Blade drift

[onewaywood]

I hear and read about blade drift, is it true using PGT blades from olson or PS woods blades cuts (no pun intended) down on that

almost eliminateing it. 

[Dan]

My experience is "yes". I like them but they are a little more aggresive than FD UR blades.

[ike]

I agree with Zen. I think they are about the best blade . but I do have problems when cutting 1/4 plywood, then they are hard to handle. I have some old blades  that I use for 1/4 plywood, I don't know what brand they are..

[amazingkevin]

Interesting ,i just use what i have and relearn the blade quirks !

[Bendita]

What drift what quirks What are we talking about I find I go with the flow and if it wanders of I just cuss a bit and it seems to straighten itself out

[heppnerguy]

Gee, Hans, I have never talked to my blades, I think I will give that a try.. so much wisdom shared on this site. No wonder i love it so much

 

 

Dick

heppnerguy

[Kepy]

Stacking to 1/2 or 3/4" will help with drift and will be easier to control.

[Multifasited]

In my experience ,The Best Blades ,saws,tools and accessories are the ones that work for you ,and your personal abilities ,skills and conditions .We are all the same and totally different .Trial and error seems to be the key to finding our personal favorite tools .Our personal speed , force and control are the factors that decide what works ,how well & how often and in what applications .Over the years ,a lot of these things have changed for me as my abilities and conditions have changed .It's and an ever changing condition of life ,Even a hammer in different hands will garner vastly different results .Trying and testing are the spices of life ,as we all change ! Enjoy the adventure ,keep trying new things! It's not necessasarily  ,the blade alone that makes the difference ,but Your ability to control it .  

[onewaywood]

Thanks everyone, my experience is very limited so I really appreciate all the help I can get.Thanks again.

[Lucky2]

Onewaywood, blade drift is a true happening, I'm not familiar with the blades you mentioned, I use Flying Dutchman exclusively. As for the blade drift, I think that you'll find it worse when trying to cut a straight line. With practice you'll get used to the amount of drift your saw has, and you'll learn to compensate for it automatically.

Len

[Multifasited]

Your absolutely correct.each and every blade has design effects to achieve it's purpose ,primarily more or less agressive cutting for differing thickness of wood and or hardness ,as the ability to cut bigger bites (less teeth per inch) larger gullets  are needed too !(capicity to remove larger waste faster) Blade get wider and deeper (wider for strength and increased angle of teeth)deeper to allow for increased size of gullet and maintain strenght against increased wood thickness forces.The set or increased angle of these blade .causes the blades to pull in the direction of that angle ,(newer designs) w/ reversed teeth counter some of that force by lessening the number of teeth pulling in that direction as well as smoothing the cut (less chipping ) all blades have individual caractoristics ,and trial and use of your selected blades (for your use and cutting style) ,are the determining factors in blade drift (or inherent pulling  ) they all differ in thier own way ,Most scrollers who cut alot have certain blades they mainly use almost exclusively ,You will too ,may be different ,but it will be right for you and your cutting style .Dull blades actuall pull more than sharp blades as more force is applied usually causing blade to bow and bend ,Tension is another very important factor in control of any blade for the same reason (flex or bowing will cause any blade to pull more and be harder to control.There are guide lines as to blades selection and the are good starting points ,but ultimatly ,you personally will help or hurt  the controlability of every blade ,by the way you control speed ,pressure & saw settings .Play with some scrap with different blades  get the feel for the differences in the blades and the settings ,,YOU will like the results and make your best choices ! just remember Drift is real .Keep you table 90 Degrees to your work .sounds like a lot but you will master quickly if you want to!!