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In many cases, Scroll saw is repeatedly confused with an electric drill. But a scroll saw extra heavy-duty and can be used to cut various materials. Its ability to make a convoluted cut is because of its small sharp edge. Its blades are measured in teeth per inch (TPI), and the more the prongs per inch, the more convoluted work the saw can handle. The bigger the TPI, the quicker the blade can make many faster turns.
1. Safety
The primary consideration when purchasing a saw is safety. Read, understand and follow every safety regulation that accompanies your power saw. Knowing how to use the tool properly will profoundly reduce risks. If there is any instruction you don’t understand, contact a specialist or the manufacturer. Secondly, you need to protect your ears with hearing protection, eyes with protection glasses and lungs with a quality respirator.
2. Determine the quality before purchasing
When purchasing a saw, ensure you run it first to check the accuracy of your saw. A good scroll saw will run quietly and smoothly. When the blade is moving up and down, it should look like a thin dark line. If it appears blurry, the scroll saw lacks alignment and balance. This can be fixed easily, or it can be a permanent flaw.
3. Consider blades
Saw blades with many teeth produce crispier and cleaner cuts while the one with fewer teeth delivers rough cuts. Another thing to consider is whether to get a machine saw with blades that have plain ends or pin end.
- Plain-end blades -are entirely flat. They are fastened using two locks- one on the lower side and another one on the top side of the table. These types of blades are available within various teeth alignment. The benefit of a plain end is that they fit in very tiny holes found in many projects. Many scroll sewers prefer the regular plain-end blade.
- Pin-end blades- on both ends it has a small cross pin which rests in a hook designed holders. The benefits of pin-end blades are that it can be changed quickly and the tension is automatically and consistently set as you alternate from one blade to another.
4. Sharpen the ends
Many factory blocks of wood aren’t perfect. To improve the quality, always square the board end before cutting pieces to length. Just cut the end of the board. You only require cutting just a small piece enough to make a squared end.
5. Position your saw properly
Although there is no rule regarding the direction to start a cut, when possible, position the saw while its motor is facing the larger board section such that it won’t fall when cut. Through that, the base saw’s plate will be in full support up to the end, and you will not have to hold up the saw weight as the detached piece drops off.
6. Heap, fasten and cut
When you want to cut more than one piece of plywood in the same size, try a procedure known as gang cutting. Fix three to five sheets at the top of each other ensuring the edges are aligned correctly. Fasten the pieces and modify the saw blade to its extreme depth of cut and then saw every sheet at the same time.
7. Eraser
Always make sure you keep four fingers far away from the blades. When cutting wood, use pencil eraser a bit near to the edge to prevent mishaps.
8. Cut the wood while dry
It is vital to cut wood while dry when using a scroll saw because the wet wood will slowly wear down the saw blades and also reduce life its expectancy.
9. Use v-Block
When cutting a rounded wood, it’s always a good idea to use a V-block. It will help in holding the wood and keeping it away from rolling into the blade, which can make it jam up or break.
10. Take care of blades
Before turning the saw on, always remember to check the blades. They should not be bent or dull, but sharp enough to prevent uneven cuts. Check to ensure that all blades are secured. If you do not use a scroll saw more often, remember to take care of it. Spray it with little oil to prevent it from rusting.
Final verdict
When using the saw, always take care of your safety and those around you. Know the danger of what can happen in case blade breaks. Use the footswitch for more protection when scroll sawing.