# Fretsaw Scrollsaw ?



## Dieseldog (2 May 2012)

Can someone tell me what the differance is between a Fretsaw and a Scrollsaw please ?

Thanks Dave


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## Blister (2 May 2012)

Dieseldog":2z1yuvuk said:


> Can someone tell me what the differance is between a Fretsaw and a Scrollsaw please ?
> 
> Thanks Dave



As far as I know nothing

different wording :wink:


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## Dieseldog (2 May 2012)

Thanks Blister


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## Chippygeoff (2 May 2012)

Hi Dave. A fretsaw is a hand tool that is mainly used by carpenters to scribe a skirting board into another one that is at right angles. Years ago in a bygone era all intricate work was done by hand using a fret saw and it was a skill that only came with years of experience. Today we have scroll saws which to a certain extent has replaced the fret saw for many applications and just to confuse the issue a bit more you can do fret wrok using a scoll saw but fret work usually refers to intricate cut out type work like portraits etc. Hope this helps.


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## bugbear (3 May 2012)

Chippygeoff":35q36x2o said:


> Hi Dave. A fretsaw is a hand tool that is mainly used by carpenters to scribe a skirting board into another one that is at right angles.



That's a coping saw - and the process is called (naturally enough) coping.

BugBear


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## RogerP (3 May 2012)

I think scroll-saw was originally the US name.


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## Gill (3 May 2012)

Nowadays the terms are interchangeable. However, there is a difference between scrolled work and fretted work in that a scroll adorns the exterior of an item whereas fretwork pierces the interior of an item. Take a look at the following piece of bric-a-brac:







The external shaping of the frame has been scrolled whereas the heart that has been cut from the centre is fretwork.

Technically, a scroll saw should not have a blade that can be detached to facilitate fretwork, but that would be ridiculous; every saw used for this type of work has detachable blades. It is hard to say where the confusion first arose between fretting and scrolling, but confusion has certainly arisen. It seems to me that the term 'scroll saw' is one which has been adopted readily in America whereas Europeans are more likely to use the more linguistically accurate name of 'fret saw'.


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## bugbear (3 May 2012)

Gill":2v1nw3za said:


> Nowadays the terms are interchangeable.



I don't think so; it's a "all herrings are fish" kind of deal. All "scroll saws" can be called "fret saws", since to the best of my knowledge "scroll saw" is an American term for a (typically) electrically powered, 18" throat machine used to make complex cuts in thin wood.

In the UK this can be called a "fret saw".

However, in the UK, "fret saw" can also mean this:






I'm not sure USA-ians even acknowledge the existence of those 

BugBear


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## Gill (3 May 2012)

Oh, come on - this isn't the _Hand Tools_ section  . Nobody who scrolls (frets?  ) would say that the terms are not interchangeable nowadays. Yes, it's true that a fret saw can be either mechanical or manual whereas a scroll saw always seems to be mechanical, but that really is splitting hairs.


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## bugbear (3 May 2012)

Gill":1kofoiq7 said:


> Oh, come on - this isn't the _Hand Tools_ section  . Nobody who scrolls (frets?  ) would say that the terms are not interchangeable nowadays. Yes, it's true that a fret saw can be either mechanical or manual whereas a scroll saw always seems to be mechanical, but that really is splitting hairs.



I'm a born hair splitter.    

Don't get me started on "jewellers saw" and "piercing saw".

BugBear


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## Dieseldog (3 May 2012)

Thanks for all the info its all helpful and very interesting to me 

Cheers Dave


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## bugbear (3 May 2012)

Here's some old style fretting knowledge:

http://toolemera.com/Books%20%26%20Book ... plans.html

Click the "The Art Of Fretwork" link.

BugBear


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## chrispuzzle (4 May 2012)

It's when people call it a jig saw that it gets really irritating...


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## hawkinob (6 May 2012)

Hi,
What did Shakespeare say:- "A rose by any other name smells just as sweet" - (or similar) 
A good initial query though.
Bob H.


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## Scrollerman (13 May 2012)

In general, a Fretsaw is the British description of an age old saw used in Britain.
The Yanks have to be different so they call it a Scroll Saw and unfortunately, we follow like sheep.

End of !


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