I've got the TAS again

Timbuck

Timbuck

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I'm thinking of getting one of these for profiling the top back and side plates and maybe neck profiles with the 2 inch depth cutting ability ...and the blades will be less expensive than a bandsaw. It looks like just the job for the hobby builder who doesn't have a bandsaw who buys sets ready re-sawn and with a 16 inch throat it will easily accommodate a baritone size ukulele.
www.axminstertools.com

Axminster Craft AC405SS 405mm Scroll Saw

Kickstart a craft in scroll sawing with the AC405SS Scroll Saw. Fitted with a powerful DC motor, the AC405SS variable speed (550-1,600/min) scroll saw can easily cope with cutting a wide variety of materials up to 50mm deep. The two blade arms are...
www.axminstertools.com www.axminstertools.com
if you are into more serious stuff then you could go for this one.
https://www.axminstertools.com/axminster-trade-series-ex-21-scroll-saw-101772
 
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Ken, the blades are less expensive but they need to be because they break so easily, especially if cutting anything thick. I bought a similar machine a while back to do the scroll on an F5 mandolin neck block, which is as thick as the machine can cut. It takes forever to cut anything that thick, breaking blades along the way. I ended up using the band saw for most of the cut and the scroll saw right in the tight area to finish off.
It was ok cutting the same scrolls on the maple back and spruce top, which at that area of the top can be as much as 12mm before carving.
Buy yourself plenty of blades!
Mike
 
I was mainly thinking of just cutting thin plates...But I can and do this on the bandsaw already...So I will wait a while until this TAS fades.and spend my money on a better range of bandsaw blades instead. :) I don't have any more bench space left to put one either.
 
When I started out I just had a relatively small bandsaw (bought second hand, has a sticker in it that claims it is the property of the Royal Albert Hall) and I would change the blade between a fine one for cutting around tops/backs and neck profiling and a thick one for cutting stock. Changing the blade over every few days got old fast and I ended up putting off jobs until enough of them had built up to justify changing over the blade (or worse, trying to do jobs with the wrong blade in an attempt to save time). In the end I went the other way and got a large bandsaw for resawing and kept the small one with a fine blade for everything else. It's made a world of difference, and I'm sure that the blades last longer not being continually mucked about with - I find that with good blades appropriate for the work I'm replacing them maybe once a year, and that's with fairly heavy use. So yes, I support having two machines but I have no idea if a scroll saw is the way forward!
 
Timbuck said:
I was mainly thinking of just cutting thin plates...But I can and do this on the bandsaw already...So I will wait a while until this TAS fades.and spend my money on a better range of bandsaw blades instead. :) I don't have any more bench space left to put one either.
Click to expand...
A wise decision I would say.
 
Don't do it, Ken! Many years ago, the only power saw I had was a Dremel scroll saw, which served me well during my model aircraft building days for cutting thin sheets of wood. Recently I bought a Powertec 9" bandsaw from Amazon with both 1/4" and 1/8" blades. Once set up right, it has become my go-to saw for all my fine scroll work. The Dremel now sits in a corner gathering dust!
Bob
 
Yep, I have a Delta scroll saw gathering dust under my workbench. My small Craftsman bench top bandsaw does fine for small stuff like cutting plates, and my larger Shopsmith bandsaw does duty for cuts requiring a bit more Ooomph.
 
Ken, put the money towards some nice tone wood. I too have a scroll saw sitting under my bench. I had purchased it for bird carving. I believed the "it has a 2" cut capacity" bull also. You can get much better control with a 1/8" blade in a bandsaw than a scroll saw. A scroll saw will cut something thick, and you might finish the cut by time the cows come home. I bought the best blades I could and it made no difference. What I found to be more unacceptable then slow speed on a thick cut was, you never know where the bottom side of the blade is wandering You can only put so much tension on a thin blade. Scroll saws are great for thin work, but I can't see anywhere on a Ukulele they wound be a benefit.
 
Like everyone else, I think that band saws work far far better than scroll saws. Only buy a scroll saw if you need the detachable blade capability so you can cut a hole in the workpiece, pass the blade through, and do an internal cut. And it should be said that only the nice (expensive) scroll saws work well anyway. I had a Delta that looked a lot like the one pictured at the top, and it vibrated so much in use (even bolted down) that it was hard to get a nice cut from it. Then I picked up a 1930s Delta with the eccentric gear mechanism under the table instead of the arms that go up and down. That one is massively better, but I've still rarely found a use for it (I actually can't get at it in my shop because it's behind other stuff, and I haven't felt moved to dig it out in several years).
 
I had not one, but two people give me their scroll saws. Both were cheap Craftsman models. Very disappointing. I found them extremely annoying to work with and the vibration made it almost painful to try and get them to perform even the simplest operation. So guess what I did? After gathering dust under the bench for a couple years, I passed them along to somebody else and they were their problem. Verdict: Basically Useless for building ukuleles. Now a high quality, well made scroll saw might be useful, but a band saw does everything better.IMG_9164.jpg
 
No problem , I have made my decision ..I have put in an order with "Tuff Saws and ordered a couple of 1/4 inch vari-tooth blades for my 16 inch bandsaw instead...repeatedly swapping over blades was the main reason for looking to get another saw ...It's just laziness I suppose. :sneaky:
 
I'll still stick to my story, using my 9" bandsaw with a 1/4" or 1/8" blade, as opposed to switching blades on my big bandsaw is a no brainer!
However, to each his own, don't let my opinion sway anyone from doing things their way!
Bob
 
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Problems that you guys describe happens with inexpensive tools of any kind be it table saw, band saws, planers, jointers, or scroll saws.

You need the proper tools for any job. Consider scroll saws like Hegner or possibly Delta or Dewalt think you will find these are in a different category and most will easily cut 2" material.
 
I to thought my problems cutting heavy material was that I was using a cheap scroll saw, and my lack of experience. Not wanting to give up on using a scroll saw for my bird carving, I asked my friend if I could try his $600 Dewalt scroll saw. The only way it was better than my cheap scroll was it was smoother running. With the same quality blade in either machine they were equally efficient, or should I say inefficient. With my 12" bandsaw I can cut 6" basswood accurately and fast. I had no success cutting 2" stock on a scroll saw. They will cut 2", but not well. Somewhere in my tools I have a fixture I made so I can cut a bandsaw blade to use in a hole, and lap silver solder it together. My daughter now uses my scroll saw for Christmas ornaments. JMHO
Ed
 
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Now you're talking, Ken, go for it! Much better quality than mine. You're going to love it!
Bob
 
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