So much for being lucky...

[cpowell]

I got this cheapie saw from Harbor Freight, and started trying it out. It worked pretty well for someone that didn't know squat about a scroll saw. I read that most blades will pull to the right but mine didn't. I thought how lucky I was that mine was just perfect.

I had squared the table with the blade and done all the suggested adjustments and made some cuts and was well satisfied with it. Until I learned more about scroll saws.

One problem that I did have though was when I stopped a cut then tried to restart in the same place. It was almost impossible. The blade seemed to always catch on another place nearby and no matter how I tried to start in a new place it usually went back to the old notch. Made firewood of several attempts just because of that. Also it almost never went back on the old track I had started and wanted to return to later.

Then yesterday I had just completed a cut, removed the wood and happened to look down at the lower pin holder. It was just shimmying back and forth. I had never noticed that before. I restarted the saw without wood and looked it over real good. The table was squared to the blade I thought but it still was off. I remembered reading the blade should be a black line when running but this wasn't.

After giving it my meanest dirty look it still wasn't right. It occurred to me that maybe the blade holders weren't square either. Sure enough the top holder was out of align. I readjusted it by sight because I don't know how to square a blade to an unknown square of the table now. I put a level on the table and adjusted it to level then tried to square the blade to that using a T-square. I guess I did alright because it stopped doing it's own thing and is now able to follow my patterns without hanging up on something.

The end result is that it seems to cut square now but the blades DO veer to the right. Now I have to learn to cut all over allowing for the right side pull. So much for being lucky huh?

[oily]

You won't even notice the pull to the right in a short while.
There are blades that are double ground but to me aren't worth the cost.
I actually prefer the pull for me it gives me better control by giving me something to work again. You will find for every 100 scrollers there be 100 different ways to do the same thing. It just takes seat time. Keep cuttin'
And we love pictures.

[ASDLF22]

Use the pull to right to your advantage - always try to make sure that your "waste" wood is to the right of the blade, that way, if you make a mistake it doesn't cut into your "good" wood. You can always go back and trim to your pattern line or sand to the line if your off just a bit.

Another thing is to try to make sure you have a blade sharp enough to finish an entire cut, that way you don't have to worry about starting in a kerf already started. Remember too that if your pushing your wood to hard or have a blade that is dull the blade will bow making a new blade "catch" or not "track" in the old kerf. If your cutting something relatively thick (3/4" or more) check your cut piece and make sure that your cuts are square through the wood itself.

Like Oily said, you'll get used to it with more time behind the saw. Start with some easy patterns and work your way into more complicated ones.

Have fun and be sure to post pictures.

[Hawaiilad]

Rob I like your comment about just needing "seat" time. When I first started scrolling years ago I stood up while cutting. The only reason I started, and learned to like it, was when I broke my foot and could not stand on it to cut. I guess there are allot of folks that stand to scroll.

[3_M]

Most blades have a burr on the right side of the blade. This makes the blade to cut to the right.
You have to move your wood some degree to the right to stay on the line.
Have good tension, good speed and low feed rate. Let the blade do the cutting, they say.
Email me if you have anymore questions.
FD Mike

[oily]

Originally Posted by Hawaiilad

Rob I like your comment about just needing "seat" time. When I first started scrolling years ago I stood up while cutting. The only reason I started, and learned to like it, was when I broke my foot and could not stand on it to cut. I guess there are allot of folks that stand to scroll.

Seat time is a throwback to my racing days. Driving was the only way to learn how to drive. I had everything I knew on the left quarter panel.
GO FAST AND TURN LEFT