Trying to narrow it down

[Catlyn]

to which saw I should get.
I am leaning towards the Excalibur....but not sure which size I should get.
Can someone explain to me how big a project you can cut on the 16, 21 and 30 inch saws?
It's probably the dumbest question ya'll have ever been confronted with......
but I can't find any information on it and would like to know so I can decide which one I want.

[evilbadger]

Catlyn

The sizes are throat depth so a 16" would cut about a 32" piece of wood 21 would do 42" and 30 would do 60" but those dimensions are only one direction you can do just about any length as long as the piece is supported properly. The 16 or 21 is usually enough saw for 99% of scrolling projects, if your planning on doing something really large then you might want the 30" saw.

[wjbclocks1]

I have a 30inch one and Iam glad I bought it ,because of the extra support it offers, and if you decide to cut a bigger item you'll havve tthe room.
Enjoy which ever one you chose,and remember we like pictures.
Happy Holidays.

[north wood clocks]

The 21 inch will do most anything you want to do. The 30 inch will probably be useful once in a while when working on a larger piece of wood. Large pieces of wood are hard to manage on the table, it is easier to work with if it is done in 2 pieces, and glued back together. I think they are both good choices, user friendly and smooth running saws, it all comes down to your ecconomics. Either way you should enjoy your hobby.
Norman

[Catlyn]

Thanks for your replies.
With those figures, then I think I'm leaning towards the 16 inch.
Economics is playing into this, also.
I recently went back to work to pay for this bill I've created on improving the workshop and to get the saw.
But I'm not happy on this job at all and I don't think I can stay there very long.
I had some other things besides the shop and saw I wanted to do but I think I'm going to do well to stay long enough to pay for the shop work and get the saw.
I just don't want to work anymore, I guess. I have been retired for a year and I suppose I've gotten used to that.

[fireglass]

Catlyn, Glad to hear you well soon be getting a saw,I think you'll love the 16" as it well do most everything you want to do. Lance

[Catlyn]

Catlyn, Glad to hear you well soon be getting a saw,I think you'll love the 16" as it well do most everything you want to do. Lance

Thanks! I can't wait. I have some days off coming up so I plan on doing some finish work in the shop and trying to get my things back in there. It may be awhile yet before I order the saw....but I am getting closer and closer.

[scrollerpete]

You will not regret going for the 16" I have one and I cannot stay away from it.

[Northerner]

i have an excalibur 21 but have never come close to needing all of the table. so depending on what you want to make you can probably get by with a 16? last january woodcraft had the 16 on sale cheap so maybe they might run the sale again in a month or two?
good luck!

[Xray]

I went with the 16", for economics, and also to conserve work space on a cluttered work bench.
There have been a few times when the extra space would have come in handy, but not near enough to make me regret getting the smaller model.
"Small" is relative, not like its dinky. Weighs 60 lbs or so.

[sawdust11703]

I think something should be clarified here. I have the EX 21 and there is no possible way to cut something thats 42 inches! Catlyn, if you use flat blades, the biggest item you can cut has everything to do with the throat of the saw. So an EX 16 will only allow you to cut something 16 inches long. Anything longer than that, once you start to cut areas towards the ends of the wood, as you turn it, it will hit the back of the saw. Of course if you use spiral blades for everything, then those dimensions can be anything as long as the item is supported properly. For me, there have been several items I have cut where a 16" would give me a problem cutting them. I would go with the 21" personally if you can swing it.

[Catlyn]

Well, I was wondering about that....but I don't have a scrollsaw and very little experience with one, many years ago on a dinky sears saw, so I didn't know if you could cut twice the throat depth or not.
It seems like twice the dept of the throat and I might not be able to be close enough to see what I'm doing.

Maybe the 21 would be better. It would give a few more inches of cutting depth wouldn't it?

I think something should be clarified here. I have the EX 21 and there is no possible way to cut something thats 42 inches! Catlyn, if you use flat blades, the biggest item you can cut has everything to do with the throat of the saw. So an EX 16 will only allow you to cut something 16 inches long. Anything longer than that, once you start to cut areas towards the ends of the wood, as you turn it, it will hit the back of the saw. Of course if you use spiral blades for everything, then those dimensions can be anything as long as the item is supported properly. For me, there have been several items I have cut where a 16" would give me a problem cutting them. I would go with the 21" personally if you can swing it.

[Terry Jay]

Hi Catlyn:
I started on a Hitachi 16". A very good saw. I went to the EX 21 in part due to size limits. If everything is 8x10 a 16" saw is wonderful. I have patterns for welcome signs and such and found that I could only make the cuts on the outer edges by reversing the blade and other goofy things. It all depends on what you will be doing. And if you will permit me, right now you really don't know because you have not done it and you will be surprised at the things you find really fun and exciting, but you have not yet had the exposure to figure out what they are. I'm quite grateful for the time I had on the Hitachi and what it exposed me to. Really helped a lot in the final decision.
Best wishes.
Terry

[Catlyn]

Very true. What little experience I have on a scrollsaw is way back there on a dinky little ole sears saw that didn't last til the water got hot. I know I'm not going to make that mistake again.
I also know I want a scroll saw because there are many things a scrollsaw can do that a bandsaw cannot. I have a bandsaw. But I want to try some intarsia and some fretwork. I love the look of both of those kinds of work.

Hi Catlyn:
I started on a Hitachi 16". A very good saw. I went to the EX 21 in part due to size limits. If everything is 8x10 a 16" saw is wonderful. I have patterns for welcome signs and such and found that I could only make the cuts on the outer edges by reversing the blade and other goofy things. It all depends on what you will be doing. And if you will permit me, right now you really don't know because you have not done it and you will be surprised at the things you find really fun and exciting, but you have not yet had the exposure to figure out what they are. I'm quite grateful for the time I had on the Hitachi and what it exposed me to. Really helped a lot in the final decision.
Best wishes.
Terry

[sawdust11703]

Catlyn, The only possible way to cut anything longer than the depth of the throat is by using spiral blades. Spiral blades enable you to move the wood in any direction without having to turn the wood. There are drawbacks to using spirals and I would recommend not becoming dependant on them. Learn this hobby using flat blades. Down the road you will be glad you did.

In regards to what size saw to get, I'd say go with the 21" if you can afford it. The way I look at it, I'd rather have a few inches to spare than not enough to do some projects. Starting off you will probably cut small items and be good with a smaller saw for awhile. But as you get better and advance in this hobby, you will start to do larger and more complex things. Why limit yourself? Personally I find the EX30 to be way to big. When you start getting to cutting large pieces of wood, it becomes increasingly difficult to see what you're doing and to control the turns of the wood, especially if you're cutting something fairly intricate. There have been times on my EX 21 where the pattern I was cutting was so big that as I turned the wood, I had to slide back in my chair, suck my stomach in and lean over trying to see where I was going. A very difficult task.