Scroll saw or Band saw?????????????

[Guest]

Hello, I'm farely new to 'carving in the round' and i was interested in buying either a band saw or a scroll saw, but i dont know which one to get. What i really need is a machine that will cut away the excess wood from the block I would be starting with. I also thought about one of those RotoZip's you used to see on the infommercials, know you can get them at Lowe's and such. Any suggestions would help me, thanks

[AlArchie]

Re: Scroll saw or Band saw?????????????

I'd go with the bandsaw, and if you can afford it, get a floor model, with at least a 12' throat, and six inch rise. You can use heavy blades for roughing out and 1/8' blades for scroll type work. You can do some fine work with a bandsaw, but will be hard pressed to do heavy removal with a scroll saw.

Al

[Kenny_S]

Re: Scroll saw or Band saw?????????????

Each one has their own applications. I use both the band saw and scroll saw, depending on how big the piece is. A bandsaw is a little clumsy to use in cutting out small pieces like ones use for pins or magnets . A rotozip for carving. Never thought of using one. I have used it in the house and around the shop, but not for carving.

[Guest]

Re: Scroll saw or Band saw?????????????

let's see I have a Rotozip and its good for a lot of things, but not cutting out roughouts! I also have a scrollsaw and a bandsaw but if I were to advise you I would suggest getting the Grizzly 14' bandsaw. It comes with a stand and has the automatic tension release and I believe the price is $300.00 and something, not sure there...that is an excellent price and the tension release is a big help and it is a good saw from what I hear....there! My .02 worth!

[Guest]

Re: Scroll saw or Band saw?????????????

Sorry, this thing won't let me amend my post!! I forgot that the Grizzly also comes with theT-Square and the Fence....I had to buy mine separate for my Ridgid!

[nwar]

Re: Scroll saw or Band saw?????????????

Thanks for the good suggestions guys, Let me just clarify the throat of the band saw is the gap between blade and the back of the saw, and the rise is the gap between the top of the blade and the table right?

[Guest]

Re: Scroll saw or Band saw?????????????

right! but you can also get a riser block for most if not all 14' saws to increase the height you can cut..

[plain_ol_ed]

Re: Scroll saw or Band saw?????????????

Band saw - the bigger the better. No matter how big you get, sometime or another your gonna wish it was bigger.

[KimHoJo]

Re: Scroll saw or Band saw?????????????

Funny that this question was posted... I logged on tonight to ask the same question.

I was leaning more towards a scroll saw, but I also want to use it for basswood roughouts. The largest carving I've done was 12' x 6' x 3' and I don't anticipate doing anything larger than this. How limited would I been in using a scroll saw for this? Could it handle wood in these dimensions? And if so, what features should I look for in this equipment?

[capn_crunch]

Re: Scroll saw or Band saw?????????????

You'll only be able to do 2 inch stock under that scroll saw. If you do bigger items than that, spend the bucks and buy the bandsaw. I started with a scroll saw for the first couple of years of cutting my own and have moved up to the bandsaw and love what I can do with it and the ability to do larger items.

The Capn

[plain_ol_ed]

Re: Scroll saw or Band saw?????????????

Yup! To Capn_Crunch.

[mdallensr]

Re: Scroll saw or Band saw?????????????

These are two different tools for different purposes. You can't do blind holes or fret-work with a band saw, and you can't do sizable cut outs or rough outs with a scroll saw. Even though you can cut 2' material with a scroll saw, you'll soon be looking for a better way to handle anything that thick. Most scroll-sawers are doing real thin stock for decorative and seasonal items, and some are doing some 3/4' stock for signs and yard toys, but most of the heavier stuff that has no blind holes is much easier to do on a band saw. I have both saws and only occasionally use them interchangeably. I'm making a lot of love spoons, and my current design has 13 blind holes in each of 15 spoons. I'd never get up the gumption to cut those all by hand with a coping saw. I cut out the spoon blanks with my band saw, something I could do with the scroll saw but the band saw is much faster.