What metal cutting 30 tip blades for scroll saws?

[rich pierce]

Bought an old scroll saw and want to cut 1/16” brass with it. Advice?

[rjpalmer]

I use Flying Dutchman blades from www.mikesworkshop.com at 1-605-582-6732, P.O. Box 107 Brandon South Dakota 57005.
He sells top quality blades for a little more than $3.00 per dozen and stocks a wide variety of blades including metal cutting blades. He ships promptly. His blades are imported from Germany and are top quality.

[rich pierce]

Thanks!

[Tim Crosby]

 Not an answer to your question but I have been using my band saw with a 1/4" 14 TPI blade. It works great.

  Tim 

[rich pierce]

No bandsaw.....yet. After I retire and we move.

[T*O*F]

Rich,
I think it's gonna depend on your saw.  I can't cut 1/16" with mine, but can barely cut 1/32" if I hold it to the table tightly.  The larger size just bounces around and won't bite.  I think horsepower and stroke might be the difference.

[rich pierce]

I might bust a few blades lol. Hoping to save some time. With a jewelers saw it takes forever on some patchboxes. With hacksaw and filing not much better.

[Tim Crosby]

 I used to use a scroll saw and depending on size they would really bounce around. Found if I used double sided carpet tape on a piece of hard board or Lauan plywood it was a lot easier to control. I still do it with the band saw if piece is small.

   Tim

[rich pierce]

This one is from the 1940s and pretty stout. Blade retailer suggested packing tape top and bottom. Says it “lubricates”. So far I’ve got $32 in the project. $20 for the saw and $12 of blades ordered.

[SingleMalt]

After reading this, I'm thinking about trying it, too.  I was thinking of a variable speed and running it slowly.  I've tried using a band saw for brass, and found it to be a great way to destroy a saw's motor.

[Hungry Horse]

 I have a couple of old band saws, and have cut brass with both of them, without damaging the motors. I got the oldest one (an old Delta Homecraft) from an old clock maker that cut brass clock faces with it. Oh, and by the way, I started looking for a band saw after trying to cut brass with a scroll saw.

 Hungry Horse

[DHS]

After reading this, I'm thinking about trying it, too.  I was thinking of a variable speed and running it slowly.  I've tried using a band saw for brass, and found it to be a great way to destroy a saw's motor.

Brass should not harm a bandsaw.  I find some wood harder to cut than brass.  My saw is a 14 inch Tennessee built Powermatic.  It has cut a lot of brass.  Everything else in the shop goes before it goes. 

[Hungry Horse]

I use a ten tooth per inch blade ( not a skip tooth)on really hard wood, brass ( I’ve cut trade gun buttplates out of old brass 7/16th door thresholds), and even Catlinite (pipestone). Some of this stuff will cause problems with the tires on the blade wheels. I replaced mine with multi wraps of friction tape years ago, and haven’t had a problem since. The Catlinite, and sawdust from Myrtle gunstocks, will do you real damage without a respirator.

  Hungry Horse