Clarke 16" Scroll Saw - CSS400D - Can I use universal blades?

[Bex19]

Hey there!
I’m a complete newbie. I have been checking out and reading some threads, but I can’t seem to find any answers to my questions… please point me I. The right direction if you can.
I use my Clark saw just to cut out plywood shapes for the backing of my art pieces. So the basic blades that came with it do the job just fine, although sometimes there is some splintering to the underside. I gather a reverse blade would reduce chipping and splintering?

My query is, can I use any universal reversible blade? I cannot find any for this Machine Mart brought saw anywhere. If you have any recommendations please lease post.

Also… while I am here, I would like to begin using my saw more, I want to try a few more intricate pieces. But I find cutting tight angles can be difficult… any advise?

Thanks soo much.
Bex

 

[Tris]

Hi,
If your Clarke machine is like mine then you should be able to use any pin ended blade of the right length. There are clamps available so you can use plain blades, they just hook over where the pins go and clamp the blade with a grub screw.
I don't know much about scroll sawing but my understanding is the smaller the blade the tighter the curve you can cut, there are even spiral blades that cut in any direction. I've never used those so I'll leave it to others to comment on them.
Hope this helps a bit
Tris

 

[Gordon Tarling]

To minimise the splintering, use a fine toothed blade and use a sacrificial piece of scrap underneath the workpiece. IMHO, using a blade which cuts on the upward stroke will make it difficult, if not impossible, to hold an accurate cut line.

G.

 

[AES]

There's a sticky at the top of this section which will tell you just about everything you need to know about scroll saw blades - including what? why? where to buy? etc.

Included above are details of "reversed tooth" blades - instead of all the teeth as on a "normal blade" all cutting on the downwards stroke, these blades have the first few teeth (at the bottom of the blade) pointing upwards. This can considerably reduce/eliminate splintering on the under side of the cut, especially if the wood/ply is thin, or has lots of voids in it.

But PLEASE, with all respect, DO check that sticky thread - Q's like yours come up VERY frequently here (which is quite understandable if you're a newbie - we all were once!) so that's why several of us "regulars" on here put that thread together in the first place.

HTH

P.S. here's the link:

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/sourcing-blades-for-scroll-saws-and-jewellers-piercing-

 

[powertools]

There's a sticky at the top of this section which will tell you just about everything you need to know about scroll saw blades - including what? why? where to buy? etc.

Included above are details of "reversed tooth" blades - instead of all the teeth as on a "normal blade" all cutting on the downwards stroke, these blades have the first few teeth (at the bottom of the blade) pointing upwards. This can considerably reduce/eliminate splintering on the under side of the cut, especially if the wood/ply is thin, or has lots of voids in it.

But PLEASE, with all respect, DO check that sticky thread - Q's like yours come up VERY frequently here (which is quite understandable if you're a newbie - we all were once!) so that's why several of us "regulars" on here put that thread together in the first place.

HTH

P.S. here's the link:

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/sourcing-blades-for-scroll-saws-and-jewellers-piercing-

I think that the op is asking if it is possible to use pinless blades in his saw and not for information about blades.

 

[AES]

Yeah OK powertools, noted. But he's also asking about a "universal reversible blade" (whatever that may be - he probably means a spiral cut blade, I guess), and asking about blades for more intricate cuts, and asking about tearout/splinter on the underside of a cut. All that info - at least to a basic level - is within that sticky, including a general "what blade for what wood/what thickness" table, that's why I linked it for him.

 

[powertools]

Yeah OK powertools, noted. But he's also asking about a "universal reversible blade" (whatever that may be - he probably means a spiral cut blade, I guess), and asking about blades for more intricate cuts, and asking about tearout/splinter on the underside of a cut. All that info - at least to a basic level - is within that sticky, including a general "what blade for what wood/what thickness" table, that's why I linked it for him.

I have come to the conclusion that it is rarely worth the time to respond to new members questions as they very often never respond to the replies.
The point I was trying to make is that the first thing to do is find out is if the saw can take pinless blades before giving advice on blade types. No doubt the saw can be modified to use all types of blade but there is no point in going into detail for a new member who may never return.

 

[AES]

Yeah powertools, I do take your point - at least to a certain extent.

But when I think about when I started off here, and in the process asked all sorts of newbie questions (not only about scrolling BTW, and MANY of them really daft!) then if everyone else had taken your stance then I certainly would not have "progressed" as far as I have today, and - maybe a loss, maybe not, I'll let you decide! - I probably would not have embarked on a pretty active membership here either.

So although I admit it can be somewhat frustrating and time-consuming to answer "oft-repeated newbie questions" (and I do get a bit fed up with it myself from time to time) I also remember back to my own start here and - in general - feel it's worth while to try and answer these people as well as I can.

I also agree that it IS annoying when someone sets some question/s and then cannot be bothered to reply with at least a thank you. But in this case, to be fair to the OP, it was only last Tuesday when he originally asked his questions (plural) so although the law of averages might well bear you out, it's also possible that he's a busy bloke and hasn't had time to even read his replies yet, let alone thank us. It's only Thursday pm after all - 2 days ago approx.

OK, "different strokes for different folks" and all that, but as my good lady often says, nobody fell down out of the heavens knowing everything about everything - we all need help now and then.

And as I also said in my previous post, to me anyway, whether or not his particular machine would take pinless blades or not (which I don't know BTW) was only a portion of his overall queries.

So I respect and understand your decision not to "bother with" newbie questions, but in general (NOT always) I take a different approach, and answer what I KNOW - and mostly when I can, OK?

 

[scrimper]

My take on the subject of newbie posts.

I agree with the points made here. It is very annoying when someone comes along and asks a question and people here take the time to give their valuable advice but then hear nothing more from the original questioner leaving one to feel that their input was of no interest to them.

On the other hand there are many people who look in forums but will never post anything but are looking for advice on something and will read information given to other people who have asked a particular question, so in fact any answers or information given here will probably be of use to someone else at some point in the future even if not a member of the forum also your answers may encourage them to join in.

So I would say please carry on giving your valuable advice; because even if the original questioner does not bother to respond your advice may well be invaluable to others searching for such information.

 

[AES]

Hi scrimper. FWIW, I agree with you, BUT, re this post thread at least, powertools was dead right!

The OP posted on 29th June and today is 14th July. So far NO response.

While I agree that many people do indeed visit a site such as this for advice, sorry to sound like an old fogey (even if I am) but to me, it is simply rude and bad-mannered - and unfortunately becoming more and more common I think - to not at least post a "thank you".

After all if someone - anybody - can find the time to ask a question, it takes even less time to post a simple "thanks" when receiving advice, helpful or not. While I won't stop trying to answer newbie questions, in this case at least, powertools was dead right and IMO anyway, the OP has shown himself up to be a bloody rude little tyke.

Perhaps we need a new "rule" - any new member posting a Q for the first time is banned if he doesn't respond within, say, 2 weeks?

(OK, I admit my tongue is in my cheek here, but I'll leave others to guess how firmly)!

 

[scrimper]

I do agree and and myself always try to give credit where I can even if it is just a thank you. It's the same on Youtube, I spend hours making videos yet very few people bother to comment on them (in fairness they are a bit boring!) one recent video has 2600 views but just 42 comments and that is a lot more than most.
Ok people would say that's my problem, I don't have to do them but does make it worthwhile when people say that the video has helped them.

But what I am saying is that any information you give here is not wasted even if the original poster who posed the question does not respond; as that information may well pop up on a search engine to some one looking for advice on a similar issue.

I have experienced this myself when searching for info on say a problem with my vehicle the answer to my search might well be on a forum that I have no connection with or can post too but that info has been a great help to me. Sometimes an admin will block any further answers which is annoying as other may have had valuable info to add but can't.

I might even be responsible for 'newbies' asking questions here as I give a link in my scrollsaw videos to this forum and tell people to visit to ask questions and as I mention YouTubers are notorious for not saying Thank You!