Bill WIlson

1/16" sounds thin, but in reality is pretty thick for metal. I would expect that to be a challenge for any scroll saw. I know a fellow who once scrolled in 1/4" aluminum. He went through a ton of blades, but was able to finish his project. The tiny metal shavings get everywhere and the saw should be cleaned thoroughly after each cutting, to prevent excess wear of moving parts. It's not something I would want to do with my saw, but then again, it doesn't really interest me. That said, I do have some thin copper sheet that I've toyed with the idea of cutting on the scroll sawl sometime. Bottom line is, metal cutting on the scroll saw should be confined to soft metals like aluminum, brass, copper, etc. Steel or stainless steel probably won't work very well. Cutting steel, usually requires some sort of coolant. That is difficult to incorporate into a standard wood cutting scroll saw. There are blades made for jewelers that are designed for cutting metal, but they are very thin, so they are intended for cutting very thin, soft stock Your question about wood is much more open ended. You can use almost any wood to cut fretwork. Some may be better than others, but it depends on your criteria and personal preferences. Common North American hardwoods like maple, cherry, white & red oak, walnut, poplar, etc are fine for fretwork. Pine can be used, but it is soft and inherently weaker than the hardwoods. This comes into play in fretwork, where you have narrow, cross grained pieces that are delicate and prone to breakage. Hardwoods will hold up better, even in thinner stock, than pine for such applications. There are other applications where pine will work just fine. Plywood is another option, which has it's own pros and cons. Each wood has it's own strengths and weaknesses and what is best can vary with each project. It pays to educate yourself on the qualities and properties of some of the woods that are available to you or that you wish to try. Coloration is strictly a matter of personal tastes and preference. Many like to use the natural color and grain of the wood to visually enhance their project. However, there is no set rule. Staining, painting and dyeing are all perfectly acceptable, if you need/want a color that is unavailable naturally. Brightly colored, natural wood is expensive, often very dense and hard to work with. Often the color is affected by finishes, UV light and oxidation and may be difficult to preserve, long term. It's totally up to you, what is most important.

When I first started scrolling, I briefly had the use of a Delta Q3, which, I believe was the predecessor to the P-20. I vaguely remember using it and really liking it. When I upgraded my Craftsman, back in the late 90's, I debated whether to go with the DeWalt or the Delta. About that time, as I recall, Delta discontinued the Q3 and replaced it with the P-20. I really wanted variable speed and didn't care for the belt & pulley system of the P-20, so I went with the DeWalt and never really looked back. I remember the Delta blade clamps being unique, but once you got the hang of them, they were great. Also, I could get more tension on the Q3 than I ever could get on any other saw I ever used. It's my belief that blades cut better and lasted longer on that saw because of the tension that could be applied.

I'm with John on this one. I've never used Polyshades, but the concept alone doesn't appeal to me. You are, in effect, adding layers of color with each coat and will not get the same effect you would get if you stained, then topcoated as separate operations. It may have a place and serve a function for some, but not for me. I know finishing can be a chore for many folks, but it really is not a place for short cuts.

I've been using a table saw for 40 years. My first one rarely ever had the guard on it. After I got comfortable enough with it, I just left it off, even for routine cuts. I have always had a healthy respect for the TS and never had a fear of it. When I replaced my Craftsman with the Jet I currently own, I decided to make it a point to leave the guard & splitter in place. It was a better quality saw, so I quickly found that I could work with the guard & splitter installed and not feel as inconvenienced as I did with the Craftsman. The only time I remove it now is by necessity, when I'm cutting dadoes. My guard and splitter are one piece, so I can't leave it on for non-through cuts. I've never drawn blood with my TS. I've had a few kick backs, but never really had a close call. However, I'm a firm believer in using the safety features of the saw. Accidents happen to the most experienced users. The combination of respect for the tool, proper technique and use of the safety devices is really the best way to prevent accidents. OK, I'm down off the soapbox for good this time, I promise.

Very good. Letters are more difficult than people may realize. Small errors show up very readily. I don't see any in your piece. Well done! "Chuffed to mintballs" That's a new one on me. I presume that's a local colloquialism meaning you are pleased?

While I can relate to what you say and there was a time when I did very much the same thing, I have to strongly disagree with the philosophy. The guard is a physical obstacle between the blade and your hand. It's your last line of defense, (unless you have a SawStop). Most table saw accidents occur in the blink of an eye. Often the victim doesn't even know exactly what happened. Having a guard covering the spinning blade can mean the difference between a bad scare and a visit to the ER and perhaps even permanent disability. Trust me, it isn't worth it. The riving knife or splitter works to prevent binding, which is a common cause of kickback. Removing both seems like you are asking for trouble. I respectfully encourage you and all others to either learn how to live with the guard and splitter on your saw or upgrade to something more functional for you. The woodworking forums are full of guys who used a table saw for years without the safety devices, with no problems. Then one day, disaster strikes. Please reconsider your current methodology. OK, I'm climbing down off of my soapbox now. You may resume your regularly scheduled programming.

Nicely done and an excellent presentation!

Just a sidebar observation, but most woodworking/DIY shows demonstrate poor practice when it comes to using the table saw. You will almost never see a blade guard installed on a TV table saw. Some are better than others when it comes to showing proper techniques and set-ups, but I cringe when I watch some of them. I know the claim would be that the guard obscures the camera's view of the actual cut, but I think it's more important to always show the guard installed during operation.

The untinted paint base trick has made the rounds of woodworking forums for several years now. I've posted it a couple times on this forum when this question arises. I've never had a need or chance to try it, but have read multiple threads on multiple sites over they years that say it works great. Another common comment is that the spar varnish you buy at the Big Box is not much better than regular interior polyurethane. Real spar varnish is what they use on boats and is available at boating supply places, but is prohibitively expensive for most hobbiests.

It may work and it may not. It's just the nature of wood. Worth a try. I'd give it a shot before I would rip the board and re-glue it. To me, ripping and re-glueing just gives you a board that looks like it was all chopped up. Sometimes it's necessary, but takes a lot of extra work to get it back together and smooth again. Do that as a last resort or get another flat piece and use the cupped one for something else.

Well said John. I agree. There are all sorts of videos showing people doing all sorts of things that may appear safe, but the simple fact is, as you stated, these full size saws are designed to work with proper size blade. The fact that they may be able to accept different size blades is likely more an accident of circumstance than by design. A smaller blade, for a one-of application, may work OK, but I wouldn't want to make a habit of it.

I'll add a comment about the DeWalt. Mine has an LED light that serves the same purpose as a laser. IMHO, it's a better system than a laser, because it shines a light directly down on the edge of the blade, which then casts a shadow of the blade across the board, right where the blade will contact. The shadow image is quite distinct. You can actually see the set in the individual teeth of the blade. Most lasers mount alongside the blade and are not precisely in line with where the blade will cut. This is readily compensated for, but unnecessary with the LED. Now mine didn't come with the saw when I purchased it. I had to buy it separately. But the saw was pre-wired to accept it and installation was simple. I think some of the newer models may come with it factory installed, but I'm not sure of that. I haven't looked at them for a few years.

I think the intention was to re-thread to a larger size to accept a helicoil, that would match up with the original thumbscrew. When I had my DeWalt, I considered trying this, but ended up just buying new blade clamps. I bought an extra set and they went with the saw when I sold it.

I don't know anything about the new direct drive saws, but I used to have an old Craftsman DD saw. It was way underpowered. Like others have said, direct drive is used on portable saws, in order to minimize their foot print and weight. If you are buying a new table saw and don't need the portability, definitely go with the belt driven saw.

The mini Quick clamps work fine. When I make multiples of compound cut pieces (such as Christmas ornaments), I usually lay several out on a stick. I made jigs last year and used wing nuts. I liked them better than the Quick clamps, because they didn't get in my way, as I was turning the blanks in the saw. But either method works well.

I'll add another plug for Freud blades. I have several and have been very happy with them. For the table saw, I use a 24 tooth glue line rip. Puts a nice edge on the board. I do all my cross cutting on my RAS or my CMS, but they typically have Freud blades in them as well.

On my previous saw, DeWalt and my current EX-21, I simply adjusted the back legs of the stand to a position that felt comfortable. There were multiple holes in the leg extensions that gave the user a few options. I have no idea what angle it measures.

I have a DeWalt 12", single bevel, compound miter saw. I like it a lot. It was around $300, I think, when I bought it a few years back. I also have a radial arm saw, so I don't necessarily need the cross cut capability of a sliding CMS. My son-in-law had a small Kobalt slider. I wasn't impressed with it at all. This was 3-4 years ago, so maybe they've improved the line, but based on that experience, if I were in the market again today, I wouldn't even look at them. If you are considering a slider, then I think you should stick to the better brands. I know they are much more expensive, but there are so many moving parts and opportunities for slop to be introduced into the equation, that you would never be satisfied with a budget slider. For a basic CMS, that will be used for cutting construction materials, you might be able to get by with a Kobalt or even a Harbor Freight model, but I'm not convinced that they have the quality to deliver consistent accuracy, over time for woodworking purposes.

When using acrylic craft paint, I like to seal the wood with a coat of shellac first. This gives you a smoother base to lay the paint on and no raising of the grain. That way you can thin the paint a bit and make it easier to flow out.

Another type of scroll sawn project that is unique and interesting are stacked ring bowls & boxes. Carole Rothman has written a couple books on the subject.

+1

You've gotten plenty of good advice on blade choice. Next is set-up and technique. Compound cutting thick stock presents a different set of challenges. It is absolutely imperative that your blade be perfectly perpendicular to your table, side to side and that it cuts perpendicular. Any variance will be transferred and magnified in 2" stock. Also, take special care when applying the pattern to the stock. It must be placed precisely, in order to get the best results. Also, we all have a tendency to apply side pressure when cutting, to help us stay on the line. This is even more tempting when cutting thick stock. For most fretwork, in 3/4" thick stock, or thinner, this doesn't really hurt that much. But in thick stock, problems with bowed cuts, over or under cutting, misalignment, etc will be amplified. The piece will be harder to remove from the stock. The corners won't line up and the piece will look lop-sided. Good luck. Compound cutting can be really fun.

But also perhaps an indication of how resilient we really can be. Nicely done and a timely reminder.

Awesome! How old is he? My oldest grandson is 9. He likes to tinker in my shop and I've had him try the scroll saw a couple times. His patience and attention span are limited, like most 9 year old boys, but next time he visits, I'm going to give him some seat time at the saw.

Both options have their pro's and con's. I've done both. My last 2 saws used factory stands. I like the simplicity, sturdiness & stability of factory stands. They are also relatively compact and lightweight. I take my saw on the road a couple times a year and the factory stand breaks down easily for transport. If that isn't a factor for you, then by all means make your own. The advantages of a DIY stand is that you can customize it to suit your work space and your needs. Plenty of good reasons to make your own.