what makes a great saw

[stevebuk]

as above, i read with interest some peoples comments on their favourite saws, and i wonder 'what makes a great saw'. I will be looking to purchase a new saw in the new year and wondered what do i need to look for, would it be :
a) variable speeds
b)ease of blade replacement
c) build quality
d)price

i would like to hear from anyone what makes a great saw for them.
steve

[FRETDUST]

Hi Steve
My name also is Steve and I live in the Central Michigan area. Great name hey *LOL* As far as the kind of saw to get I have a Dewalt DW788 and love it alot. It has variable speed and the blade changing is real easy. I bought mine from Harbor Freight for $300.00 because it was a reconditioned one. I think for someone starting out this would be a real good saw to get. For people that scroll 8 or more hours a day, a better saw would proably be in order. I hope this helps you out. You will find this form very friendly and always willing to help out. Stop by often.

[Minnesota scroller]

Steve, you have the right idea. Those are all important things to look for. Also, make sure the saw accepts pinless blades. I believe all the modern ones do but you may find what appears to be a good deal on a used one somewhere that doesn't.

The other Steve gave some good advice. I also have the DW788 that I bought used off Ebay. If you do find a used DW788, make sure it is a type 1, not type 2. The newer ones are type 2 and many people find they have to be sent to the factory right away due to blade holders too far apart. That would be real disappointing to spend almost $500 for a saw and then can't use it for a couple months. It will tell on the motor which type it is. The older ones were made in Canada and the majority of people have great luck with them, and the newer ones are made in China, and with them you're taking a chance. Reconditioned ones could be type 2 but probably, due to the reconditioning, have the problems solved.

Good luck and let us know what you get.

P.S. If money wasn't a factor, I probably would have gone with the Excalibur EX21 for $850. But alas, money is always a factor for me.

[chrispuzzle]

Steve -

The Dewalt 788 isn't imported to the UK so if you found one on eBay you might still have trouble getting it serviced, spares etc. I am very new to scrolling so my opinion on brands probably doesn't count for much but everybody seems to reckon the top end saws available in the UK are the Hegner saws (German) and Diamond saws (which are made by Doug Woodward in his back yard, Gill will doubtless be along shortly to sing their merits...)

I bought an Axminster AWFS18 which is something of a Hegner clone at less than half the price. The clamps are fiddly - fine for what I do which is mostly cutting jigsaw puzzles, but they would be a pain for anything needing lots of inside cuts. After Xmas I'm going to buy some Hegner quick release clamps and see if they fit. I am very happy with the Ax so far but haven't had it long enough to pronounce on its reliability/durability. Big hunk of cast iron though and very little vibration. If had had the budget I would have been tempted to buy a 24" Diamond saw or the Hegner Multicut 2VS but you are looking at £550+ with those - the Ax is good value at £200 but probably lacks refinement.

Lack of vibration is important, I guess it is part of build quality, but I imagine a lightweight saw will tend to vibrate however well made it is. Also when I was looking at saws I wanted a decent sized throat, again for jigsaw puzzles which are large areas compared to most scrollsaw work. The Ax has 18" which is OK for me, though I can see myself wanting to go to 24" one day.

You said in your intro post that you had trouble controlling the wood when you scrolled before? What saw did you have and do you know what was causing the problem?

Chris

[Gill]

Hi Steve

Welcome to the forum .

Chris has just about summed it up. To my mind, the most important features are quick flat blade changing, minimal vibration, variable speed, and quiet operation. Of course, the more dosh you're prepared to throw at a machine the more likely you are to find all these features. Also, it's not a good idea to buy a machine such as the DeWalt which is only available in the UK through the 'grey' market and has no official support.

Probably the best machine on the UK market right now at a bargain price is the SIP 16" saw for £70 or thereabouts. Moving up you'll come across various Deltas such as the 40-570 and the AWFS18 which Chris is in a much better position than me to discuss. On paper, it's a Hegner clone apart from the blade changing, but oh - the blade changing makes such a huge difference. It'll be interesting to see what difference the Hegner blade changing system (which is available separately and may or may not work with the AWFS 18) makes when Chris buys one in the new year.

At the very top of the UK range are the Diamonds and Hegners. The Hegner is a more recent design and has a faster blade change than the Diamond. It's also quieter. That said, the Diamond should be noisier because it's got a much more powerful motor. Of the two, I'd opt for a Hegner 2VS because of the quicker blade changing. However, you often see Diamonds on eBay at very reasonable prices and Doug Woodward will overhaul a second-hand machine, restoring even a 10 year old saw to almost pristine condition.

Don't forget to get some quality blades too! If you rely on those which come with your saw or which are available in DIY 'sheds', you''ll soon get exasperated. We all have our own favourite brands but if you want to purchase from reputable dealers in the UK, have a look at Hobbies and Hegner. For myself, I import blades from the US but I'm not going to discuss this in detail for fear of being accused of promoting one brand over another .

It's a good idea to get yourself a decent instruction book too. John Nelson's Scroll Saw Workbook is very highly regarded although I don't actually have a copy.

Hope this helps.

Gill

[PuzzledMoose]

Originally Posted by Gill

Hi Steve

For myself, I import blades from the US but I'm not going to discuss this in detail for fear of being accused of promoting one brand over another .

Gill

Fence-sitter .. lol

[CanadianScroller]

I have decided not to use blades any more and I am going for old dental floss.
That way no one can say I play favorites.
Only problem is all the good dental floss comes from Ireland. I don't know if I should post a country for a supplier. I may just start another feud.

Blades are a matter of preference. They are all about the same price, I suggest you try all of them and find out which ones work best for you.

For me saw selection was determined by my budget. once I knew how much I could afford I looked at the features of each of the saws in my price range.
I needed variable speed, ease of blade change and low vibration. I will be the first to admit that my saws do vibrate at certain speeds, so I avoid those speeds.

I once had a car that shook when it went over 100 km an hour....so I never took it over 100!

[workin for wood]

Nobody mentioned gas power versus electric power. Gas is certainly the way to go for power, but the fumes will give you a headache...so I recommend the electric scroll saw.
good luck with the purchase !

[chrispuzzle]

Originally Posted by workin for wood

Nobody mentioned gas power!

Then there's treadle power...

Chris

[stevebuk]

hi all
thank you for all these great replies, if i told you that i want to use the machine to help me enhance the miniature furniture i build (among other things), and it will be used to cut out very small shapes, would i need a fast speed, or a slow speed. I would like to re-create some old victorian stuff, but in 1/12th scale, 1 inch to the foot, so wouldn't need too much vibration, as it needs to be acurate.
I looked at the Sip saw, it looked good, but what do i know, the last time i tried scroll sawing, the machine vibrated so much i couldn't hold it, but that was a cheap Ferm one speed thing.
well i will continue my way around this website, it looks brilliant, catch you later..

EDIT:
link to items i built couple of years ago, http://community.webshots.com/album/131100206UnxHsR