Scroll Saw Blade Buying Guide

Like other kinds of saw blades, scroll saw blades are manufactured in a huge variety of sizes and types. Even though scroll saw blades require a little more custom-fitting to their users than other saw blades--and even though it's difficult to lay down concrete rules about scroll saw blade purchase--some general principles about scroll saw blades still go a long way towards guiding a purchase in the right direction. We explain the scroll saw blade compatibility issues, measurements, and cutting tooth principles that help fretworkers and other scroll saw users find the blades that cut just right for them and their projects. Experimenting with several types of blades is usually the best thing that users can do to set themselves up for a solid scroll saw blade purchase.  

Pin-End Scroll Saw Blades-

Pin-end scroll saw blades have small, round bars (pins) that thrust out perpendicularly from the body of the blades at each end. The pins feed into hook-like receivers on scroll saws that accept pin-end blades. The pins on the ends of pin-end blades usually protrude 1/16", 1/8", or 3/16" from the blade body.

The advantage to pin-end blades is that it is much faster to change them. Most scroll saw projects require some blade changing, and this design cuts down significantly on changing time.

The main disadvantage to pin-end blades has to do with blade diversity. As a newer blade design, highly-specialized pin-end scroll saw blades become more and more difficult to find as blade specialization increases. Also, the pins themselves can make it impossible to thread the blades through very small holes in extra delicate fretwork.

Plain-End Scroll Saw Blades-

The ends of plain-end scroll saw blades are expectedly square, flat, and plain. Their flat ends affix into the jaws of small blade clamps that hold plain-end blades in the scroll saws that accept them.

This conventional blade-holding and changing design requires a little more time for blade changes, but plain-end blades of all kinds, even specialty blades, can be easily found on the market.

Also, very small plain-end blades are easier to feed through very small fretwork cuts, since they lack any pins that might get in the way. [Back to top]   Scroll Saw Blade Measurements
Like with all kinds of saw blades, scroll saw blade dimensions and measurements can help buyers choose the right blades for their projects and application materials.  Again, this selection process is a little more delicate with scroll saw blades because of the delicacy of the work that they do, so it's best to look at these suggestions as very general guidelines.

Width-

As the cutting gets tougher, scroll saw blades need to be bigger and more substantial to meet the demand.

Generally speaking, scroll saw blade width should increase as the hardness and thickness of the application material increases.

Of course, these blade width requirements must be balanced with the kind of cutting being done, since cuts that curve or turn at sharp angles require narrower, more flexible blades.

Thickness-

Similarly, scroll saw blade thickness should increase as the thickness and hardness of the application material increases. Like wider blades, thicker scroll saw blades cut more quickly and aggressively.

TPI-

For scroll saw blades, the number of teeth per inch (TPI) usually increases as the hardness of the material increases.

Most simply put, more teeth makes for more aggressive, faster cutting blades, but it's actually more of a balancing act than that. For soft to medium woods, for example, blades with a few fewer teeth will actually cut faster.

No matter what the material though, more cutting teeth per inch means cleaner cuts that reduce the risk of tear-out in the work piece.

Scroll Saw Blade Numbers-

Scroll saw blades are often numbered with whole, mostly odd numbers for the sake of simplicity: 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 etc.

The numbers refer the the blades' TPI, with TPI decreasing as the numbers increase. So, a #3 blade has more teeth per inch on it than a #5 blade. [Back to top]   Scroll Saw Blade Tooth Types
After tackling compatibility and measurements, choosing scroll saw blade cutting tooth design is the next hurdle to jump. Each tooth type listed below will significantly change the performance of otherwise similar blades. We've listed some of the major differences between each design below, but this is an area where it is very important for users to try a few types out themselves.   Standard Tooth Blades These are the most simple of scroll saw tooth designs. The teeth in standard scroll saw blades are all the same size and they are placed right next to each other on the body of the blade. Varieties of standard tooth blades are available for different materials, usually wood and metal. These are medium-aggression, material clearing blades.   Reverse Tooth Blades Reverse tooth blades have some teeth facing the opposite direction, usually with a space between opposite-facing sets of teeth. The opposing teeth allow the blade to cut on both strokes as the saw operates. This scroll saw blade tooth design greatly reduces the risk of tear-out as the up-cutting teeth make very fine, smooth cuts in the underside of the work piece. Because of this, reverse tooth blades are especially good for materials that pose a high risk of tear-out.   Skip-Tooth Blades Although they cut just a little more roughly than standard blades, skip-tooth blades are often recommended for scroll saw beginners because they tend to cut smoothly and stay cool.   Double Skip Tooth Blades These will cut more slowly on most materials, but double skip tooth scroll saw blades will leave a very smooth finish.   Precision Ground Tooth Blades The cutting teeth of precision ground toot (PGT) blades are ground to a high sharpness. Their sharpness and more-aggressive cutting angle make them cut very quickly. PGT blades are best for making fast, smooth, straight cuts. Because of their cutting speed, beginning fretworkers might find their aggressiveness a little unforgiving.   Crown Tooth Blades This interesting design works a lot like reverse tooth scroll saw blades (by cutting in both directions), but it's a little more specialized for use with plastics and man-made materials. Crown tooth scroll saw blades specialize in smooth, material clearing cuts. Many users appreciate that they can extend the life of these blades by swapping their ends in the scroll saw when one side of the blade gets a little dull.   Spiral Scroll Saw Blades The spiral scroll saw blade tooth design allows the blade to cut through material from all sides. Many users prefer this design for the maneuverability that it offers. The drawback to the spiral blade maneuverability is the the lack of control that some users report. Again, deciding for or against this tooth type, like other scroll saw blade features, greatly depends on user preference. [Back to top]
  Conclusion
This article's information will help you find the perfect blade for your project when you visit our Scroll Saw Blades page, one of many Power Tool Accessories ordering pages here at eReplacementParts.com. You can filter search results by selecting scroll saw blade features and types, that way the page only displays the blades that interest you and your work. Don't forget to show off your fretwork on our site's tool community, the eReplacementParts.com Repair Forum!   [Back to top] What we're about.