Which Blade Cuts What? – Reciprocating

28-04-2023

Our most commonly asked question…

So, let’s answer the questions for you…

A little background first…

At Starrett we make 5 main saw blades, Hole saw, Jigsaw, Hacksaw, Reciprocating and Bandsaw.

Some of which have common elements and are mentioned in names and descriptions.

One such element is ‘Bi-Metal Unique’ saw technology used in our jigsaw and hacksaw blades.

Bi-Metal Unique is Starrett’s technology that uniquely bonds two strips of high speed steel to backing steel in a solid phase, basically sandwiching the backing steel between the highspeed steel strips, this produces a multichip performance of smoother, faster cuts, extremely strong teeth with 170% more weld area than other bi-metal blades and increases resistance in tooth breakage, meaning longer blade life and lower cost per cut.

Another common element is shank colouring, these are used in our Jigsaw and Reciprocating blade ranges making their use easily identifiable.

Let us explore more here with our Reciprocating Blades…

All our Reciprocating Blades now have 3X the power of our previous blades, meaning X3 more cutting ability, durability and performance.

There are four main factors that decide which of the Starrett Blades to choose, material type, thickness, speed and accessibility.

Understanding the saw can also help…

Blade length is also a key factor…

The addition of these 3 elements determines the blade length required.

• A standard reciprocating machine has 50mm (2”) between the blade holder and the shoe.
• Stroke length of the blade; the standard distance of the forward and backwards movement is 25mm (1”)
• Material thickness.

Lets explore here…

Question – Which blade cuts

Wood?

Our yellow shank Wood cutting blades will cut all types of wood and MDF.

They come in 3 different lengths

2 different blade thicknesses

• 0.89mm which is flexible
• 1.27mm which is semi-flexible

2 different tooth pitches

• 3TPI for fast cutting
• 6TPI for more precise cutting

2 different profiles

Question – Which blade cuts

Metal?

Our Blue shank Metal cutting blades will cut all types of metal including Stainless Steel and Cast Iron.

They come in 3 different lengths102mm for material thickness up to and including 15mm

152mm for material thickness up to and including 50mm

203mm for material thickness up to and including 100mm

1 blade thickness

• 0.89mm which is flexible

3 different tooth pitches

• 14TPI for fast cutting
• 18TPI for standard prolonged cutting
• 24TPI for fine precise cutting

1 profile

Question – Which blade cuts

Masonry?

Our Red shank Multipurpose XR6 carbide grit blade is the ideal blade to cut through masonry, it can also be used for ceramics, fibreglass and cement board.

Question – Which blade cuts

PVC and Acrylic?

Our Red shank multipurpose tapered blades are ideal for cutting plastics.

The larger teeth mean less heat build up so no weld back and less friction with a larger gullet so no snagging.  

As the name suggests these blades are multipurpose and can also cut both metal and wood.        

Question – Which blade cuts

Plasterboard?

Our Red shank VB66 multipurpose blade is purposely for plaster and plasterboard cutting.

This blade has v shaped teeth specifically designed for cutting plaster.