# Shop Made Scroll Saw - Part 3



## greasemonkeyredneck (Aug 14, 2010)

*Shop Made Scroll Saw - Part 3*

If any of you haven't seen the rest of this build, here is Part 1 and Part 2.








Here, I have cut and am test fitting the table. Luckily one of my older sons was home today. He didn't work because of the rain. If it wasn't for him, the table wouldn't have gotten done today. There was quite a bit of digging to find a piece of pecan large enough for the table. That is one of the features I love about this design. It has a massive table. It is eighteen inches wide and thirty five inches long. 
I don't know if I have mentioned this yet, but there is another advantage to this saw as well. The largest scroll saw I have presently is sixteen inches. The throat depth on this one is going to be twenty five inches. That's a full nine inches over the best saws I've had in the past. 








While test fitting the table, I found the only thing so far that I do not like about the design in the magazine. According to the magazine article, the rear of the table is supposed to simply have screws placed sideways into the frame. For a table this large, I feel that this would not possibly be adequate support for it. 
So, I cut a block of wood for each side, sanded it to match the profile of the surrounding areas, and drilled two inch holes in them with a forstner bit to provide solid blocked support at the rear of the table.








After a lot of sanding, the table is glued, screwed down, and then the countersunk screw holes were plugged and sanded flush. Except for applying finish, this completes the basic saw construction. 
I wanted to start with the finish today, but it rained most of the day. I planned on polyurethane for this project. I have had bad luck in the past with applying poly on rainy days, so I decided to set it aside until tomorrow, when the weather is supposed to be a lot nicer. 
So, that's it. As soon as I get the finish on and wire the switch, it'll be posted in the projects section. I hope ya'll have enjoyed this build.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

greasemonkeyredneck said:


> *Shop Made Scroll Saw - Part 3*
> 
> If any of you haven't seen the rest of this build, here is Part 1 and Part 2.
> 
> ...


Coming along nicely ;-) Hope is works as good as it looks.


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## geoscann (Feb 27, 2012)

greasemonkeyredneck said:


> *Shop Made Scroll Saw - Part 3*
> 
> If any of you haven't seen the rest of this build, here is Part 1 and Part 2.
> 
> ...


WILLIAM it looks fantastic you need to get one off them big stop switchs and remove the plastic flap and replace it with a wooden one. but thats me it still looks really great.


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## DIYaholic (Jan 28, 2011)

greasemonkeyredneck said:


> *Shop Made Scroll Saw - Part 3*
> 
> If any of you haven't seen the rest of this build, here is Part 1 and Part 2.
> 
> ...


This saw is totally NUTS!!! Get it, nuts, PECAN. Oh how I make myself laugh.
It ain't finished, 'til it's FINISHED!!!

A very impressive build. Truth be told, I woodn't have expected anything less!!! Great job.


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## boxcarmarty (Dec 9, 2011)

greasemonkeyredneck said:


> *Shop Made Scroll Saw - Part 3*
> 
> If any of you haven't seen the rest of this build, here is Part 1 and Part 2.
> 
> ...


I'm so excited, I had to tie my hands together to keep from planting a pecan tree. What is the reason for the cut channel for the blade instead of a hole???


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## greasemonkeyredneck (Aug 14, 2010)

greasemonkeyredneck said:


> *Shop Made Scroll Saw - Part 3*
> 
> If any of you haven't seen the rest of this build, here is Part 1 and Part 2.
> 
> ...


Thank you fellas.
I hope to have it posted as a project as soon as I can, maybe in a day or two. I promise to provide proof it works as well. 
Truth be told, I've already tested it. It works. I can't cut much on it yet though. I need to finish it before putting lock tite on the nuts. Right now, if you run it too long, the nuts vibrate loose. It's not as quiet as my other scroll saws, but hey, I'm using a Black & Decker jig saw for a motor.


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## superdav721 (Aug 16, 2010)

greasemonkeyredneck said:


> *Shop Made Scroll Saw - Part 3*
> 
> If any of you haven't seen the rest of this build, here is Part 1 and Part 2.
> 
> ...


I love it. Put a petal on it and Ill take one. William that pecan will look great with some finish on it. A nice saw you have built. I know you have been wanting on of these. Now you have one. Great build.


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## toeachhisown (Eddie) (Mar 30, 2011)

greasemonkeyredneck said:


> *Shop Made Scroll Saw - Part 3*
> 
> If any of you haven't seen the rest of this build, here is Part 1 and Part 2.
> 
> ...


*William * that looks like a great build of a scroll saw .been wanting one but my sister n law thats a master at the scroll saw said wait till i can afford a deep one. 25 " throat depth is that,and its been raining down here too and building a table top i sprayed ploy you are right its not a good time to do it .i like it ,got to favor this.relly a great job on this.


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## greasemonkeyredneck (Aug 14, 2010)

greasemonkeyredneck said:


> *Shop Made Scroll Saw - Part 3*
> 
> If any of you haven't seen the rest of this build, here is Part 1 and Part 2.
> 
> ...


Marty,
The slit is barely larger than the blade and allows the blade to slide in without a larger hole that's in most scroll saws. This enables you to be able to cut smaller parts without having to have a zero clearance insert. In my opnion, ZCI don't work well on scroll saws because there just isn't much room to be threading the blade through without bending it too much. With the slit, like on this saw, you can slide your work piece out, thread the blade through, then slide it straight back and clamp it up. It's just a better design in my opinion. One could absolutley do the hole instead of a slit if they wanted though.

Super,
I love pecan anyway. It is a beautiful wood. The magazine article recommended oak for this project. I was going to dig out oak. The first hardwood piece I came to was pecan though and I went with it. Yes, it is beatiful with a finish though. I can't wait to have it done so I can post it.

Eddie,
It's a shop made scroll saw. So the great thing about the twenty five inch throat is that you can make it even deeper if you want. However, I have to convince you though that a sixteen inch saw can do more than some people think they will. 
My account was recently hacked, but if you've seen some of the very large scroll saw projects I've done in the past before they were deleted, everything was done on a 16" Delta scroll saw. It isn't even one of the expensive models. It's a Delta SS250 that I caught on clearance for $69.99.
As a matter of fact. Here's a few examples. All were done on a 16" saw.








Four feet tall and eight foot wide.








Four feet wide and seven feet tall.








Five feet long (All parts for this one was cut on my Craftsman 16")








Four feet tall and two feet wide.








Five feet long.








Five feet six inches long.
The secret is spiral blades. Let me know if you need pointers. I've been doing it for quite a while. With a sixteen inche saw and spiral blades, I can cut anything as long as it isn't over thirty two inches wide at it's narrowest side. 
Now the reason I tell you all this is that, as much fun as this scroll saw build is, I don't expect to get quite the precision out of it as I do my Delta or Craftsman saw. It will be a good saw for cutting large items. However, for things such as portraits, where the slightest imperfections can ruin the whole piece, I wouldn't attempt to use this one I'm building. 
If you're truly interested in scrolling, I suggest getting what you can afford for now. I started out on a piece of crap Ryobi. It was the biggest piece of junk tool I've ever used in my life. However, I used that saw until I'd just about beat the bearings clean out of it. As much as I hated that saw, I'm glad I started with it. After getting used to a saw that I had to compensate for how much it would walk across the floor while I was cutting, I now feel I can scroll on any saw that is put in front of me.

Sorry for the diversion from the saw build fellas. Send me a PM if you ever want scrolling advice Eddie.


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## boxcarmarty (Dec 9, 2011)

greasemonkeyredneck said:


> *Shop Made Scroll Saw - Part 3*
> 
> If any of you haven't seen the rest of this build, here is Part 1 and Part 2.
> 
> ...


Does that loose any stability in the table with it split? I would think that a hole would be more stable on that front edge…..


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## greasemonkeyredneck (Aug 14, 2010)

greasemonkeyredneck said:


> *Shop Made Scroll Saw - Part 3*
> 
> If any of you haven't seen the rest of this build, here is Part 1 and Part 2.
> 
> ...


I will take a photo and post it tomorrow Marty.
In the front of the table, I drilled a three eighths hole. Then a dowel is pressed into the hole. There is no noticeable flex in the table, but this dowel guarantees it.


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## boxcarmarty (Dec 9, 2011)

greasemonkeyredneck said:


> *Shop Made Scroll Saw - Part 3*
> 
> If any of you haven't seen the rest of this build, here is Part 1 and Part 2.
> 
> ...


The dowel should hold it in place ok. I've seen them used before in applications like that…..


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## toeachhisown (Eddie) (Mar 30, 2011)

greasemonkeyredneck said:


> *Shop Made Scroll Saw - Part 3*
> 
> If any of you haven't seen the rest of this build, here is Part 1 and Part 2.
> 
> ...


thanks william those are amazing, i think you have helped to make my mind up .going to be looking for one.


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## greasemonkeyredneck (Aug 14, 2010)

greasemonkeyredneck said:


> *Shop Made Scroll Saw - Part 3*
> 
> If any of you haven't seen the rest of this build, here is Part 1 and Part 2.
> 
> ...


Here's a photo from Mathius Wandell's site. That's where I originally got the idea from.


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## greasemonkeyredneck (Aug 14, 2010)

greasemonkeyredneck said:


> *Shop Made Scroll Saw - Part 3*
> 
> If any of you haven't seen the rest of this build, here is Part 1 and Part 2.
> 
> ...


Glad to be of assistance Eddie.
I'm all for the buying the best saw you can idea. It is sound advice in principle. However, if your finances are like a lot of people, you have to remember this. I've been saving for an Excaliber saw for well over three years now and haven't got a dime saved. Everytime I get any money up, something goes wrong and takes my funds before I can even make a good start on the Excaliber fund.


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## LittlePaw (Dec 21, 2009)

greasemonkeyredneck said:


> *Shop Made Scroll Saw - Part 3*
> 
> If any of you haven't seen the rest of this build, here is Part 1 and Part 2.
> 
> ...


WOW, and WOW and WOW! What else can I say? WOW!


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## greasemonkeyredneck (Aug 14, 2010)

greasemonkeyredneck said:


> *Shop Made Scroll Saw - Part 3*
> 
> If any of you haven't seen the rest of this build, here is Part 1 and Part 2.
> 
> ...


Thank you Little Paw.
I don't know what else to say.
I guess I could say thank you for each Wow, but I bet you wouldn't find that funny either.


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## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

greasemonkeyredneck said:


> *Shop Made Scroll Saw - Part 3*
> 
> If any of you haven't seen the rest of this build, here is Part 1 and Part 2.
> 
> ...


Very kool build William. Nicely engineered! I like superd's idea for a peddle.


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## steliart (Jan 15, 2011)

greasemonkeyredneck said:


> *Shop Made Scroll Saw - Part 3*
> 
> If any of you haven't seen the rest of this build, here is Part 1 and Part 2.
> 
> ...


Fantastic, only thing I am wondering is if there's any vibration transferred to the table from this design?


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## greasemonkeyredneck (Aug 14, 2010)

greasemonkeyredneck said:


> *Shop Made Scroll Saw - Part 3*
> 
> If any of you haven't seen the rest of this build, here is Part 1 and Part 2.
> 
> ...


If you keep the saw speed below the setting of three, which is as fast or faster than my factory made saws, the vibration is no more than any other scroll saw. If you turn it above three though (way too fast anyhow) it vibrates very badly.


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## steliart (Jan 15, 2011)

greasemonkeyredneck said:


> *Shop Made Scroll Saw - Part 3*
> 
> If any of you haven't seen the rest of this build, here is Part 1 and Part 2.
> 
> ...


Thanks William, thought so that vibrations might be an issue, so the idea will be to change the design a bit and have the bed as a stand alone, unattached from the rest of the machine, that would do the trick.
Found that WOOD magazine it was issue #012 (August 1986), I will give it a go on sketchup first (when I have the time) to work around that table detachment.
Once again thanks man, GR8 work and photos here.


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## wbrisett (Dec 21, 2011)

greasemonkeyredneck said:


> *Shop Made Scroll Saw - Part 3*
> 
> If any of you haven't seen the rest of this build, here is Part 1 and Part 2.
> 
> ...


Wow, very nice. As I was watching the video, I had the same thoughts as Steliart about the vibration. Glad to hear it isn't an issue. You did an incredible job on the project.


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