# help!!!



## wiser85 (Feb 14, 2020)

i do a lot of leaf and animal patterns. currently i am using a band saw. having trouble with the blade. am using an 1/8th inch blade. am wondering if i might be better with a scroll saw. most of the pieces are hardwoods. any suggestions would be appreciated. thank you for your assistance.


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

How thick is the wood you are cutting and how tight are the curves? You may be better off using something like the Carter stabilizer if they make one for your saw. A little more info would be helpful.

Cheers,
Brad


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## wiser85 (Feb 14, 2020)

the lumber i am using is three quarter inch hardwoods. yes there are some close curves. i only have a small benchtop band saw. not what i should have. some of the boards i make are leaves, animals, etc. wish i still had my jet bandsaw.


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## JCamp (Nov 22, 2016)

I've never heard of anyone using a blade that thin on a bandsaw but apparently it could be done. I'd think you'd still want a little scroll saw for the finer work. It's been years since I did much scroll saw work but it did fine on 3/4 inch stuff you'll just have to move slower than with the band saw. The good part about that is you'll probably make few mistakes. You might check Craigslist and marketplace and see if you can't find a decent used one that is cheap to give it a go without a big investment


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## Redoak49 (Dec 15, 2012)

A scrollsaw would work fine on the 3/4" wood. It will not cut as fast as a bandsaw but will cut tight turns.


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

Sounds like a combo of a 14" BS, like I suspect your JET was and a scroll saw working together would allow quick sizing and detailed, sharp curves.


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## prazbotta (May 20, 2020)

I had a 1/8" blade on my Craftsman 9" bandsaw, and it worked great. The guides would get moved and were a pain to get right again, but it did help. Maybe a calibration is in order? Could be a dull blade? Hardwoods can do a number on blades.

I have two scroll saws (Hegner 18" and Walker DriverLine 14"), and to be honest, 3/4" material isn't an issue, but unless you need a really clean cut or a really tight radius, I would use a bandsaw for hogging out material.


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## wiser85 (Feb 14, 2020)

a sincere thank you to everyone who answered my post. i am very grateful for help from woodworkers with much more experience than i have.


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## John Smith_inFL (Dec 15, 2017)

Wiser - do you have a scroll saw now ?
I've used 1/8" blades on soft woods and thin plywood. Yes, it is done, but not by many. (thinking outloud here).
For 3/4" hardwoods on a scroll saw, you would need a pretty aggressive blade (and many of them).
Can you share some photos of your projects ??


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## LesB (Dec 21, 2008)

You did not describe what trouble you are having with the blade.

One problem with using a 1/8" blade on 3/4" wood is that those blades usually have 14 teeth per inch and that makes clearing the saw dust out of the cut difficult and slows the cutting process.


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## Lazyman (Aug 8, 2014)

How old is the blade? Remember that they do not last forever. When you start having problems they are often dull. Look at the teeth under magnification. If you see any rounding of the tips of the teeth at all, it is time to replace it. Burning is often a tell tale sign too, especially with wider blades.

A scroll saw will definitely give you finer control but will work much slower. A hybrid approach might work better. Do the easy stuff on the band saw and the tight cuts on a scroll saw.


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## wichman3 (Sep 12, 2016)

There exists a band saw (Pegas) that is designed to use very small blades, 1/32" (approximately a #5 scroll saw blade). This band saw is quite pricey, and you have to buy guides for each size of blade that you use, but depending on what you need may be just the ticket. Still can't do pierced cuts with it, but…


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

^ That sounds as capable as any 14" BS with Carter stabilizers. When woodworking shows were still a thing, Carter was always there and had someone cutting out Christmas ornaments with radii under 0.015" from a very thin blade supported by a pair of their blade stabilizers.


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## Lumpy63 (Jan 16, 2021)

As LesB said, it doesn't seem like the problem was ever fully defined by the OP. I have a 1/8" blade for a Laguna 14|12, and it was tricky to get it tracking well (possibly because of the shallow crown on the wheels/tires). With patience I did get it tracking well though. I do use a Carter stabilizer.


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## therealSteveN (Oct 29, 2016)

> How thick is the wood you are cutting and how tight are the curves? You may be better off using something like the Carter stabilizer if they make one for your saw. A little more info would be helpful.
> 
> Cheers,
> Brad
> ...


I've got one of the Carter stabilizers, and it's like turning your old Ford truck into a Maserati when it comes to turning, and closer cuts. I usually use it with a 1/8" blade. Plus it is as easy to set up a new blade as any bandsaw tracking can be. Pop it in the groove, tension, and go. Takes blade guides, and thrust bearings out of the picture above the table entirely.

I hardly ever use my scroller anymore, unless I need to do piercing cuts. Sometimes I cheat, and just cut through a grain line, and CA glue the board closed.


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## halfacre (Apr 4, 2011)

If you haven't over come your problem yet, can you show what your are trying to cut or saw.
I use the scroll saw more than anything else in the shop and most guys just never took the time to learn how to use one and especially if they are using a spiral blade, for they will not teach you and thing about operating a scroll saw as one was built to be used...small things like letters and numbers are not hard to cut .
The carvings I have been showing I use 1 1/16" maple with a backer board of up to 1/2" thick and a # 5 Olson or a # 5 Flying Dutchman blade is the only two sizes or smaller I ever use and they do last longer than most say they last.
Jess or Halfacre


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