fern ffz 400n scrollsaw advice please

[ibcallus]

Hi Gang, new lad on the block also new with scrollsaw's,is this a good saw and if so where and how do i start sawing have had a try and i am alright until it jumps the wood up what am i doing wrong any advice please,also how do you put a pattern on the wood, as you can see i have no idea,

 

ibcallus

[steviegwood]

first let me welcome you to the forum and your newly found addiction. although I can't help with the saw i can with attaching patterns to wood. first i make copies of my patterns and never use my original. i use a spray adhesive on the back of the pattern wait until tacky and then apply it to the wood. drill and cut. after cutting i use mineral spirits on a rag and wet the entire surface of what is left of the pattern and within just a few moments the pattern will peel right off. i then remove any adhesive residue with the rag and spirits. let dry and finish sand before applying any finish. As for the blade grabbing the wood, it takes time and experience to learn how much pressure that is needed to hold the wood to solve that. Some peoples will use the hold down foot on the saw to help with that but I find it gets in the way of cutting fretwork and can break a delicate project if not extremely careful. Practice,practice, practice if you are just starting and even a seasoned scroller can use practice at times. i hope that some of this is of some help. others will suggest some other methods for attaching patterns also. Steve

[ibcallus]

Thanks very much steve for your advice i will take that and print it off and keep it handy while at the saw also thanks for the welcome,

ibcallus

[Travis]

I think most scrollers will use a spray adhesive to mount their patterns to the wood. Its usually the quickest and easiest way. Just read the back of the spray adhesive (found in hardware stores and art supply stores). Just look for the instructions for a temperary bond. This usually means spraying the back of the pattern only (not the wood) and allowing it to "dry" for 30 or so seconds. The back of the pattern will be tacky, like the back of a post-it note. Then apply to the wood.

 

Some people will add tape too. Tape adds extra support and helps lubricate the blade. There are a couple variations of this. Some folks will put down blue painters tape on the wood first, then attach the pattern to the tape. This protects the wood and provides a little extra support. It also makes pattern removal fairly easy. A second variation is to put the pattern on the wood, then cover it with clear packing tape. This supports the pattern so it doesn't rip. It also makes pattern removal easy. Then others will do both; blue painters tape, pattern, then clear packing tape.

 

Here's what I do. I almost always use tape of some sort. Portrait style patterns in plywood: painters tape, pattern, clear packing tape. Any kind of cutout/silhouette: pattern, then clear packing tape.

 

As far as your project grabbing, you're not alone. Everybody who starts scrolling has this problem at first. We've all had a few banged up knuckles in our scrolling career. Like Steve said, you'll soon learn how much pressure to put on the wood. Usually what happens is you're trying to turn too tight of a radius for the size blade you have. The teeth grab the wood and start banging it around. Just turn off the saw, then back out the blade a bit and try it again.

 

One last piece of advice. Make sure you're using quality blades. This will make all the difference in the world. I don't know how it is in the UK, but the stuff they sell at the hardware store in the US are usually garbage and over-priced. Your best bet is to buy 12 dozen blades online. Many folks use Flying Dutchman from Mike's Workshop (I think he ships to the UK). Other good brands are Olson and Pegas. Good blades will produce better results, be more satisfying experience, and reduce the chance of the wood grabbing and banging around. Plus they're cheap!

[Dan-Woodman]

Also use the correct teeth per inch for the thickness of wood you are cutting.

later Daniel

[ibcallus]

Thank you again for your kindly advice, and making me feel a lot better about picking the wood up and getting it dancing around a bit also for the advice about glueing and taping, tried to e-mail Mikes work shop but could not get through to his site have you got his e-mail address please, also my scrollsaw takes blades with pins doe's he sell those as well, after reading on site about Flying Dutchman - Scroll Reverse blades i'll do as you say and send for some may as well get the jitters with the best blades, are they the one's i need do you think ? any advice on that please, 12 dozen blades would that be a mixed bag ? thanks again,

 

brian

[Travis]

Mike can be reached at: mike@mikesworkshop.com

 

He doesn't sell pin-ended blades. Pin-ended blades aren't really used in the hobby. Those kind of blades are usually used for construction work and not really intended for intricate fretwork. The main problem is that you need such a large pilot hole to feed the blade through, which limits the type of scroll sawing you can do. Also pin-ended blades are usually more aggressive and usually don't have a very tight turning radius.

 

If that's all you have, don't give up on the hobby. You'll just have to be more selective about what kind of patterns you can cut. Eventually you'll upgrade to a saw that accepts flat-ended blades. Then life will change forever.

[scrollgirl]

Besides the blade size, I found that if the saw is a variable speed saw and isn't set fast enough, it tends to grab the wood and cause it to jump or 'chatter'. I found that lots of people starting off are a bit timid and may set the saw to a speed that is a little too slow. That along with what Travis mentioned regarding the blade could easily be the problem. Try adjusting the speed a little and see if that helps. Like with anything, we all seem to find our comfort zone with a little practice and time. Then we can relax and really have some fun!

 

Sheila

[ibcallus]

Thanks again for your advice and encouragment, been cutting some more wood up and as you say i'm getting more used to it jumping about i have now come to relise that to get the results that you guys get i do need a varible speed saw that takes pinless blades. With the pin blades to get over the problem of drilling large holes i have been knocking the pins out threading them through the holes and then replacing the pins, up to now they have worked but the drill holes or still to big so i'm looking at a Scheppach Decoflex scroll saw, which has a drill attachment which will also take sanding disks, i have asked for advice about it on the help forum, hope that is the right place, thanks Travis & Sheila,

 

brian