Scroll Saw Recommendations

Hi guys,

 

Looking for a reasonable but inexpensive miniature scroll saw

 

Currently looking at the Clarke CSS16V 16" Scroll Saw at around £80.00 including VAT

 

Anyone got one and are they any good? Other suggestions welcome.

Looks very similar to the Clarke one I got a couple of years ago.

 

An invaluable tool and I am happy with mine.

 

I suffered a minor problem with the black plastic insert around the blade sitting below the table surface which made small parts 'stick' as they hit the ledge. I solved it recently by shimming the insert up with foil tape until it was level.

 

Have only just changed the first blade.

 

Has rubber feet and is quiet enough to use indoors at night (on the breakfast bar!)

 

Cheers

 

Gary    

How about the £35 quid one further down the page? Anyone suggest one even cheaper than that?

 

Ben tight wad Mullins

Well I have got an old 'Aeromodeller' mag with an article that says 'make your own fretsaw for £3'! With inflation it would be cheaper to buy the Clarke one!

 

Don't know why the second Clarke one is so much cheaper, looking at mine it is identical to the first link, just got a different name. I took a chance and bought it online without seeing it but I'm happy. Cuts any thickness of balsa easily, I have cut 3/8 Ramin by going nice and slowly although it was bending the blade.

 

Gary

Mine I bought from B&Q Depot  eight years ago, cost £28. and have found it fantastic, it's used regularly, and  has seen given great service. It  has vertually  the same spec as the £80 job.  Most of these machines are made in China, painted diferent colours and adorned with various company logos. 

I found the SANDVIC twist blades wonderful, only require a little ingenuity for fixing the blade as they do not have the little securing dowl as the normal scroll blade, but they enable to cut  a circle without having to turn the wood/plastic around the blade 

Peter would that be this one Titan SF16G ?

 

One that has caught my eye is this Sealey variable Speed seems to have a bit more grunt than the others at 120W and I thought the variable speed might help with cutting different materials such as depron and ply?

That's the one Gemma, the Titan. Superb piece of equipment. Really solid and heavy.

 I suggest cutting holes in the front of the guard so you can see the blade where it hits the wood. Goes through anything. Buy some fine blades as well as course. I don't often use the coarse blades.

 

The blades are pin fitted which can be a bit of a pain if you want to cut holes as you have to slacken the arm off each time to get the blade in and out of the hole. On the other hand, having had to work with the old clamp types, this is better.

 

I would even rate it as better thna the Hegners they used in the school and those cost hundreds of pounds.

I have the very same one... The only thing i wish it had is a straight edge to guide the work along. 

 

What i did do was glue some 180 grit paper top a steel rule and use that on top of the work. Seems to work ok..

I have an ancient Dremel modelling jigsaw. The main problems are the lack of a wood guide, so you tend to cut wobbly straight lines, and a limited 'throat'. ie how long a cut you can make before the plank reaches the back of the machine.It is possible to refit the blade rotated 90', but then the tensioning mechanism is putting a small bend into the blade.

If you can get one, a band-saw is better than a jigsaw, as there is less vibration to contend with.

Band saws cannot cut holes out of the middle of formers etc. Also, they tend to be noisier and far more dangerous.

 

I have used them a lot, from my own small Burgess up to big ones and I don't like them.

I agree with Peter Miller that a scroll saw is more use for models than a bandsaw.  I use an Axminster scroll saw which is 15 years old and cost about £95 then but seems much the same as the AWFS16 they sell now for £54.    They are a bargain now!

The big difference between the various similar looking saws is the table, some are cast iron, some pressed steel and some cast aluminium.  I reckon the cast iron is best but if you leave it in a shed then the ali one will resist rusting. You might coat the cast iron with silicone polish to resist rust . If you need to carry it around then the lower weight  might also be significant, otherwise the heavy cast iron is best.  ( the specified weight from the specification will tell you which has the cast iron table  )

The pin ended blades are easier to use for inside cuts.

Over the years I have found that the pin ended blades are not always available locally so I strongly recommend keeping a good supply on hand.   They are a different length to classic Dremel or coping saw, midget hacksaw etc.  

I use the 25TPI  pin ended for cutting ply etc.  I notice that Screwfix supply 15 TPI.

High blade tension is necessary for best results.

I would say it may be  easier to cut the straight parts with a very fine handsaw ( japanese pullsaw ) and only cut the curved bits with the scrollsaw. In any case it is easier to cut the outside shape and go back later to cut out notches etc

 

I wonder why Peter thinks it better than Hegner?  Is it just the pin ended & coarser blades? The Hegner has knife edge blade holders ( patented by the past importer  I think ) which should be better but are much more expensive machines.  I gave up using fretsaw blades on my Axminster because the blade holders went flying into the sawdust under the bench when a blade broke.  Quicker to replace a pin ended blade than find the fretsaw blade holder!