Scroll Saw 101

By Fred Snow

What Makes The Scroll Saw So Great?

Scroll saws are one of the most popular woodworking saws around. Designed to cut intricate designs in wood, metal, and plastic a scroll saw is invaluable to wood crafters making toys, puzzles, decorative shelves and the like. It's similar to a band saw, but a scroll saw tends to make cleaner cuts with sharper edges. And unlike when using a band saw, you can make inside cuts. Think of it as cutting the inside out of the letter "O". This ability alone makes it a must for the serious woodcrafter. Add the ability to make precise cuts and you have a crafter's dream.

What Do All The Numbers Mean?

There are a few things you need to look at when purchasing a scroll saw. The first is the throat capacity. This is one of the most important specs of a scroll saw, and luckily enough the easiest to determine. The throat is simply the distance from the blade to the back of the machine. This will restrict the size of wood you can saw. When you look at a scroll saw box and see something like "16 Inch Scroll Saw", 16 inches is the throat capacity. That was really easy to find.

The next capacity you need to be aware of before buying a scroll saw is the cutting capacity. That'll tell you what thickness of wood the saw will cut. Today most scroll saws have a 2" cutting capacity, but you need to be aware of one thing. The capacity given is based on the table (that's the base you place your wood on) at 90 degrees. If the table is at a 45 degree angle for bevel cutting, your cutting capacity will be virtually cut in half.

The last specification we're going to be concerned with is the stroke. That's the distance the blade travels from its top position to the bottom. While not as important as the capacities of your saw, a longer stroke can make your life easier. It will keep the blade cooler which is most important when cutting metal. And a longer stroke will pull more sawdust up and out of the way.

What's Up With The Table?

Now that we've covered the most important technical points, lets look at some features you should look for in a scroll saw. One is a cast iron table. The table, remember, is your actual work area. It's what supports your wood as you're cutting. A heavy cast iron table will reduce vibration so you'll be able to control your work better. Most quality scroll saws on the market have tables made of cast iron. You'll also want a variable speed saw. This way you set your saw to the optimal speed for whatever material you're working with.

What About The Blades?

The most important feature to look for when buying a scroll saw is how easy it is to change the blades. You'll going to be changing blades a lot. When you first start working with your saw, it's easy to break the blade. Even if you're an expert cutter, blades will ware out sometimes in as little as a half hour. And to make those inside cuts we talked about earlier, you'll need to remove and reattach the blade. So you can see that if you need special tools to change blades, it could become time consuming. But luckily most modern scroll saws make changing blades easy. The easiest I've seen by far is Delta. They have a patented system where you just raise a lever to release the blade from the clamp. Other saws will usually have a knob that you can unscrew. While we're talking about blades, I'll mention the tensioning lever. This isn't something you need to worry too much about when buying a saw. Most manufacturers provide an easy way for you to tension the blade once its installed.

What Else Should I Look At?

Other useful features include an air blower, built in light, and a stand. When you're cutting with your scroll saw, sawdust will build up and obscure your pattern. An air blower with an adjustable arm will remedy this. A built in light is nice to help you see your pattern better, but its not really necessary. You can always position a light I your shop for the same result. Many scroll saws have an optional stand. Again, this isn't necessary, because you can always mount your saw to your workbench. But if you don't have lots of bench top space available, a stand can save you loads of frustration.

This has just been a quick introduction to what to look for when purchasing a scroll saw. Once you have it, the best thing to do is spend some practicing with some scarp wood. Chances are your first cuts will be rough and it will take a little while to figure out how to control your cut. But once you master the scroll saw (and it's an easy tool to mater) you'll be making cuts you never thought you could before.