FULLER Tapered Drills Boxed Set at Woodcraft.com

Japanese Hand Saws And Accessories at Woodcraft.com

Scrollsaw Alignment

I have noticed in the last few issues of Scrollsaw Woodworks and Crafts (by Fox Publishing) that there is a dedicated page for Beginning Scrollsaw. In the section for blade alignment, it talks about making sure the blade is square to the table left to right.

I agree with the statement and the paragraph, however, it doesn't go far enough. Not only should it be square left to right, it should be square front to back as well. In other words, square to the table 360 degrees. This is the only true way to get ACCURATE cuts on any thickness of wood.

What do y'all think?

Any other hints for us? Let us know.

Fred
aka Pop's Shop
www.pops-shop.com
EX-21
'Don't complain about the storm - learn to dance in the rain.'

1 member likes this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Site AdminPermalink Reply by John Moody on February 15, 2012 at 8:59am

Fred, that certainly sounds correct. Any suggestions on keeping the blade square front to back as you tighten up the thumb screw. It seems like it wants to move as it gets tight. I have just played with it and got the blade square, but just wondering if you professionals have a short cut.

John Moody
John Moody Woodworks
http://www.johnmoodywoodworks.com

▶ Reply

Forum HostPermalink Reply by Greg Aksdal on February 15, 2012 at 2:17pm

Thanks for bringing this up Fred. What are your suggestions?. It is a good idea to check this, personally I never do, but there's plenty of things I never do that I should

Greg
http://www.thesawdustfactory.net/

▶ Reply

Forum HostPermalink Reply by Greg Aksdal on February 15, 2012 at 2:21pm

John, I typically use my thumb to push back on the blade while tightening the knob with other hand. It will get easier the more you do it. A suggestion would be to take the knobs all the way out and carefully file the ends flat, leaving them a little rough, this helps them grip the blade better.

John Moody said:

Fred, that certainly sounds correct. Any suggestions on keeping the blade square front to back as you tighten up the thumb screw. It seems like it wants to move as it gets tight. I have just played with it and got the blade square, but just wondering if you professionals have a short cut.

John Moody
John Moody Woodworks
http://www.johnmoodywoodworks.com

Greg
http://www.thesawdustfactory.net/

▶ Reply

Site AdminPermalink Reply by John Morris on February 15, 2012 at 2:44pm

Would be as noticeable with a tiny scroll saw blade as it would be on a band saw?

John Morris
The Patriot Woodworker
Proud Supporter of Wounded Warrior Project and Homes For Our Troops

▶ Reply

JourneymanPermalink Reply by Fred Wilson on February 15, 2012 at 4:05pm

John and all

I made an adjustment to the table itself. On my Dewalt 788 I actually had to physicall move the back of the table up almost 1/4" to get the blade square. On my Excaliber, I had to add a small washer under the front of the table.

Like you said - I always push the blade all the way to the back on both the upper and lower arms. This insures that I always have a known starting point.

My 2% of a buck.

Fred
aka Pop's Shop
www.pops-shop.com
EX-21
'Don't complain about the storm - learn to dance in the rain.'

▶ Reply

Master CarpenterPermalink Reply by Mike Dillen on February 15, 2012 at 5:29pm

Just looking at the nature and physics of the saw, you have a blade that is flexible, more so than a band saw blade and there will always be a certain amount of flex so to maintain squareness like is attainable to the degree that of a table saw would be impossible. All you can do is square the table to the blade in it's static condition but in it's dynamic condition you can only maintain correct blade tension and not force the work to a point where the blade flexes to a degree that effects squareness of the cut piece that is noticeable to the naked eye.

▶ Reply

Master CarpenterPermalink Reply by Wayne Mahler on February 15, 2012 at 6:28pm

Mike

Great observation. I keep my blades square left and right of the table. I mount my blades in the center of the holders and try to keep it square. But once you start cutting, the force of the wood entering the blade will push it backwards and causes a slight arc in the cut. This is where blade size, blade speed and work piece feed all come into play. I never force a piece through, I let the blade do the work. It takes time to figure out or learn the correct speed and feed. And that all depends on the thickness of the piece you are working with. I'm not trying to muddy up the waters, but as the newer scrollers go through this, they will learn that ALL things are in correlation and the wood will dictate many of the factors. The only way to learn this is through experience, and trail and error. I set all my blades to certain pitch, like hitting a piano wire, it will give off a certain pitch. I keep this tension the same all the time. When changing blades i set it on an empty table, the load the piece and work. Which brings up another good point. Make sure you keep good sharp blades working for you. You are cutting into a very small kerf and there is little air passing and those tiny blades get hot. Heat dulls and weakens them. The more this happens the more chatter you will get. I personally do not use the hold down, I don't like them. Once you start to develop chatter, it's time to re-check your blade. Look at it for burn marks, are the teeth sharp or did it get loose ? Make you changes accordingly, retention, replace the blade. Sorry if this is confusing, but I don't know how to put this into very simple terms. Any questions please feel free to ask.

Wayne Mahler
God bless and protect our troops that serve so we can be free.

▶ Reply

JourneymanPermalink Reply by Fred Wilson on February 16, 2012 at 6:33am

Mike and Wayne - great observations. I wholly agree about easing up on the work the blade has to do. I have even gotten to the point that I run the saw less than 50% speed. On some wood (like Cherry), I will usually back the speed way down in order to prevent burning.

Fred
aka Pop's Shop
www.pops-shop.com
EX-21
'Don't complain about the storm - learn to dance in the rain.'