SCROLL SAW RECOMMENDATION PLEASE

[emessys]

Any recommendations on a scroll saw for light duty (formers etc).

I was planning to buy a Craftsman 16", but there were a LOT of crappy customer reviews.

Something in the $100 price range, give or take.

TIA
Ira

[wizard]

Almost every scroll saw in the $100 range are very bad about vibration due to the style of construction. They are all either dual arm or C-arm and there is a lot of mass moving up and down that translates into vibration and makes it difficult to get a good cut. The best scroll saw I have found for the price is the Dewalt. They are close to $400 though. They have a what is called a dual link, the only part of the saw that moves up and down is short arms at the very front of the arms and the blade. The linkage inside the arms move forward and back, with the upper and lower linkages moving in opposite directions and canceling out most of the vibration.

Between my father and I we went through different saws before we started using the Dewalt. None of them we owned longer than a week before were turned them and upgraded. We have used up 1,000s of blades between 2 saws and after 12 years have just about worn them out. They will be replaced with the same saw.

Probably not the answer you wanted, but it is the truth. If you can't afford the Dewalt, I would go to Harbor Freight and buy a cheep there and save up for the Dewalt.

[emessys]

Between my father and I we went through different saws .

I got some recommends on another site for the Dremel saw. Did you have any experience with that unit?

thanks
Ira

[wizard]

As I saidmy father and I have gone through 1,000 of blades on the two we own. On my fathers saw after about 3,000 hours of use the motor went out and he started using mine. We were making wood art and selling the pieces at art shows and on the web.

I attached a couple of photos to show the type of work we do with the Dewalt.

[emessys]

Wizard,

Thats the Dewalts you were referring to, ...I was inquiring about Dremel.

It looks like the type of artwork you and your dad were producing would require a more "robust" saw than I envision needing to cut ply formers or balsa ribs etc.

Ira

[micp]

I would look at a small band saw instead of a scroll saw. My dad does a lot of intracate wood work and does 90% of it on a band saw. They are much smoother, blade widths are changable and at home depot or lowes you can get an Hitachi for about 100 bucks or so.

[Temptation]

A band saw is needed in the shop as well, but is not a replacement for a scroll saw. You can not cut inside holes with a bandsaw, and in modeling we cut a lot of inside holes.

I agree with Wiz, the Dewalt is the best. I have been using it for about 7 years. I couldn't imagine owning any other scroll saw.

[wizard]

The Dremel saws, we tried three different models of the Dremel saws and didn't like any of them. The vibration made it difficult to follow the pattern well.

[JimC-MD]

	Quote: Originally Posted by micp
	I would look at a small band saw instead of a scroll saw. My dad does a lot of intracate wood work and does 90% of it on a band saw. They are much smoother, blade widths are changable and at home depot or lowes you can get an Hitachi for about 100 bucks or so.

I would tend to agree with you. I do not have a nice scroll like Wizard describes, but I have a standard Dremel scroll and a Ryobi band saw. I was able to get all but perfect hinge lines out of the band saw with a fine blade and a little care.

I tend to default to the band saw now, but find there are times when I need the scroll because the section of wood will not fit inside the area of the small band saw.

Tools, just buy them all. You know you want to. It is part of keeping your "guy card"


ADDED: Wizard, I will have to check out one of those Dewalt scrolls.

[wizard]

The thing to remember about a scroll saw, is this. All the saws will cut the heaver wood without a problem, the problem comes in when you are trying to cut thin and more delicate wood and more precise cuts. With the thin wood and precision is there the vibration will mess up the whole works. With the Dewalt saw I have cut wood as fine as veneer that was 1/40 of an inch thick. One of the items that I made that was a big seller, was wooden earrings, the wood was 3/32 thick and fine detail.

When you think about the things that you want to use a scroll saw for in regards to models, you think mostly about formers and ribs. You want to be able to make the notches for spars and stringer precise for a good fit and tight glue joint. If you are trying to do that on a saw that is vibrating badly, it just won't happen. It's like trying to thread a needle with a bad case of DTs.

[emessys]

I have a band saw.

Apparently, I either need a friend with a Dewalt Scroll Saw or I am going to have to learn first hand about the shortcomings of cheap scroll saws .

Lets see, immediate application to cut 5 formers with inside cutouts with $170 Dremel saw = $34/former.

Cut same formers with $400 Dewalt = $80/former.

Then again, $6,500 for plane.......30 flights.....= $216.66 per flight

Ira

[emessys]

	Quote: Originally Posted by wizard
	The thing to remember about a scroll saw, is this. All the saws will cut the heaver wood without a problem, ..

Maybe I should just buy a cheap Scroll Saw and use the extra money to buy a good Belt Sander.

That way I could just cut my formers out of very heavy wood, and then sand them down to the appropriate thickness.

Ira

[aviti]

	Quote: Originally Posted by emessys
	I have a band saw. Apparently, I either need a friend with a Dewalt Scroll Saw or I am going to have to learn first hand about the shortcomings of cheap scroll saws . Lets see, immediate application to cut 5 formers with inside cutouts with $170 Dremel saw = $34/former. Cut same formers with $400 Dewalt = $80/former. Then again, $6,500 for plane.......30 flights.....= $216.66 per flight Ira

Not a good way of looking at it! Good tools have extra value before you even use them the first time. Bring a hot lady into your shop and show her your new tool. You'll see what I mean.

By the way, I'm glad I read this thread because I made the mistake of first buying a cheap bandsaw. It cost me more in the long run after I upgraded to a decent one.

[emessys]

	Quote: Originally Posted by aviti
	.. Bring a hot lady into your shop and show her your new tool. You'll see what I mean. ..

The only hot lady who will be coming into my shop is the one with the credit card.

And as for my impressing her with a new tool....we wont go there.

Ira

[wizard]

	Quote: Originally Posted by aviti
	By the way, I'm glad I read this thread because I made the mistake of first buying a cheap bandsaw. It cost me more in the long run after I upgraded to a decent one.

I think that is probably the biggest point of my posts. I hate to think to how many times in the past that I bought a cheap tool, thinking that I was only going to be using it for one job. Then I would have to go out and spend the money on a good tool, either for the same project or future projects. I now just try to buy a better quality the first time and end up saving in the long run.

If I am just going to be using a tool for a single project, I try to borrow or rent the tool.