SCROLL SAW BASICS

blade tension lever

Locks or releases the tension of the blade

Blade tension knob

Adjusts tension setting

Hold-down adjust­ment knob

Raises and lowers the hold-down

blower tube

Directs a stream of air behind the blade to clear sawdust from the cutting line

blade guard

Protects the operator’s hands from the blade

Hold-down

Holds stock secure ly on the table

Table tilt securing knob

Locks the table at the desired angle

Table tilt adjust­ment screw

Adjusts the angle of the table top

Speed adjust­ment knob

Adjusts the blade speed

blade – ■— changing wrench

BLADE GAUGES AND THEIR USES

GAUGE NUMBER TEETH PER INCH USES 2/0 28 For intricate work and thin 0 25 stock. Good for veneers and 1 23 materials such as hard plas­tics and thin (Кб – to %?-inch) materials 2 20 For cutting tight radiuses in 3 18 thin Ok – to К-inch) stock, 4 15 veneers, and plastics 5 14 For cutting tight radiuses in 6 13 thicker (K inch or more) materials, hard and soft­woods, and plastics 7 12 For cutting wood thicker 8 11.5 than К6 inch 9 11.5 10 11 11 9.5 12 9.5

BLADE TYPES Standard scroll blade A coarse-cutting blade usually used for cutting thick or hard stock; has teeth similar to those on a handsaw, borne have pins on the ends, requir­ing a larger note for inside cuts

Skip-tooth fret blade Ideal for cutting finer details; the skip-tooth design allows sawdust to dear, reducing friction and heat

Spiral blade A standard blade twisted to cut in all directions without turning the stock; requires greater skill for precise cuts because it produces a wider kerf than other blades

MAKING AN INSIDE CUT

1

Preparing the workpiece

Since a scroll saw blade is detachable, you can bore a hole through the waste area of your workpiece and slip the blade through the hole. Make sure the hole is large enough to accommodate the blade. Detach the blade, set the workpiece on the saw table with the hole centered over the table opening, and feed the blade up through the hole (right).

2

Reattaching the blade

Slip the end of the blade into the blade clamp mecha­nism and tighten it with the hex wrench supplied with the machine to secure the blade in position (above).

3

Setting up the saw and starting the cut

Check the tension by pushing a board with moderate pres­sure up against the blade; the blade should deflect about % inch. To adjust the blade tension, release the tension lever, then turn the tension adjustment screw clockwise to increase tension on the blade and counterclockwise to reduce the ten­sion. Lock the tension lever back into position. As you gain experience, you will be able to pluck the blade and listen for the sound it makes to gauge the tension. Once the blade is properly tensioned, lower the hold-down so that it presses the workpiece firmly against the table. To start the cut, align the blade with the cutting line and feed the workpiece with both hands (above).

4

Finishing the cut

To cut tight curves pivot the work – piece on the table, shifting your hand position as necessary. For 90° or greater turns, like those at the top of the stem section in the leaf design shown at left, cut slightly beyond the cutting line into the waste section, then pivot the work piece, and continue along the cutting line. Once you return to your starting point, remove the waste section and detach the blade to free the workpiece.