Shopsmith Scroll Saw
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Scroll Saw Blades

The scroll saw accepts virtually all standard 5" jigsaw or scroll saw blades with plain, straight ends. Blade selection will be based on the thickness and type of material being cut; the amount of fine detail in the project; the cutting speed; and the desired quality of the finished cut.

Scroll saw blades are relatively inexpensive, so it's best to have several types and sizes of blades available for different jobs. Table 15-1 shows a number of common scroll saw blades and their intended uses. The following guidelines will also be helpful in selecting the best blade for your projects:

• For best results, use the thickest blade available that will make the necessary turns without binding or twisting.
• There should be at least two and preferably three teeth across the thickness of the workpiece. Cutting veneer or other very thin material may require blades with 60 to 80 teeth per inch.
• As the thickness of the stock increases, use a heavier blade with fewer teeth per inch. Only the coarsest blades have "set" in the teeth. Thin blades tend to bow in thick stock and fine-toothed blades may not be able to easily remove sawdust from the cut.
• Use a blade with hardened teeth for cutting aluminum, brass, silver and other non-ferrous metals. Wood cutting blades will dull very quickly in metal.
• Use the blade backup only when sawing stock over 3/4" thick. Otherwise adjust the backup away from the blade.

Two special types of blades are also available. First is a reverse tooth blade with the three lower teeth pointing up instead of down. These reversed teeth help eliminate splintering along the bottom side of the cut when working with thick stock. The second type is a spiral blade which will cut in any direction without turning the workpiece. Although spiral blades may be useful in certain situations, there are tradeoffs. Spiral blades tend to follow the grain of the wood instead of the intended cutting line-making it difficult to cut smooth, graceful curves-and the cut is much rougher, so more sanding is required.

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