Which Blades Should I Use? (pin, no pin)

[Me and my buddy]

so i got a book that says to not use pined blades sorry if i'm using the terminology. The things on the bottom and top on some blades. I'm just asking what you think which one should i use. Thanks for your help! 

[dgman]

Most folks use plain end blades for two reasons. When cutting inside cuts, you have to drill a larger hole to accommodate the pins. It’s virtually impossible to do fine fret work with small cutouts. The second reason is without pins, you can get much smaller blades, in more styles.  As you progress, you will want to use smaller, finer blades.

[Me and my buddy]

5 minutes ago, dgman said:

Most folks use plain end blades for two reasons. When cutting inside cuts, you have to drill a larger hole to accommodate the pins. It’s virtually impossible to do fine fret work with small cutouts. The second reason is without pins, you can get much smaller blades, in more styles.  As you progress, you will want to use smaller, finer blades.

thanks for the information!

[Bill WIlson]

Agree with what Dan said.  And a testament to that is the fact that most (if not all) of the better quality scroll saws only accept plain end blades.  

[Me and my buddy]

1 minute ago, Bill WIlson said:

Agree with what Dan said.  And a testament to that is the fact that most (if not all) of the better quality scroll saws only accept plain end blades.  

where do you recommend to get a blade? 

[JJB]

I think there are a few people on here that sell them, I'm not sure of the names but I am sure they will chime in soon. 

If you have a Woodcraft or Rockler store in your area, they will have a wide assortment of blade choices. Woodcraft carries mostly Olson blades, and some of the stores still have Pegas blades in inventory but those are being phased out. I don't know what Rockler carries; I don't go there.

 

As always you can get them online, but I like to support my local merchants.

[NC Scroller]

1 hour ago, Me and my buddy said:

where do you recommend to get a blade? 

https://www.artcraftersonline.com

[Me and my buddy]

2 minutes ago, JJB said:

I think there are a few people on here that sell them, I'm not sure of the names but I am sure they will chime in soon. 

If you have a Woodcraft or Rockler store in your area, they will have a wide assortment of blade choices. Woodcraft carries mostly Olson blades, and some of the stores still have Pegas blades in inventory but those are being phased out. I don't know what Rockler carries; I don't go there.

 

As always you can get them online, but I like to support my local merchants.

Thank you!!! 

[Me and my buddy]

1 minute ago, NC Scroller said:

https://www.artcraftersonline.com

does it matter that i have a wen scroll saw?

[NC Scroller]

Just now, Me and my buddy said:

does it matter that i have a wen scroll saw?

No.  All the major blades (Pegas, Flying Dutchman, Olsen) will work on your wen.

[Me and my buddy]

16 hours ago, dgman said:

Most folks use plain end blades for two reasons. When cutting inside cuts, you have to drill a larger hole to accommodate the pins. It’s virtually impossible to do fine fret work with small cutouts. The second reason is without pins, you can get much smaller blades, in more styles.  As you progress, you will want to use smaller, finer blades.

would it matter if i'm a beginner scroller

[barb.j.enders]

14 minutes ago, Me and my buddy said:

would it matter if i'm a beginner scroller

Nope, we all were beginners.

[Denny Knappen]

I would be pleased to help with questions about blades.  If you would like to call, we are open Monday through Friday 11 a. t 4 pm Eastern time.  Or click on the link below my signature.

[Bill WIlson]

For the sake of simplicity, let's start with the basics.  There are essentially 3 main brand names for scroll saw blades that are the most used, at least by the folks on this forum.

Those would be Pegas, Flying Dutchman and Olson.  Pegas blades, as mentioned, are available from Denny @ Art Crafters.  The other 2 are available from Wooden Teddy Bear (among other places).  For starters, that will get you going.  As for which brand to choose, right now, as a beginner, I don't think it really matters all that much.  There really isn't a wrong choice.  They all will do the job.  Until you get a feel for what blades you want to use, pick a brand and run with it for a while.  Many of us have tried a lot of different ones and have a large variety on hand, most of which we don't really use.  So take Denny up on his offer.  He will point you in the right direction and help you choose what size & type of blade to get you started.  And you can always come back here for more advice.  Search the forum.  Questions about what blade to use come up all the time and there are many threads on the topic.

Good luck and let us know how you are doing.

[Roberta Moreton]

Two questions:

What saw do you have?

What blades does it take, pin, plain, or both. 

[Greatgrandpawrichard]

On 2/23/2024 at 6:21 AM, barb.j.enders said:

Nope, we all were beginners.

I have been scroll sawing for 40 years and I still consider myself a beginner!

Dick

[Me and my buddy]

On 2/25/2024 at 11:33 AM, Roberta Moreton said:

Two questions:

What saw do you have?

What blades does it take, pin, plain, or both. 

it's a wen scroll saw that can hold both pinned blades and plain

[Roberta Moreton]

Just now, Me and my buddy said:

it's a wen scroll saw that can hold both pinned blades and plain

Then plain is the blade of choice. 

[Me and my buddy]

Just now, Roberta Moreton said:

Then plain is the blade of choice. 

thanks!