Rookie needs some very basic help (for now!)

[schmidty]

Hi everyone. I am extremely new to scroll sawing and need some very basic questions answered. I bought a Dremel 1371 for $35 at a rumage sale. (I figured I couldn't afford not to buy it!)

In looking through the posts, it seems that everyone has a variable speed saw. Can I buy a variable speed switch for my saw? Something that the power cord plugs into?

My saw will take pinned or straight blades. It didn't come with the straight blade adapters. By reading posts, I get the feeling that I should get a set (or two) of adapters and not bother with the pin blades. Is this correct?

Lastly, instead of flooding you all with questions can you recommend a good book for beginners? I saw the three recommended in the moderators post. I would like your opinion if these are the best, or if maybe there are some better ones out there?

I have many more questions to ask, but I will save them for later

Thanks,
Schmidty

[greatdane2]

If you are going to try Intarsia then the books by Judy Gale Roberts and her husband are very good. They take you step by step through the whole process. And also show you what tools to use. I have her video as well and it is as good, but shows one project. So I would start with one of the books.

Alan.

[schmidty]

greatdane2,

Thanks for the info. Also, thank you for the welcome in my welcome thread.

I don't plan on doing Intarsia. At least right now. For now I plan on doing pretty basic stuff. I make birdhouses, so for now I will be doing some basic "decorating" on those. Puzzles look fun, too.

I will keep the Roberts' books and videos in mind if I do decide to try Intarsia. For now I am looking for something very basic. Kind of an introduction to scrolling.

It's great to get replies just minutes after my first post! Great forum!

Schimdty

[Wood Dog]

Welcome schmidty.........check out Steve Good's web site after reading as many posts as you can here. Steve has video's, free patterns and lots of info too. Scrollsaw Workshop
A good, I mean the best...........magazine to subscribe to on scroll sawing is Scrollsaw Woodworking and Crafts......they run this forum. Free Issue Offer - Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts

Have fun and come back often.

[schmidty]

Thanks Wood Dog!

I checked Steve's site out very quickly, and I can tell right a way his videos will be a big help. It's great how many people are willing to give free advice and patterns.

I can't wait to get going. Since North Dakota winters are so long and cold, maybe by next spring I will be a pro! ha! Time will tell...

If anyone can give me help with my other questions, it would be very appreciated!

Schmidty

[greatdane2]

You can buy foot switches that will give you variable speeds. I have one for my Forddom tool. But I think you need to have an electic motor that is wired to allow different speeds. Electrical things are mud to me so someone else will have to advise on that.
You could also do segmentation to dress up your bird houses. Its the same as Intarsia as far as cutting but you only use one piece of wood so your cutting can be outside the lines and it still works.

Alan.

[marshall]

Welcome Schmidty : A word of advice is use the pinless blades their is more of a choose out for you to use. And the PC is a information highway for scrolling, you will get penty of infor on this web site and their are others too. Stick with the simple projects first and as time go"s on if it"s in your blood you will rise to star-dom!! I started out on a 16 inche Craftman variable speed until it was wore out, then graduated to a Dewalt Model 788 and just love it !! Good Luck!! Marshall

[Tor]

I know very little about wiring motors, so hopefully someone knows more, or else you can check this with someone who does.

I believe that if the saw has an AC motor, than it would be a simple matter to add an AC motor controller (if it is worth it.) If, like my old Craftsman saw (that one is a variable speed), it is a DC motor, than you are probably out of luck until you replace the saw. Even so, it is still quite possible to turn out some very nice stuff on a single speed saw.

Tor

[GrayBeard Phil]

Schmidty:

Welcome to the forum.

About your questions on beginner's books. I still like John Nelson's book Scroll Saw Workbook published by (the Owner of this forum site) Fox Chapel. There is a link on this page to a web page a Fox Chapel books, or you can find this book else where on the Web, like amazon.com.

Be aware, I saw the book at a local used book sale a month ago. Scroll Saw Workbook is 25 skill building lessons where you cut a specific project fro each lesson which is designed to increase your cutting skills.

For a rainy Saturday afternoon, lots of reading at Rick's scroll site:
Rick's Scrollsaw

The scroll sawing is an eye-hand coordination thing. That means it does have a learning curve to improve your eye-hand movement of the wood past the blade. Not hard to learn, and it don't take long but you must go through the skill learning. The blade does the cutting, you just feed the wood with out deflecting the blade left-right, or too far backwards. Unlike mainstream woodworking, no jigs, fixtures, special tools, or expensive add-ons to buy.

As I have posted before, remember as you progress in your skill learning, you don't have to show everything you make to family. Sometimes the scrap pile can be your confidant. You will know what I mean on occasions.

As for Pinned or flat blades, the issue comes down to there is a greater selection of flat blades. The different blades are for greater flexibility with different cutting situations. The main difference is in pierced hole cutting. With pinned blades, the hole you drill to insert the blade in the middle of the wood project must be bigger to accommodate the pin on the blade. There are many times I have used a #57 or even #62 drill bit in order to pass a flat scroll saw blade.

The metal behind the teeth of a pinned blade is much deeper in order to accommodate the pin. Front to back distance of the blade does limit how tight a curve you can cut.

There are many casual scroll saw users who are fine with pinned blades.

I don't recommend you mess with variable speed for your saw. Very few scroll sawyers mess with the speed control after they find a speed that is good for them. Adjusting the speed of your feeding the wood past the blade is more critical than adjusting the strokes per minute of your saw.

Again, Welcome. Just keep cutting. The more you cut, the better cutter you will become. Hang in there.

Phil

[schmidty]

Wow, thanks to everyone for the helpful info! Especially Phil...You answered my questions completely and clearly. You should write a beginners book!

Thanks again to everyone who posted back to me.

Tor, I went to your web-site, you do beautiful work. I can't wait to see more of it!

Great Dane, thanks for the idea of segmentation for my birdhouses. I will look into it more.

Marshall, thanks for the words of encouragement and the advice on blades!

Phil and Wood Dog, thanks for pointing in the direction of some more good info. I will check all of it out.

I can tell already that I will be getting most of my help and encouragement from the great members of this forum.

I will be "talking" to you all again soon!

Thanks
Schmidty