Testing Scroll Saw Blades For Cutting 2x Construction Lumber

 

12 Wooden Truck Bodies Cut From 2x Construction Lumber

 

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I am working on a custom order for a batch of toy trucks that I cut from 2x construction lumber. I usually only make things from construction lumber one at a time. Still, this time, I am making twelve trucks all the same, and this was an excellent opportunity to experiment.

If you have ever cut 2x construction lumber on a scroll saw, you know this stuff can be a pain to work with. Hard and soft grain, hidden knots, pitch pockets, and other defects are common. It is a challenging wood to scroll. I could use a band saw for this, but I prefer to cut slower and get a smoother cut. Less sanding is the goal.

I have been scrolling for years and acquired a considerable collection of blades, including Olson, Flying Dutchman, Pagas, and several others whose sources I no longer know are in my blade collection. I used a variety of these blades in the test. I started with Pegas #3MGT because that was already in the saw. I tried #5, #7, and #12 blades from each of the brands I have on hand and included one Olson Thick Wood Hook Tooth blade designed for cutting thick wood. Some blades had reverse teeth, and some didn't.

All of the blades worked, but the difference between cutting 2x construction lumber was dramatic. Olson, Flying Dutchman, and the unknown blades cut poorly and were only suitable for cutting one truck body before they were dull. There was considerable jumping, which I assume is caused by the blade failing to clear the sawdust well. Each time there was a jump, a mark was left on the wood that must be sanded out. A couple of the blades left some burn marks on the not-so-sharp turns.

The Pegas blades dramatically outperformed the others, so much so that it was not even a contest. The used Pegas #3MGT cut slowly, but there was no burning or jumping, and the cuts were smooth and square. I cut the last two trucks with a Pegas #12MGT. The results were surprising: not only did it cut very well, but it cut even faster than the Olsen Thick Wood blades. There was no burning, no jumping, and after cutting two truck bodies, it was still cutting well enough to cut one or two more trucks. The difference was so dramatic that when I left the shop, I thought that I should get rid of all my non-Pegas blades.

Only one of the blades broke: the Olson Thick Wood Hook Tooth blade broke while cutting one of the straight sections. This seems a little odd since it is by far the largest blade I have, larger than 1/16 inch.

Notes on Toy Finishes

You can see some of my toys here.

 I am not an expert in finishing. These notes are based on my years of learning.

All paints and finishes sold in the US are considered nontoxic when fully cured. When something is dry, you can touch it without getting paint on your fingers. But when it's cured, all the volatiles have dissipated, and the finish has hardened. A finish can take hours, days, or weeks to cure fully.

Nontoxic doesn't mean you should eat it or that there is no long-term harm if you do. It simply means it won't send you to the emergency room if ingested.

For an easy, clear finish, you can use butcher block conditioner, a combination of mineral oil and wax. Many toy makers use a mineral oil and beeswax blend for a simple, fast finish. However, there is no cure time, and it is not a durable finish.

Polyurethane is an excellent finish that adds a slight amber tint and enhances the wood grain. However, it takes a long time to cure, typically two weeks or more, and requires sanding between coats. I do not recommend using water-based polyurethane.

I recommend acrylic paints for color. Most craft paint brands will work well for painting toys. I sometimes use house paint for certain projects. Flat colors dry fast, with a cure time of 12-24 hours for me. Multiple coats are often needed for some colors, with light sanding between coats. Some colors, such as yellow and orange, require a white base and take multiple coats. You can get acrylic paint in gloss; I rarely use it because the cure time is much longer than flat paint.

To add sheen to flat paint, I apply paste wax and buff it with a soft cotton cloth. For a glossy finish, I use Pledge Revive It Floor Gloss on top, which is clear acrylic. Many clear coatings are also available in aerosol cans, but I don't use these.

Shellac is another excellent finish option. It cures very fast and allows for recoating within minutes. It has been used for centuries to finish furniture and is approved for food use. Shellac can be tricky to work with and requires Scotch Brite abrasive pads or 0000 steel wool instead of sandpaper. Power sanders will melt the shellac and gum up your sandpaper. Shellac can be applied by spraying, brushing, or dipping.

Powered Sanders I Use For Making Toys And Scroll Saw Projects

Klingspor Sanding Mop Mounted On A Drill Press

 

See my shop here.

• Shopsmith 6" Belt Sander - Useful for curved edges and flat surfaces that I want to remove material quickly. The best tool I have for sanding wheels to size.
• Shopsmith Disc Sander - Sometimes used for making wheels. Although this is not a powered operation, these are use full for sanding small flat parts.
  
• Delta 1" belt sander - It does a great job on outside edges and can be used for some inside curves. I also have the Shopsmith version, which does the same thing and lets me do inside sanding. 
• Klingspor Sanding Mop - Expensive, but worth the cost. Removes most fuzzies and leaves a silky smooth surface.
• Klingspor Mac Mop - Similar to a sanding mop but a bit more aggressive. 
• Ridgid Spindle Sander - Great for sanding inside curves as small as a 1/2 inch radius. It also has an oscillating belt sander. 
• Random Orbital Sanders - I use these for sanding flat surfaces, such as prepping wood for the scroll saw and sanding puzzles. I have four sanders, one Hitachi, and three Bauer random orbit sanders. I have this many sanders, so I don't have to change the sandpaper for each grit. I have the Bauer sanders because the dut port is round.
• Quarter Sheet Palm Sander - I only have this because I have a huge stack of 80-grit sandpaper that fits this. I would not recommend buying one.
• Grizzly Flex Shaft Rotary Tool - I use this with an assortment of drum and flap sanders for sanding inside curves. You can do this with a held rotary tool like a Dremel, but this is lots better. If it ever dies, I will probably buy a Foredom. 

When it comes to woodworking, using power sanding tools is a huge time-saver and can make the job much easier. However, it's crucial to remember that there will come a point where hand sanding is necessary for certain tasks.

Even though power sanders are efficient and fast, they are not always able to achieve the level of precision and smoothness that hand sanding can. When it comes to creating high-quality wood projects, especially intricate ones like toys, hand sanding is an essential step.

I've found that to truly ensure a top-notch finish and texture, incorporating hand sanding into the process is a must. It allows for more control and precision, resulting in a polished final product that's both visually appealing and safe for handling.

So, while power sanding tools are incredibly useful and time-saving, don't forget the importance of hand sanding when it comes to the finer details of your woodworking projects. Em
bracing this technique will undoubtedly elevate the quality of your creations.These are only the power sanding tools. At some point, you will need to resort to hand sanding. To make a quality toy, you must hand sand.

Wooden Toy Truck Martin Motors Antique Car Carrier Build Part 20

Handmade Wooden Car Carrier Puzzle Truck Under A Christmas Tree

 Click here to order.

I make wooden toy car carriers and three cars in my workshop using traditional tools. Each piece is finished by hand with clear shellac, and the wheels are covered with non-marring amber shellac and blue acrylic paint. All the materials I use are safe and not harmful.

These items are handmade using natural wood and wood products. They are unique and might look different from the pictures. The wood's thickness may also vary slightly.

Please note that the differences in wood grain, color, and knots make each piece unique and add to its character. These variations should be expected and are not defects. If you have any concerns about the variations or want a specific look or size, please contact me before placing your order.

These items are made in Tallahassee, Florida, USA.I craft this wooden toy car carrier and three cars in my toymaker's shop, using traditional woodworking tools and techniques. Each piece is hand-finished with clear shellac, and the wheels are coated with non-marring amber shellac, accented with metallic sapphire blue acrylic paint. The materials used in making these toys are all non-toxic.

All the items I create are handmade using natural wood and wood products. Each piece is unique and may vary in appearance from one item to the next. The item you receive may differ slightly from the item pictured in the listing photos. The thickness of the wood used in your item may also vary slightly from the size specified in the listing.

It's important to note that the natural variations in wood grain, color, and knots make each piece one-of-a-kind and add to the item's character and charm. The variations should be expected and are not considered defects. If you have any concerns about the variations or would like to request a specific look or size, please contact me before placing your order, and I will do my best to accommodate your request.

Handmade in Tallahassee, Florida, USA

What Speed Do I Need To Use When Cutting With My Scroll Saw

 

My Dinosaur Collection

From Steve Good Blog Post Edited grammer and punctuation,
https://scrollsawworkshop.blogspot.com/2024/05/welcome-gnome-scroll-saw-pattern.html

Another similar question concerns setting the speed on a variable-speed scroll saw. When I get a new saw, I determine the maximum speed at which the saw cuts without too much vibration. This is often just slightly below full speed. I run at that maximum speed unless I cut fragile wood, 1/8" or thinner. The thin wood gives little resistance to the blade, making it easy to make miscuts. If that is what I am cutting, I do one of two things: slow the saw's speed down or stack cuts to add resistance.

None of the above advice is an unbreakable rule. Saws are different, people get a different feel from the cuts, and blades are different. My best advice to a new scroller is to try different techniques and use what feels best. You'll learn which blades work best for various cuts, wood, and patterns with practice and experimentation. Remember to take your time, be patient, and enjoy the process!

Choosing the Right Blade for Your Scroll Saw

 

See my dinosaurs here.

 This is the best description I have seen for selecting a scroll saw blade.

From Steve Good Blog Post Edited grammer and punctuation,
https://scrollsawworkshop.blogspot.com/2024/05/welcome-gnome-scroll-saw-pattern.html

If you're new to scroll sawing, you may wonder which blade to use for different wood or cuts. While there are general guidelines, the truth is that different saws, blades, and people have different preferences and skills. As an experienced scroller, I can tell you what works for me and offer some tips that may help you get started.

First of all, I rarely choose a blade for the wood. Instead, I select the blade based on the pattern I'm cutting. If the pattern has small interior cuts, I use a #3 or whatever blade I need to get into the small holes. It will cut slowly, but it will cut accurately. When you see people talking about using a #9 blade to cut thicker or harder wood or a #3 for thinner or softer wood, they are talking about the efficiency of the cut. A #9 blade will cut thicker, harder wood faster and break fewer blades, but if the #9 blade won't allow you to get into the interior hole or make the tight turns, it does not work. As a scroller, I care about making accurate cuts, even if they are slow.

I use a #5 scroll reverse or a #3 scroll reverse 95% of the time. Occasionally, if I have a rough cut, I grab a larger blade. I own a lot of blades, and many only get used if I run into a special project.

Some materials require special blades. Metal and Corian are two that come to mind. When cutting metal, you need a blade specifically designed for that purpose. Corian is a type of solid surface material that is very dense and abrasive. You need a blade that can handle the wear and tear of cutting Corian without breaking or dulling too quickly.

Making A Dragon In My To Makers Shop 980709962

 

Completed wooden toy dragon ready to finish sitting on my Shopsmith belt sander table.

I make this dragon to order. This dragon is my latest build. You can order one of these dragons in my Goimagine Shop.

After collecting and cutting the wood to size, I attach the paper pattern to the wood and drill the required holes. I have learned that if I cut the body first and then drill the holes, and the bit catches, I can easily break the part.

The dragon's original design called for holes drilled through the neck, which was too weak. I now drill the holes 1/4 inch deep and pug them with contrasting wood that I cut and sand flush. Now, there are inlaid spots instead of holes, and the neck is much stronger.

After sanding the back so the pegs are flush, I cut out the body on my scroll saw.

This dragon's wings will be a different color from the legs. I am curious to know what kind of wood this is; it came from a box of cutoffs a friend gave me.

Cutting the legs for some 1/2" of dark hardwood is straightforward. This time, I tried some ipe wood. Using ipe turned out to be a mistake. Ipe is hard, oily, and tough on sawblades, but I didn't know I could not glue it with wood. I had to start over and make the legs from walnut. I glued pieces of 1/4-inch walnut together to make 1/2-inch wood. Laminating two pieces of wood together allowed me to use up some smaller pieces and made the legs stronger.

Before assembly, I sanded all of the parts three times. First, I sanded the flat surfaces with a belt sander. Next, I used a Mac Mop sander to remove the fuzzies and smooth the sharp corners. Finally, I used a sanding mop to finish sanding the pieces. Sometimes, a bit of touch-up sanding needs to be done by hand.

Now for the glue-up. The most challenging part of assembling a dragon is getting the parts aligned. If the legs are not aligned, the dragon will rock. I use an exact-size template and a straight piece of wood to align the parts, glue, and clamp them to one side, checking often to be sure nothing has moved. Once the glue has set, I glue it on the other side, but this time, I glue it aligned with the existing parts I previously glued on.

Once the glue is cured, the dragon is ready to finish.

The dragon's spots are hand-fitted, contrasting hardwood dowels cut to fit. Here, I am testing the fit.

 

 

After the plugs are glued and the glue has cured, I sand them flush on the back. A flat back is required to cut the body on my scrollsaw. The dowels on the front side will be sanded flush after removing the pattern.

I select the wood for the wings from my collection of cutoffs if there is a piece that will work. The wood does not have to be the perfect thickness. Close is good enough. If it is too thick, I will resaw it to get the proper thickness after cutting it on my scroll saw.

I cut the wings for the dragon on my scroll saw.

The wood selected for the dragon's legs is selected in the same manner as wood for the wings. For the legs, I had a piece of wood that was the correct thickness, so I cut them all from the same piece of wood.

For this dragon, I tried to use a piece of ipe for the wings. Ipe is a beautiful dark wood, but it is very hard and will rapidly dull saw blades. The scroll saw cut the wings, but these were thick, and when I tried to resaw them, I could not cut straight enough to get a usable piece from them. I ruined a bandsaw blade trying to resaw ipe.

Cutting a dragon leg on my scrollsaw.

I am using a paper template to ensure that the parts are all aligned correctly. Then, I clamp them until the glue has cured enough that the pieces will not move.

I use the first set of dragon wings, legs, and horns to align the second set. The challenge of the assembly is ensuring the legs are even so the dragon does not wobble.