like to use a utility knife and a straight edge to lightly cut partially through the pattern on the dashed line. If the blade is sharp, you can do this with the only pressure being the knife's weight. The pattern will fold right on the cut. I fold the pattern to nearly 90 degrees, spray with 3m77, and apply the pattern dead on the corner first and then the sides. Close is not good enough. Everything must be square.

Forcing the cut or using a dull blade will also cause problems.