Introduction to the Scroll Saw
Introduction to the Scroll Saw
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The Scroll Saw can be used to enhance your woodworking, or it can be a hobby by itself. A scroll saw is used in fretwork and various types of inlays, and is a relatively inexpensive way to get into woodworking.
You may have heard that scrolling is an expensive hobby. Sure, there are some up front costs, as with any hobby, but even if you buy all new equipment you can easily get started for under $150. If you're a garage sale nut, if you go to auctions, or if you know someone with a scroll saw to sell, then it can be even less expensive.
When it comes to wood crafting the choices are many. When one thinks of scroll sawing there are several areas to think about. Fretwork and Inlay are 2 that come to mind when thinking about 2 dimensional scroll sawing work. I consider Intarsia to be more 3 dimensional but all 3 of these use the scroll saw as the power tool of choice. Other woodworking choices are carving, wood turning, wood burning, and Whittling, just to name a few.
Scroll sawing is generally divided into two basic areas, 1) Intarsia which is like "painting with wood", that is, wood is used as a pallet and cut into various shapes like a large jig saw puzzle then glued into the shape of something in a way that the wood forms the picture ... and 2) Fret work, where a piece of wood is has internal pieces cut out to form a patter or picture.
I just got my first scroll saw. What blades would you recommend? Should I use hard wood or plywood? What can I expect for money to make with scroll sawing? Can I make a living? Hope you got a scroll saw that uses pin-less blades. There are still a few saws that use pin blades. The pin blades are thicker and wider and no good to do intricate inside cutting because they won't fit through a small-drilled hole.
Now you have the saw home and it's sitting in the shop ready to go. What do I do first. This is where every new scroll-er gets confused. The first thing of course is to read the manual. But none of us do that to well, so at least glance through it so you have somewhat of an idea of how the saw works and where the main parts of the saw are, and how they work.
How to Properly Use a Scroll Saw
A scroll saw is a very convenient tool to have in your workshop. The saw cuts different shapes and patterns on wood as well as other materials such as metal and hard plastic. Though it may seem complicated at first, it is quite simple to use a scroll saw guided by a number of simple instructions.
