Sparkey Posted November 2, 2013 Report Share Posted November 2, 2013 What are some of the best blades? I have some Pagas blades from Woodcraft and they seem to break easy. I also bought some Oleson blades and they seemed to be better. I bought some Flying Dutchman blades from Mike and am hoping they are good blades, havent got them yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonR Posted November 2, 2013 Report Share Posted November 2, 2013 Mikes Flying Dutchman are the best, bar none. Don R Huntter2022 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkey Posted November 2, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2013 Thanks Don. I hope to get them Monday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonR Posted November 2, 2013 Report Share Posted November 2, 2013 He also has wonderful customer service. He is a great guy to deal with. Don R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkey Posted November 2, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2013 Seemed very nice when I talked to him on the phone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sullyscroller Posted November 2, 2013 Report Share Posted November 2, 2013 Flying Dutchman Ultra Reverse , by far the best blades on the mkt. Mike is the best !!!!!!!! sully Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amazingkevin Posted November 2, 2013 Report Share Posted November 2, 2013 (edited) DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR RUNNING BUT CHEAP SAWS ARE TERRIBLE ON BLADE LIFE Edited November 2, 2013 by amazingkevin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
browders Posted November 3, 2013 Report Share Posted November 3, 2013 Well I'm probably exposing myself as a rank neophyte for jumping into this conversation. I agree that Flying Dutchman blades are high quality, consistent, and hold an edge well. That said I find I have a hard time controlling them when sawing thin stock. I don't know if the teeth are that much more aggressive, or (more likely) I just haven't learned how to control them yet. I have good luck with Olson blades, although I don't think the quality of cut is as good, at least I seem to ruin fewer boards. I'm still practicing with the Dutchman blades hoping I can figure it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry5180 Posted November 3, 2013 Report Share Posted November 3, 2013 What are some of the best blades? I have some Pagas blades from Woodcraft and they seem to break easy. I also bought some Oleson blades and they seemed to be better. I bought some Flying Dutchman blades from Mike and am hoping they are good blades, havent got them yet. Flying Dutchman are terrific. Mike delivers awesome customer service and if you tell him the type of woods and thicknesses you commonly use, he can help you select the best blades for you. I love the spirals, puzzle blades, and Ultra Reverse. Let us know what you think once you get them. Well I'm probably exposing myself as a rank neophyte for jumping into this conversation. I agree that Flying Dutchman blades are high quality, consistent, and hold an edge well. That said I find I have a hard time controlling them when sawing thin stock. I don't know if the teeth are that much more aggressive, or (more likely) I just haven't learned how to control them yet. I have good luck with Olson blades, although I don't think the quality of cut is as good, at least I seem to ruin fewer boards. I'm still practicing with the Dutchman blades hoping I can figure it out. Control is a combination of quite a few factors. Saw vibration, skill, type of wood, type of blade, etc. If you are cutting 1/4" or thinner stock, you may want to try a smaller sized blade (#2 or #3 instead of #5 or #7). Also, selecting a blade with more teeth per inch (TPI) will give you a bit more control as well since they can't clear the sawdust as fast and the teeth are smaller. You could also try stack cutting a few pieces of the thin stock. This will provide more resistance and cause the blade to cut slower. The short version of the answer is to keep trying different blades and practicing until you come up with what combination works for you. That's the best part about this hobby. There is no right or wrong way, it's all about what does the trick for you. BArry Phantom Scroller and browders 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clayton717 Posted November 3, 2013 Report Share Posted November 3, 2013 flying Dutchman blades for me too. I do have some olsen blades but like the FD blades better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkey Posted November 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2013 DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR RUNNING BUT CHEAP SAWS ARE TERRIBLE ON BLADE LIFE You probably hit the nail on the head there Kevin. I have a Ryobi scroll saw that is 25 to 30 years old. amazingkevin 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amazingkevin Posted November 3, 2013 Report Share Posted November 3, 2013 HI JIM MAYBE SLOW DOWN THE SAW ON THIN STOCK AND MAKE SURE THE BLADE IS VERY PING TIGHT browders 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amazingkevin Posted November 3, 2013 Report Share Posted November 3, 2013 THE LOW PRICE SAW WEAR OUT QUICK AND THE SLOPPYNESS HAMMARS THE BLADES LOOSE IN THE BLADE HOLDERS.THINK ABOUT A PISTON IN A CAR WITH WOREN BEARINGS ON THE CRANKSHALF EVERYTIME IT COMES DOWN THE GAP IN THE WORN OUT SPOT HAMMARS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heppnerguy Posted November 3, 2013 Report Share Posted November 3, 2013 Here is my take on this matter..If I am cutting thin stock, I usually do one of 2 things.. 1. Stack cut,,(this means I am now, not just cutting thin stock and this makes the blade work a little slower and while supporting the original, weaker board 2. I also choose a smaller blade like a puzzle blade, but for thin cuts I prefer the Olson double reversable tooth blade with the most teeth per inch The reason i prefer the olson blade here is because flying Dutchman does not offer a double tooth blade to my knowledge, this blade cuts slower, while being very accurate and is small enough to make tight cuts and leaves very little frizzies at the same time. I usually use a #3 so it is not a weak blade. and tracks well Dick heppnerguy browders 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldhudson Posted November 4, 2013 Report Share Posted November 4, 2013 I'm another with relatively little scroll saw time, but I prefer Olson brand over the Fly Dutchman. browders 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WolfmoonCT Posted November 4, 2013 Report Share Posted November 4, 2013 I use Olson only.. FD are good, but I just love Olson. i do nearly everying I cut using a #2/0 R blade I get from Sloans. I usually buy a gross at a time. 99% of my stock is 3/8" thick or less. I'd say 95% of everything I cut is 3/8" thick. Oak, cherry, ash, maple, gonna use some quarter sawn sycamore I got eventually. I find the Olson cut beautiful and leave no burrs and a nice clean line. Barry5180 and browders 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heppnerguy Posted November 4, 2013 Report Share Posted November 4, 2013 There you go,, Try different blades for yourself and find the one you enjoy working with.. that will be the 'best blade', as least for you. Blades are not expensive and try to keep notes on the different ones you try and then you will come to your own conclusion. Good luck with it. I am still experimenting with my blades. Dick heppnerguy WolfmoonCT 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WolfmoonCT Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 Like Heppner said, try different blades, and use what you feel works best for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coullion Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 I too like the Olsen blades better than the FD's. I find the FD's take longer to make a turn. I have to stop short of the turn and wait for the blade to finally turn the corner. If I don't I overshoot the line on the corner. This happens at all speeds. With the Olsens I can go all the way to the corner and spin on a dime and it responds as quickly as I do. My 2 cents worth. amazingkevin, browders and Barry5180 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry5180 Posted November 5, 2013 Report Share Posted November 5, 2013 I too like the Olsen blades better than the FD's. I find the FD's take longer to make a turn. I have to stop short of the turn and wait for the blade to finally turn the corner. If I don't I overshoot the line on the corner. This happens at all speeds. With the Olsens I can go all the way to the corner and spin on a dime and it responds as quickly as I do. My 2 cents worth. I found the same thing with some of the FD blades. I don't have that problem with the Ultra Reverse but with many of the others I had the exact same problem. Barry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky2 Posted November 16, 2013 Report Share Posted November 16, 2013 Sparkey, I agree with most of the others who've replied, and IMO there's none better then Flying Dutchman blades. I've found that sometimes the Ultra blades are to aggressive though, so, I will switch to the Flying Dutchman Scroll Reverse blades. They give you pretty much the same cut finish, and they were the "go to" blade before the FD-UR came on the market. It's usually good to have both types of blades on hand, so that you can switch when you want. Mike is a fantastic person, he'll do whatever he can to help you out. Any time you have a question, he's the guy to call. Let him know what you plan to be cutting, and he'll make sure that you're set up with the right blade. Plus, like the others have suggested, try out different types or sizes, Mike has a sample pack that would be good for you to try out. Len Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkey Posted November 16, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 16, 2013 Thanks for all the help everybody. Would the reverse blades be good for 1/4 inch plywood? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry5180 Posted November 16, 2013 Report Share Posted November 16, 2013 The reverse blades are great because the teeth pointing up on the bottom of the blade help remove any fuzzies left over from the downstroke. If 1/4 inch is what you normally cut you should have no problem with the blades. Just remember, alot of how well a blade works for you will be determined by your cutting style rather than which blade. Barry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkey Posted November 16, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 16, 2013 Thanks Barry I will stop at woodcraft when I am out today and pick up a pack. As far as the fuzzies a friend at work told me a little trick. I have a little butane soldering torch and if you run the flame along the back edges the fuzzies go away. I tried that on the two I ave done so far and it worked really good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjR Posted November 16, 2013 Report Share Posted November 16, 2013 I use Olson blades for one reason only. I have tried several other braands and have found by far the best bang for the buck to be the olson blades that I can buy locally! http://www.pozsgaidesigns.com/index.htm Not only does Frank give fantastic service; he also donates part of his proceeds to a very good cause! On top of that he is an extremely nice man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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