Bill WIlson

I can see sealing it up as much as possible to reduce noise, but is there a point where you need to be concerned with airflow and heat build up?

I think one of the most critical elements of compound cutting is that the stock for the blanks has to be perfectly square and parallel. Anything less will cause the pieces to look lopsided when they come out. Also, correct pattern placement is important. The fold line of the pattern has to line up exactly with the corner of the blank. Any misalignment will transfer directly to the finished piece. As for the vice, I think what is being referred to is a simple homemade clamp, made specifically for compound cutting. It consists of 2 strips of wood, longer than the blank, with a bolt/screw and wingnut/knob on each end. You can use this to keep the pieces together as you are cutting. It also gives you a little more to hold onto while cutting and helps you control the cut. I think Steve Good shows how to make one on his website.

You really shouldn't have to crank the DeWalt tension lever all the way to 5 to get enough tension, especially on a new saw. The tension mechanism does wear and over time may need adjusted. The website that Scrappile refers to will show you how to make those adjustments. If this is a new saw, you could consider returning it.

Just a shot in the dark Sam, but try setting your blade a little further down in the clamps. I had a similar problem when I got my EX last year. Having already had a DeWalt, I was familiar with the set screw and thumbscrew issues, but after fiddling around with both, I still got a slight bend. The conclusion I came to was that I was setting the blade too high up in the top clamp. When I applied tension, the clamp block would compress down and bend the end of the blade. At least this was my theory. I've since made sure to keep the blade down a little lower in the clamp and I haven't had any more bending.

John pretty much nailed it. The selection of finish for any project involves several criteria, the species of wood being among them. Some woods just look better with certain types of treatments. Cherry is one of them, IMHO. An oil or oil based finish really pops the grain and enhances the color, but as John said, cherry will darken naturally, over time, so years from now, the difference between one finishing schedule and another may be minor. I like to use BLO to start, to pop the grain and color, especially if I'm going to topcoat with a waterborne finish. What you use as a topcoat is totally a matter of personal preference. Are you going for a high gloss look or more of a low luster? Does the piece need any protection from abrasion, moisture, etc? For most of my scrollsawn projects, I use shellac. It's easy to spray, dries very fast, low odor, easy to clean up, gives a nice gloss without the heavy, plastic film look of polyurethane, but can be rubbed out to a reduce the sheen, if desired. Also, shellac imparts it's own amber tint to the wood, so often on woods like cherry or walnut, a BLO treatment isn't really necessary.

You might be surprised. My first saw was a Craftsman. I never seemed like I could get enough tension with it. When I upgraded to the DeWalt, I found it was easier to apply the tension, which may make it seem like you aren't cranking it high enough, because you have a little more mechanical advantage with the cam & lever tensioning system. Tensioning the Craftsman seemed as though took a little more effort. Press against the blade. There should be little deflection and if you flick it with your fingernail, you should get a high pitch ping. Bottom line is how it cuts.

Yes, different blades are designed for different applications. The relative difference in how they cut for you will be subjective, because there is some overlap. The manufacturer's descriptions of the blades, usually found on the supplier's website, will give you at least a brief description of the preferred uses for each specific blade. Skip tooth and Polar are kind of synonymous. These blades are preferred for cutting dense material and/or thick material or some man made materials, because they are designed to clear chips from the kerf, which reduces heat build up and increases cutting efficiency. There may be some minor sacrifice in smoothness of cut, a tendency to tear out a little more on the bottom and not all sizes are available in a skip tooth configuration. Most manufacturers offer specialty blades for cutting things like puzzles or thin metals. You already are familiar with spiral blades. For general fretwork scrolling, reverse tooth blades are pretty much the standard, but there are several types to go with several sizes and TPI counts. It can seem a little overwhelming, but most folks settle on a few types and sizes that cover most of their needs. Takes some trial & error and each person develops their own preferences, over time. Feel free to post questions here. You will get plenty of response and even though there won't always be a consensus, it is helpful. Good luck and have fun making sawdust!

Generally speaking, more tension is better than not enough tension. As long as you aren't snapping blades, you are probably OK, but try cutting with the tension set a little lower and see how it does.

I think a random orbit sander leaves fewer sanding scratches, while being more aggressive. I think you will get better dust collection with a ROS as well. For years, all I had was a basic 1/4 sheet palm sander. I was always frustrated at the swirled scratches it left behind, requiring me to do a lot of hand sanding to get a clean finish. Several years ago, I was helping my brother build his kitchen cabinets. We were sanding panels for the cabinet sides and he was using a ROS and I had my palm sander. I had never used a ROS before and was amazed at how much faster and smoother it was compared to my 1/4 sheet palm sander. Granted, the sander I had was maybe not the highest quality, but I was convinced I needed to go a different direction. I immediately went out and bought a Porter-Cable ROS and I almost never use my 1/4 sheet sander anymore. I wore that sander out and currently have 3 different ones in my shop now. I suppose a 1/4 sheet palm sander has it's place, but I find very little use for mine anymore. Sometimes I use it on contours and edges, because it's a little easier to control in those applications, but for flat work, all I use is the ROS.

Like Dan, I use my ROS on every project I make. I'm currently using a Ridgid for most of my routine ROS needs. I like it most, because the shop vac hose connects directly. I have a Milwaukee that is a good sander, but I have to use an adapter to make the shop vac hose fit, so I tend not to use it as much. Variable speed is fine, but I don't use it all that much. I could probably live without it. I don't use the ROS after I've cut the fretwork. I sand the blanks first, then just go over the cut project, lightly by hand.

I think SAW played a much bigger role in the development and promotion of the hobby, back 15+ years ago. More recently, the advent of internet forums like this, as well as access to vendors and suppliers has made it a little like the small town newspaper, struggling to maintain some relevance in a digital society. When I first joined our scroll saw club, it was made up of older members, most of whom were also SAW members. They talked fondly of the picnics and various national gatherings that SAW sponsored, as well as the friendships that were cultivated though their membership and shared passion. At the time, I think SAW offered some benefits to member clubs, like some liability insurance or something. I considered joining then (12-13 years ago), but just never got around to it. More recently, with all the resources available on the Net, it seems like the benefits are diminishing. I respect those who have worked so hard to try & get it back up & running, but I fear they are fighting a losing battle.

A few that I can think of, relatively minor and none are deal breakers, but some things to consider; Depending on thickness of the top, you would lose a bit of thickness capacity. Also the effectiveness of reverse tooth blades may be compromised a bit, as some of the reverse teeth may not clear the new top. Depending on the material used, you may have a coarser surface that would require more maintenance to keep sufficiently smooth. Make the top replaceable, because it will likely need it, over time. You do need to account for a little bit of blade flex. I know that bending a blade too much is a sign of poor technique or a dull blade or both, but at the other end of the spectrum, I don't think you want a blade clearance hole that is exactly the size of the blade either. Whether you top feed or bottom feed may play a role in how big you want the clearance hole as well.

I suppose this is a good time to add the obligatory PSA about BLO and rags..... Please be sure to dispose of oil soaked rags properly to prevent spontaneous combustion.

I cut away the plastic film underneath, effectively defeating the dust control feature, but at least it allows the smaller pieces to fall through. Occasionally a piece will still catch in the holes, but it's been better since I removed the plastic under the table.

Dan, regarding the differences in these finishes used on different woods, BLO and Watco are both products that are meant to soak into the wood. The Watco will build a film finish, but only after a lot of coats. Danish oils in general are designed to give wood a low luster, hand rubbed look. That said, the grain of the wood will impact it's ability to absorb the oil probably more so than the hardness. Pine is notoriously hard to finish, because it doesn't absorb evenly. Oak is much harder, but has an open grain, which will absorb oil much more readily and evenly. Cherry and maple have a tighter grain and do tend to splotch more than oak does. Oil on cherry really pops the grain, but you may have to apply more coats of a Watco finish to get an even sheen than you would with oak.

If you want a product that can be used as a top coat, you can use Watco. BLO doesn't make for a very good final finish. If you just want a color or grain enhancer, you can use either, but BLO is much cheaper.

The easiest way to stain fretwork is to dip it. You don't necessarily have to completely submerge the piece, just pour some stain in a pan and use a brush to flood the surface and work into the frets. Once you're happy with the coverage, let the excess drip off, then place the piece on an old rag/towel/t-shirt and start wiping the excess off. Use compressed air to blow it out of the frets, if it has accumulated. Keep wiping the surface as the stain bleeds out of the frets, so you don't get spots. Once done, you can strain the leftovers and put it back in the can. Another method I've used with boiled linseed oil, is to use one of those trigger spray bottles, (think Windex bottle). Put the stain in the bottle and spray it on. Still need to wipe it down and clear out the frets, but if the piece is too big to efficiently dip, this will work as well. Just be prepared to make somewhat of a mess.

I get a similar problem when I'm hand sanding. As for scrolling, my neck and back would bark at me long before my hands start to give me problems. Like most others, I only saw for about 30 minute intervals before needing to get up to work out the kinks.

I make a lot of box joints using the Porter Cable 4216 dovetail jig. It works well for me, but I'm making boxes that have 10" wide sides, so I need precision and repeatability. I tried, but wasn't able to get that with a home made jig. As for using the scroll saw, I would try it for a small box. If you've done tab & slot construction before, it's a similar process. As DW said, you have to be very mindful of the tolerances.

Sounds like something my Dad would have tried. He once made a weedeater out of an old blender, fastened to a broom handle.

There are a number of variables that affect ones ability to cut a straight line with a scrollsaw. Most blades have some amount of drift that needs to be compensated for. Unfortunately the amount of drift is inconsistent and can vary by brand, type, size, batch and even the amount of wear on the blade. These are probably reasons why most scrollers don't bother with fences on their scrollsaw. We just develop a sense for how the blade is cutting and adjust accordingly. That said, I understand what you are trying to do. Perhaps a small bandsaw would give you better results. Drift can also be an issue with the bandsaw, but typically the causes are within the saw, as opposed to the blade and there are ways to tune the saw to minimize the amount of drift. Just a thought.

Sam, The skip tooth blade I used was an Olson. I used it because that's what I had. They worked fine. Based on what I hear, I believe you would be just as happy with FD Polar blades as well.

I think in general, these kinds of materials cut best with a skip tooth style blade. The skip teeth clear the kerf better than reverse teeth, thus keeping the heat down. If the kerf gets hot, the acrylic/plexiglass, etc will fuse back together behind the blade and make life miserable. I cut 100 snowflake ornaments out of 1/4" polycrylic this year and a #5 skip tooth blade worked very well. I was even able to stack 2 layers together for a total thickness of 1/2", with no melting in the kerf. I tried using a couple different reverse tooth blades and they did not work, no matter how slowly I cut.

The scrollsaw really opens up a whole other world of unique projects that can only be done on a scrollsaw. I got my first one because I wanted to make Christmas ornaments. I had other woodworking tools and several years of making sawdust under my belt. I didn't have any patterns, just some vague ideas of what I wanted to make, but I didn't have anything that could work to the level of detail I was trying to accomplish. That was 20 some years ago. In the years since, I have upgraded saws twice, joined a scrollsaw club, of which I am currently president and found a lot of great resources on the internet. And I still make Christmas ornaments every year. It's been a fun ride.

Welcome! What saw will you be using now? I learned the same way, but must've had a little better luck or was too stubborn to give up. 20 some years ago, I had or knew of none of the resources so readily available today. It would have made learning easier, but being self taught has it's charms.