JTTHECLOCKMAN

So as a newbie you took my post as a poke at you. I asked you a serious question why would you subject your saw to such abuse it will take cutting rocks and bricks?? I have no idea who you are how much time you have behind a saw or what saw you have. Can it be done sure anything can be done. Why don't you try it and give us some feedback and educate us all. Again not knowing your status I mention health risks. Not sure if you are aware of these. I gave you a link to the type of blade in MY opinion will get you where you want to go and that is coming from someone with over 35 years of experience at many aspects of the woodworking trade. I work in the construction field and have seen first hand what simple sheetrock dust can do. I have witnessed mason cutting stone with no water and have seen lung cancer patients from this. When cutting bone you have no idea where that came from and what condition that animal was in. Bone marrow can carry disease. I read this alot on turning forums because antler is used alot for pen blanks. But do not take anything I said serious and do what you feel is the best for you. But I did take the time to answer you. Your welcome.

Ryobi is pinless. My chiropractor has one and he asked me to show him a few things with it and I got to use it and play with it for awhile and did a decent job. Not sure what the model number was if they make more than one model. I know we were using pinless blades because I gave him a few of my Flying Dutchman blades. Other than any of the other under $200 saws goes, for me not worth the money. Tight underneath them to get blades in. Some saws require tools for blade changinging and that is a huge turn-off for me. You read it here many times people picking up very good condition top line saws from people for various reasons. That is the way I would go and then if you do not like the hobby it is easier for you to sell a better quality saw. I just noticed in Home Depot they sell a Ryobi scrollsaw and it was not the one my chiropractor had. His was red and I believe larger. Just wanted to clarify something. As I said I do not know what the model number was.

Yes that 77 spray is high tack stuff and is great for things like putting felt on projects.

Oh here is that pain in the neck guy again. ( you noticed I went a little higher on the anatomy) prestain wood conditioner. Now depending how high grit you sand will also effect staining. The more you close the pores of the grain will allow less stain to be absorbed. Also gel stains are more controllable than oil or alcohol stains. http://www.minwax.com/wood-products/preparation/minwax-prestain-wood-conditioner Are you looking to see wood grain or a solid background?? The reason I ask is why not just paint the background.

I like this project alot and so much so I think it hits my to do list. Nice cutting and thanks for sharing.

The saws below $200 are not going to be much. Take a look at the Ryobi. I suggest you look on craigs list or for yard sales and things of this nature. You can score a decent saw for $200 easily.

http://www.amazon.com/Diamond-Coated-Blades-Lapidary-Cutting/dp/B000OVNRP0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1516685167&sr=8-2&keywords=diamond+scroll+saw+blade Why wood you want to abuse your tools scrolling hard material such as that. If doing stone than diamond stone blades are the only blade to cut it and they would best be served used water cooled. The dust from those material needs serious vac and not left on the floor where it is kicked back into the air. Antler is used alot in pen turning and is nasty stuff and again serious health problems from the dust. Same with any bone material. Seriously folks you need to study the material you are working with as well as finishing products. Health issues are nothing to take lightly.

Practice will cure your cutting problems. Sand the back with some 220 grit sandpaper after cutting or try using reverse tooth blades. These blades have a small amount of teeth that face upward and cut the backside as you cut. I use them all the time. Does not elliminate all fuzzies but many of it. Use better blades. Flying Dutchman and Pegasus blades best on the market. That wood looks too delicate for puzzle work and that pattern looks too delicate for a puzzle Should never ever ever ever be a need to sand in any fret work holes after it is cut. If you go off line when cutting do a gradual steer back on line and leave it be. Once you take the pattern off the wood no one will ever know you went off line. Do not be so hard on yourself and enjoy the hobby. I always sand both front and back with 220 grit paper before I cut. I use blue or purple painters tape under the pattern. Always easier to take off than trying to sand glue residue off. Purple is a lighter tack and used for more delicate work. The key when using painters tape is not to let the project sit too long. the longer the tape stays on the harder it gets to take off. Good luck and have fun.

I always ran mine at just abit above half speed. Full speed was not needed for me. Cherry is some tough wood to cut without burning too so I would think you need to slow it down.

The new ones have a plastic lens cover that covers the bulb. Not sure what they will be at the show. I am sure there will be a few vendors that have them as usual.

Something on the lines of what Les brought up As I said I have something like this and it works for working on watches and small detail stuff but to use it for scrolling it would want to make me bend over more and get hunched because they are not powerful enough to be too far away from your work. When you scroll you want to sit straight and be relaxed or at least I do. Using a magnifier lamp works for me because you set it and forget it. Even if you move your head. Some people use them in jewelry making and even pen making if they are tweaking a fountain pen. It may work for you. never know.

Brighter light Kevin. Outlast you though.

I use to use those magnifiers just for a light source, now I can not scroll without the magnifier. Not sure what happened. Have the first one I ever used which was an incandescent bulb one. I just got rid of one that had the starter on the outside if anyone remembers those lights.

I always followed my Dads wise words of wisdom. "If is not broke don't fix it" Carried me this far. I will tinker but just because I see a better way.

I just was making a point about the Zerk fitting on those bearings. That was brought up. Bearings are a huge problem on lathes as I mentioned and most forums I go to the answers are to buy a better quality bearing and a site is usually given rather than getting same ones from the lathe company you bought.

Maybe that is why my saws have had no maintenance needed on them. Around that age. I have run the heck out of them and they are still ticking like a clock. Don't make things like they use to.

Seems like I am always looking to be the negative guy. Well here I go again. Doing scrolling requires to be relaxed, not hunched over the saw. You have to find that perfect distance when wearing those. I use some when working on watches or other fine detail work. It is not for hours and hours though. A good magnifier attached to a saw can be swung into play or out of play very easily. Easy to set distance because it stays when set the first time. Just my opinion. One of mine broke a few weeks ago so I will be picking one up when the woodworking show comes to town in Feb. May pick up 2 and have a spare. Now they make them LED.

Dave that is not necessary. They do make quality bearings that will outlast the entire saw. Sealed bearings is nothing new. Why these companies do not use better ones is only guess work but it probably is a $$$ thing. If the things mentioned were added to the Dewalt it would put it out of the midrange saws and into the higher end saws. The market is more lucrative in the mid range than the higher end.

Best line yet. This way of thinking can be applied to all tools. Why not have a saw just do the work for you as you sit back and have a beer. Oh yea CNC and lasers they have things like that. How about a handheld coping saw. If you ask 100 different scrollers this you will get 1000 different answers. Most of the top saws do what you are asking. They may go about it differently. I know it is a hypothetical question but any changes will mean retooling which will increase costs. Some saws there are simple little things that can be added but so can you if they are simple. As I said a true scroller designed the Seyco saw. Anyone have this saw and can give us feedback. Maybe that perfect saw is this.

This is one that will again draw alot from the saw you are currently using. Unless you are a guy like Steve Good who is able to use many different types of saws over the years and put them through the paces. To me I would not change a thing on my Hawk 220 or 226 except the plastic bottom clamp holder. But that was an easy fix. Now these saws are from an age when they just improved over the barrel clamps. I am not into a vac system on a scrollsaw. Listening to a vac while scrolling to me is nerve racking. After each session of scrolling I roll the vac over and vac around the saw. I have a shop air cleaner close by. Half the noise of the vac and I do not even realize it is on many times. From what I am reading the New Seyco saw is suppose to be the cream of the crop. They took many ideas from other saws as well as their older saw and made a good product. I have not tried it. Years ago all the saw companies use to come to woodworking shows to pedal their wares but none do this now at least my woodworking show. The last company was PSI who did that but that saw is in my opinion not worth the money.

You can take that same perspective and use it for anything that is bought today. I agree highend saws are just that for a reason. But you have also seen over the years many of these saw companies have changed hands and those are the ones that seem to be making the news. Hegner which I believe is one of the few companies that is still run by the same group and you do not hear peep about problems with their saws. What is also disturbing is if and when there is a problem there are no close service outlets to take care of problems. Sending a saw back is almost impossible and if not mechanically inclined doing the work yourself is challenging to say the least. The people that buy into the business do not have the same connections to the customer as the original owners did. You see this all the time. Those people are just after the $$$ because they figure the ground work has been done for them. Just my thought. You see this bearing problem many times on lathes too.

I meant to say 2/0 jewelers blades. I cut 1/8" brass with them. #5 blade is what I use for cutting wood most of the time. I know what they are like I gave you my source for blades. Maybe you need to try them.

We have had this conversation before. I have an older Hawk and I have cut with jewelers blades as low as #5 and do not break them. Do slow the saw down some but not drastic. at some point I will try cutting some coins. Have so much on my to do list now though.

Agreed Randy and in fact if you read my post to him I mentioned that. His counterpoint was a straight line cut. Many times it comes down to what you became familar with Have you cut coins on the Dewalt and done fine detail work with it??

Randy, Here is what I can tell you. When the Dewalt saw came from the factory it had an aggressive cutting action in that when the blade came down into the wood it was forward more and then rock backwards. This is what everyone is talking about that the RBI has a more straight up and down motion and does not rock forward much. You can change that setting by moving the bottom clamp. Now the top clamp stays the same so it is now forward of the bottom clamp making it an aggressive cut. What I did is take the aggression out of the dewalt saw by making the top and bottom clamp equal. Whatever rocking motion you get from blade travel is now minimal. Both saws even though they use different arm configurations are about the same aggressiveness at least on my saws. As I said I am not sure how the newer dewalts are coming through but easy to test if you use the method I explained with the straight edge in the back of the blade and move the arm up and down by hand and watching the spacing between straightedge and blade as you do this. Not sure about other saws either but again an easy test to do as I explained. I do not have a video camera so I can not set up a video of my set up.