Comments please on this machine

[stevebuk]

hi
been looking around at scrollsaws, and i have come up against this one, any thoughts or ideas would help me.
i noticed it takes pinned and straight blades, good range of speeds and looks quite sturdy, but, it may still be useless, anyone got one, or used one..
steve

[Trout]

what kind of saw is it?

Trout

[stevebuk]

Originally Posted by Trout

what kind of saw is it?

Trout

sorry, forgot to put the link on:
http://www.axminster.co.uk/recno/3/p...saw-365272.htm

[MikeDingas]

Looks similar to my Craftsman. One thing you may not have noticed is that the tensioning adjustment is located at the rear of the saw. So, you have to keep reaching over the length of the saw everytime you need to thread the blade. Not a show stopper but something to consider. If you can find one in a local store, I would go see it before buying. You can't tell by the pic how difficult it is to lock the blade into the lower pivot.

[Dragon]

Looks very similar to my Mastercraft and I really like it. I do like that release tension in the back but then that's what I got used to from the start.

[William Young (SE BC)]

Steve;
When I opened your link and saw that saw I started wondering if Jet actually makes a scroll saw because up until now I had never heard of one. My first wood lathe was a Jet and they make a lot of very high quality tools. So I did a search of Jet's site and they don't show a scroll saw. Jet is a big manfacrurer/supplier of power tools in North America.
So the one you are referring to leads me to believe that they have *borrowed* the Jet name and even painted it in the traditional Jet white coloring with red lettering.
Does anyone know if there is really a Jet scroll saw made by or distributed by the USA/Canada company? Perhaps I missed it in my search.
If not , I too wonder who is making that UK one ?
Just curious.
W.Y.

[lucky788scroller]

It is remarkably compared to the Ryobi 16 inch vs saw, http://www.ryobitools.com/powertools/tool/sc164vs which was my first thought when I viewed it. Also it is even more similar to the shop fox brand scrollsaw but with a tiny bit of difference, mainly the speeds... http://www.grizzly.com/products/H5698 I am sure searching deeper will find a few more similar ones , like the Wilton 99166 saw. I am not sure who is the real maker of that saw, but it sure has plenty of twins, so if something did ever go wrong, it should be easy to find parts for. Dale

[CanadianScroller]

It can be very frustrating buying a scroll saw if you have never used one before. Something like buying a musical instrument. you have to take the word of the salesman for it unless you have someone with experience shopping with you.
You have done the right thing, coming to ask questios.

The saw is an entry level saw manufactured under several names.
Jet, Craftsman, Mastercraft, Ryobi and a few others.
The UK site http://www.jettools.co.uk/benchtop.html offers a variety of bench tools I have not seen here in Canada.

Like Mike said one thing to look at is how the blade fits in the lower chuck and how hard it is to tighten.

Many saws made over the years were not designed by people who have to use them. I am sure we have all cursed one manufacturer or another.

I am not sure on Dianes version, the Mastercraft, whether or not the blade clamps are tool less. The one I saw at my CTC needed an allan key.

Before you buy the saw, make sure the salesman clamps a blade in it and even if you cant cut with the saw you should turn it on, set the tension and run it through the speed range. This will let you know how severe the vibration is.

There are ways of reducing vibration, like bolting down the saw to a bench or a sandbox. Or even making an isolating table that will fit over the exsisting one.

Most saws in this price range are built to a price. That being said some are very servicable. I still use a Delta 16: VS saw and cut out acceptable projects. I would buy myself a better saw if I were going into production but that has never been my intent.

[Dragon]

Mine looks the same except the knobs are yellow instead of red. Yes you need an allan key to tighen the blade in place both top and bottom.
Since I've never used another saw I have not seen a problem with this. Took me 6 months to get the courage to change from pinned blades to pinless because I was afraid that I would not tighten them enough.
Now that I'm used to it I would not go back. I like the feel of my saw.
Took a seminar on beginner scrollsaw when I first had it and there were two brands of saws in place. I remember that one (Delta) felt more like mine and the other that I tried (Dewalt) was completely different.
I find that mine is a very good saw for beginners. The price was right $80 CDN. If you don't like it then it's not a big loss.
Diane

[stevebuk]

thanks guys for the info, i will keep looking right up to the point of buying, i will however, keep asking for your expert opinions.
steveb