Blade lubricant?

[JimNC]

I am somewhat new to scroll sawing so please excuse this question if it has been covered before. I cut a lot of of 3/4" thick hardwoods and finish my wood cutouts with just a with a clear coat. 

I was just wondering if a bees wax or any other product would help on the scroll saw blade without staining the wood? I have used bees wax on my bandsaw blades the past but these items were usually sanded and paint painted after cutting.  

Jim

North Carolina

[Dan]

Hey, Jim. If you're concerned with burning the wood as you cut, many, including myself, will use clear packing take over the pattern. The adhesive will provide lubrication of the blade and reduce heat buildup on the blade. Also, your blade selection will help. I tried using wax years ago and found it doesn't work for me. Others will chime in shortly.

[Bill WIlson]

While the concept may be sound, I suspect the practical application in scrolling has very limited benefits.  I would think, to have any affect, you would need to apply the wax almost constantly during the cut.  The size of the blade really limits how much wax can be applied and how long it lasts.

As Dan mentioned, the old standby of packing tape is probably a more effective method.

[JimNC]

Thank you for the advice. I'll try the tape.

[Scrappile]

Personally I am not a fan of the packing tape method.  Most times I do not use tape, I use spray adhesive and attach directly to the wood.  When I tried packing time over the pattern I would get sawdust under the tape that hid the lines.  When I want more "lub" for cutting I cover the wood with blue painter's tape.  I only use it when I am cutting wood that burns easily like Cherry, or I am cutting something very thick like for 3D cutting. That is the way I fly, does not mean it is the only way to go.  I suggest trying it every way mentioned and find what you like best.

[dgman]

I too use packing over the pattern. The trick is when applying it, make sure you apply it flat on the pattern without any air bubbles between the tape and pattern. Then I burnish it with a small block of wood to remove any remaining air bubbles. This prevents saw dust from getting under the tape and the tape lubricates the blade so there is less burning and a smoother cut. Other scrollers use blue painters tape under the pattern. There is a chemical in the tape that helps prevent the tape from sticking to itself when you unroll it. This additive is what lubricates the blade.

[Dan]

I forgot another trick...shelf liner. I've used it several times. The peel-and-stick liner is placed right to the wood. Then glue the pattern to the shelf liner. The adhesive in the shelf liner helps lubricate the blade. And, no clear packing tape over the pattern. 

[Gene Howe]

IDK if it lubricates much, but I've been printing my patterns on full sheet packing labels. Just stick it on the wood and go to cuttin'. 

[Rolf]

As others have said I am not sure how much a lubricant would help unless applied continuously. I would also worry about wax residue affecting my finish. 

That said after years of using blue tape, I switched to clear removable shelf liner under ALL of my patterns. It is tough stuff and peels off easily without pulling up any fibers. 

Using any tape is too time consuming for me. Especially the clear stuff so easy to miss a tiny piece. 

[Norm Fengstad]

23 hours ago, Scrappile said:

Personally I am not a fan of the packing tape method.  Most times I do not use tape, I use spray adhesive and attach directly to the wood.  When I tried packing time over the pattern I would get sawdust under the tape that hid the lines.  When I want more "lub" for cutting I cover the wood with blue painter's tape.  I only use it when I am cutting wood that burns easily like Cherry, or I am cutting something very thick like for 3D cutting. That is the way I fly, does not mean it is the only way to go.  I suggest trying it every way mentioned and find what you like best.

Scrapile, you explained my method so well . Just to add to it I found Pegas Modified blade to have less burning on hardwoods. In fact I mostly use a #3 in 3/4 inch hardwood, even cut some cherry the other day and only experienced burn marks on tight turns when the blade was getting dull,  the #5 was very good as well but like the shiny finish a # 3 leaves. 

[TAIrving]

23 hours ago, dgman said:

I too use packing over the pattern. The trick is when applying it, make sure you apply it flat on the pattern without any air bubbles between the tape and pattern. Then I burnish it with a small block of wood to remove any remaining air bubbles. This prevents saw dust from getting under the tape and the tape lubricates the blade so there is less burning and a smoother cut. Other scrollers use blue painters tape under the pattern. There is a chemical in the tape that helps prevent the tape from sticking to itself when you unroll it. This additive is what lubricates the blade.

Why not apply the packing tape first and then glue the pattern on top of it?  That way you would get the lubricating effect without any issue of getting sawdust under the tape and blocking the view of the pattern.  

I assume that you have another/first layer to allow easy removal of the pattern and I am not suggesting changing that, just reversing the order of the top 2 layers.  

[dgman]

8 minutes ago, TAIrving said:

Why not apply the packing tape first and then glue the pattern on top of it?  That way you would get the lubricating effect without any issue of getting sawdust under the tape and blocking the view of the pattern.  

I assume that you have another/first layer to allow easy removal of the pattern and I am not suggesting changing that, just reversing the order of the top 2 layers.  

Clear packing tape does not come off easily. It’s actually tougher than blue tape to remove. It would take way to much time to remove than blue tape. For me, it’s easier to remove the pattern with the clear tape with a heat gun. 

[rafairchild2]

I use clear peel-and-stick shelf liner... WOrks on every type of wood.  Come off real easy and leaves no residue.

Edited September 15, 2023 by rafairchild2

[JimNC]

Thank you all for the advice. 

[TAIrving]

On 9/15/2023 at 9:00 AM, dgman said:

Clear packing tape does not come off easily. It’s actually tougher than blue tape to remove. It would take way to much time to remove than blue tape. For me, it’s easier to remove the pattern with the clear tape with a heat gun. 

@dgmanYes, clear packing tape is difficult to remove from the wood and probably would leave a residue.  That is why I suggested using the clear packing tape as the second layer.

Layer 1 - something that is easy to remove and does not leave a residue - everybody has their own favorite for this.  

Layer 2 - clear packing tape for blade lubrication.  Place it here so you do not get sawdust under it obscuring the pattern lines.

Layer 3 - the pattern.  

[Joe W.]

Me too!

Dan & RAYFAIRCHILD said:

I forgot another trick...shelf liner. I've used it several times. The peel-and-stick liner is placed right to the wood. Then glue the pattern to the shelf liner. The adhesive in the shelf liner helps lubricate the blade. And, no clear packing tape over the pattern. 

I use clear peel-and-stick shelf liner... WOrks on every type of wood.  Come off real easy and leaves no residue.

[rafairchild2]

One other advantage of clear shelf liner is you can still see the wood, thus the grain.  When doing intarsia or other types of projects where grain direction, coloring variations, and/or patterns are important, you can easily arrange your stencil in place and orientation.

Below is a recent project at the stencil application stage.  You can see the clear shelf liner that the stencil is glued to.

A lot of the times, I fold the liner down on the sides, sometimes not...