Blades blades oh my head hirts

[Tom Gi]

I got a 2024 used hegner 22

as far as I know it has the standard blade holders I understand there is 3 different blade thickness holders now looking at blades there is so many different ones I’m going to cut plywood the most then cherry wood is there a good standard blade to go with  

I see most people are using flying dutchman

at some time I would like to try spiral too

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Tom Hegner has one blade holder type so concentrate on that. Forget about all others for different saws. Learn on your saw which is an excellent saw. It is one of the top of the line saws out there. Forget about spiral blades for now. Again get them out of your mind. Next Blade brand is not important so again get that out of your mind. Down the road when you get the feel of what you are doing and want to do you  can experiment and the experimenting will mean much more to you than right now. Flying Dutchman are excellent blades and the only ones I use. Other here like Pegas which too are excellent blades. FD blades can be gotten from Mike's Workshop. and Pegas blades can be gotten from right here Denny.  https://www.artcraftersonline.com/ When you talk plywood I hope you are talking Baltic or Finnish Birch because they will not splinter as much and make for better more stable pieces. Cherry can burn but a good suggestion is to look through the threads here under blade selections and see he many answers or others will give suggestions. My go to blade for most any cutting I do is a #5 FD Penguin Silver Reverse blade. Love those blades. Good luck and have fun.

Edited yesterday at 03:05 AM by JTTHECLOCKMAN

[OCtoolguy]

J.T. just summed up the advice I've heard. I started out with a sample pack of FD blades. I had a piece of birch plywood and a butterfly pattern glued to it. I still have that piece hanging in my shop window. The 3 most important words are, practice, practice and practice.

[Wichman]

Good advice in both responses.

I'll add my 2 cents worth.

Yes, Hegner makes three sizes of blade holders, and you cannot tell them apart with the naked eye. You don't need them to start and until or unless you've decided that you are going to use the respective sizes a lot. If you decide to get the other size(s) then plan on a way to mark them, I used fingernail polish, or you'll be using feeler gauges to tell them apart.

I agree that sample packs are a good way to start. But get sample packs in a logical manner. A sample of blade types, all the same size, for example. Once you have a blade type ( Polar, scroll reverse, penguin silver, etc) then get a sample of different blade sizes of just that type. When you order blades, throw in a blade type you are unfamiliar with, give it a shot, and keep your options open.

As for practice, there are many practice patterns available. If you have the time and patience then spend some time just learning how the saw cuts and develope muscle memory. If you know you are weak in one type of cutting, then print a test pattern with your regular pattern to keep developing your skills. (If you have issues with letters then print off a couple of letters in the waste area of a pattern).

Give 'er a go and remember, it's all just one hole at a time.

[kmmcrafts]

11 hours ago, JTTHECLOCKMAN said:

Tom Hegner has one blade holder type so concentrate on that. Forget about all others for different saws. Learn on your saw which is an excellent saw. It is one of the top of the line saws out there. Forget about spiral blades for now. Again get them out of your mind. Next Blade brand is not important so again get that out of your mind. Down the road when you get the feel of what you are doing and want to do you  can experiment and the experimenting will mean much more to you than right now. Flying Dutchman are excellent blades and the only ones I use. Other here like Pegas which too are excellent blades. FD blades can be gotten from Mike's Workshop. and Pegas blades can be gotten from right here Denny.  https://www.artcraftersonline.com/ When you talk plywood I hope you are talking Baltic or Finnish Birch because they will not splinter as much and make for better more stable pieces. Cherry can burn but a good suggestion is to look through the threads here under blade selections and see he many answers or others will give suggestions. My go to blade for most any cutting I do is a #5 FD Penguin Silver Reverse blade. Love those blades. Good luck and have fun.

 

7 hours ago, Wichman said:

Good advice in both responses.

I'll add my 2 cents worth.

Yes, Hegner makes three sizes of blade holders, and you cannot tell them apart with the naked eye. You don't need them to start and until or unless you've decided that you are going to use the respective sizes a lot. If you decide to get the other size(s) then plan on a way to mark them, I used fingernail polish, or you'll be using feeler gauges to tell them apart.

I agree that sample packs are a good way to start. But get sample packs in a logical manner. A sample of blade types, all the same size, for example. Once you have a blade type ( Polar, scroll reverse, penguin silver, etc) then get a sample of different blade sizes of just that type. When you order blades, throw in a blade type you are unfamiliar with, give it a shot, and keep your options open.

As for practice, there are many practice patterns available. If you have the time and patience then spend some time just learning how the saw cuts and develope muscle memory. If you know you are weak in one type of cutting, then print a test pattern with your regular pattern to keep developing your skills. (If you have issues with letters then print off a couple of letters in the waste area of a pattern).

Give 'er a go and remember, it's all just one hole at a time.

Since I also have a used Hegner and we are talking blade holders.. Probably just like the original poster here... I have no clue what size blade holders I have with my Hegner... The extra blades I got with the saw look more like cut down bandsaw blades. Wouldn't the experience be quite frustrating to a newbie if the blade holder is the large one and the newbie is trying to use like a 2/0 blade.. I know one of the reasons I haven't used my Hegner much is I can't seem to keep the blade clamped into the holder very well.. I've even cranked down the pinch bolt on one of the holders so tight that it snapped the bolt off.. Very frustrating to me as a seasoned scroller so I cannot imagine the frustration of a newbie scroller trying to learn.. 

SO, with that all said... I recommend finding out what size holder you have and what size blade you're planning to use to save yourself some aggravation. I know for myself that I need some new holders.. and I also know that you can use the middle sized holder for a step up or down in size of blades but I also know that you cannot jump several sizes without issues.. so keep that in mind. I think the new hegner comes with the middle sized holder.. I do not remember the size numbers for the sized blades but I have looked it up in either the manual or on advancedmachinery.com website and looked up to buy blade holders.. I believe the description told what blade size numbers the said holders would use.. I need to buy some myself because I believe I have large sized holders and I need the middle sized ones.   

[Wichman]

From the horses mouth:

https://www.advmachinery.com/products/hegner-blade-clamps

[Wichman]

The more you know.

I checked my holders and what do you know, I had switched two of them. I didn't know that the middle size, .7 mm had a dimple. Now the middle size has a dot of fingernail polish as well.

[rjweb]

I belive hegner has a quick clamp that will accept all size blade, but out of stock right now, RJ

[Scrappile]

Yes the quick clamp can be used on all sizes.  It is to replace the top clamp. You do not use a tool to clamp the blade.  The regular clamps should not be held tightly, but "float in the clamp holder".   The quick clamp should be held tight in the the top clamp holder.  I use the #5 clamp in bottom holder for all sizes of blades. But I I have never used a blade larger than a  #5.

https://www.advmachinery.com/products/hegner-quickclamp?_pos=3&_sid=2253c4226&_ss=r 

Edited 16 hours ago by Scrappile

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Well I just got educated. Not that it matters I do not have my Hegner any more. I did not know they made 3 different blade clamps and never used them I used the knurled knob type and never had a problem. I used all kinds of blades and sizes in that saw but mainly #7 when I was cutting baskets out. Times I switched to #9.  I actually think that is one stupid set up now that I know. Was never informed from sales person and guess never read this in booklet. I really did not like their blade clamp holding system to begin with but it did work well. Is there numbers, markings, or some other indication to let people know what size they are so OP can check his?? That universal blade clamp is what I used. Now I assume the lower blade clamp needs to be matched with blades. Again I never did that and how did I ever cut as much as I did. I never snapped any bolts or broken a darn thing. Kevin you should stay away from machinery. You have to rebuild everything you touch.  Just a side note. Back in 1993 those blade clamps were $13.95 per set. It is in their catalog back then and never paid attention I guess. Now the use of spiral blades, not sure how they work in those clamps maybe someone can comment on them too. They were not around when I bought my saw. I assume they too need certain size clamps per size blades. 

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

2 hours ago, Wichman said:

The more you know.

I checked my holders and what do you know, I had switched two of them. I didn't know that the middle size, .7 mm had a dimple. Now the middle size has a dot of fingernail polish as well.

Now that you mentioned it I remember my clamps had a dimple too. I never paid attention to it .I guess that is why I never had a problem because I always was in range of the blades I used. I never used less than a #5 or more that a #9. I switched right away to that knurled knob clamp and that I guess is a universal so did not see any effect there either. That actually is a good thing because it was so easy to tighten. 

[Bill WIlson]

I have nothing to offer or add regarding the Hegner blade holders.  I've never used a Hegner and know less than nothing about them.  You also asked a question about blades.  That is one of the most common questions asked by beginners and there should be several threads on the topic.  The general rule of thumb is the larger the number of the blade, the thicker the blade and the fewer teeth per inch, meaning it will be more aggressive.  Large, aggressive blades are best suited for simple cuts in thick hardwoods.  The smallest blades are the least aggressive, but offer more control and are best suited for intricate cuts and tight turns in thinner stock.  There are several tooth configurations available.  Reverse tooth blades are commonly used for most fretwork, as they leave least tear out on the back side of the wood.

There is far more to learn about blades types and styles.  Here is a link to a blade chart that is fairly comprehensive.  It will give you a good overview of the specs and best uses of each type/size.

RBI Hawk blade chart

Also there is a page on the Flying Dutchman website that provides some more info on choosing a blade.

choosing a blade

These pages should tell you most of what you need to know to get started.  As was mentioned, get some basic blades, such as the starter packs that were referenced and once you get a little more experience, you can do a deeper dive into experimenting to find out what really works best for you and your saw.

Good luck and have fun making sawdust!

[rash_powder]

When I got my Hegner from the pawn shop it had a quick clamp on top; the lower I don't know what size it is. 

The smallest blade I have used is an Olson #2 and the largest is an Olson #7 or maybe #9.  They all seemed to work correctly - that is the project was finished in a way I felt acceptable given my skill and equipment. 

Give what you have a go and see what comes of it.  No need to spend $$ on parts if what you have works.