timelett Posted October 10, 2021 Report Share Posted October 10, 2021 I do more bowl turning and bowl segmented things at this time, but wanting to make some bowls and things with a scroll saw I picked up at HF. I have always wondered what advantages the more expensive saws have and is this a good saw to learn on. Is it good to learn on a good saw or something more expensive? amazingkevin 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted October 10, 2021 Report Share Posted October 10, 2021 Welcome to The Village, Tim! My philosophy is if your saw works for you you have the right saw. Cheaper saws, generally speaking, tend to have more problems and don't last as long. If you try a a higher quality saw you will begin to see some advantages like top-feed versus bottom-feed, amount of vibration, throat depth, table size, and type of blade clamps. And we'd love to see pictures of you bowls and other turned items. Cheers! spirithorse, LarryEA and amazingkevin 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveww1 Posted October 10, 2021 Report Share Posted October 10, 2021 welcome to the village Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryEA Posted October 10, 2021 Report Share Posted October 10, 2021 Welcome !! I'll echo Dan and also say if you like what you cut all is well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amazingkevin Posted October 10, 2021 Report Share Posted October 10, 2021 (edited) 5 hours ago, timelett said: I do more bowl turning and bowl segmented things at this time, but wanting to make some bowls and things with a scroll saw I picked up at HF. I have always wondered what advantages the more expensive saws have and is this a good saw to learn on. Is it good to learn on a good saw or something more expensive? I bought a harbor freight one new and was so discussed with it i threw it away .My friend was at a pawn shop and noticed one in the box for $40,Not knowing what saw he was talking about .When he brought it to me i took it right to the dumpster. I've bought a lot of things from harbor freight and never had a lemon like this. Edited October 10, 2021 by amazingkevin spelling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old sarge Posted October 10, 2021 Report Share Posted October 10, 2021 I started with a craftsman that took pin type blades. Cost maybe $100.00. It was a nice unit, cut well, and utterly reliable but inside cuts were problematic. I used it for a couple of years and then the bug bit and I got the Excalibur. A major upgrade for sure and I have been very happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrappile Posted October 10, 2021 Report Share Posted October 10, 2021 Welcome to the forum.... I can't comment on an HF scroll saw, I have never even seen. If you are only going to use it occasionally, it maybe adequate. If you get into scrolling and really enjoy you will probably upgrade before long.. You speak of incorporating some scroll work with your turning.. I have a good friend that turns segmented pieces... He did the one attached and I got to scroll the wildlife for him to use with it... Jronn65, spirithorse, preprius and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spirithorse Posted October 10, 2021 Report Share Posted October 10, 2021 Dan's answer was very well stated. I started with a Harbor Freight saw but, they were made with different blade clamps back around 2005 and could take pin end blades. It served me well. Every saw since then has been a low end saw price wise and I am currently using an 18" Craftsman model 315216090 which do not seem to be available any more. I'd love to find another one exactly like it because I like the blade clamps a LOT better than any of the new Scroll Saws including the high priced models. Looking forward to seeing your creations. God Bless! Spirithorse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomanydogs Posted October 10, 2021 Report Share Posted October 10, 2021 Welcome to the village. I also agree with what Dan said. I have had my very inexpensive scroll saw for about five years and I have been able to scroll everything I’ve wanted to do. The one thing that keeps me from giving up on it is that I have it on a welders bench that my daughter built so I have zero vibration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timelett Posted October 10, 2021 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2021 Thanks for your advice from the group, Scrappile I hope to be able to be able to cut like that some day,my bowl projects are on the phone. I look forward to learning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta Moreton Posted October 11, 2021 Report Share Posted October 11, 2021 14 hours ago, timelett said: I do more bowl turning and bowl segmented things at this time, but wanting to make some bowls and things with a scroll saw I picked up at HF. I have always wondered what advantages the more expensive saws have and is this a good saw to learn on. Is it good to learn on a good saw or something more expensive? The biggest advantage of more expensive saws is because they don’t take pinned blades, the blade changes for the pinless blades is easy and pinless blades means smaller pilot holes. Check out Carole Rothman’s book on bowls on the scroll saw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dak0ta52 Posted October 11, 2021 Report Share Posted October 11, 2021 Welcome to the Village, Timelett. I've only been scrolling for about six months and started with a cheap WEN scroll saw. I'm already looking at purchasing a better saw. The WEN has a fixed upper arm that doesn't lift making it impossible to top feed and difficult to bottom feed. It does accept pinless blades but the clamping system is an issue. I've already had to replace the upper blade clamp and the screw knobs for both the upper and lower blade clamps have broken. I have my saw mounted onto a heavy stand I made and while the vibration is minimal, there is some that will strain your eyes over a period of time. I've not personally had experience with the HF scroll saw, nor have I heard any reviews, but I believe you will get a taste of scrolling with almost any cheap saw. With that said, I have found scrolling to be very relaxing and enjoyable, despite the issues I've had with the WEN. My opinion is that if you find scrolling to be as enjoyable as I do, you will definitely be searching for a better quality saw in the near future. Best of luck with your new saw and please share some of your work. Happy scrolling! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill WIlson Posted October 11, 2021 Report Share Posted October 11, 2021 This topic comes up fairly often and it's difficult to give a really objective answer. Scroll saws are no different than any other gear or equipment that one is looking to purchase in order to support a new hobby. On one hand, buying at entry level gets one into the hobby at a lower cost, so that is an attractive option. Telling a beginner that they have to pay upwards of $500-$600 just to get a saw to start out with, may not be helpful. On the other hand, recommending a low priced, entry level saw that has limited capabilities and may be of dubious quality, could lead the beginner down a path of frustration and disappointment, ultimately driving them away from the hobby. More expensive saws will offer better build quality and more features. Better quality will translate into smoother operation, easier blade changes, better adjustments and added features which will make scrolling more enjoyable. One example I'll use is that on some of the higher end saws, you can tilt the head of the saw to make angled cuts, instead of tilting the table. This makes cutting angles for stacked ring bowls so much easier. However to get this feature in a saw, you may need to spend $800-$1000. For occasional use, it's hard to justify this amount of money, but for a serious hobbiest or someone who wants to sell their work, it may be a good option. I know nothing of the Harbor Freight scroll saw, so I won't comment specifically on it. As far as budget priced scroll saws in general are concerned, most veteran scrollers will probably hold them in lower regard, because we have had the benefit of using a better saw for some time and the higher price was worth it to us to get the better performance and quality. That said, a budget saw may work well for you. At least well enough that you won't immediately lose interest in the hobby. Just realize that with any entry level equipment, you have to have reasonable expectations and understand that it is likely that, as your interest in the hobby grows, you may soon be looking to upgrade. Good luck and have fun making sawdust. Jim Blume and Scrappile 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dak0ta52 Posted October 11, 2021 Report Share Posted October 11, 2021 4 hours ago, Bill WIlson said: This topic comes up fairly often and it's difficult to give a really objective answer. Scroll saws are no different than any other gear or equipment that one is looking to purchase in order to support a new hobby. On one hand, buying at entry level gets one into the hobby at a lower cost, so that is an attractive option. Telling a beginner that they have to pay upwards of $500-$600 just to get a saw to start out with, may not be helpful. On the other hand, recommending a low priced, entry level saw that has limited capabilities and may be of dubious quality, could lead the beginner down a path of frustration and disappointment, ultimately driving them away from the hobby. More expensive saws will offer better build quality and more features. Better quality will translate into smoother operation, easier blade changes, better adjustments and added features which will make scrolling more enjoyable. One example I'll use is that on some of the higher end saws, you can tilt the head of the saw to make angled cuts, instead of tilting the table. This makes cutting angles for stacked ring bowls so much easier. However to get this feature in a saw, you may need to spend $800-$1000. For occasional use, it's hard to justify this amount of money, but for a serious hobbiest or someone who wants to sell their work, it may be a good option. I know nothing of the Harbor Freight scroll saw, so I won't comment specifically on it. As far as budget priced scroll saws in general are concerned, most veteran scrollers will probably hold them in lower regard, because we have had the benefit of using a better saw for some time and the higher price was worth it to us to get the better performance and quality. That said, a budget saw may work well for you. At least well enough that you won't immediately lose interest in the hobby. Just realize that with any entry level equipment, you have to have reasonable expectations and understand that it is likely that, as your interest in the hobby grows, you may soon be looking to upgrade. Good luck and have fun making sawdust. I completely agree with you Bill's comments, Timelett. I do believe it is also beneficial to provide a prospective hobbyist with factual experiences so they can make an informed decision. Do I regret purchasing my inexpensive WEN saw? Definitely not! Purchasing that saw has given me the joy of a wonderful hobby and led me to this and several other great forums where I have gained many friends via the internet. From your initial post it seems you have already purchased your saw. I hope and pray that it serves you well so that you can learn to enjoy scrolling as much as I have. Jim Blume 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timelett Posted October 16, 2021 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2021 I have been looking at websites and gotten some ideas including a clamp system for the blade. I don't know if I can name businesses, but the blade clamps with the saw are a frustrating turn off. Also I bolted the saw to a heavy table, that is fastened to the floor. Right now I am working on cutting ON THE LINE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old sarge Posted October 17, 2021 Report Share Posted October 17, 2021 (edited) On 10/15/2021 at 6:35 PM, timelett said: I have been looking at websites and gotten some ideas including a clamp system for the blade. I don't know if I can name businesses, but the blade clamps with the saw are a frustrating turn off. Also I bolted the saw to a heavy table, that is fastened to the floor. Right now I am working on cutting ON THE LINE. You may have already found this but in case you have not, here is a conversion kit for pinless blades at Amazon. Central Machinery(Harbor Freight) is listed as well as many others. Maybe this will help: https://www.amazon.com/Olson-AC49610-Scroll-Blade-Conversion/dp/B005ELXNX6?th=1 Edited October 17, 2021 by old sarge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timelett Posted October 17, 2021 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2021 Thanks, if I can Pozsgai's Designs had the same kit, very easy to convert, I was able to use #0 spiral blades on a project. Eventually I would like to combine the scroll cutting and making designs for bowl turning. Sort of like Scrappile posted, I need a lot of practice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSull Posted October 23, 2021 Report Share Posted October 23, 2021 Welcome, tons of good info here. I started with a used DeWalt, gave $200 for it and did the upgrades, Pegas chucks, lifter arm etc. I have been really happy with it and so far I have been able to do projects I want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heppnerguy Posted October 26, 2021 Report Share Posted October 26, 2021 I have never seen a person say they liked HF's scroll saw. I would suggest you return it and look for a used saw on Craigslist in your area. You need to have someone show you how well their used saw runs and cuts to be sure it will work for you before you buy it. Dewalt is one saw a lot of people use and is a good saw for the price and is a number one saw for a lot of scrollers. Watch the ads. Dick heppnerguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe W. Posted October 27, 2021 Report Share Posted October 27, 2021 This past January I bought a used (7year old) DeWalt SS for a little over $225. Replaced the connecting/Connector Rod, cleaned and greased the bearings and have used it quite a bit since. Currently stack cutting 3 1/4" BB Christmas ornaments and it's handling that well too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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