theladywolf Posted June 25, 2011 Report Share Posted June 25, 2011 Hi, My name is Amanda and I am a stay at home mom and an aspiring artist in Olympia, WA. I have a Cricut machine (paper cutting machine) and developed a love interest with Inkscape program, and moved on to bigger things (wood). I have been doing research on scroll saws online and was wondering which one is a good one for a beginner? I've never cut wood before. My goal is to make word art, jigjaw puzzles, portraits, etc. I am planning on asking for a scroll saw for Christmas. I am browsing through this forum and your work is beyond amazing! Any feedback will be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Amanda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amazingkevin Posted June 25, 2011 Report Share Posted June 25, 2011 Hello ladywolf and welcome to ssv(scrollsawvillage)!Any scroll saw can do what you want to do ,but some make the task lots more easyer for you with creature comfort design.Front blade tenstion is a plus,tool less blade changes are another ,adiquit lightinging and dust blowing is a plus.Foot switch on off machine control.etc.dw788 is as low price for a scroll saw eith the best feathers as these.Grizzley .com tools has a great deal on the dewalt saw(dw8788)My saw of choice right now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WolfmoonCT Posted June 26, 2011 Report Share Posted June 26, 2011 I love my DW788 that I picked up used. It was very well taken care of. At first I wasn't sure I was going to use the footswitch that came with my DW, but after I figured out how I was going to mount it to the sawstand, I find it sooo much easier than using the top switch. Btw, nice name theladywolf, hehe, and I have a few items that were made out in Olympia Washington.. out at Olympic Arms.. as you can tell from my avatar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xray Posted June 26, 2011 Report Share Posted June 26, 2011 Might want to look at the under $200 PORTER-CABLE from Lowes if you budget is limited. Sure, you can get a better saw for $500 +, but not everyone has the $$ to splurge on something like this. Its a decent saw with some great features, and you can always upgrade later if you get hooked to a more expensive model. I have this one, and I have a 500+ one. If the truth be told, theres not all that much of a difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted June 27, 2011 Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 Hi Amanda. Welcome to the Village. We're glad you found us. I also use the Cricut paper cutter and use Inkscape (and SCAL)to design my own stuff. Its a lot of fun. As far as first scroll saws, keep an eye on Craigslist or the paper. Sometimes you can find great deals there. Just be sure to test drive the machine first and make sure it takes pinless blades (it'll have a screw clamp on the blade holder). I have a Craftsman 16". But I heard the newer Craftsman isn't nearly as good. If you have the cash, the Dewalt DW788 is probably the most popular mid-priced scroll saw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garmtn Posted October 11, 2011 Report Share Posted October 11, 2011 Hi Ladywolf, I'm in agreement with the rest of the forum. Started with a cheaper saw, and as I got better, saw seemed to get more cumbersome. I'm very happy with my DW788, and foot control. Biggest feature is the quick "blade change" and threading blade from top down thru the work. It is a little pricey for a 1st timer but, worth the $$! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.