Travis Posted December 18, 2014 Report Share Posted December 18, 2014 So I'm doing a little research for our scroll saw ranking project. The subject of top feeding scroll saws vs. bottom feeding scroll saws comes up. I have a Craftsman scroll saw (back from the days when they were good saws) and I bottom feed my blades. I know other saws boast that they are top feeding scroll saws. But I can't tell any difference in the manufacturing that would indicate one is top feeding and the other is bottom feeding. Couldn't you top feed or bottom feed your blades regardless? To me is sounds more of process, not the way it's manufactured. Can someone enlighten me? What's the difference? Jim Finn 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryEA Posted December 18, 2014 Report Share Posted December 18, 2014 I think it's a Gene thing. Or just a preference. Some people grow up buttoning their shirt starting at the top and others start at the bottom. I bottom feed on a Delta/Dewalt/Dremel Jim Finn 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Scroller Posted December 18, 2014 Report Share Posted December 18, 2014 I top feed all the time on my EX-21 and not about to start bottom feeding unless I kneel down to cut, It has to be what you happy with if you have a choice one thinks. By the way Larry don't blame Gene it's not his fault Roly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrappile Posted December 18, 2014 Report Share Posted December 18, 2014 Got to be preference. I bottom feed because I can't line the feed hole up with the table hole when I try to top feed. Causes me to bend blades. This in spite of the fact I think top feed makes more sense. Shirts should be buttoned from the top down, no arguement. If you start at the top, work down, your hands are down at the bottom so you can tuck the shirt in. duh! Scrolling Steve, Bill H and LarryEA 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ike Posted December 18, 2014 Report Share Posted December 18, 2014 I don't know what the difference is I can do Both on the last 3 saws I have had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Multifasited Posted December 18, 2014 Report Share Posted December 18, 2014 (edited) Both methods have pros and con's !! Three reasons I bottom feed ,Big fingers and blind co-ordination ,+manifold thickness .plus I can see upper clamp and see any problem with business end of blade . If you count this my hand are on the right side of the saw table when I'm done ! And as usual there are only two perfect people in this world You and ME and the more I think about it I'M not completely sure about YOU! ,but I love you more ! Edited December 18, 2014 by Multifasited Phantom Scroller 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC Scroller Posted December 18, 2014 Report Share Posted December 18, 2014 Some peolpe drive a Ford, some a Chevy and some both. I have a Hawk and a Dewalt. The Hawk is a bottom feed the Dewalt can be fed either way and I use it as a top feed 98% of the time. I do a lot of fret work so top feeding is a real plus the down side is you do tend to bend more blades and you need to learn to feel your blade changes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sullyscroller Posted December 18, 2014 Report Share Posted December 18, 2014 I'm a bottom feeder. I just have done it that way from the start. It would be easier to put the blade thru the hole in the top but tightening it into the bottom clamp would mean i would have to stand on my head to see it. JMHO sully Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bendita Posted December 18, 2014 Report Share Posted December 18, 2014 I'm a bottom feeder and have used both top and bottom but as I use very small blade holes I find feeding from the top difficult as the blade teeth point down so thats the reason I bottom feed, Otherwise 6 of 1 and half a dozen of the other Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted December 18, 2014 Report Share Posted December 18, 2014 Not sure if this makes a difference, but with my old saw it was harder to top-feed because the was no catch to hold the upper arm in place. I was a bottom-feeder then. When I got my P-20, I found it was much easier for me to top-feed. Wilson's Woodworking 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrolling Steve Posted December 18, 2014 Report Share Posted December 18, 2014 Hi..My name is Steve and I am a bottom feeder! Jim Finn 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilson's Woodworking Posted December 18, 2014 Report Share Posted December 18, 2014 Not sure if this makes a difference, but with my old saw it was harder to top-feed because the was no catch to hold the upper arm in place. I was a bottom-feeder then. When I got my P-20, I found it was much easier for me to top-feed. I totally agree with Dan here I was a bottom feeder for years with my Dremel and the Hegner but with the Delta P20 I have seen the light. Shirts should be buttoned from the top down, no arguement. If you start at the top, work down, your hands are down at the bottom so you can tuck the shirt in. duh! What are you talking about? The shirt should ALWAYS go on before the pants do. :rofl: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grampa Posted December 18, 2014 Report Share Posted December 18, 2014 Some times I like it in the bottom then again it's nice to do it from the top, it all depends on the size of the hole ....Paul Phantom Scroller 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bandaideman Posted December 18, 2014 Report Share Posted December 18, 2014 I am a top feeder have used a dremal to start with pin in blades and don't remember the way I went but with the dewalt and ex 21 I do top feed. I have tried bottom feeding but the food was to muddy but my problem I could not shorten the learning curve and broke or bent blades every time. Therefore I decided I better stick with was was fastest and cheapest for me. By the way how do you hang your toilet tissue also know as pooper scooper. Never mind that is unresolveable just keep the seat down and all will be peaceful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted December 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2014 Is there a difference in how the scroll saw is made to determine if it's a top feeding or bottom feeding saw? Is it how the upper arm behaves when changing the blade? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amazingkevin Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 I've never tryed feeding from the top,i have to try and see if i like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgman Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 Yes Travis, there is a difference. On saws like the DeWalt, Excalibur and newer Delta saws the top arms lift. So to top feed you release the lower clamp, raise the top arm with the blade still attached, move your blank in position to the next hole then lower the upper arm then reattach the blade to the lower blade clamp. It actually takes more time to read this than too actually do it. I understand the new Hawks are top feeders too, but I don't know firsthand. I started on a Dremel saw that used adapters to use plain end blades. On average it took four to five minutes to move the blade to the next hole. Now with a DeWalt, I can do it in ten to fifteen seconds as a top feeder! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryEA Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 (edited) Thank God it's only top vs bottom feed. Just think if there were also a left and right feed. The older Hawks 2008 types were easier to bottom feed. The bottom clamp was designed to hold the blade permanent or until the blade had to be changed. The top clamp was the side screw clamp. A saw where the top arm lifts and there is ease of clamping on both the top and bottom are saws that feed either way. I believe todays scroll saws are designed for both top and bottom feed. The designers should realize that the blade can be feed either way or there is a loss of customers. Now the older saws ... Just my take, my thoughts Edited December 19, 2014 by LarryEA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustLarry Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 Bottom feeding for me unless I do it from the top which is very seldom. Used to drive a chevy now drive a ford and I do not tuck my shirt in, keeps the saw dust out of my trousers. Larrry LarryEA 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkey Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 (edited) I tried both. It is easier to feed the blade through the top but harder to attach the blade on the bottom. So I am also a bottom feeder. I am using a DeWalt 788. Edited December 19, 2014 by Sparkey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heppnerguy Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 funny thing.. I always have fed my blades from the bottom, I was watching a video of a guy before a class, demonstrating how to make an item, ( I don't even remember what they were making) , but this guy does a lot of videos, sorry I can't remember his name, never the less, he top fed. As I watched him tighten the blade, I was amazed. He had to bend down and twist his neck and almost had to be a contortionist to reattach the blade under the saw. As I watched him, I was wondering, 'why would anyone want to make such an easy job so darn difficult?'. He was using a DeWalt saw like I have. I guess it was how you started in the first time as most of us are so habit forming and I find as I get older it is even more difficult to change how I do things. Dick heppnerguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heppnerguy Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 Some times I like it in the bottom then again it's nice to do it from the top, it all depends on the size of the hole ....Paul I won't even comment on this entry Dick heppnerguy Jim Finn and Sparkey 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 It sounds like a lot of scrollers are bottom-feeders. If the top arm of your saw raises to assist in blade changing then give the top-feed a try. Spend a day or two top-feeding and see if you get more comfortable with it. It only takes about 10 seconds once you get the hang of it and you can do it without contorting your body. If that doesn't work, change your name to Dan...as per the other posts we saw the light of top-feeding. dgman 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kepy Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 With the Delta saws I had you had to be a bottom feeder. Worked fine except when doing fine fretwork as was sometimes hard to find the hole. Got my 788 and tried top feeding and it is much easier just took some getting used to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrappile Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 Is there a difference in how the scroll saw is made to determine if it's a top feeding or bottom feeding saw? Is it how the upper arm behaves when changing the blade? I think the answer is if the top arm lifts up it can be a "top" or "bottom" feeder as long as it has "quick" clamps in both top and bottom. LarryEA 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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