# Scroll virgin!



## jamiecrawford (16 Nov 2014)

Hey all, I'm a straight out of the wrapper, brand new wannabe scroller. So new, in fact, that I haven't even used one, even though I've owned one for three days now. I've been battling with my bandsaw for ages, taking loads of time making tight curves and muttering about saving up for a scroll saw, and have been lurking on here long enough to consider buying a decent machine second hand. Well, my wife knew I wanted a scroller and lo and behold she gave me my early Xmas present three days ago, a Sealey SM 1302.

I've read all the threads, I know I should have a better one, but I don't, so I'm looking on it as a gateway machine, something to let me see if I enjoy the art. I haven't started it up as I haven't had the time, but I'm also suffering new machine fear! I'm going to fire it up tomorrow, after a good read of the scant instructions, and after watching way too many YouTube videos. I do, however, already have questions. I've seen how friendly this sub is, so am looking forward to seeking, and hopefully receiving, wisdom and support from everyone :/

First question is.... While in my infancy is it worth me buying decent blades or should I buy a bunch of cheap toot from Amazon to practice on? Money is very tight for us at the mo, and I appreciate breakages are going to be unavoidable, so I'm hoping it's the latter. I'm aiming to start playing around with 1/4" ply, nothing too challenging. Any and all advice great fully received. Thank you, gents.

Edit - and is there such a thing as a universal foot peddle, and would my machine take it?


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## Chippygeoff (16 Nov 2014)

Welcome to the forum Jamie. There are a lot of very experinced people on here who will give you loads of helpful advice, all you have to do is ask. My advice concerning blades is firstly not to use the ones that came with the machine and not to buy cheap blades from e-bay or Amazon. The reason I say this is that you are a beginner and using inferior blades could put you off as they will not perform as well as the better blades. If you contact Hegner or Hobbies you can buy some Niqua blades quite cheaply, a dozen of 2 or 3 sizes will keep you going for a while. As your just starting I would get some number 5 and number 7 reverse toothed blades. You can use the bigger blades for thicker wood and cutting out the outside shape and you can use the number 5 blades for internal or more intricate cuts. A foot pedal is a big advantage once you have used one you will wonder how you managed withoiut one, it means you can keep both hands on the work piece without having to take a hand off to swith the saw on and off. I could not be without mine. I hope this helps. some of the other lads will be along shortly with more advice but any problems or questions then just ask away. A word of warning though, scrolling is very addictive.


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## jamiecrawford (16 Nov 2014)

Thanks for the welcome, Geoff, and the advice. I'm really looking forward to getting hooked!


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## Bryan Bennett (16 Nov 2014)

Hi welcome aboard,you are just starting on a wonderful journey that some of us have enjoyed for many a year.When I started there was no internet and we learned as we went along.Geoff has said enough for you to start off,and who I ask frequently for help,and receive it very quickly. :roll: Just relax start learning and enjoy. :wink: 

Bryan


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## Claymore (16 Nov 2014)

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## jamiecrawford (16 Nov 2014)

Again, thanks for the welcome, guys. I've looked for Hobbies blades, and there's a deal on eBay for 144 blades, numbers 3,4,5 and 6, for twenty quid, free p+p. Does that sound about right? This is from the Hobbies UK eBay shop.


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## Chippygeoff (17 Nov 2014)

Hi Jamie. The blades you are looking at on e-bay are incredibly cheap. I pay more than £20 for a gross of blades. I would be very wary of that deal. Does it say who the seller is, I know that hobbies sell blades on e-bay so if the seller is Hobbies then you will have no problem. I assume they are Niqua blades. A lot of people have bought blades from e-bay and have been disappointed, they may be seconds.


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## ChrisR (17 Nov 2014)

Hi Jamie.

Welcome to the forum, in the previous posts you have been given good sound advice, so no need to go over the same ground.

You say that you have watched way too many YouTube videos, I don’t think you can watch too many, because in the main they give good instruction with a few not so good, and that’s being very polite.

The one thing to be aware of is that some of these videos are played at, x1.5 or x2 speed which gives a false indication of how fast it is possible to work with a scroll saw.

Take care.

Chris R.


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## jamiecrawford (17 Nov 2014)

Here's the link, Geoff, seems like their legit outlet, and it is indeed Niqua blades. 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/144-Medium-Gr ... 27e77b721e

Cheers Chris, are there any scrollers on YouTube that you'd advise watching?


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## Chippygeoff (17 Nov 2014)

Hi Jamie. I had a look at the link you gave and indeed they are genuine Niqua blades but it does say of MEDIUM QUALITY. I don't know if I am right but it sounds as if these could be seconds. It may pay you to give them a ring or send them an e-mail and ask if they are indeed seconds. They are far to cheap to be the normal quality one would associate with Hobbies. I have always had good service from them.

I would add that most suppliers of scroll saws and scroll saw accessories buy the stuff in that they sell, often from the Far East, then it is stored and sent out as orders come in so from when it was made on the production line it never sees daylight until you open up what you have bought. As the blades you have seen are in Hobbies own packaging I would assume they package the blades themselves from a huge stock.

The problem you face Jamie is blades breaking. I had the same problem with Flying Dutchman blades. I broke six on one small piece of wood and it is so frustrating as well as time consuming and that is why I have gone over to Olsen blades, they are more expensive but they cut extremely well and hardly ever break. Basically a blade last 20 minutes of cutting. 

As you are new I would advise you not to start cutting out from patterns just yet. You will need to practice on old or scrap wood. Draw some lines with some sharp turns and the object of the exercise is to follow the line without coming off it. Start with thin wood if you can get it, like 6mm ply, B & Q sell 3/4inch thick softwood that would be good to practice on but I would not advise using pine for projects as it is difficult to get a good finish, especially if you use a router to round over the edges. If you decide to make things from MDF make sure you wear a good mask and ideally have some form of dust extraction.


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## martinka (17 Nov 2014)

Chippygeoff":2onj4rxq said:


> Hi Jamie. I had a look at the link you gave and indeed they are genuine Niqua blades but it does say of MEDIUM QUALITY.



Geoff, it actually says "medium GRADE" and then goes on to say - "You will receive 3 packs of each of the following grades - No3, No4, No5 & No6" - so they appear to be talking about blade size.


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## powertools (17 Nov 2014)

They are the Niqua blades from the correct seller.
Hobbies call them yellow label blades for some reason and then to confuse things further they then split them up into 4 groups fine, medium, heavy and extra heavy.
The medium blades range from number 3 to number 5 and the ebay price is similar to there website price:-

http://www.alwayshobbies.com/tools/powe ... ccessories


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## Chippygeoff (17 Nov 2014)

My mistake Martin. I should have realised. Doh.


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## ChrisR (17 Nov 2014)

jamiecrawford":ztbx9cht said:


> Here's the link, Geoff, seems like their legit outlet, and it is indeed Niqua blades.
> 
> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/144-Medium-Gr ... 27e77b721e
> 
> Cheers Chris, are there any scrollers on YouTube that you'd advise watching?




Jamie.

I have not looked at any YouTube videos for some time now so don’t really know what the current state of play is.

But one site I would highly recommend you visiting is, (Steve Goods Scroll Saw Workshop) here you will find videos on scroll sawing, and also more free patterns than you will ever be able to cut, I say free, and they are, but Steve does appreciate a donation to his site.

Take care.

Chris R.


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## jamiecrawford (17 Nov 2014)

That's great, I'll look him up, thanks. I still haven't got the machine out to play yet, as not only do it need to order some blades - the two that come with it won't last me long - but I put my back out. It'll give me more time to swat up, and read the scrolling sub some more.


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## nadnerb (17 Nov 2014)

Hi Jamie
Welcome to the forum.
I would say that a foot pedal is a must. I use one wired to turn on both my saw and dust extractor at the same time. Stay away from the cheap chinese ones on amazon and flea bay. the one I would recommend is made by Temco in the states. It worked out at about €50 delivered so is well worth the envestment.
Regards
Brendan


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## Claymore (17 Nov 2014)

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## martinka (18 Nov 2014)

Temco sell the same cheap Chinese footswitch that I bought. See this and this.

Small world, eh.


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## Claymore (18 Nov 2014)

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## PeteG (18 Nov 2014)

Claymore":3n1nzlbo said:


> martinka":3n1nzlbo said:
> 
> 
> > Temco sell the same cheap Chinese footswitch that I bought. See this and this.
> ...




Hello Claymore  I'm useless with electrics, and one of the Amazon reviews says it doesn't have an earth terminal, so how do you wire the earth up?


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## Claymore (18 Nov 2014)

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## martinka (18 Nov 2014)

The original thread about these footswitches, with Phil's drawing, is here. Take note of the warning about the insulation and polarity, but otherwise wiring the switch is straightforward.

I'm sure I have mentioned this before, but I bought the one from Amazon and after a while the microswitch became faulty. I bought a new microswitch from Maplin for a couple of quid but got in touch with the seller anyway and they sent me a complete new footswitch, no questions asked. I've bought a number of items from the same dealer since.


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## jamiecrawford (18 Nov 2014)

Slight issue with regards to a foot pedal - which I can fully see being a huge advantage - is me and my relationship with electrics... :/ I'll ask around my mates, someone must be less ham fisted than me.


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## jamiecrawford (19 Nov 2014)

My electrical skills are literally around the plug wiring level, sadly. I've had a hunt around to find out how they connect to the saw, but no joy. Do you plug the saw into them, or wire them into the motor? 

In the end I bought an Olson assorted pack, a dozen each of No.s 2,5 and 7, skip tooth, for £12.99 with free delivery, from Hobbies. Hopefully that's enough to get me started. I've been reading loads more of the threads here, seen some amazing work, and feel inspired to learn. What a great forum!


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## martinka (19 Nov 2014)

You end up with two leads coming from the footswitch, one fitted with a 13A socket and the other with a 13A plug. Plug the footswitch into a wall socket and your scroll saw into the footswitch socket. 

You might possibly have a kettle type plug on the Hegner, in which case you would need the corresponding socket on the footswitch instead of the 13A socket. Obviously, ignore this bit if your Hegner has a standard 13A plug.


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## ChrisR (19 Nov 2014)

As Martin said,

I was in the process of typing a similar method, but Martin’s typing skills/speed are above mine.

Also I am using Windows 8.1. This site and Windows 8.1, do not get on very well, I get the message (this page cannot be displayed) at least a couple of times on nearly every visit. 

Take care.

Chris R.

Take care.

ChrisR.


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## jamiecrawford (19 Nov 2014)

Cheers, that makes sense. Adverts really oughtn't assume prior knowledge; I can't be the only silly person out there.


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## Phil Pascoe (20 Nov 2014)

ChrisR":11v9kh14 said:


> As Martin said,
> 
> I was in the process of typing a similar method, but Martin’s typing skills/speed are above mine.
> 
> ...



I don't have the problem at all. I'm on WIN8.1 as well.


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## ChrisR (20 Nov 2014)

phil.p":285l4rdh said:


> ChrisR":285l4rdh said:
> 
> 
> > As Martin said,
> ...



Maybe I am the wrong person to condemn Windows 8.1, as I am completely, non-computer savvy.

I struggled with XP, but 8.1, Grrrrrrrrrrrr. :evil: 

Sorry for off topic post.

Chris R.


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## jamiecrawford (26 Nov 2014)

Thought I'd try something I've always fancied doing first, as the supplied blade wasn't going to last too long, and chopped into a hardback book, which chucked up a load of dust! Thank god I use a decent mask. My Olson blades arrived in two days, fit a treat even though the saw is designated as only taking pinned. I had a little play around with some scrap ply yesterday and these were the results. I'm pleased to say I'm yet to snap a blade. Tell you what, everyone was right, it is addictive. Don't think I've actually enjoyed cutting wood this much before! Hope the pics post...


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## jamiecrawford (26 Nov 2014)

Pics not posting.... I clicked 'image' in full editor, and placed the imgur URL in between the


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## Claymore (26 Nov 2014)

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## jamiecrawford (27 Nov 2014)

So here are a couple of things I did after spending a while doing spirals and straight cuts. Pretty shonky but I'm looking forward to improving and taking on more complex projects.


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## martinka (27 Nov 2014)

I'm not sure what shonky means, but they don't look too shabby at all. Cut another 10 different ones and then do them all again and you've got enough to decorate your christmas tree.


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## Claymore (27 Nov 2014)

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## PeteG (28 Nov 2014)

Very nice Jamie  Much cleaner cuts than mine, did you have yours on full speed?


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## jamiecrawford (28 Nov 2014)

Cheers! No, on about 3/4. It's really nasty, flimsy ply so no resistance to the blade, plus I went super slow, so everything took forever.


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## PeteG (28 Nov 2014)

I wasn't sure what to do regarding speed Jamie, so I went full throttle. Not sure if that was a good or bad thing!


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## jamiecrawford (28 Nov 2014)

I tried it full whack but due to the nature of the ply it was too much and I found myself going too fast and missing lines. I'm guessing that's down to being new to it... And squinting a lot  I've been kidding myself my eye sights ok for the last few years but I have to face facts and either get some glasses or, as mentioned elsewhere, a large magnifying panel. I'm definitely getting a little workstation light of some description. I'm going to pop down to maplins later.


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## gilljc (28 Nov 2014)

with thin ply you are best to turn the speed right dow til you are cutting sloooow, then it's easier to stay on lines  I use pound store reading glasses, you can get them in different strengths of magnification


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## jamiecrawford (28 Nov 2014)

gilljc":v19u6siu said:


> with thin ply you are best to turn the speed right dow til you are cutting sloooow, then it's easier to stay on lines  I use pound store reading glasses, you can get them in different strengths of magnification



I'll give both of those tips a go. Are the glasses ok for your eyes? I guess just using them on the saw can't do any harm. Any tips for lights? I was thinking about getting an LED one.


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## PeteG (28 Nov 2014)

gilljc":35b18hco said:


> with thin ply you are best to turn the speed right dow til you are cutting sloooow, then it's easier to stay on lines  I use pound store reading glasses, you can get them in different strengths of magnification




You're a star Gill  I'll have to start keeping notes. The glasses I keep in the shed are from the pound shop, only +1 but I bought them a few years ago. Think I may need +3 now


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