Scroll Saw

Mr Numpty managed to break my very second minicraft saw and can't find any spares.

Views, advice and recommendations of currently available scroll saws please

Cheap better or more expensive?

I bought a scroll saw from screwfix many years ago. it was very reasonable and is still going strong

Second a scroll saw. More versatile and makes cutting out those fiddly fuselage former so easy. Plastic, balsa and ply all taken in it's stride with the availability of various blades to suite. Had one for years and it just goes on and on, to cut light metal just put a meta 24 TPI coping saw blade in it, works a treat.

I bought one of the Aldi (Workzone) scroll saws a couple of years ago and haven't so far regretted the £60 I spent nor the weight I needed to carry from the bus stop home It gets used quite a lot but not as much as my band saw.

Geoff

I bought a cheap Performance Power one from B&Q some years ago and it worked faultlessly for quite a few years. I sold it on at a club bring and buy [only because I'd acquired a slightly more serious looking Axminster one with a cast iron table at a very reasonable price] and as far as I'm aware, it's still going strong. I suspect that many of these tools are badged versions of Chinese generic products and despite your experience, are robust enough to last well in the relatively low use most of them get in a modeller's workshop so price comparison or local availability may be the main factor.

I've often seen recommendations to go for pin-less blade holder types but haven't had any difficulties with either of my pinned blade models.

Like Geoff, I use my bandsaw for any heavier tasks but if you have to choose one or the other, the scroll saw allows internal cutting so is the more versatile - and less likely to leave odd digits and bloodstains on the workshop floor!

I have a Record Tools SS16 scroll saw. Very happy with it. cost me £99 three years ago. Variable speed and uses either pinned or plain end blades. Changing blades is fiddly until you get used to it.

john

I have a small shop and had to give up my 15 inch Delta and replace it with a Dremel Moto-Saw 9.8 inch scroll saw. It uses Dremel pinned blades and I am very happy with it. It clamps firmly onto the edge of my workbench, makes nice clean cuts, and although I have never broken a blade they are easy to find in most DIY stores. I have regular, fine and metal cutting blades for it.

I have one from Machine Mart, the blades supplied with it were a waste of time. I found they always cut in a curve, on inspection I found the blade teeth appeared to be 'punched' from one side only. Get some good quality blades.

.

Funny you should say that - I had the same problem with the unknown blade that came with the second hand Axminster - changing it immediately produced straight cuts - I put it down to the blade being distorted somehow but I wonder if this was the cause? I'll try and bear it in mind for the future!

Thanks for the comments all very helpful, cheers