When it comes to choosing which type of scroll saw blade to install on your scroll saw, there are a variety of choices. Here, I will outline the major types of scroll saw blades and in which situation to use each one.
Scroll saw blades come in two major types: pin end and plain end. The plain-end is a type of blade that is completely flat and is pinched in place between the jaws of small clamps on the scroll saw. The pin-end has a tiny cross pin in each end. The main difference between the two types of blades is the cross pin. The plain end blades are five inches long, will fit almost all types of scroll saws and are more widely available.
Saw Bits
There are several types of plain end blades:
1. Standard Tooth
On standard tooth blades, the teeth have identical sizes and are evenly spread out. Wood blades and metals blades are the two major types. Larger teeth and larger spaces between the teeth are found on wood blades. The design is intended to clear sawdust as one makes cuts. On the contrary, metal blades have much smaller teeth and fewer spaces between teeth. Some can find these to be a bit noisy.
2. Skip-tooth
Skip-tooth blades and standard tooth blades are quite similar. The one thing that distinguishes the two is that with the skip-tooth every other tooth is missing. The gullet, the space between the teeth, is wider and this also helps to keep the blade cool. Most prefer these types of blades. These types of blades are also recommended for newbie scroller sawers.
3. Double-tooth
The double-tooth blade is similar to the skip-tooth blade but the double-tooth has a bigger gullet between two teeth sets. The double-tooth types can produce a very smooth cut; however they can cut a bit slower.
4. Reverse Skip-tooth
The reverse skip-tooth blade is identical to the skip-tooth blade; however the teeth that are found at end of the bottom row point up. When working with plywood and for preventing tear-out splintering at the bottom of the cut, the reverse-skip tooth blade will work very well.
One must remember that when working with a reverse skip-tooth blade one must set the blade in a specific manner. When the saw arm is in its highest position, the blade should be set in the clamps so there are only two to three teeth that are protruding above the table top. If you are not able to do this, you might have to take a little bit off from the bottom of the blade.