Those who prefer to insert the blade from the top down, or “top feeders,” need a saw whose lower clamp can remain in place when the bottom of the blade is detached. This feature is relevant for those who do fretwork, which involves feeding the blade through small holes drilled in the workpiece. You can easily tighten the lower blade clamp of this saw by hand, but placing it into a built-in holder is required before insertion or removal.īlade clamps - upper, lower or both - can be either attached to the saw or removable. Regardless of specifics, a well-designed system of any type will be easy to use and provide a secure, reliable attachment. Sometimes several options are offered, or a combination of methods is used.
Some saws require a tool to secure the blade into its clamp others use knobs that are hand tightened.
As with table saws, those with more saw table surface area provide more stability for larger workpieces. The saw table itself can vary in size, shape and distance from the blade to the front of the table. The throat size of the saw table - the distance between the blade and the rear of the saw table - determines the size of the wood you can cut. This saw makes beveled cuts by tilting the saw table. I’ve found low-profile foot pedals the most comfortable to use. I strongly recommend one, since it frees up your hands to control the workpiece. A foot pedal, which serves as an On/Off switch, may be included. Some are adjustable others areavailable in different heights and configurations, including wheelchair accessibility. Some things to look for, overall, include: minimal vibration vertical or near-vertical up and down movement of the blade conveniently located speed controls and tension adjustments and easy-to-use blade clamps. To get the most from a scroll saw, you’ll need to find the features that make a particular saw, or model, most appropriate for you.
– In conjunction with other tools, cut dovetails and tenons, and make templates to use with bearing-guided router bitsĪ pretty impressive list for an unassuming little tool!Ĭhoosing a Scroll Saw This scroll saw features a lever that clamps and tensions the blade in a single operation. – Cut a variety of materials: softwood, hardwood, particleboard, Corian®, acrylic, melamine, aluminum, copper, silver, brass, gold, horn, antler, bone, glass, ceramic tile and stone Through use of a specially glued-up blank, a stacked ring bowl can simulate the look of open segmentation. – Decorate projects with inlay and marquetry without using a router or chisel The tiered cake box, above, is decorated with ribbons and loops cut from laminated multicolored blanks. – Use a technique called compound cutting to create three-dimensional objects – Make projects usually associated with the band saw, such as “band saw boxes” and collapsible baskets Compound cutting is a versatile and popular scroll saw technique.
– Create unique boxes of many kinds, free from the constraints and demands of conventional joinery – Make bowls and vases that appear at first glance to be lathe-turned – Wooden toys of all types, from simple pull toys to realistic, detailed models You’re less likely to know that with the scroll saw you can also: Bowls made with the scroll saw can resemble those that are carved or lathe turned. – Intarsia and segmentation, which use many small pieces of wood glued together to form mosaics – Fretwork, in which a blade is inserted into the workpiece through small entry holes to permit the removal of pieces of varying sizes and shapes You may already be familiar with some of the better-known uses of the scroll saw. Smaller than most shop tools and deceptively simple in appearance, the scroll saw is the hands-down winner for “most underestimated and unappreciated tool in the workshop.” Because of its association with simple, pattern-based projects (think sewing machine!), woodworkers often fail to appreciate its capabilities and therefore don’t utilize it fully in their shops. As I worked my way through the exercises, I was impressed by the range and beauty of the projects that could be made with this versatile little tool.
I bought an instructional book and an assortment of blades, and started teaching myself how to cut. Needing a safer alternative, and aware that these baskets could also be made with a scroll saw, I prevailed upon the board to buy a mid-priced saw of reasonable quality as a substitute. When the board of a community woodshop asked me to teach how to make collapsible baskets, I found that the shop’s band saw was in such poor repair that its use would have posed a danger. Using the scroll saw has been part of my daily routine for quite a while, yet my introduction to the tool occurred quite by accident.