Blade Quality Issue

[greasemonkeyredneck]

I was wondering if anyone else has had similar problems to the one I've been having. I use almost exclusivley Olsen #2 spirals for my fretwork. I bought blades here local for a long time. I was perfectly happy. Then I decided to order by the gross from a reputabe company (I won't mention names here). When I got the blades, they were clearly defective. They snapped before I even turned the saw on. No, they were not over tighened. Even with the tension too loose to ever control the blade, they broke. The few that didn't snap would break as soon as they touched the wood. They broke when the wood touched through all tension settings from tight to way too loose. So, after vowing never to order blades from that company again, I ordered a gross from a different reputable company. All these blades were Olsen, #2, spiral, just like I was buying locally. Anyway, the blades from the 2nd company would cut. However, the local blades average 20-30 minutes of continuous cutting. The blades ordered online average about 5 minutes. I don't understand. Is there a difference in quality? If so, where can I buy grosses of the same blades I buy locally? I don't mind buying local. Actually, I prefer it. I don't even mind the extra cost because it supports local commerce. My problem is getting enough blades locally. It seems they can never keep them in stock. Not many people around here scroll, and they seems to get blade shipments in a lot less frequently than the time it takes me to use them.

 

Oh, and it's not my imagination either, I conducted timed tests using three dozen local bought and three dozen out of the gross from the second company mentioned earlier.

[blame]

i've run into the same issue from blades i bought acouple years ago off the closeout racks at woodcraft in des moines they last for just a few minutes spirals are just prone to that i believe but with manufacturing processes moving out of the US is something i think also plays a big part into quality as well

[AirNationalGuardMom]

Can you ask your local company to order you a gross? Doesn't hurt to ask.

Linda

[Messman]

I get my blades from http://www.mikesworkshop.com/ The Flying Dutchman. I have never had a problem with his blades, sharp and cut for a long time.

[joesawdust]

I too have had some problems with Olsen blades lately, I use some of theirs and also some Flying Dutchman, don't use spirals though so cant say much about them. I have ordered my Olsen blades from the same people for 5-6 years and it has been just recently that alot of the blades are bent on the ends or have real bad curves in them. Looks like their QC has gone down the toilet. Might be time to change to FD's completely.

 

Greg

[greasemonkeyredneck]

I get my blades from http://www.mikesworkshop.com/ The Flying Dutchman. I have never had a problem with his blades, sharp and cut for a long time.

 

Do they make spirals? And if they do, do you have any experience with them? I love my spirals. I had the same problems as a lot of people in the beginning, but now I use almost exclusively #2 spirals. The only time I use anything different is just for cutting big parts down to size. I also use pinned blades on my old craftsman for thick wood such as on my motorcycles. For fretwork though, it's spirals all the way.

 

Can you ask your local company to order you a gross? Doesn't hurt to ask.

Linda

 

Thanks for the suggestion, but I've already asked every scrollsaw blade supplier in town and the next town over. No luck.

[Messman]

Yes he has spirals. I think he has most any blade that you would need. If you do't see it on his web site, just fire him off an e-mail asking about what it is you need and if he don't have it he probably will know where to get it.

[Travis]

I use FD spirals myself, mostly for portraits. They seem to be pretty good. I don't have much experience with anything other than FD, though. Mike is awesome to work with and very helpful...and fast! I certainly give him a thumbs up.

[greasemonkeyredneck]

I went and checked out Mike's website. I still have several dozen of the blades I ordered online and several dozen local bought. You can bet the farm though that on my next order, I'm going to give Mike a try. Something's got to give on what I've been going throughb lately.

[greasemonkeyredneck]

Ok, even with more blades from the last crap order, you all have me convinced. I just placed my order for a gross of Flying Dutchman spirals. As soon as they come in, I'll put them through their paces and report back.

[RipCat]

I thought it was just me, but yeah I've had problems recently with olsen blades and now use FD and Pegas blades pretty much exclusively. Luckily there is a retired couple here in Oz that import the blades, and they're great to deal with. I use a lot of 2/0 FD spirals and they last well, great blades! Just trying out FD mod geometry and a few other styles to see what they're like.

[ScrollSawAddict]

Hi all, first post. Had to happen sometime and if it could coinside with bragging about my beloved FDs then all the better. Never had a problem with FDs quality and have found they seem to outlast the Olsens. I started exclusively with Olsens as FDs are very hard to get in Aus but when i finally tracked them down i Havent looked back. You wont be dissapointed.

 

PS Not to say Olsens arent a fine blade, i did some beautiful work with them, but we were paying Double for Olsens that we could get the Dutchmans for.

[greasemonkeyredneck]

Well folks, the verdict is in. I got my shipment of Flying Dutchmans in yesterday. The mail ran about eleven. I had ordered one gross of Flying Dutchman #3 reverse tooth spirals. From what info I could find on the net, I thought they would be about the closest to my favorite Olsen #2s. As soon as they arrived, I finished off the olsen that was in the scrollsaw at the time. Then I put away the remainder of that dozen and chucked in my new Flying Dutch. I pushed it hard. I wanted to see if these blades would live up to what I've been told. Here's my decision:

 

 

I will never, never, NEVER (did I say never?) buy another Olsen blade again. While I may recommend them to people if they just insist on buying a blade from a local supplier, I will be buying Flying Dutchman from now on.

 

I couldn't believe it. Even the best batch of Olsen's have lasted me thirty to forty minutes, tops (on my spirals, of course). The first FD I chucked lasted a little over four (yes, I said four) hours. I didn't know it was possible for a spiral to last that long, even in soft wood. After about the first hour, I was almost holding my breath. I started pushing the wood into it a little faster. How much abuse can this blade take? I'd read somewhere before that you need to change blades when they get dull. I never understood that before now because my blades always broke before they got very dull. That first blades got so dull that by the time it broke, I had to let it cool a little before I could touch it. These FDs are everything you guys said and MORE. I owe every one of you. I have found my blade of choice. Thanks a milion.

 

OH! From eleven yesterday morn till about ten thirty last night. Then from nine this morn till about eight this evening. I'm on my third FD. Unbelieveable!!!!!!

[Barry5180]

Glad to hear those FD's are working out for you so well. I've been using the FD 2/0 Spirals for a while now and never even had an issue trying to control them. I've tried the Olsen's 2R blades, and find they dull out within a few minutes of use. I've switched back to FD with no regrets.

 

Barry