Bandsaw/scrollsaw

bigted · Post by **bigted** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 11:37 am

Hi,
I am a reconstituted Shopsmith owner. I purchased a new Shopsmith in the early 70's - remodeled my house and then sold it (bad move). I recently purchased a used 510 with a bandsaw. I was looking forward to the Sawdust Session this past Saturday hoping to get some information on the use of the bandsaw etc. . Given the variety of blades that are available for this saw, I am wondering what would be the necessity of having both a bandsaw and a scroll saw? In the past I have had a free standing jig saw and it saw some use doing intricate work - can you do the same or similar work with the bandsaw?
Thanks,

Ted
Rocky Mount, NC

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 1:06 pm

IMHO, yes you can do intricate work but you must remember one thing - with the bandsaw you must cut you way into inside cuts. With the scroll saw/jig saw you drill a hole on the inside of inside cuts and insert the sawband thru the hole.

When I can use the bandsaw, I prefer it.

paul269 · Post by **paul269** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 1:30 pm

When I purchased my used shopsmith it came with the 20 inch scroll saw and the 18 inch Jig Saw. I have been borrowing my buddy’s band saw when I need it. I am thinking about selling the jig saw unless someone can convince me there is something the jig saw can do that the scroll saw cannot. Can anyone tell me why I need both?

Getting back to the band saw v. scroll saw…this is my experience.

The scroll saw cuts very slowly and is difficult to use on hardwood stock thicker than ¾. A 12 tpi blade is the coarsest I could find but is too fine to cut quickly. With the scroll saw I can cut very close to the line and easily or quickly sand the fine saw marks. If the piece has intricate detail then the scroll saw makes superior cuts. It’s just slower. For small jobs I find I use my coping saw more than my scroll saw.

The band saw cuts much faster and is great for cutting thicker stock or for re-sawing stock. But it is somewhat difficult to cut fine detail or to make turns in the fine detail. Since it cuts so fast I find I leave more space between the kerf and the line. This requires more time at the drum sander to remove the excess stock. That is if you can get drum sander where you need it to be.

Both have their niche. Now I just need to buy my own band saw.

Alms to the poor.

reible · Post by **reible** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 2:17 pm

Hi,

It really depends on what things you want to do with your hobby. Both tools have a few things they over lap on and then they diverge.

The bandsaw can be used to resaw wood, if that is of interest to you then you will want a bandsaw in your shop. Bandsaws have blades for 1/8" to 5/8" (shopsmith bandsaw we are talking about now) (they use to have a 1/16" blade but someone posted they can't find them any more??) With the smaller blade you can come close to the jigsaw for certain operations. As was pointed out the bandsaw needs to cut its way into inside cuts.

Scroll saws can do very fine work and require only a very small hole to gain access for inside cuts. If you have kids the scroll saw is not a bad way to start them off with power tools. I find it more relaxing then cutting with a bandsaw where I feel more like zipping my way along because it is cutting so much faster.

I have an old shopsmith jigsaw and I use it mostly for making patterns for routing. In the old days I spend a lot more time with it making all sorts of things, and patterns are plentiful... I had hoped to get a new scrollsaw from shopsmith but they are out of my price range and even my price range on ebay... so I will be doing without or more likely getting a non shopsmith one. I will not be parting with the old jig saw as it has a couple of interesting things it can do that the scrollsaw can't. These being it will chuck up files/sanders/sabersaw blade in just the bottom chuck. In fact you can even take the top arm off and use it that way.

In my shop I couldn't do with out both of them. Your shop and experences maybe different then mine.

Ed

paulmcohen · Post by **paulmcohen** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 3:22 pm

Scroll-saws are extremely safe, I have not tried the Shopsmith one but on others I have put my finger against the moving blade and did not even get scratched. Don't even think of doing that with a bandsaw or they will be calling you 4-finger.

I had the 1/16" blade for the Shopsmith (Olsen still sells them for $15, it is their most expensive size) and with the Carter stabilizer you can do extremely delicate work but I don't think I would try to do Intarsia, or Fretwork with a bandsaw.

mtobey · Post by **mtobey** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 3:23 pm

I am definitely with Ed here. I think the jigsaw is sturdier and more versatile than a scroll. I have a bandsaw as well and use it as Ed describes. I put the urethane tires on it. I "weld" up my own blades. I think I have some 1/16th blade coil around here someplace. Got it from Mc Master-Carr, I think. I use a silver soldering jig. I have a 14" out in the garage but since I am not making things from large stock, I could do without it. I,too, have the files. That alone is good cause to keep a jigsaw.mt SORRY- 1/8th" is smallest I have.

bigted · Post by **bigted** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 10:12 am

Thanks for all the good information!
My grandson is very interested in my shopsmith but I have only let him use the drill press - a scroll saw might be a good option!

Thanks,

Ted:)

osx-addict · Post by **osx-addict** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 5:09 pm

One more question for this thread.. If you had a choice of a scroll saw or jigsaw which would it be and why?

I'd like to get my kids interested in some of this stuff and someone here mentioned earlier that scroll saws were very safe.. I believe I've used one a LONG time ago but don't recall the details.. I've got an older hand-held porter-cable jigsaw that works fine but I'm not sure I'd want my kids using it.. Anyway, I guess I don't know what the major differences are between the two -- I'm guessing the thickness of what they can deal with and perhaps speed... Any comments would be appreciated..

reible · Post by **reible** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 7:21 pm

osx-addict wrote:One more question for this thread.. If you had a choice of a scroll saw or jigsaw which would it be and why?

I'd like to get my kids interested in some of this stuff and someone here mentioned earlier that scroll saws were very safe.. I believe I've used one a LONG time ago but don't recall the details.. I've got an older hand-held porter-cable jigsaw that works fine but I'm not sure I'd want my kids using it.. Anyway, I guess I don't know what the major differences are between the two -- I'm guessing the thickness of what they can deal with and perhaps speed... Any comments would be appreciated..

Well with out going in to a lot of details a lot of what you are asking deals with the names of different machines.

Now it starts getting to what people call a "jigsaw". For now lets go with the notion that a jigsaw has one outstanding feature... it's capacity to start an inside cut without making a cut though the side of the workpiece. So came a lot of tools all called jigsaws. They had magnetic jig saw, a "walking-beam" jig saw and a spring-loaded jig saw. They even called the saw you mentioned having a jig saw.

So are you confused yet?

Shopsmith use to sell a "jigsaw", and by that I mean a machine that in the classic sence was called a jigsaw. It was of the spring-loaded design and is what I have. The general idea is that the saw pulls the blade through the stock and a spring pulls it back the other way. When I grew up this was called a jig-saw. Now shopsmith sells a scroll saw, and it is has a design that powers both sides of the blade (you can go to the site and read the details). So the old shopsmith design we call a jig saw because they did. The new design is called a scroll saw because that is what they call it. When you get out of shopsmith land this is not always true.

Now are you confused?

The hand held saw you have is nothing like the table jig saw models, they are a lot safer in that the exposure to the blade is very limited. In my day they called your type of saws a "saber saw". Certain this type can be used by older kids but I'm sure that I would use them for younger kids.

With any power tool you can get hurt and kids need to be educated and watched. If it will cut wood it certainly can cut you is a good general rule. However as power tools go these are one of the safest.

Summery:
Depending on who makes it they will call it a jig saw or scroll saw and they can be the same thing or not. I would say that the trend it to call the saws that power both sides of the blade scroll saws and most people like them because they seem to provide a smoother operation and have a lot of blade options.

Ed

osx-addict · Post by **osx-addict** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 7:48 pm

Thanks Ed..

The main reason I ask is that I'd like to get one at some point but wasn't sure what the big differences were.. Obviously I'd like to get the SS type to go with the rest of my SS gear that I've newly acquired but wanted to do some research first.. Someone here in northern CA is selling an SS Jigsaw for $100 and I was trying to determine if it was something I might be interested in... It sounds like I am probably more interested in the scroll saw though..