Scroll /Fret saw blades

[stevebuk]

hi
is the term Scrollsaw just an americanism for our English fretsaw. The reason i ask is i have seen both fret and scroll blades and didn't know there was a difference.


edited: 55 views and no answer, better re-phrase the question.

[lucky788scroller]

good question Steve. For me, I think of a scrollsaw as a tool with a motor. I think of a fretsaw as an armstrong tool, meaning no motor. Sorry I cant be of much help on your question. Dale

[Plaquerd]

Steve
This is what is called a fret saw here.
Like Dale said, "an armstrong tool", LOL

[Tor]

Near as I can tell, the answer to your question is the same. You have a power fretsaw (the power part is usually dropped, and considered assumed unless otherwise specified, I believe), and we have a scrollsaw. I have also heard the tool called a jig saw.

Tor

[JohnB]

G'day Steve,
From what I have gathered, your assumption is correct. In Oz apparently they were known as powered fretsaws when first designed. However we have taken the American name Scroll saw.
The hand saw that Dave has pictured is called a fret saw.
I actually still have one item I made using one of these when I was 10 or 11.
I made a pen holder for my Grandmother, and when she passed on about 10 years ago it came home
When I get around to it I'll take a photo and post it.

I just read Tors' post, so this is now irrelevant

[oops99]

Hope this may help.
Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary

fretsaw

Main Entry: fret·saw
Pronunciation: fret
Function: noun
Date: 1865
: a saw that resembles a coping saw but usually has a deeper frame and is used for cutting curved outlines

scroll saw

Main Entry: scroll saw
Function: noun
Date: 1851
1 : fretsaw
2 : a machine saw with a table for supporting the material and a narrow vertically reciprocating blade for cutting curved lines or ornamental openwork patterns

oops99

[William Young]

oops99

Hope this may help.
Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary

I am not sure where Merriam came into the picture but that Webster guy that wrote the dictionary had quite a vocabulary when he got done writing that dictionary. .
He had a argument with his wife and one word led to another . . . Thus the dictionary was born
W.Y.

[timbopete]

Steve,

The answers that are being given here are correct as far as the difference between a fretsaw and a scrollsaw, but I am not sure they are answering your question.

A scollsaw can be used for both scrolling and fretwork and what blade you use depends on the application. For example to cut 3/4" hard wood on a scrollsaw you would probably use at least a no. 3 and up to no.7 blade. However for fretwork you would use smaller blades from 2/0 to maybe no.2 depending on the thickness and type of wood. Also spiral blades are very popular for cutting more detailed fretwork.

Hopefully I haven't confused you by my explanation, but if your saw has a motor it is probably what we would call a scrollsaw.

Tim

[BRScroller]

Steve,
Don't fret my friend, scroll on. I personally think of a fret blade as being something in the range of the 2/0 or no.2 the thinner blade means more fine the work to me, but that was just me reasoning out the difference in my head. They are all scrollsaw blades to me, but I gathered a fret blade was like a puzzle blade; one that was more specialized.

Brad

[Gill]

From what I can make out, Steve, scrolling relates to external cuts whereas fretwork relates to internal, pierced cuts. Same blades, same tools, and very easy to mix up.

Gill