As seen by your many replies you have done a great service for new scrollers. Despite the negative comment on your video, and as a better than average scroller, I have to say you showed a lot of potential scrollers what to expect and some limits to the cheaper pinned in saws. To many people think they can buy a pinned scroll saw and do fretwork. To do midsized projects where you do not have to turn very small radius's that saw will get you started on life long hobby. Again, buy what you can afford and get started. Best of luck! Mike.
You have helped me to use all of my tools! I have the Harbor Freight scroll saw and just got a Blade Runner. When I used my scroll saw, the table kept tilting and I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong. I clearly missed the instructions and on your comparison video about the blade runner, you turned the knob to keep your scroll saw table from tilting and I was like "Of course there's a knob to stop the table from moving, how did I miss that!!" I watched the video to see what else I was missing! Thanks for taking the time out to do these videos!
For most simple cuts, jack the speed up high. Makes for a smoother cut. Very few cuts will require a slow blade, such as a very soft wood with a very high tpi blade.
You're welcome for the video. My saw is several years old; do the new saws use both pin end and pinless blades? To use pinless blades on my saw, I had to purchase new blade clamps ( ua-cam.com/video/W83TllFnMgs/v-deo.html ). Also, I have several other videos with the scroll saw; here's a link to a playlist: ua-cam.com/play/PLGCBwUeR2BD0uF74gOBR3Lh0Mi9hNnA-x.html Enjoy the saw! Scroll saws are very versatile and can be used to make all kinds of projects! Thanks for your comment and for watching.
Ive got clone of this. Good to know it's not just mine that sounds beasty and jumpy out of box. I used old bandsaw blade trick and applied a sharpening stone to back and slightly to the side while on without touching teeth to dress the blade.
Thanks for your comment and for watching my video. I haven't had to do the sharpening stone trick yet. If your are interested, I do have a playlist of my other scroll saw related videos. Here's the link: ua-cam.com/play/PLGCBwUeR2BD0uF74gOBR3Lh0Mi9hNnA-x.html . I think maybe you'd be interested in the 7-point star project. That one was fun to do and had some challenges.
This is a reciprocating saw NOT a circular saw. Why do I say that? Essentially a circular saw pushes the wood one way; a reciprocating saw on the other hand pulls the wood down and then pushes it back up. There are three things you need to do to improve the cut you are making. First, speed the motion of the blade to what would be the correct speed for the cut. (No, I can't say exactly what that speed is, but if you take a look at a radial arm saw, there usually is a table that says how fast to pull the saw thru what hardness/softness of wood. My radial arm saw actually has an adjustment which controls the speed across the table that you can pull the saw.) Second, make sure you hold the work tightly against the table. This will not only improve the cut you make, but it will reduce the "tear out" you get. Just like its handheld brothers, if you don't hold the "foot" (in this case table) tight to the work, the saw will jerk you around all over the place with very little work actually being done. (I have a router table that is capable of holding a sabre saw inverted. The only difference between that table with a sabre saw inverted and a scroll saw is (mostly) the size of the blade (width mostly, but length as well) which determines the minimum radius of the cuts it can make. PS - it is NOT worth taking the router out of the table and putting the sabre saw in it. Toooooo much work involved - mostly in getting the router back into the table correctly!) Third, change the "pitch" (blades per inch) of the saw. This will do several things. The more blades per inch, the finer the cut -- the wood between the top and bottom of the piece being cut will feel smoother (more like a file cut it than a saw blaid.) Also, because you are making a "finer" cut, the tear out will be less. (Holding the wood tightly against the work table will have more effect on how much tear out you get, but a finer blade will also prevent it as well.
Thanks Michael. I'm happy to report that my skills with a scroll saw have greatly improved from when I made this video. In fact, in a recent video, I changed out the blade holders so that I could use plain end as well as pin end blades. Thanks for your comments and suggestions and for watching. Look for more scroll saw videos from me in the near future.
I have found that getting rid of the foot and using your fingers pressing down hard near the cut makes for better control. But Im sure you will have figured that out by now.
Yes, I stopped using the foot after gaining some experience using the scroll saw. I now use my fingers as you suggested but also found using small blocks of scrap wood useful. In this video: ua-cam.com/video/xcVIpRYhA80/v-deo.html starting at about the 6 minute mark, you can see what I mean. Thanks for your comment and for watching.
A reverse tooth blade reduces tear out quite a bit. Also the harder the wood the slower it will cut. I think you would be happy with reverse tooth blades. You don't need the hold down foot. I take them off. Good video.
The Foot there is for safety. So you dont accidentally push your hand or fingers into the blade. Do you really need to be told that. If so, you probably shouldnt be using the saw.
It has been quite a while since I made this video. I still have and use the same saw only with different blade clamps. I also don't use the foot. Thanks for your comment and for watching.
Thanks for your comment. I have never tried using the eraser end of a pencil as a push stick, but I'll have to try that some time when cutting very small parts. All of the parts I've cut so far are big enough to allow me to keep my finger tips at least 1" away from the blade while cutting. This feels safe to me, but everyone is responsible for their own safety. When I needed to use a pushstick, I tend to use a scrap piece that is the same thickness as my workpiece. Good luck, have fun, stay safe, and thanks for watching.
The saw did quite well with the new blade installed; what was the TPI on the second blade? I think this saw certainly serves a purpose and will be a good introdtion to scrollsawing for the newbies. As I told you in my post in your other video, my main concern is with the clamps holding the blades and how fiddly it is to load the pinless blade when internal cutting on thicker timbers but nevertheless I can see it as a useful saw on the thinner materials and as you demonstrate it is capable of cutting thicker timber albeit would be a frustrating job threading a pinless blade through the thicker stuff. The more expensive machines have much easier quick release blade holding clamps but they do come at a premium price. The clone machine of the one you demonstrate here on mine only has grub screws to hold the pinless blades which was very fiddly and frustrating so I changed the grub screws for thumb screws which has made it a lot better and easier to change the blades. Trying to install the blades using the grub screw wrench was very tricky and the thumb screws have helped a lot to make the pinless blade changing much easier.If anyone has this saw or a clone and it has grub screws to hold the pinless blade; I suggest strongly changing the grub screws out and replace them with thumb screws. On mine the screws are M5 so probably the same on all of the clone models.Thanks again for the video it is most informative.
Thanks for your follow-up comment John. I agree that "good" blade holders on a scroll saw can make the difference between enjoying or feeling frustrated while using the saw. The first scroll saw I bought is a "nicer" more expensive saw (I bought it used) and at a time when I didn't know anything about scroll saws. I very quickly got frustrated with the blade holders; so much so that I gave up using the saw and put it aside. I bought the saw you see in the video months and months later (I bought this one used as well) because I wanted to see if this saw was less frustrating to use. Much to my surprise and after some trial and error (lots of errors!), I learned to cut using this 2nd saw (and made video #11 that you watched). I think I was successful with this saw because it used pin end blades which I think are much easier to get started with as a brand new scroller. As I was learning more about scrolling (by watching a lot of UA-cam videos) I decided I wanted to try pinless spiral blades. That required me to upgrade the blade holders on this 2nd saw, so after some searching, I found some blades holders I thought might be good to try, bought them, installed them ( ua-cam.com/video/W83TllFnMgs/v-deo.html , ua-cam.com/video/phlTMNvvUXQ/v-deo.html ), liked them, and then tried spiral blades ( ua-cam.com/video/NVUfa8sS3Pw/v-deo.html ). I have since tried several other blade profiles and it has been great fun experimenting and learning. I have considered buying a more premium model saw. I looked at the DW788 many times but haven't bought one yet. I've looked at a few other models as well but have not pulled the trigger yet. I will probably go back to my first saw and try and upgrade the blade holders. Hopefully, I can get to a place where I'd enjoy using the saw.
Fair question. Please keep in mind that this video was demonstrating how to cut various kinds of wood using a scroll saw. I purposely wanted to show the difference between cutting with a dull blade vs. a new, sharp blade. I think the video succeeds at showing the difference. Hopefully, this answers your question. Thanks for your question and for watching.
Thank you for answering. I went back and I got a Porter. Cable brand, I like it, but stills jumping a bit. The wood that I use is cedarwood 3/4 inches, I don't do to many different cuts, but I noticed that the blade has very small teeth. Which one do you would use for this wood?
Thanks for your question. Honestly, I have not done that much scroll saw work. My recent projects have used the table saw to make the cuts. However, I recommend trying a few different blades. I suggest going to www.olsonsaw.net and looking thru their scroll saw blade comparison chart. You can purchase Olson blades (as well as blades from other manufacturers) from Amazon. There is a lot of great information available for free on the internet. There are also some great scroll saw folks that have extensive channels on UA-cam. Some time spent there will undoubtedly provide some guidance. I hope this helps.
I just got one of these cheap scroll saws- I'm having a HUGE problem with EXCESSIVE vibration. It's so bad that no matter how much I tighten down the foot, it ends up loosening up. And there's no way I'd be strong enough to hold down the piece of wood if I took the foot off! Any suggestions? Several years ago I had gotten a cheap scroll saw from Lowes, and it was MUCH better than this one, until it quit working (I DID always hav ea problem with the tensioning knob on that one, but there was almost NO vibration, and I didn't have it bolted down). I don't do intricate work, so I don't need an expensive saw, just something to rough cut small pieces of pine for my whittling.
Hi Connie. When your turn on the saw (with a blade installed and at the correct tension) and you are not cutting anything, does the saw still vibrate? If your saw is variable speed, is the vibration different at different speeds? If so, it sounds like your saw might be out of balance. If you bought the saw brand new, then I recommend returning it. If you got the saw used, check with the manufacturer (if possible) to see what can be done to repair it. If the vibration only occurs while you are cutting, then try a different blade. A blade with more teeth per inch (TPI) should make the workpiece more stable (and not jump as much). When I first started using the scroll saw, I often used the foot to help keep the workpiece more stable (by preventing it from jumping). But after gaining some experience by cutting different kinds of wood and trying out different kinds of blades, now I don't use the foot at all. I hope this helps. Please feel free to post here again with any further comments or questions. Thanks for your comment and for watching.
@@ImaginethenMake No, it doesn't vibrate when it isn't actually cutting. I did change the blade, and it helped a little, but it takes too long to cut through thicker pieces with a smaller blade. I tried all different speeds, and it's definitely worse at higher speeds. But I took the side piece off, and watched it running with nothing in it, and I noticed that it kind of jumps or skips every few strokes. So that's what makes the wood jump, and causes the vibration because I can't hold it steady. I think maybe I should return it, because I think there's something wrong with it.
@@ImaginethenMake I'm definitely returning it. I oiled it like they said, thinking that might help, but now it vibrates MUCH worse and is incredibly loud when it's just running with no wood!
I believe that it can cut thin, soft metal with the correct blade. I have only cut wood. A quick search on UA-cam gave me this; start here and good luck: ua-cam.com/video/04b4-Fi6oo0/v-deo.html . Thanks for your question and for watching.
Jack the speed up and be a bit more aggressive on holding your piece down.Is the scroll saw bolted down????May want to do that .Keep the saw dust flowing .Thx for the vid.The blade type and number effects your tear out .
No, the saw isn't bolted down. I'm planning to throw together a quick 2x4 with plywood stand and bolt it down to that. I'm still working out the right blade speed for clean cutting. I need to start using packing tape over the patterns also.
Thanks. Be sure to check out my scroll saw playlist if you haven't already ( ua-cam.com/play/PLGCBwUeR2BD0uF74gOBR3Lh0Mi9hNnA-x.html ). I plan to add more videos to this playlist in the coming months. Thanks for your comment and for watching.
I see you have a few Harbor Freight Tools. By chance do you own the Mini Grinder? or the Flex Shaft Rotary Tool? I like my basic Mini Grinder and I will be making a simple 3D Printed accessory for it today probably. I also have the HF Rotary tool and I purchased a neat little Drill Press Stand that I have also made an add on for. BTW: I don't mean to start asking you a lot of questions.:-)
TheWindGinProject Ask as many questions as you like, it's fine. No, I don't have the HF rotary tool. I'll have to look for it the next time I'm in the store.
OK, The Rotary tool is very similar to the Foredom Flex Shaft Tool. A favorite tool for jewelers and carvers. The Mini Grinder is a very practical tool for a low cost. They have 2 versions but I like the cheaper version without the flex shaft connection. I plan on making / 3D Printing 2 super thin sleds for the small tables so that you can slide for example a screw held by pliers back and forth with little effort and also have more accuracy. It came to me because I was just bragging about the cross cut sled for the Blade Runner. I did a quick experiment without even thinking that it was the same as a table saw sled. It worked perfectly. :-) HF has a 25% coupon for July 4th - 8th I think. Just copy a photo of it and show it on checkout. I guess you know that they offer freebies like magnetic tool holders, batteries and etc. I have the coupons if you can't find the free ones.
Agreed. I've learned quite a bit about scrolling since making this video. Thanks for your comment and for watching. Feel free to check out my scroll saw playlist on my channel to see what else I've doing using the scroll saw.
I just replaced my very old scroll saw, and when I used it the wood star jumping. I followed all the instructions, I looked into different videos and not to info regarding the jumping. Can some one help me. Thanks
Thanks for your comment. I suggest you try some different blades. There are many to choose from. The correct blade will make all of the difference. The correct blade will depend on what you are cutting and the kind of cuts you want to make. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching.
Check to see if blade teeth point downward. Blade upside down causes jumping. I find that skip-tooth blades also can help with jumping. Thick woods sometimes jump because blade is for thinner wood. I use a number 7 to number 9 for thick woods. I find that precision ground blades can also improve cutting in several ways.
Sorry for the late reply. It has been quite a while since I made this video so I now have more experience with the saw. I agree, skip tooth blades cut nicely. I haven't tried the precision ground blades yet. Thanks for your comment and for watching.
I'll have to remember to bring a tuner down to the garage and measure what note I tend to tighten the blade to......then I'll try to remember to post it here. Thanks for your comment and for watching.
Hi Bruce. I was definitely a newbie to scrolling when I made this video. I no longer use the hold down foot and use primarily plain end blades now. You can see more of what I'm doing using the scroll saw by checking out my scroll saw playlist. Thanks for your comment and for watching.
Very good question! I'm assuming you are asking about the scroll saw blade I used. If you look at the video around 15:03, you'll see me show you the package of blades I bought from Harbor Freight ( www.harborfreight.com/6-piece-5-inch-scroll-saw-blades-9591.html ). All of the blades in this pack are pin end blades (NOT pin less). I believe I was using the blade that has 10 teeth per inch (the coarsest blade in the pack). Thanks for your question and for watching.
Hi Randy. I made this video a very long time ago when I was first starting to use this saw. I was trying to demonstrate some simple cuts on various scrap materials to show others new to scrolling what a newbie (me) could do. The good news is that I have progressed from that point. I no longer use the foot. I made myself a zero clearance table insert ( ua-cam.com/video/jx60VYTmIfI/v-deo.html ) , have replaced the stock blade clamps with new ones that can accept pinless blades ( ua-cam.com/video/W83TllFnMgs/v-deo.html ), and have tried several different kinds of blades (here's one example: ua-cam.com/video/mI0Aicqs1xI/v-deo.html ). Thanks for your comment and for watching.
The pinned blades use small pins on each end of the blade to mount the blade into the saw. If you look real closely at about the 17:00 mark in the video, you can just barely see the pins (they are very small). Unpinned (also called plain end) blades don't have these pins; the end of the blade is flat. Pinned blades tend to be larger (the front to back dimension of the blade is bigger) than plain end blades. Larger blades tend to have fewer teeth per inch which allows for a faster cut especially through thicker material. Plain end blades tend to be smaller (front to back dimension), have more teeth per inch, and are used to make more detailed and delicate cuts. One of the advantages of using a scroll saw (which I did not show in this video) is being able to make inside cuts (cutting a piece out from the middle of your piece without cutting through the sides). To start the cut, a small hole is drilled, the blade fed through the hole, and then mounted and tensioned. Pin end blades require larger holes than plain end blades. In the previous video I made about this saw (here's the link: ua-cam.com/video/niSinuF_tdA/v-deo.html ), at about 10:07, there is a close-up of the pin end blade. Thanks for watching.
spend some time watching scroll saw videos on UA-cam. learn about and utilize a zero clearance board on the saw as it will greatly increase your cutting and reduce tear out, as it wears a larger opening just replace. throw the blades away that came with the saw and buy Dutchman or Olsen blades. Do not cut particle board with wood cutting blades, the glue eats up the points. The others are giving tips on speeding up the motor and holding down tighter. Keep the blade tension tight as the blades do stretch.
I started years ago with a 16 inch sears and loved it but realized I could not do what the pro's where doing. I made hundreds of usable items and enjoyed it. 3 years ago I bought another Sears the same and did fair job for lots of things. A year ago I bought a Dewalt 20 inch 588 model and love it. Night and day difference. No doubt one of the $1500 jewels would be great. Save your money if you enjoy your saw and then upgrade to what you can afford. It is well worth the money as I now can do so much more with pin-less blades and a solid saw and great accessories.
Hi Robert. What makes you say that? I agree that it is a low end saw and there are many better saws, but for the price, I think it is a decent beginner saw. Thanks for your comment and for watching.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #1 НАЧАЛО ПУТЕШЕСТВИЯ [Новый сезон] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/380Q7gLWGvk/mqdefault.jpg)
As seen by your many replies you have done a great service for new scrollers. Despite the negative comment on your video, and as a better than average scroller, I have to say you showed a lot of potential scrollers what to expect and some limits to the cheaper pinned in saws. To many people think they can buy a pinned scroll saw and do fretwork. To do midsized projects where you do not have to turn very small radius's that saw will get you started on life long hobby. Again, buy what you can afford and get started. Best of luck! Mike.
Thanks for your comment and for watching. I'm planning to do more videos with the scroll saw very soon.
You have helped me to use all of my tools! I have the Harbor Freight scroll saw and just got a Blade Runner. When I used my scroll saw, the table kept tilting and I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong. I clearly missed the instructions and on your comparison video about the blade runner, you turned the knob to keep your scroll saw table from tilting and I was like "Of course there's a knob to stop the table from moving, how did I miss that!!" I watched the video to see what else I was missing! Thanks for taking the time out to do these videos!
You're welcome. I'm glad my videos are helpful. Thanks for your comment and for watching.
This is exactly the video I was looking for. Thank you!
Great! I'm glad you liked it! What other kinds of scroll saw videos would help you?
Thanks for your comment and for watching.
For most simple cuts, jack the speed up high. Makes for a smoother cut. Very few cuts will require a slow blade, such as a very soft wood with a very high tpi blade.
Dan Limbach Thanks for the tip and for watching.
Thanks for this video. Got mine for Christmas and wanted to check out some quick tips. Way to go!
You're welcome for the video. My saw is several years old; do the new saws use both pin end and pinless blades? To use pinless blades on my saw, I had to purchase new blade clamps ( ua-cam.com/video/W83TllFnMgs/v-deo.html ).
Also, I have several other videos with the scroll saw; here's a link to a playlist: ua-cam.com/play/PLGCBwUeR2BD0uF74gOBR3Lh0Mi9hNnA-x.html
Enjoy the saw! Scroll saws are very versatile and can be used to make all kinds of projects!
Thanks for your comment and for watching.
Thanks for the tutorial on the Harbor Freight scroll saw. Really have me good tips on it. Yes, the two adapters are for painless blades. Thank you
Thanks for your comment Jeff and for watching.
Hot tip:
Buy Pegas blades......A few pennies more but a MUCH BETTER performance.
Yes, I will do that. I haven't tried those blades yet.
Thanks for your comment and for watching.
Ive got clone of this. Good to know it's not just mine that sounds beasty and jumpy out of box. I used old bandsaw blade trick and applied a sharpening stone to back and slightly to the side while on without touching teeth to dress the blade.
Thanks for your comment and for watching my video. I haven't had to do the sharpening stone trick yet. If your are interested, I do have a playlist of my other scroll saw related videos. Here's the link: ua-cam.com/play/PLGCBwUeR2BD0uF74gOBR3Lh0Mi9hNnA-x.html . I think maybe you'd be interested in the 7-point star project. That one was fun to do and had some challenges.
This is a reciprocating saw NOT a circular saw. Why do I say that? Essentially a circular saw pushes the wood one way; a reciprocating saw on the other hand pulls the wood down and then pushes it back up.
There are three things you need to do to improve the cut you are making. First, speed the motion of the blade to what would be the correct speed for the cut. (No, I can't say exactly what that speed is, but if you take a look at a radial arm saw, there usually is a table that says how fast to pull the saw thru what hardness/softness of wood. My radial arm saw actually has an adjustment which controls the speed across the table that you can pull the saw.)
Second, make sure you hold the work tightly against the table. This will not only improve the cut you make, but it will reduce the "tear out" you get. Just like its handheld brothers, if you don't hold the "foot" (in this case table) tight to the work, the saw will jerk you around all over the place with very little work actually being done. (I have a router table that is capable of holding a sabre saw inverted. The only difference between that table with a sabre saw inverted and a scroll saw is (mostly) the size of the blade (width mostly, but length as well) which determines the minimum radius of the cuts it can make. PS - it is NOT worth taking the router out of the table and putting the sabre saw in it. Toooooo much work involved - mostly in getting the router back into the table correctly!)
Third, change the "pitch" (blades per inch) of the saw. This will do several things. The more blades per inch, the finer the cut -- the wood between the top and bottom of the piece being cut will feel smoother (more like a file cut it than a saw blaid.) Also, because you are making a "finer" cut, the tear out will be less. (Holding the wood tightly against the work table will have more effect on how much tear out you get, but a finer blade will also prevent it as well.
Thanks Michael. I'm happy to report that my skills with a scroll saw have greatly improved from when I made this video. In fact, in a recent video, I changed out the blade holders so that I could use plain end as well as pin end blades.
Thanks for your comments and suggestions and for watching. Look for more scroll saw videos from me in the near future.
I have found that getting rid of the foot and using your fingers pressing down hard near the cut makes for better control. But Im sure you will have figured that out by now.
Yes, I stopped using the foot after gaining some experience using the scroll saw. I now use my fingers as you suggested but also found using small blocks of scrap wood useful. In this video: ua-cam.com/video/xcVIpRYhA80/v-deo.html starting at about the 6 minute mark, you can see what I mean.
Thanks for your comment and for watching.
A reverse tooth blade reduces tear out quite a bit. Also the harder the wood the slower it will cut. I think you would be happy with reverse tooth blades. You don't need the hold down foot. I take them off. Good video.
Thanks! I will look for some reverse tooth blades and try them out.
The Foot there is for safety. So you dont accidentally push your hand or fingers into the blade. Do you really need to be told that. If so, you probably shouldnt be using the saw.
It has been quite a while since I made this video. I still have and use the same saw only with different blade clamps. I also don't use the foot. Thanks for your comment and for watching.
Thinking of picking up one of these bad boys.. Also thinking a pencil with a GOOD eraser would help quite a bit in guiding the wood close to the blade
Thanks for your comment. I have never tried using the eraser end of a pencil as a push stick, but I'll have to try that some time when cutting very small parts. All of the parts I've cut so far are big enough to allow me to keep my finger tips at least 1" away from the blade while cutting. This feels safe to me, but everyone is responsible for their own safety.
When I needed to use a pushstick, I tend to use a scrap piece that is the same thickness as my workpiece.
Good luck, have fun, stay safe, and thanks for watching.
Putting a inch or so thick piece of wood on top of your table will make use of the teeth higher up the blade.You get more life from your blade.
Thanks for the tip and for watching!
The saw did quite well with the new blade installed; what was the TPI on the second blade? I think this saw certainly serves a purpose and will be a good introdtion to scrollsawing for the newbies. As I told you in my post in your other video, my main concern is with the clamps holding the blades and how fiddly it is to load the pinless blade when internal cutting on thicker timbers but nevertheless I can see it as a useful saw on the thinner materials and as you demonstrate it is capable of cutting thicker timber albeit would be a frustrating job threading a pinless blade through the thicker stuff. The more expensive machines have much easier quick release blade holding clamps but they do come at a premium price. The clone machine of the one you demonstrate here on mine only has grub screws to hold the pinless blades which was very fiddly and frustrating so I changed the grub screws for thumb screws which has made it a lot better and easier to change the blades. Trying to install the blades using the grub screw wrench was very tricky and the thumb screws have helped a lot to make the pinless blade changing much easier.If anyone has this saw or a clone and it has grub screws to hold the pinless blade; I suggest strongly changing the grub screws out and replace them with thumb screws. On mine the screws are M5 so probably the same on all of the clone models.Thanks again for the video it is most informative.
Thanks for your follow-up comment John.
I agree that "good" blade holders on a scroll saw can make the difference between enjoying or feeling frustrated while using the saw.
The first scroll saw I bought is a "nicer" more expensive saw (I bought it used) and at a time when I didn't know anything about scroll saws. I very quickly got frustrated with the blade holders; so much so that I gave up using the saw and put it aside.
I bought the saw you see in the video months and months later (I bought this one used as well) because I wanted to see if this saw was less frustrating to use. Much to my surprise and after some trial and error (lots of errors!), I learned to cut using this 2nd saw (and made video #11 that you watched). I think I was successful with this saw because it used pin end blades which I think are much easier to get started with as a brand new scroller.
As I was learning more about scrolling (by watching a lot of UA-cam videos) I decided I wanted to try pinless spiral blades. That required me to upgrade the blade holders on this 2nd saw, so after some searching, I found some blades holders I thought might be good to try, bought them, installed them ( ua-cam.com/video/W83TllFnMgs/v-deo.html , ua-cam.com/video/phlTMNvvUXQ/v-deo.html ), liked them, and then tried spiral blades ( ua-cam.com/video/NVUfa8sS3Pw/v-deo.html ). I have since tried several other blade profiles and it has been great fun experimenting and learning.
I have considered buying a more premium model saw. I looked at the DW788 many times but haven't bought one yet. I've looked at a few other models as well but have not pulled the trigger yet. I will probably go back to my first saw and try and upgrade the blade holders. Hopefully, I can get to a place where I'd enjoy using the saw.
Thanks for sharing that
You're welcome and thanks for watching.
That's so cool.
Thank-you!
What’s the point of trying to cut anything with a dull blade ?
Fair question. Please keep in mind that this video was demonstrating how to cut various kinds of wood using a scroll saw. I purposely wanted to show the difference between cutting with a dull blade vs. a new, sharp blade. I think the video succeeds at showing the difference. Hopefully, this answers your question.
Thanks for your question and for watching.
Thank you for answering. I went back and I got a Porter. Cable brand, I like it, but stills jumping a bit. The wood that I use is cedarwood 3/4 inches, I don't do to many different cuts, but I noticed that the blade has very small teeth. Which one do you would use for this wood?
Thanks for your question. Honestly, I have not done that much scroll saw work. My recent projects have used the table saw to make the cuts. However, I recommend trying a few different blades. I suggest going to www.olsonsaw.net and looking thru their scroll saw blade comparison chart. You can purchase Olson blades (as well as blades from other manufacturers) from Amazon.
There is a lot of great information available for free on the internet. There are also some great scroll saw folks that have extensive channels on UA-cam. Some time spent there will undoubtedly provide some guidance.
I hope this helps.
I just got one of these cheap scroll saws- I'm having a HUGE problem with EXCESSIVE vibration. It's so bad that no matter how much I tighten down the foot, it ends up loosening up. And there's no way I'd be strong enough to hold down the piece of wood if I took the foot off! Any suggestions? Several years ago I had gotten a cheap scroll saw from Lowes, and it was MUCH better than this one, until it quit working (I DID always hav ea problem with the tensioning knob on that one, but there was almost NO vibration, and I didn't have it bolted down). I don't do intricate work, so I don't need an expensive saw, just something to rough cut small pieces of pine for my whittling.
Hi Connie. When your turn on the saw (with a blade installed and at the correct tension) and you are not cutting anything, does the saw still vibrate? If your saw is variable speed, is the vibration different at different speeds? If so, it sounds like your saw might be out of balance. If you bought the saw brand new, then I recommend returning it. If you got the saw used, check with the manufacturer (if possible) to see what can be done to repair it.
If the vibration only occurs while you are cutting, then try a different blade. A blade with more teeth per inch (TPI) should make the workpiece more stable (and not jump as much). When I first started using the scroll saw, I often used the foot to help keep the workpiece more stable (by preventing it from jumping). But after gaining some experience by cutting different kinds of wood and trying out different kinds of blades, now I don't use the foot at all.
I hope this helps. Please feel free to post here again with any further comments or questions.
Thanks for your comment and for watching.
@@ImaginethenMake No, it doesn't vibrate when it isn't actually cutting. I did change the blade, and it helped a little, but it takes too long to cut through thicker pieces with a smaller blade. I tried all different speeds, and it's definitely worse at higher speeds. But I took the side piece off, and watched it running with nothing in it, and I noticed that it kind of jumps or skips every few strokes. So that's what makes the wood jump, and causes the vibration because I can't hold it steady. I think maybe I should return it, because I think there's something wrong with it.
I agree Connie; it sounds like there is something wrong with it so perhaps it's best to return it.
Best of luck with the replacement saw.
@@ImaginethenMake I'm definitely returning it. I oiled it like they said, thinking that might help, but now it vibrates MUCH worse and is incredibly loud when it's just running with no wood!
Do you mind sharing the make and model of the saw?
Can it cut through metal ? I’m curious because I want to make custom jewelry but I’m not sure if this the correct machine for cutting out names
I believe that it can cut thin, soft metal with the correct blade. I have only cut wood.
A quick search on UA-cam gave me this; start here and good luck: ua-cam.com/video/04b4-Fi6oo0/v-deo.html .
Thanks for your question and for watching.
Jack the speed up and be a bit more aggressive on holding your piece down.Is the scroll saw bolted down????May want to do that .Keep the saw dust flowing .Thx for the vid.The blade type and number effects your tear out .
No, the saw isn't bolted down. I'm planning to throw together a quick 2x4 with plywood stand and bolt it down to that. I'm still working out the right blade speed for clean cutting. I need to start using packing tape over the patterns also.
Good video
Thanks. Be sure to check out my scroll saw playlist if you haven't already ( ua-cam.com/play/PLGCBwUeR2BD0uF74gOBR3Lh0Mi9hNnA-x.html ). I plan to add more videos to this playlist in the coming months. Thanks for your comment and for watching.
I am a starter at scroll saw I got it three days ago
Congratulations! What kinds of things do you want to make? Thanks for watching.
I see you have a few Harbor Freight Tools. By chance do you own the Mini Grinder? or the Flex Shaft Rotary Tool? I like my basic Mini Grinder and I will be making a simple 3D Printed accessory for it today probably. I also have the HF Rotary tool and I purchased a neat little Drill Press Stand that I have also made an add on for. BTW: I don't mean to start asking you a lot of questions.:-)
TheWindGinProject Ask as many questions as you like, it's fine. No, I don't have the HF rotary tool. I'll have to look for it the next time I'm in the store.
OK, The Rotary tool is very similar to the Foredom Flex Shaft Tool. A favorite tool for jewelers and carvers. The Mini Grinder is a very practical tool for a low cost. They have 2 versions but I like the cheaper version without the flex shaft connection. I plan on making / 3D Printing 2 super thin sleds for the small tables so that you can slide for example a screw held by pliers back and forth with little effort and also have more accuracy. It came to me because I was just bragging about the cross cut sled for the Blade Runner. I did a quick experiment without even thinking that it was the same as a table saw sled. It worked perfectly. :-) HF has a 25% coupon for July 4th - 8th I think. Just copy a photo of it and show it on checkout. I guess you know that they offer freebies like magnetic tool holders, batteries and etc. I have the coupons if you can't find the free ones.
Finer blade, less tearout
Agreed. I've learned quite a bit about scrolling since making this video.
Thanks for your comment and for watching. Feel free to check out my scroll saw playlist on my channel to see what else I've doing using the scroll saw.
As you progress the hold down can go bye bye .Keep at it .
I was doing some scrolling the other day and didn't use the hold down.
How much money in this machine
I bought this scroll saw used for $40.
Awesome
Nice
Thanks
I just replaced my very old scroll saw, and when I used it the wood star jumping. I followed all the instructions, I looked into different videos and not to info regarding the jumping. Can some one help me. Thanks
Thanks for your comment. I suggest you try some different blades. There are many to choose from. The correct blade will make all of the difference. The correct blade will depend on what you are cutting and the kind of cuts you want to make. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching.
Check to see if blade teeth point downward. Blade upside down causes jumping. I find that skip-tooth blades also can help with jumping. Thick woods sometimes jump because blade is for thinner wood. I use a number 7 to number 9 for thick woods. I find that precision ground blades can also improve cutting in several ways.
Sorry for the late reply. It has been quite a while since I made this video so I now have more experience with the saw. I agree, skip tooth blades cut nicely. I haven't tried the precision ground blades yet. Thanks for your comment and for watching.
Didn't take you long to get rid of the foot.....LOL......Those things are on scroll saws to make the lawyers happy.....
Yes, probably true. But maybe also to give new scrollers some confidence while learning.
Thanks for your comment and for watching.
Thank you👍👌🇩🇿
You're welcome and thanks for watching.
I always tune my scroll saw blades to an E.
I'll have to remember to bring a tuner down to the garage and measure what note I tend to tighten the blade to......then I'll try to remember to post it here.
Thanks for your comment and for watching.
Foots to high, so woods bouncing, and that causes tear out
Hi Bruce. I was definitely a newbie to scrolling when I made this video. I no longer use the hold down foot and use primarily plain end blades now. You can see more of what I'm doing using the scroll saw by checking out my scroll saw playlist. Thanks for your comment and for watching.
What number do you use hacksaw
Very good question! I'm assuming you are asking about the scroll saw blade I used. If you look at the video around 15:03, you'll see me show you the package of blades I bought from Harbor Freight ( www.harborfreight.com/6-piece-5-inch-scroll-saw-blades-9591.html ). All of the blades in this pack are pin end blades (NOT pin less). I believe I was using the blade that has 10 teeth per inch (the coarsest blade in the pack).
Thanks for your question and for watching.
If you have made all these cuts before why do them again do something harder and forget that foot.there are blades for thinker wood and hardwood
Hi Randy. I made this video a very long time ago when I was first starting to use this saw. I was trying to demonstrate some simple cuts on various scrap materials to show others new to scrolling what a newbie (me) could do. The good news is that I have progressed from that point. I no longer use the foot. I made myself a zero clearance table insert ( ua-cam.com/video/jx60VYTmIfI/v-deo.html ) , have replaced the stock blade clamps with new ones that can accept pinless blades ( ua-cam.com/video/W83TllFnMgs/v-deo.html ), and have tried several different kinds of blades (here's one example: ua-cam.com/video/mI0Aicqs1xI/v-deo.html ).
Thanks for your comment and for watching.
What's the difference between pinned and unpinned blades? What are their different advantages? Cheers
The pinned blades use small pins on each end of the blade to mount the blade into the saw. If you look real closely at about the 17:00 mark in the video, you can just barely see the pins (they are very small). Unpinned (also called plain end) blades don't have these pins; the end of the blade is flat.
Pinned blades tend to be larger (the front to back dimension of the blade is bigger) than plain end blades. Larger blades tend to have fewer teeth per inch which allows for a faster cut especially through thicker material.
Plain end blades tend to be smaller (front to back dimension), have more teeth per inch, and are used to make more detailed and delicate cuts.
One of the advantages of using a scroll saw (which I did not show in this video) is being able to make inside cuts (cutting a piece out from the middle of your piece without cutting through the sides). To start the cut, a small hole is drilled, the blade fed through the hole, and then mounted and tensioned. Pin end blades require larger holes than plain end blades.
In the previous video I made about this saw (here's the link: ua-cam.com/video/niSinuF_tdA/v-deo.html ), at about 10:07, there is a close-up of the pin end blade.
Thanks for watching.
spend some time watching scroll saw videos on UA-cam. learn about and utilize a zero clearance board on the saw as it will greatly increase your cutting and reduce tear out, as it wears a larger opening just replace. throw the blades away that came with the saw and buy Dutchman or Olsen blades. Do not cut particle board with wood cutting blades, the glue eats up the points. The others are giving tips on speeding up the motor and holding down tighter. Keep the blade tension tight as the blades do stretch.
Thanks for the tips! Do you have a favorite scroller?
I started years ago with a 16 inch sears and loved it but realized I could not do what the pro's where doing. I made hundreds of usable items and enjoyed it. 3 years ago I bought another Sears the same and did fair job for lots of things. A year ago I bought a Dewalt 20 inch 588 model and love it. Night and day difference. No doubt one of the $1500 jewels would be great. Save your money if you enjoy your saw and then upgrade to what you can afford. It is well worth the money as I now can do so much more with pin-less blades and a solid saw and great accessories.
That one terrible saw...sorry just saying.
Hi Robert. What makes you say that? I agree that it is a low end saw and there are many better saws, but for the price, I think it is a decent beginner saw.
Thanks for your comment and for watching.
Machine Total money....?
Thanks for your question but I'm not sure what you mean.