Bill WIlson

Well, I'll offer my 2 cents. First, it really depends on what is is you want to cut. Blades are fairly application specific. Size and type depend on the pattern and the material being cut. I would just forget about pin end blades as they are too large for most things, but I suppose they do have their place. I haven't used a pin end blade in over 20 years. My last 2 saws didn't even accept them. For most general scrolling, some sort of reverse tooth blade is the most common choice. Learning to spin the piece while cutting is all part of the learning curve that one goes through when starting out. Spiral blades are fine. I know one fellow in our scroll saw club who learned to scroll with spirals. He never uses straight blades. However, his projects are all ones where spirals are appropriate. Personally I don't think spirals are the best choice for many projects, but they are ideal for some. Like I said, blades are application specific. I would suggest you determine the kind of projects that interest you and you want to start out trying to cut. Get some reverse tooth blades of the appropriate size, for the material you will be cutting, then start practicing. As you get better and want to try different things, you will end up with a variety of blades of different size, tooth configuration and even brand name. Good luck and have fun making sawdust!

I think it's actually easier. I like cutting at least 2 layers, if not more, because the added resistance of the extra thickness slows the cut and provides more control. 1/8" doesn't offer much resistance to the blade, such that even very small blades can be hard to control, especially with aggressively cutting saws. When cutting very fine detail, control is critical, more so than speed, IMHO.

I don't usually have any problems. I mostly use the Gel version. Once in a while I may need to scrape a little dried crust off of the tip, but I typically don't have trouble with it clogging. I think the key is the controlled release that you get with that type of bottle as oppose to a standard bottle or tube. I've never used an accelerator.

I use CA glue that comes in bottle like this. It is easy to control and I've never had a problem with it drying out before it gets used up. As long as I keep the cap on, I'm able to use all the adhesive. It's a little more expensive, but there is no waste.

We would love to have you, but due to the current circumstances, we are not meeting, until further notice. Our meeting place is closed to the public and many of our members are Seniors, with other health complications, so I decided to postpone our meetings until things return to normal. Where are you folks from?

These kinds of posts are always appreciated as reminders of what can happen. Operating a table saw (or any other WW'ing equipment with sharp things moving at high speed) is sort of like driving a car. Most of the time, it's safe and we get so used to it, that we sometimes can get complacent and then very bad things can happen. Glad no blood was spilled.

Thanks Travis. Good explanation and I think a very common sense approach.

This one, Delta 40-694, is worth consideration, for your price point.

I've used mat board and heavy poster board. I've also used 1/16" BB veneer that I found at Michael's. It really depends on how the piece is to be put together. If the piece is to be confined within a frame, there may be less need to attach the backer to the cutting. This is where I might use mat board or poster board. If I want\need a secure glue bond between the cutting and the backer, I stick with BB ply.

I've never tried anything like that, but I would worry that patterned backers like that might be too busy and distract the eye from the actual scrolled piece in front if it.

A grill lighter will get your fingers a little further away from the flame. I've never tried it for burning fuzzies, but if a regular lighter works, this should be easier to use.

At the moment just before you get tired of moving it or tripping over it. The corollary to that is that it will become useful again, the moment after you've pitched it in the woodstove.

When I started scrolling, I had no idea where to buy blades. I was buying them at the local hardware store and paying about $6/dozen, which was even more expensive 25+ years ago, than it is now. Subsequently, I tended to push blades well past their useful lifespan. The blade either snapped, or generated so much smoke, I couldn't see the line. It was a revelation to me, when I joined a scroll saw club and discovered mail order and internet sources for blades at half the price and 10 times the selection.

That looks like a pretty nice stool. However, I tend to agree with Jim that I would prefer a 5 footed version.

I vaguely recall a fellow who did cuttings from old vinyl records. Don't remember if it was on this forum or another one.

The key to success would seem to be the thickness of the surface plys of the plywood. As long as you didn't remove more than the thickness of the surface veneer, then you should be OK, theoretically. I've never tried it. I'm not sure just how thick the surface layers are on a sheet of BB ply. If you took a little off of both top & bottom, it could work. Based on my extensive research on the topic, 15mm ply would be approximately the thickness of the OP's stock (0.591 thick). 15MM BB ply consists of 11 layers. Presuming that all 11 layers are of equal thickness, each layer would be approx. 0.0537" thick, meaning that one could theoretically remove a total of 0.087" from the total thickness, without getting down to the 2nd layer of either face. OK, now my head hurts. Thanks OP.

It's long been a dream of mine to build some of the classic, big fretwork clocks, like the Apostles clock or the Chimes of Normandy clock. As time goes by and I don't get around to it, I can't escape the question of what in the world would I do with such a thing. I don't have room for one and neither do my kids. That isn't something you just make to sell, unless it's for a commission job, which I doubt ever happens. Certainly not something you could ever sell at the local craft fair.

I've used several different products, but Timbermate is by far the best wood filler I've ever used.

What does my shop look like? A disorganized, cluttered, crowded, cramped storage space for wood scraps and sawdust, with a bunch of tools buried somewhere under the debris.

I had one for close to 15 years. Now I didn't do production cutting and it would often go for weeks or even months without being turned on, but I never experienced any of the bearing problems that are more prevalent in saws that get heavy usage. I don't know how that translates into an answer to your question, but I doubt you are in imminent danger of needing a major overhaul yet. Your advantage is that you are aware of the problem and how to remedy it. Use the saw, then when you get (or need) a break, you can do some preventative maintenance. I think if you add grease to those bearings once in a while, you can probably avoid replacement almost indefinitely.

It is interesting to note that Zinnser makes a few, different, premixed shellac products. They have 2 versions of their liquid shellac, Zinnser Bulls Eye Shellac (in clear and amber) and Zinnser Bull's Eye Seal Coat (clear only). The Seal Coat product is wax free, while the plain shellac contains wax. What is confusing, at least at first glance, is that the spray product has the same name and label design as the liquid Zinnser Bulls Eye Shellac, in the can. This would seem to imply, again at first glance, that the spray product is the same as the liquid, thus it would contain wax. Now, I've dug into this a little and am confident that the spray shellac is de-waxed, but I don't know why the manufacturer doesn't change the label to call it Seal Coat, so as to avoid confusion. Or even simpler, just state it clearly on the label, either waxed or de-waxed. But like many finish manufacturers, they seem to like to keep the consumer guessing.

Another aftermarket accessory that I found indispensable for my Dewalt was the lift kit. There are a couple versions available, I think. This is what I had on mine. https://jimdandy.com/products/easy-lift-system-for-dewalt-scroll-saw-dw788

Too many variables to say for sure. Generally speaking I wouldn't recommend it. You could try a barrier coat of de-waxed shellac over the varnish, before trying the lacquer, but it still may be a bit of a crapshoot.

I can't think of a single thing to add to the praises already expressed, so I'll just say DITTO to everything.

Yea, those are the lessons every scroller needs to learn the hard way. I've tried to explain the concept to my 10 year old grandson, as I teach him scrolling. Our instinctive reaction though often overcomes our academic understanding.