Reply To: Scroll saw advice

[michael mParticipant @michaelm]

You will need to exercise some caution if buying a scroll saw for metal work. Whilst piercing out clock wheels some years ago I had the same thought and subsequently bought a Draper FS16V variable speed scroll saw which I assumed would expedite such jobs. At that time it was one of the few that had variable speed. It was a grave disappointment and after a lot of frustration and broken blades I came to the conclusion it was just too fast, even at lowest speed and gave up and stuck it in a cupboard. It's speed range incidentally is 850-1440. Early last year, having a clear out it resurfaced and after my first thought of taking it to the tip I decided to try to reduce the speed range by fitting a countershaft and pulleys. I settled on a ratio of 4:1 giving a speed range of 212-360. Should you go down this road bear in mind you'll need toothed pulleys and belt for the slow speed. It was much improved by the speed reduction but I felt still too fast and I intend to alter the ratio further. Another problem with these saws is that they tend to lift the work on the upstroke and especially with small parts it's very fatiguing and slightly risky to hold them down by hand so a further mod I intend will be some form of holding down bars as are found on some filing machines. The table is a joke, a very flimsy alloy casting and this is an application that really needs cast iron. Fortunately, in my junk box, I had a piece of 3/8 steel plate some 9" in diameter with a small hole in the middle and this fitted on the table improved stability considerably. I specifically mention a "small" hole because the original table has a rather large hole with an ill-fitting plastic bung into which the edge of the work piece will readily dig under the force of the blade. So now I have a saw which is just useable but find it's difficult to cut to a straight line. I think this may be due to a very sloppy bearing on the top arm which I also intend to resolve if possible.This brings us back to a previous post on some of the indifferent Chinese equipment clones sold and from the picture the Sealey looks pretty much identical to the Draper. Bear in mind also that with metal cutting a dust blower is essential and the one fitted is pretty pathetic at best and useless on slow speeds. I guide the work with one hand, not ideal, and use a rubber blower bulb in the other. I think the basic problem with most scroll saws is that they are designed for woodworking and for this they are probably tolerable. Once I've slowed mine down a bit more and sorted out the bearing I hope to report that I have a useful machine and anyone so inclined could no doubt do likewise. I appreciate that some people love buying a piece of equipment and then wasting time and money getting it fit for purpose, I don't personally but it's an individual decision. As to the question of blades I obtain better results with pinless blades though I had to make replacement holders as the diecast ally ones supplied were rather poor. It's true that the Sealey saw seems to get good reviews but no one mentions cutting metal with them, they really are designed for wood. Certainly at one time a scroll saw magazine was published and when I glanced at them in the newsagents I found them to be totally oriented towards woodcutting. I have no experience of the Hegner but being I believe German it's probably a far superior kettle of fish to the Chinese clones.

Michael