With some regret … I think it fair to say that even the 'best of the rest' will be a substandard clone of the Hegner.

It's the attention to detail that matters.

That said: I'm not entirely sure that recent Hegners are as good as the old ones.

MichaelG.

What is it that you will be wanting to make is the first question. And what do you call occassional use.

If you intend on doing a lot of small intricate internal holes then a machine that can use the pinless blades s needed. You can cut thin metal on them as well with the correct blade so check the specs before buying.

Like many machines you have the cheap range but then there seems a gap and you then get the dearer ones of better quality.

I know of a few people that own the dearer Axminster saws and rate them very good.

.

That's useful to know, Derek

Are you talking about this range? **LINK**

https://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-trade-series-awfs18-scroll-saw-501201

MichaelG.

I bought a Delta 2 speed scroll saw some years back, thinking it would be useful for metalwork such as crossing out brass clock wheels. It has not been a success. Even on the slower of the two speeds it is too fast for metal cutting, despite much experimentation with different blades. Blades don’t last very long, and break very frequently (with heart -stopping shock to the user!). It’s very good for cutting thin plywood, but I’m back to the piercing saw for metal.

Not sure it is worth recommending any particular make for occasional use, as they aren't an easy tool to wear out, but if I were buying again I would look for variable speed and the ability to hold pinless blades so I could use decent metal cutting blades at an appropriate speed This would probably mean at a minimum Scheppach or Axminster machines in the £140-150 bracket.

Trouble is, I don't use my current machine enough to justify changing but each time I use it I regret having gone for a cheaper one – I reckon we have all been there though…

Brian

Just to point out that I do have a scrollsaw but it gets very little use unless i am making one of my models so mine is one of the cheaper versions. I use it mainly for small parts on my wooden models that I make like the one in my album. The model I have is this one which can also take the pinless type blades.

I would very much like to upgrade to those that I linked to earlier

The main market for them is for wood cutting so the speeds for cheap ones are relatively high which burns out a blade on metal very quickly. The other problem is small movement so only a few mm of blade is being used but this is necessary because they don't move the blade vertically but just waggle the whole frame about a single pivot. Some try for a pivot on each arm and a parallel motion but it's still not the equivalent of a hand operation.

Seems like time for a MEW design for a steady long stroke machine.

I am with Roy Entwistle on this one, re posting :11.03.2019.

"If you are wanting to cut thin metal occasionally then whats wrong with a piercing saw? If you want to cut thin wood then either a coping saw or a fret saw"

Roy.

I will say however that the blades are inclined to break very easily because 'hand' control is not steady, but I found a simple way to help save the blades and I have cut 8mm mild steel for at least an half inch length before the blade had had enough.

It doesn't sound much but the alternatives are either drilling bashing and filing or going in for something expensive which could cause the 'Marital' arts to become the 'Martial' arts and the blades come in packs of about 10 and are quite cheap.

The saws do have a tendency to wander which doesn't help in keeping the blade in piece.

Picture shows piercing saw cutting two sandwiched pieces of 4mm mild steel for Mogens Kildes Double Diagonal Engine, the saw frame top rests on an engineers clamp which is inclined to give a guided cut in the right direction.

…Bob..

Please don't take this as criticism Bob Mc – but I break a lot less blades when I use the saw vertically and just let it drop into the work on the down stroke (e.g. let the saw do the work), just lifting gently on the return (up) stroke. I have done exactly the same [as you show in your photo] and that's generally when I've broken blades because it's so easy to move them sideways out of true, particularly in thicker materials (say 1/4" brass). I have a very simple 9mm ply plate with a 'V' cut in it that clamps to the side of my bench/workmate with two Axminster universal fence clamps (for their low profile – very handy).

Mike – from what you describe (e.g. occasional wood use) – I think an Aldi/Lidl type scroll saw would be fine and if you need different blade holders etc, they would not be difficult for most folk (at least those on this Forum) to make…

Regards,

IanT

Yes, mild steel is harder (and slower) to cut Bob – especially when it's quite thick..

I've generally never been able to file/saw straight I'm afraid – but even I can get fairly good results 'freehand' with a piecing saw in brass. Provided you don't force it, it's quite easy to guide the cut. This is 2mm brass and I'm about 0.5mm above that line. All I then had to do was line a toolmakers clamp up with the scribed line, lay it in the shaper vice, remove the clamp and a few strokes later I had a nice edge to final dimension.

However for thicker material, it's much harder to do I agree – so for small straight cuts, I use the shaper to guide a Junior hacksaw blade – which works well – although of course it's not an option for most folk. I've recently made a new 'finger' for my finger plate (thought the "temporary" one I made some 10-12 years ago should finally be replaced with something a bit prettier). It's 3/8ths thick mild steel and using a hand saw I would have been all over the place. Doing it this way, it cleaned up quickly (and to size) – which probably would not have been the case otherwise!.

Regards,

IanT

Hi Ian S C …

Are you saying you have an engine driving that saw! …it does look as if there is a boiler and a flywheel in the picture.

If that's the case its great if you have actually made and engine to do some serious work, would definitely like to see that running…!

Bob…