Great advice from everyone thus far.
Adding an optional safety measure, you can (and I did!) get a foot-pedal power switch. This works in addition to the built-in switch, and is good both for convenience and an extra way (lifting your foot) to turn the power off without having to use one of your hands. The one downside is that you can now forget to turn off the saw's power switch, and accidentally step on the pedal -- so the strict safety protocol is to always switch off the saw's power switch whenever adjusting or changing blades etc.
Beginner friendly: yes! You can start with inexpensive & thin plywood, and work your way up to thicker plywood or harder woods. There are lots of scroll sites & templates out there (and this forum is great for inspiration). I use the opensource software Inkscape to create custom vector designs -- it's pretty good, and similar to Illustrator but free. Creating your own designs is optional, but can make for great custom / personalized gifts and decorations.
Definitely recommend getting a set of blades and changing once they get dull or bent. Sharp & fresh blades cut much easier and are just a few $ each when in a pack.
FYI, the foot pedal I got was the "MLCS 9080 Billy Pedal Foot Switch, Deadman Style", for around $20.
No, its different. I think the model I'm looking at has a deeper throat. Heres the link to the FB post I ended up getting it for $350.00, and am picking it up tomorrow.
thanks peeps. i do usually like buying used stuff, but i haven't been able to find anything on craigslist or other sites. great advice from everyone here - thanks!
anyway, i found another $10 off code at retailmenot so it ended up being only $80. plus i got $10 credit by signing up for some rewards thing, so i can buy some other blades too for free-ish.
thanks reddit. i'll post some projects (if i ever get around to them). you folks are an inspiration for helping and sharing with a complete stranger.
Thanks! I’m kinda new at this. Toyed with the idea of the sanding ‘blades’ for scroll saws but I haven’t seen anybody say anything great about those, so I’ve been trying out dremel bits myself. I too have had some luck with the stone type bits as well as flap wheels and and some of the offbrand finishing bits made of weird materials (100PCS Polishing Buffing Wheels Grinding Bits Set Shank Wool | Sesame | Rubber | Jade | Cowhide Abrasive Rotary Tools for Application - 1/8 Inch Shank https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CZ6PJ5G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_Z3o.FbN81GSTJ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1) but really I haven’t come across anything I love yet.
I did the variety pack from amazon - Flying Dutchman reverse tooth, makes clean cuts top and bottom.
Six Dozen Ultra Reverse Tooth... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013WHO026?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
You may want to post as a thread, there’s some serious detail talent in here that may have another sugggestion!
I use a deadman switch and for a magnifying lamp I use this one cheap and is well built.
Yeah the hair on the brush would be made out of something like nylon. think the brush you linked is horsehair, this is the brush I use: 2" Purdy 144152320 XL Glide Angled Sash Paint Brush, Tynex Orel https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00002N8Z1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_A9096A9AS4KP7VN68QVB
I started using satin poly pretty much purely because like you I wanted a shiny finish and I happened to have a can on the shelf. It’s worked well so far and I haven’t ran out so I haven’t tried anything else. But I’ve heard lacquer and shellac are popular too
Where to get wood is the only part I may be able to help with on this. Without a bandsaw your options are going to be a bit limited.
You can go to your local hardwood supplier and have them resaw for you. In 1/8 or 1/4 thickness. Locally for me mill work is about $45 an hour. They should easily be able to mill and plane/drum sand an 8/4 x 6,8,10” by 10’ board in an hour. This will be a good bit of stock for you to start with. If you buy a lighter wood (maple or ash) you could get your color scheme with wood dye (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chestnut-SSR-Spirit-Rainbow-Colours/dp/B005QODMKU) until you have enough stock that you can use different woods for your colors. Next time by cherry, then walnut, Padauk, Wenge etc
Another option would be to resaw on a tablesaw. The issue here is you loose a lot of wood to waste and of course you will be severely limited in board width.
You can buy veneer in variety packs and veneer over 1/4” ply. I really don’t know how this would end up looking but with some careful sanding it could work…I think, maybe
The last option would be to find a local woodworking club and see if anyone there would mill for you cheaper than the supplier. This doesn’t seem very likely but it could be a viable option
Thanks. I mounted a flexible drum to an old Ait conditioner fan motor I have. It’s all welded to an old umbrella stand base I found by the street. I’m not near my shop now, but I’ll snap a few pics later and share. I’ll send the link for the drum kit. Works very well.
FLEX DRUM KIT https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002IXQ4W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_C7DX8HDBGEA2QY82WZ16?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Well asking which blades people prefer is like asking which car brand people like. Everyone has a preference. Most places sell a variety style pack, so you can try different sizes. I’m not sure if you’re in the US, but I’ll dig up some links for you. You can get into all kinds of trickery with skip tooth, reverse skip tooth, modified geometry, metal cutting, spiral, and others. And their are a few brands I guess most use, like Pegasus, Olson, and Flying Dutchman. Some people will swear one over the other. I personally use a #5 for almost all of my stuff. But I still have a few smaller ones that haven’t been touched in like 4 years sigh. But yeah each one does different things, so I say buy a sample pack and experiment. And change them often. You should never be pushing the wood hard against the blade.
https://www.bearwood.com/scroll-saw-blades-modified-geometry.html
You can convert a photo into a template. Have a look on YouTube, there are a couple of good tutorials. I managed to do a portrait of the wife using GIMP and a bit of trial and error.
SO I picked up a 60 grit diamond blade. It cuts the 1/8" fiberglass well. It's not very quick, but it got the job done, and it didn't wear out. I can't even feel a difference in the roughness after cutting - after an inch, my metal blades didn't have teeth left :D
This is the blade I used. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0058EDVAO
Have plans for cutting a rc car chassis with this. Maybe 3/16"
Something like this? Once Im done cutting, how do you remove the rest of the paper? Not sure if it peels off, or if you have to soak it perhaps?
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Just a light socket with a candelabra (small) base plus a lamp cord, which you should be able to get from any hardware store.
I went with a low wattage bulb because I didn't want to generate too much heat in close proximity to the paper backing.
Something like this
Awesome!! Same with me....my wife bought it for me last year and what a nice saw indeed.....if I can suggest you get SC Johnson Paste wax for your work area....this keeps it clean and super smooth....it also protects it....here is a link on Amazon amazon.com/SC-Johnson-Paste-Wax-1lb/dp/B0000DIWIM
Best of luck and Happy Holidays!!
You might try this. If you want to design your own and need gears, the drawing program “Inkscape” has a gear component that really works well. It’s a free drawing program. Just google it and download. If you google drawing gears in Inkscape you can find tutorials. I wasn’t able to find much else in the way of designing or plans. Hope this helps.
I’m just starting myself but am happy enough with my Ryobi. I’d love a pro one but this does me for now
Someone put me onto Pegas Modified Geometry #3 blades and I love them. No sanding after cutting.
For beginner patterns, well Steve Good is awesome. I am also working through this dragon puzzle book. They’re cool and easy https://www.amazon.com/Fantasy-Legend-Scroll-Saw-Puzzles/dp/1565232569
I have only been using a scrollsaw for 1 year now. I have experimented with a few styles of blades, certainly not all those that are available. But so far these seem to work the best for me. Note that I do not like the spiral blades. yes they do allow you to avoid rotation of the work piece but in my (limited) experience they also have a tendency to wonder off track too easily.
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My grandfather said to get something like this to save your vacuum. He has a full size Delta one but these work for smaller things. His is whole shop.
Dust Right® Dust Separator https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AHGJC8S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_nAEBAbPQGD4VH
You're doing it right (there are, as you see, a lot of opinions on how to set your patterns). But like someone else mentioned is wiping the wood down, I even give it a light sanding sometimes. Also the brand of blue painters tape can play a role (I have no clue what I use but I know one roll sticks better than another). That said I'd say that sometimes with the best pattern prep what your describing just happens. Also my first saw was a cheaper Porter Cable that vibrated quit bad at certain speeds and the pattern seemed to peel up more often. Since switching to a Dewalt I have had way less issue (because really the saw shouldn't be vibrating a ton).
Like I mentioned everyone's got a method, so a few other things to try (and I switch between some of these depending on the project): * Trace the pattern on (using a projector or graphite paper)
Use scroll saw tape - I like this stuff for simpler projects or when I really don't want to mess with spray adhesive. I'm pretty happy with it but it can get pricey so that's why I don't use it more.
Try contact paper instead of blue painters tape (contact paper, then spray adhesive, then pattern)
And some folks just spray adhesive the pattern straight to the wood but I think that's a nightmare to get it back off.
I've been really happy with my DeWalt. Granted, I upgraded to that from a low-end Craftsman so almost anything would seem like an upgrade. The only complaint I have is the arm doesn't stay lifted on it's own when changing blades so it can be awkward to manage doing a lot of fretwork. You can buy one of these things to help keep the arm lifted.
This. And when I do intricate things, I use an acid brush.
I'm by no means am expert, but 3/4" material sounds way too thick for a scroll saw.
Edit: A five second Google search not only proves me wrong, but revealed these:
Scroll Saw Blades for Thick Wood, 12-Pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001G9POE6/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_nUqzwbANHWVNT
I put this on my tables. Though, the only reason I put it on my scroll saw is so the wood slides better. The table on my Hawk is aluminum.
I glue mine to the backing, normally. But that would be hard if you oiled the Walnut already.
As for hanging it, have you thought of a picture hanger? Maybe like one of these? Probably won't need 100 of them though.
I could see using something like this. Not exactly sure how you'd mount this in the bottom, but I like the idea that it has a switch in-line with the plug.
Try using maybe a #9 blade. you can get some pretty sharp turns, still. And I don't think I could break one if I tried...
Also, if you use a reverse tooth blade (2 down and one up) then that one up will clean the bottom of the cut. Less tearout. BUT... It grabs the wood and will make it jump.
Do you use the foot on the wood when cutting?
Was this the saw that you got? Might have gone up in price, unless you were talking in USD.
There's a Rockwell saw that I linked in another post. No stand, but $150 CAD. I suppose I could clamp it to a workbench, but I don't know what kind of difference a stand makes.