Chippygeoff
Established Member
SCROLL SAW FOR BEGINNERS
Many times on the forum we get asked the same questions from those new to scroll sawing so I thought I would put something together that could be used as some sort of reference for the new people. This is based on my own experiences from when I first started many years ago and as a new person progresses they will find their own way of doing things.
Scroll saws come in all shapes and sizes. Many of the scroll saws available today are in fact one and the same saw just dressed differently by the various companies who import them from the Far East trying to make us believe the saw is unique to them. There is only one really good saw available in the UK and that is the Hegner range, but they come at a huge price. There are many very good saws that come up for sale from time to time and this is where a lot of people look to get their first saw rather than buy a cheapie.
When someone buys their first saw they want to get cutting as soon as possible but please bear in mind that when cutting the air hose is blowing the dust into the air and it is being breathed in, so we either need a mask or some form of dust extraction. It is quite easy to make a dust extraction system, some pipe work and ideally a Henry vacuum cleaner. Henries are just about the quietest vacuums available. A lot of people want to make things from MDF because its cheap and readily available but the dust from MDF is hazardous.
As far as I know all saws come with a tilting table. I have never had a need for this function although some people do when making bowls, making inlaid projects and intarsia etc. some saws come with variable speed and this is an advantage when cutting thin materials as the speed can be turned down to suit the material being cut. Most saws seem to have a speed of 1400 strokes per minute. I cut ¾ inch hardwoods that have been kiln dried and as a result the wood is very hard and cutting at 1400 is like watching paint dry. My Hegner now cuts at 1650 and the difference is amazing.
A cast iron table is better than a cast aluminium table. Cast iron absorbs vibration better and also adds more weight to the saw. All saws should be firmly bolted to a stand or a solid bench and if vibration is still a problem weight can be added to the stand or bench in the form of sand bags or paving slabs. Now and again it pays to lubricate the saw table with something like Liberon lubricating wax, this will enable the work piece to move easier on the table and it will also protect the table from rust should your saw be in an outside workshop.
As mentioned above, a lot of saws cut at a speed of 1400 and when cutting thicker materials cutting can be awfully slow. There are a few ways you can get the saw to cut faster. One is to cover the wood with clear packing tape; this will reduce the friction of the blade and also prevent the wood from burning. Another way is to use the right type of blade for the job in hand. I use reverse toothed blades and the best ones I have found are the Flying Dutchman ultra reverse blades from Mike’s workshop. They are quite aggressive. They cut on the up stroke as well as the down stroke. When cutting thicker materials you need to have the right blade along with the right speed and this comes with experience. A blade could be produced that would cut thick hardwood very fast but the downside of this is that it would be more difficult to follow the line of the pattern being cut. I am happy with the speed at which I can cut my projects with the blades that I use.
There are some accessories that will make scroll sawing a better experience. I use a foot switch on my scroll saws and I just could not imagine cutting things without one now. Prior to owning a foot switch it was a matter of turning the saw on and off with the switch and quite often the switch is awkward to get to. Another accessory I feel is essential is a light, some prefer a light like a desk lamp or one of the magnifying lamps that are available, these are excellent if your eyesight is not so good. I also have a small spotlight on the side of my bench, it’s sole function is to highlight the entry holes on the underside of the work piece when I have to re-thread the blade for the internal cuts.
When you have finished making an item it will have a square edge. You can greatly enhance it’s appearance by using a router to put a moulding or a round over on it, such as a plaque. A router table is the tool for this job and one can be made quite easily. My first one was a piece of 18mm MDF with a hole in the middle and the router clamped underneath. You don’t need a fence or anything else really to put a nice touch to a nice plaque.
A drill press is useful for many of the task needed in scroll saw work, especially entry holes in fretwork and other projects where there are internal cuts. The entry holes are perfectly straight and so much easier than using a hand held drill where the hole can end up being off the line of the pattern on the underside of the wood. If you intend making candle holders you will need a larger more powerful drill press with lots of torque to cope with forstner bits up to 50mm wide.
A belt/disc sander is another tool that is very useful. It can even out warped wood. I buy my wood planed but even so I still use the sander on every piece of wood I use to remove such things as planer marks and to get the wood really smooth. The disc part of the sander is also useful for shaping. I use the disc on the plaques I make, especially where the blade started the cut and where it finished, sometimes there is a little bump and it takes just a second to even this out.
Some people prefer to stand when working on the saw and others prefer to sit. I think the majority of us sit at our saws. I have tried several chairs and stools over the years. I now use a bar type stool that is adjustable in height, has a back rest and a foot bar. The seat is well upholstered and I can sit for hours quite comfortably at my saw although in the main I tend to take a break round about every hour.
For the raw beginner there will be frustrations along the way. Its not as easy as it looks. I had a lady come to me who wanted to learn everything about scroll sawing and I said to her it was quite easy, all you have to do is follow the line but following the line is the hardest part. It will come eventually; you will get to a point where you automatically know the angle required to keep on the line. It will take time and patience to get to this stage but along the way it is fun, it is addictive and when you have made your first project you feel a great sense of achievement. It’s a wonderful thing when you make things for family and friends and see the look on their faces when you give them something you have made and you know in your heart that you have done a good job and the gift is perfect in every way.
Many times on the forum we get asked the same questions from those new to scroll sawing so I thought I would put something together that could be used as some sort of reference for the new people. This is based on my own experiences from when I first started many years ago and as a new person progresses they will find their own way of doing things.
Scroll saws come in all shapes and sizes. Many of the scroll saws available today are in fact one and the same saw just dressed differently by the various companies who import them from the Far East trying to make us believe the saw is unique to them. There is only one really good saw available in the UK and that is the Hegner range, but they come at a huge price. There are many very good saws that come up for sale from time to time and this is where a lot of people look to get their first saw rather than buy a cheapie.
When someone buys their first saw they want to get cutting as soon as possible but please bear in mind that when cutting the air hose is blowing the dust into the air and it is being breathed in, so we either need a mask or some form of dust extraction. It is quite easy to make a dust extraction system, some pipe work and ideally a Henry vacuum cleaner. Henries are just about the quietest vacuums available. A lot of people want to make things from MDF because its cheap and readily available but the dust from MDF is hazardous.
As far as I know all saws come with a tilting table. I have never had a need for this function although some people do when making bowls, making inlaid projects and intarsia etc. some saws come with variable speed and this is an advantage when cutting thin materials as the speed can be turned down to suit the material being cut. Most saws seem to have a speed of 1400 strokes per minute. I cut ¾ inch hardwoods that have been kiln dried and as a result the wood is very hard and cutting at 1400 is like watching paint dry. My Hegner now cuts at 1650 and the difference is amazing.
A cast iron table is better than a cast aluminium table. Cast iron absorbs vibration better and also adds more weight to the saw. All saws should be firmly bolted to a stand or a solid bench and if vibration is still a problem weight can be added to the stand or bench in the form of sand bags or paving slabs. Now and again it pays to lubricate the saw table with something like Liberon lubricating wax, this will enable the work piece to move easier on the table and it will also protect the table from rust should your saw be in an outside workshop.
As mentioned above, a lot of saws cut at a speed of 1400 and when cutting thicker materials cutting can be awfully slow. There are a few ways you can get the saw to cut faster. One is to cover the wood with clear packing tape; this will reduce the friction of the blade and also prevent the wood from burning. Another way is to use the right type of blade for the job in hand. I use reverse toothed blades and the best ones I have found are the Flying Dutchman ultra reverse blades from Mike’s workshop. They are quite aggressive. They cut on the up stroke as well as the down stroke. When cutting thicker materials you need to have the right blade along with the right speed and this comes with experience. A blade could be produced that would cut thick hardwood very fast but the downside of this is that it would be more difficult to follow the line of the pattern being cut. I am happy with the speed at which I can cut my projects with the blades that I use.
There are some accessories that will make scroll sawing a better experience. I use a foot switch on my scroll saws and I just could not imagine cutting things without one now. Prior to owning a foot switch it was a matter of turning the saw on and off with the switch and quite often the switch is awkward to get to. Another accessory I feel is essential is a light, some prefer a light like a desk lamp or one of the magnifying lamps that are available, these are excellent if your eyesight is not so good. I also have a small spotlight on the side of my bench, it’s sole function is to highlight the entry holes on the underside of the work piece when I have to re-thread the blade for the internal cuts.
When you have finished making an item it will have a square edge. You can greatly enhance it’s appearance by using a router to put a moulding or a round over on it, such as a plaque. A router table is the tool for this job and one can be made quite easily. My first one was a piece of 18mm MDF with a hole in the middle and the router clamped underneath. You don’t need a fence or anything else really to put a nice touch to a nice plaque.
A drill press is useful for many of the task needed in scroll saw work, especially entry holes in fretwork and other projects where there are internal cuts. The entry holes are perfectly straight and so much easier than using a hand held drill where the hole can end up being off the line of the pattern on the underside of the wood. If you intend making candle holders you will need a larger more powerful drill press with lots of torque to cope with forstner bits up to 50mm wide.
A belt/disc sander is another tool that is very useful. It can even out warped wood. I buy my wood planed but even so I still use the sander on every piece of wood I use to remove such things as planer marks and to get the wood really smooth. The disc part of the sander is also useful for shaping. I use the disc on the plaques I make, especially where the blade started the cut and where it finished, sometimes there is a little bump and it takes just a second to even this out.
Some people prefer to stand when working on the saw and others prefer to sit. I think the majority of us sit at our saws. I have tried several chairs and stools over the years. I now use a bar type stool that is adjustable in height, has a back rest and a foot bar. The seat is well upholstered and I can sit for hours quite comfortably at my saw although in the main I tend to take a break round about every hour.
For the raw beginner there will be frustrations along the way. Its not as easy as it looks. I had a lady come to me who wanted to learn everything about scroll sawing and I said to her it was quite easy, all you have to do is follow the line but following the line is the hardest part. It will come eventually; you will get to a point where you automatically know the angle required to keep on the line. It will take time and patience to get to this stage but along the way it is fun, it is addictive and when you have made your first project you feel a great sense of achievement. It’s a wonderful thing when you make things for family and friends and see the look on their faces when you give them something you have made and you know in your heart that you have done a good job and the gift is perfect in every way.
