Scroll saws available in Australia

[BlueJay33]

Hi everyone, I'm new to scroll sawing, and recently bought my first scroll saw, from Carbatec - Carbatec 400mm Variable Speed Scroll Saw with Rotary Tool | Carbatec

Before I bought it I asked if it could do internal cuts with pinless blades, and the staff said yes, but unfortunately that's not correct. It can do them with pinned blades, but that requires a 6mm hole to get the blade through, which won't allow me to do what I want to do.

I've been searching for a scroll saw that will allow me to do this. The problem with the one I bought is that the metal foot plate is in the way. Carbatec has much more expensive saws, whose arms lift up to allow internal cuts with pinless blades (but the cheapest is $1,300). All I can really find are saws from $100-$400, and then the Carbatec ones. (I wonder if the Makita would work, but it needs tools to change the blades and it's not clear if it can do pinless internal cuts.) Are there any other options available in Australia?

I saw a post in this forum from a few years ago, but there weren't any currently available options listed in that thread. What are all you Aussie scrollers using??

[OCtoolguy]

There are adapters available that allow use of pinless blades. I would think they would be available "down under". Try googling pinless blade adapters.

[ChelCass]

Get a hold of Wombatie she is a member here and she lives in Australia.  She would be the one to help you.  Good Luck.

[BlueJay33]

On 6/14/2024 at 3:18 AM, OCtoolguy said:

There are adapters available that allow use of pinless blades. I would think they would be available "down under". Try googling pinless blade adapters.

Thanks OC, but that's not the issue - the scroll saw I have (and the ones on the market) can use both pinned and pinless blades. But they can't use the pinless blades for internal cuts - only the pinned blades, which require a 6mm hole. It's because of the way the pinless blades are attached (with an adapter), and the arm of the saw doesn't lift, and the work piece hold down is in the way. It's a bit hard to explain in writing.

[BlueJay33]

On 6/14/2024 at 4:14 AM, ChelCass said:

Get a hold of Wombatie she is a member here and she lives in Australia.  She would be the one to help you.  Good Luck.

Thanks for the tip! I'll try that.

[Wichman]

I did some light searching and found this video on your saw. The presenter in the video shows a different type of blade adapter for use with your saw, the Axminster adapter is still available and is available in Australia.:

 

 

[Wichman]

The other way, which I have shared on the forum before, involves pulling the pin out of the top of the pinned blade, replacing it with a smaller safety pin, and drilling a series of hole to form a slot.

You can:

1. drill slot

2. remove pin

3. feed blade through slot

4. replace pin ( safety pin )

5. attach blade to saw

6. cut away.

If you are working on a piece with many pierced cuts, you can have all the slots prepared and just go from slot to slot without ever removing the blade from the saw.

I cut one of these, using that exact technique:

[BlueJay33]

On 6/15/2024 at 9:08 PM, Wichman said:

I did some light searching and found this video on your saw. The presenter in the video shows a different type of blade adapter for use with your saw, the Axminster adapter is still available and is available in Australia.:

 

 

Thankyou so much Wichman! I had looked at different adaptors, but I couldn't find out if they would fit my saw. I'd looked for videos about the saw too, but I hadn't found that one.

That's the type of adaptor it needs - it's got adaptors for the pinless blades already, but it needs these fixed ones.

[BlueJay33]

On 6/15/2024 at 9:21 PM, Wichman said:

The other way, which I have shared on the forum before, involves pulling the pin out of the top of the pinned blade, replacing it with a smaller safety pin, and drilling a series of hole to form a slot.

You can:

1. drill slot

2. remove pin

3. feed blade through slot

4. replace pin ( safety pin )

5. attach blade to saw

6. cut away.

If you are working on a piece with many pierced cuts, you can have all the slots prepared and just go from slot to slot without ever removing the blade from the saw.

I cut one of these, using that exact technique:

That's a beautiful piece you've made

This is an interesting idea... I think I understand what you mean. Except when you said you can do the various cuts without removing the blade from the saw - you would need to still unhook it though wouldn't you?

Is it hard to remove the pins from the blades?

[Wichman]

I did all of this, this morning, so this is with blades available now.

You will still need to unhook the top, but you do not have to remove the blade from the saw, a small spring clamp helps to keep the blade on the saw while the blade is moved from hole to hole.

 

Small spring clamp:

Tools used to remove pin:

   

    

Wiggle the pin vs blade side to side and not end to end (when I went end to end the blade broke at the hole).

 

[OCtoolguy]

Well done Wichman. Pictures certainly worth 1000 words. This thread should be a keeper here on SSV for future use. @Travis, can you figure out a way to save this tutorial? Hope so.

Edited June 19, 2024 by OCtoolguy

[Wichman]

On 6/19/2024 at 11:09 AM, OCtoolguy said:

Well done Wichman. Pictures certainly worth 1000 words. This thread should be a keeper here on SSV for future use. @Travis, can you figure out a way to save this tutorial? Hope so.

Travis kindly made an article for this:

I added some pictures of drilling the slot.