new to scroll saw

[ceeya]

hi, i am new to scroll saw and after messing around with it i can see how it can be fun and addicting. i bought the dremel (love their products) 1800 saw and so far like it but dont know what to compare it too. My question is about fretting. i can see why they call it fret because you fret that none of your work breaks off...................besides going slow, what can you do to avoid breakage? thanks

[Minnesota scroller]

Welcome ceeya,

You're going to love it here. We're just like a big happy family, most of the time. As far as avoiding breakage, all I do is move very slow and also turn the speed of the saw way down. Never get in a hurry and avoid dull blades. If the blade gets dull you have a tendency to push harder gainst the wood, and that's when oopsies happen. Some scrollers tape the top and bottom of the intricate pieces. I haven't found a need to do this. But then, I do move awfully slow. I rarely break out a piece, but it has happened a couple times. If it does, and you haven't lost the little bugger, you can take super glue and reattach it and it should hardly be noticeable. The last piece that I broke off got accidentally tossed in the garbage and I never did find it. It was such a small piece that I don't think it will even be noticed.

Come back and visit often and be sure to show off some of your work in the brag section. Ask as many questions as you like. There will always be someone there with an answer.

By the way, is ceeya your real name? If not, add it to your signature.

[ceeya]

thanks for the quick reply and welcome.....how long should i use a blade for....thanks joe

[lucky788scroller]

Your blade life will depend on many things, including the density of the wood, the speed, the style of the blade, and even the pattern you are cutting, believe it or not. Its a matter of experience really,but if you see smoke, ummm, its blade changing time. As soon as your blade seems to want to wander from the line, or twists rather then follows a turn, or you notice you are pushing with quite a bit of force, change the blade. I think we are all guilty of stretching a blade beyond its limits, and we still do, always hoping for one more hole to cut, or that last inch! Try cutting something, cut for ten minutes, then stop and change blades. If you notice a huge diffrence, then you done good, if you dont see no diffrence, try again after 15 min. eventually it will all be done just by experience. Welcome to the addicting world of scrolling! Dale

[Charlie_1]

Welcome to the Group ceeya

These guys and gals are always helpful , so ask away if ya need anything

[Mick Walker]

ceeya, welcome to the group. I find that using a blade with more t.p.i. works well for me when I am cutting very fine and intricate pieces. I usually use a 2/0, 28 t.p.i. blade on the very fine work and slow the speed down if you have that feature on your saw.
Mick Delta P-20

[ceeya]

thanks again for the fast reply......my saw has variable speed and i will take a look at which blade i have on now and make the necessary changes. you learn by your mistakes and this forum.

[sheltiecarver]

Ceeya,
If you are trying to do fret cutting on very thin stock - like 1/4" or so, you could gain some stability by stack-cutting - that is, stacking 2 or 3 layers together and cutting through all of them at one time. That way, they sort of support one another.
If you're already using thicker stuff - like wood that is called one-by anything, then you're cutting 3/4", and that is enough for now.
And remember, slow really means that you see turtles and snails galloping past.
Welcome to the family.
I hope we can continue to be helpful to you.
Sandy
PS Try to get hold of the book Scrollsaw Workbook by John Nelson. It will answer lots of your questions too.

[Bill Wilson]

Ceeya,

You can sometimes avoid weak spots in a pattern by orienting the grain of the wood so as not to create too many fragile cross grain areas. Admittedly, this is easier said than done as many patterns don't lend themselves easily to this strategy, but it is worth noting.

Also, the type of wood you use makes a difference. Soft woods like pine will snap off much easier than dense hard woods. For very thin, fragile patterns, you can use baltic birch plywood. If you are using solid wood, generally the thicker the material, the less brittle it is.

[DBONNER]

Dab

Hi, I'm another newbie. I have had my scroll saw for a couple of weeks now, and think I'm going to love it. The only problem I'm having is the aggravating bouncing up and down of my project. What am I doing wrong? I have the locking/ hold down part on it that helps some. What do I need to do.

[PeteB]

Hi, I'm another newbie. I have had my scroll saw for a couple of weeks now, and think I'm going to love it. The only problem I'm having is the aggravating bouncing up and down of my project. What am I doing wrong? I have the locking/ hold down part on it that helps some. What do I need to do.

I had that happen a few times when I started, but not too much, just inattention to keeping some pressure on the piece. It shouldn't take a death grip, though. But then again, I've never used reverse blades so can't speak for them.

Maybe try a finer blade?

Pete

[DBONNER]

Dbonner

Thanks Pete for your help. I'm not giving up. I really want to learn to make yard art most of all. I love all the holiday yard art. Thanks again.
Diane

[Mick Walker]

Diane, welcome. Most scrollers remove the hold down, it just gets in your way. Place your fingers closer to the blade to hold the wood from bouncing up and down. I am right handed and place my left index finger close to the blade and use it as a pivot point. I push and steer the wood with my right hand, if you are more comfortable with the hold down in place keep using it. Have been scrolling for over 14 years and have never cut my fingers. Maybe your are not putting enough tension on the blade. With the tension applied pluck the back of the blade like a guitar string. You should get a nice "ping" sound. Too much tension is better than not enough. Have fun with your saw.

[Rolf]

I am sure that you checked this, but make sure your blade is not in upside down.( easier to do than you realize) Also when making your turns let the blade do its job otherwise it will bind and also make your project hop.

[DBONNER]

Dbonner

Maybe I'm still a little bit nervous about getting my fingers too close. The thing is, I've done several small projects and didn't have all that bouncing around, but yesterday it seemed to be worse. I'll check the tension and see if that's my problem. I'm still very new at this and can't wait to get off work so I can go home and practice more. Thanks for the help.
Diane