Guide to Choosing the Right Scroll Saw for Your Needs
People need a scroll saw for their scrolling projects, but buying the right kind of scroll saw is something that needs to be considered carefully. If you are buying your first scroll saw or if you are upgrading to a better one, there are many things that you need to consider. Seriously considering these important aspects of a scroll saw is necessary to have an informed purchasing decision.
A saw that requires pined blades is not ideal for scroll work. The ideal blades to use for your scroll saw are the standard 5″ pinnless blades. Pinned blades have advantages but they cant cut small inside details cuts since you have to drill a very big hole to get the blade’s pin through.
You should be able to easily change blades in your scroll saw. This consideration is important if your scroll saw project has many holes. In this type of project, the blade needs to be removed, threaded to the wood, then remounted again, many times. This should be done easily and comfortably with your scroll saw. It is best to choose a saw where the arm can be raised and held in position. This makes the process easier than tool-less blade holders.
Different scroll saws also offer different speeds. With many projects a slow blade speed is needed or sometimes you need to slow down the blades so that the edges of the wood will not be burned when you cut. You need to change belts in some scroll saws in order to change speeds. An electronic speed control is the best feature for a scroll saw.
If the saw vibrates, it can be very distracting when you work so it is best if you find one with minimum vibrations. There are some saw designs that causes that saw to vibrate. This feature is dependent on the cost of the particular saw. Vibration can be remedied by placing the saw on a stand. A sturdily mounted saw and a heavier saw combination will reduce vibration. You can buy stands for saws in many stores.
You should also consider the depth of the throat if you will be cutting very large projects. If you saw has a small throat, then the piece you can swing around on the table while you cut will also be limited. If you don’t want to rotate the work, the you can also use spiral blades.
Make sure you consider the size of your table so that wood will not be hanging off the side of the scroll saw table when you work.
Most of us have a budget for a scroll saw. Buying a good use saw may allow you to get more for your money than buying a new cheap saw.
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