My first scroll-saw. Now, what to do with it?

[loftyhermes]

When the blower packed up I got a dogs squeaky rugby ball toy, took the squeak out and pushed the pipe in and glued it under the bottom arm.
happy scrolling
Steve

Should have left the squeaker in, that would have been hilarious. :-D

Oh no it wouldn't.
happy scrolling
Steve

 

[scrimper]

Lesson 1* - Make sure your glue stick sticks!
If yer pattern's flapping about you can't follow the line :roll:

When you say Glue sticks do you actually mean the roll on type because they are hopeless, what I use also from pound shops and the Range are little tubes of old fashioned water based gum they are about 6" tall with a screw on cap and contain very sticky gum, it sticks the patterns on very firmly and can either be sanded off or if delicate work I just dampen the top of the paper and peels off easily. Normally you get 4 tubes for a pound. it similar to the good old fashioned GLOY that is no longer available.

 

[NazNomad]

I use a generic 'Pritt Stick' from The Works.

4 sizes for a squid - http://www.theworks.co.uk/p/glue-and-ta ... 2089125452

 

[nev]

Lesson 1* - Make sure your glue stick sticks!
If yer pattern's flapping about you can't follow the line :roll:

When you say Glue sticks do you actually mean the roll on type because they are hopeless, what I use also from pound shops and the Range are little tubes of old fashioned water based gum they are about 6" tall with a screw on cap and contain very sticky gum, it sticks the patterns on very firmly and can either be sanded off or if delicate work I just dampen the top of the paper and peels off easily. Normally you get 4 tubes for a pound. it similar to the good old fashioned GLOY that is no longer available.

Yep, the pritt chapstick type ones. At 4 for 69p I wasn't expecting much but it was all they had without venturing another 10 miles. And back again.

 

[powertools]

My advice would be to give up with the paper glue and parcel tape and just use self adhesive labeles and keep the backing paper to add designs to your work direct from your printer

 

[xiphidius]

http://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-c ... 00ml/32657

 

[nev]

Another question:
Will the blade eventually twist if I tend to keep cutting in the same direction?

For example, cutting the snowflake test pattern I tended to do the same cut (direction) over and over, I did notice the blade started to cut to the right. Turned out to be the seating of the top pin in the blade holder, easily remedied by slacking and resetting, but it did get me thinking.
Was the blade too tight? too slack? Pushing the workpiece into the blade too hard? etc

 

[nev]

As can been seen above I have temporarily added some air. A couple of coolant pipes as suggested by Naz and a cheap pump (£7.62 inc post) from the internet. I was thinking of adding an LED to the end of one arm but the pump has two outlets so I used both for air.
The result?
It works. Just about. The puff only reaches less than inch but its enough to clear the work area in front of the blade.

for those interested, All Pond Solutions, 180L/H Aquarium Air Pump Complete Kit AP-3 AP-3-KIT.

 

[AES]

"Maybe" is my (not very helpful) answer, sorry!

Is that a pinned blade you're showing there, I can't quite see? In my experience of pinned blades & machines, the pins "rest" into a little U shaped channel pressed into the blade holders top and bottom. In other words there's no real restraint in the vertical direction, apart from the tension on the blade. So you can try more tension, though it depends on the machine (and the blade) how far you can go with that.

In comparison, pin less blades are most often thinner (front to back and side to side) than pinned blades, so they MAY not twist as much - again subject to tension you apply.

I've found all this a bit of a black art I'm afraid, but once you get settled on a particular blade (type and number) you'll slowly but surely get to the point where you'll "know" how much tension to apply.

Depends on work piece material type and thickness too of course!!!!

Sorry, can't help more.

AES

Edit in the light of your 2nd post: Re a light, please search for a recent post by Claymore and his Excali/Axi 30 "aircraft carrier" where he mentions a little LED light with a magnetic base - called an industrial sewing machine light. There's an e-bay link there. I've now got one now and it's excellent.

HTH

And a 2nd edit (just waking up now). Many/most/all (?) blades tend to cut a bit "cack-handed" off to the right anyway. One of the skills to learn with straight lines is that usually speaking, a straight line cut will not be parallel to the fore & aft blade axis, but will need for the "top" of the work to be a bit offset to the L to get a straight line. I guess this tendency will be magnified with a blade that's already been used for a lot of angled cuts, whatever the tension and type of blade.

"Fun" ain't it?

 

[NazNomad]

Buy a t-piece and shove both outlets from the pump into one coolant pipe... (don't use the filters either)

Also, blades are 'stamped' out and will have a tendency to cant to one side, you'll get used to it.

"Was the blade too tight? too slack? Pushing the workpiece into the blade too hard? etc"

Quick answer is maybe. Could be all three. As above, you'll get used to it. :-D

 

[scrimper]

For example, cutting the snowflake test pattern I tended to do the same cut (direction) over and over, I did notice the blade started to cut to the right. Turned out to be the seating of the top pin in the blade holder, easily remedied by slacking and resetting, but it did get me thinking.

I do hope I am not stating the obvious here but are you aware that fretsaw blades almost always have a bias (usually to the right) due to the manufacturing process? You get used to this eventually and compensate for it without any thought.

 

[nev]

For example, cutting the snowflake test pattern I tended to do the same cut (direction) over and over, I did notice the blade started to cut to the right. Turned out to be the seating of the top pin in the blade holder, easily remedied by slacking and resetting, but it did get me thinking.

I do hope I am not stating the obvious here but are you aware that fretsaw blades almost always have a bias (usually to the right) due to the manufacturing process? You get used to this eventually and compensate for it without any thought.

News to me The obvious is always welcome.

 

[AES]

@nev: One (or more?) of those links I sent you for US Scroll Saw web site/s covers that point in detail. Well worth a look.

AES

 

[nev]

To learn we must do.

So I did. And I learned.

I learned that I need bigger glasses, a brighter light and probably a magnifying glass!

I have a long long way to go but I'm quite happy with my first semi proper output in real wood, just the wren part of 'wren on teacup' as previously shown how to do properly by Brian (Claymore) from a book by Judy Gale Roberts and Jerry ****er called "Small Intarsia"

Lots of gaps, but on the plus side I learned how to improve the join by running the 'blunt' side of the blade along the edge of one piece whilst held against and trimming the other, seen here on youtube, another link provided by someone earlier, Thank you.

So until I get a magnifier I'll stick to bigger patterns, That way I may be able to follow a line a little easier

and a quick dose of yacht varnish (twas all I had in the cupboard)

 

[Claymore]

..........

 

[AES]

Very nice Nev, really.

I told you you're going to be a "star" =D>

+1 for Claymore's tip about that sewing machine light. I too have less than 100% eyesight and since that tip on this section of the Forum I find it excellent. If memory serves, look somewhere in a post which is talking about Claymore's new Axi/Excali 30 inch aircraft carrier.

Someone said here that regards a magnifying glass they don't get on well with them. I guess that like a number of other things, it depends on each individual, but I have both the above sewing machine light and a swivel arm magnifier with a light inside and I use them both at once.

I think (only think mind) that Arc Eurotrade and Axi both sell similar magnifiers to my own - if not try one of the model engineering suppliers in the sticky at the top of the Metalworking section here - perhaps Proops. They don't cost a huge amount (about a tenner/15 quid?) so worth a punt I think - as above, I wouldn't be without mine.

AES

 

[xiphidius]

That looks really good nev ...hopefully I can come up with something as good as that some day...for now I'm only cutting out simple patterns for kids but hope to get more into things such as this as time passes and to get my hands on a few good books is a must...anyway well done and I will be following your posts to see your progression
Regards
C

 

[nev]

Cheers guys.
AES: hardly a star, but I appreciate the encouragement

Searched out Colins post about the lamps and just ordered 2. (I'll put one on the lathe too when I eventually get it out of the boxes its been sat in since the house move :roll: )

I'll try the light first and if I still struggle I'll go for the magnifier too.

 

[AES]

@nev: You wrote, QUOTE: I'll try the light first and if I still struggle I'll go for the magnifier too. UNQUOTE:

Good plan. Incidentally, re the sewing machine lamp, I couldn't find it here, Amazon USA & UK would not deliver it to Switzerland, but Amazon Germany did. It came (very quickly) but direct from China, and was "fitted" with 2 crimped on open-ended spade tags like a 12 Volt car accessory (it has no earth) which in no way resembled any 110 or 240 Volt mains plug I've ever seen!

No matter, easy enough "problem" to fix, and as said, it's a great little lamp - my wife's got one on her sewing machine too - but sometimes it makes you wonder about suppliers and national regs doesn't it?

AES

 

[Buffalo Chas]

Very nice piece for your first attempt Nev. Well done. I haven't even tried to do something like that yet. Some day hopefully, - maybe - eventually. Lol.

Charley