# foot powered Scroll saw



## Tom8021 (Jul 14, 2009)

*foot powered Scroll saw #1:*

First off I wanted to do some marquertry but shelling out $400 plus for a slow speed scroll saw was too steep. I tried to find a used one locally, but after a couple of months it wasn't happening. Then I was going through some old issues of "Woodwork" magazine and found an article on building your own foot powered scroll saw. If you can find it, they are no longer around, it was the October 2006 edition. Anyway the guy who made it was Brian Condran ([email protected]) and it got me started. He will sell plans for his version. I ended up not using his plans but using the magazine article to help guide me along. I changed a bunch of things and I am proud of the way my turned out.

The concept is pretty straight forward two arms going up and down in unison








.

This is my first time doing a blog, so have some patience. I will take a bunch of close up pictures and try to explain what you are looking at.


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## PineInTheAsh (Jun 14, 2009)

Tom8021 said:


> *foot powered Scroll saw #1:*
> 
> First off I wanted to do some marquertry but shelling out $400 plus for a slow speed scroll saw was too steep. I tried to find a used one locally, but after a couple of months it wasn't happening. Then I was going through some old issues of "Woodwork" magazine and found an article on building your own foot powered scroll saw. If you can find it, they are no longer around, it was the October 2006 edition. Anyway the guy who made it was Brian Condran ([email protected]) and it got me started. He will sell plans for his version. I ended up not using his plans but using the magazine article to help guide me along. I changed a bunch of things and I am proud of the way my turned out.
> 
> ...


Looks superb and anxiously await pics.


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## cabinetmaster (Aug 28, 2008)

Tom8021 said:


> *foot powered Scroll saw #1:*
> 
> First off I wanted to do some marquertry but shelling out $400 plus for a slow speed scroll saw was too steep. I tried to find a used one locally, but after a couple of months it wasn't happening. Then I was going through some old issues of "Woodwork" magazine and found an article on building your own foot powered scroll saw. If you can find it, they are no longer around, it was the October 2006 edition. Anyway the guy who made it was Brian Condran ([email protected]) and it got me started. He will sell plans for his version. I ended up not using his plans but using the magazine article to help guide me along. I changed a bunch of things and I am proud of the way my turned out.
> 
> ...


Wow. Looks great.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Tom8021 said:


> *foot powered Scroll saw #1:*
> 
> First off I wanted to do some marquertry but shelling out $400 plus for a slow speed scroll saw was too steep. I tried to find a used one locally, but after a couple of months it wasn't happening. Then I was going through some old issues of "Woodwork" magazine and found an article on building your own foot powered scroll saw. If you can find it, they are no longer around, it was the October 2006 edition. Anyway the guy who made it was Brian Condran ([email protected]) and it got me started. He will sell plans for his version. I ended up not using his plans but using the magazine article to help guide me along. I changed a bunch of things and I am proud of the way my turned out.
> 
> ...


I'm impressed great job. More More


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

Tom8021 said:


> *foot powered Scroll saw #1:*
> 
> First off I wanted to do some marquertry but shelling out $400 plus for a slow speed scroll saw was too steep. I tried to find a used one locally, but after a couple of months it wasn't happening. Then I was going through some old issues of "Woodwork" magazine and found an article on building your own foot powered scroll saw. If you can find it, they are no longer around, it was the October 2006 edition. Anyway the guy who made it was Brian Condran ([email protected]) and it got me started. He will sell plans for his version. I ended up not using his plans but using the magazine article to help guide me along. I changed a bunch of things and I am proud of the way my turned out.
> 
> ...


we're taping our feet , 
waiting .
( and practicing )


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## mattd (Aug 8, 2007)

Tom8021 said:


> *foot powered Scroll saw #1:*
> 
> First off I wanted to do some marquertry but shelling out $400 plus for a slow speed scroll saw was too steep. I tried to find a used one locally, but after a couple of months it wasn't happening. Then I was going through some old issues of "Woodwork" magazine and found an article on building your own foot powered scroll saw. If you can find it, they are no longer around, it was the October 2006 edition. Anyway the guy who made it was Brian Condran ([email protected]) and it got me started. He will sell plans for his version. I ended up not using his plans but using the magazine article to help guide me along. I changed a bunch of things and I am proud of the way my turned out.
> 
> ...


This looks great and it obviously works very well by the looks of your other projects. I'll look forward to following this. I've been put off by the cost of scroll saws also, but it never occured to me to build one.


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## Billp (Nov 25, 2006)

Tom8021 said:


> *foot powered Scroll saw #1:*
> 
> First off I wanted to do some marquertry but shelling out $400 plus for a slow speed scroll saw was too steep. I tried to find a used one locally, but after a couple of months it wasn't happening. Then I was going through some old issues of "Woodwork" magazine and found an article on building your own foot powered scroll saw. If you can find it, they are no longer around, it was the October 2006 edition. Anyway the guy who made it was Brian Condran ([email protected]) and it got me started. He will sell plans for his version. I ended up not using his plans but using the magazine article to help guide me along. I changed a bunch of things and I am proud of the way my turned out.
> 
> ...


I wish I would have seen this before I forked over $500 on a Delta Love my saw but I would have made one of these first. I will have to make one anyway.


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## Tom8021 (Jul 14, 2009)

*foot powered Scroll saw #2:*

Let's go over what my dimensions are:

I used scraps I had around the shop,

Base 32×16 x 3/4 melamine
table 36×12 x 3/4 melamine 
Arms 36×3/4×5/8 oak
arm support (rides on top of the arm) 30×5/8×1 1/2
tower 2 1/2×7/8×13 from the base









You can see the arm top and arm are glued together perpendicular to each other for strength.










The arms are attached about 4" in from end with the lower arm 3" off the base and the upper 8" off the base. This is the critical dimensions, a scroll saw blade is 5" so when the blade is attached to the middle of each arm, it is close to being square( actually rectangle). The trickiest part is to keep the arms parallel and get the maximum stroke.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Tom8021 said:


> *foot powered Scroll saw #2:*
> 
> Let's go over what my dimensions are:
> 
> ...


I'm saving this whole series good work


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## Tom8021 (Jul 14, 2009)

*tension adjusting and blade mechanizium*

To make it so you can adjust the tension on the blade I took a 12" threaded screw and put it through oversize holes in the back end of the arms.










I put a nut on the bottom and a adjustable knob on the top.

The other end was a bit harder to figure out. I kept browsing over all of the fasteners at Home Depot, thinking there has to be a way to make a solid connection between the arms and the blades. Then it hit me and I think it is simple and strong. 









I took a threaded rod coupler and drilled a hole in the side of the arms just big enough to put the coupler in snugly . I then used epoxy to keep it there. I was careful to keep one of the flat sides of the coupler parallel to top of the arm. It just will make the next step easier. When the glue is dry, I then drilled through the top of the arm right through the coupler. Next came a set screw and brass screw that I filed flat where they meet the blade. 









Keep the knob on the top arm as small as possible, it gets in the way when using the saw.


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## mattd (Aug 8, 2007)

Tom8021 said:


> *tension adjusting and blade mechanizium*
> 
> To make it so you can adjust the tension on the blade I took a 12" threaded screw and put it through oversize holes in the back end of the arms.
> 
> ...


Nicely done so far! I think I could probably build this from the details you have here. Well.. just the top part so far of course. Appreciate this..


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Tom8021 said:


> *tension adjusting and blade mechanizium*
> 
> To make it so you can adjust the tension on the blade I took a 12" threaded screw and put it through oversize holes in the back end of the arms.
> 
> ...


this is really cool Tom


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

Tom8021 said:


> *tension adjusting and blade mechanizium*
> 
> To make it so you can adjust the tension on the blade I took a 12" threaded screw and put it through oversize holes in the back end of the arms.
> 
> ...


a fantastic project, and a terrific tool!

how is it working out for you ?


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## Tom8021 (Jul 14, 2009)

Tom8021 said:


> *tension adjusting and blade mechanizium*
> 
> To make it so you can adjust the tension on the blade I took a 12" threaded screw and put it through oversize holes in the back end of the arms.
> 
> ...


As far as working out for me, I say terrific. Yes I broke a lot of blades at first, but now I break them a lot less.

The control I get is fantastic, I can stop and turn easily.

The draw backs are that my leg gets tired. My eyes aren't what they use to be and blowing away the saw dust needs a good set of lungs. This isn't for a old guy like me, lol.


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## PineInTheAsh (Jun 14, 2009)

Tom8021 said:


> *tension adjusting and blade mechanizium*
> 
> To make it so you can adjust the tension on the blade I took a 12" threaded screw and put it through oversize holes in the back end of the arms.
> 
> ...


Tom,
This is a superb project and series of informative posts. Hopefully, you'll take us all the way with this wonderful creation.

Might not a small fan or blower mounted nearby help with the sawdust?


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## Tom8021 (Jul 14, 2009)

Tom8021 said:


> *tension adjusting and blade mechanizium*
> 
> To make it so you can adjust the tension on the blade I took a 12" threaded screw and put it through oversize holes in the back end of the arms.
> 
> ...


I tried a battery operated fan and it wasn't concentrated enough. It really isn't that big of a deal, but I keep thinking on it. My old scroll saw had a bellows on it, but that won't work with my foot powered, too slow.


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## Tom8021 (Jul 14, 2009)

*The Tower*

The tower needs to be beefy. I had some 7/8 ASH laying around so I used it. Everything hinges on the tower so don't be shy adding a few bolts.










The lower part ( 2 1/2×15 1/2) is just bolted to the base with three lag bolts. I drilled the base so the bolt heads sat flush with the bottom. There are dados for the vertical pieces. I wanted to make sure I could minimize any movement and I think this works with the triangle supports. By the way the dimension of 13" on the tower includes the dado. The vertical pieces are 3/8" less, I just wanted all of the measurements to be from the base. The vertical pieces are glued and screwed into the dado.










The arms are attached by drilling an over sized holes through the tower at the correct height 3" and 8 ". Here is where an improvement can happen. I had to make sure I didn't over tighten the bolts or I would squeeze the arms solid. They need to move freely. The distance between the vertical pieces was made to fit the arms perfectly. No room for a washer or nut or ….. I think if I did it again I would try to put in a sleeve bushing? Anyway before putting the bolts in I waxed them up and did the same on the wood. It works, so far.

You will notice too that the bolt for the table is at 5" you need to make sure you give plenty of room for the lower arm. I used two bolts staggered above the table bolt.









The triangle pieces are screwed into place.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Tom8021 said:


> *The Tower*
> 
> The tower needs to be beefy. I had some 7/8 ASH laying around so I used it. Everything hinges on the tower so don't be shy adding a few bolts.
> 
> ...


I can't believe how cool this is. great job.


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## Tom8021 (Jul 14, 2009)

*Table and trundle*

Some scroll work requires you to tilt the table. I accomplish this by allowing the table to pivot on the tower end and created a trundle on the opposite end. The thing to remember is the top of the table is 5" off the base. With the table width at 12" I created a curve so that the radius is 4 1/2" . The trundle is 2" wide 1/2" ply with a 3/4" slot in the middle. The slot can be smaller it just needs to be able to pass the lag bolt through it.










The support is a 2 1/2" board glued and screwed in through the base about 2 " from the front of the base. I think it would be better to shorten the support to 2".Again to allow the lower arm maximum space. 









I believe I attached the trundle and tower end to the table first, then figured out where my support needed to be. The trundle is 9" in from the front of the table. Once you have that you can clamp the trundle onto the support and mark where the copper covered dowel supports need to be attached. I used 3/4 copper tubing. Once those are glued in and the table is resting on them, I then drilled the center bolt through the trundle slot. The bottom line is to make the table sit on the copper and be 5" off the table. The table should be flat.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

Tom8021 said:


> *Table and trundle*
> 
> Some scroll work requires you to tilt the table. I accomplish this by allowing the table to pivot on the tower end and created a trundle on the opposite end. The thing to remember is the top of the table is 5" off the base. With the table width at 12" I created a curve so that the radius is 4 1/2" . The trundle is 2" wide 1/2" ply with a 3/4" slot in the middle. The slot can be smaller it just needs to be able to pass the lag bolt through it.
> 
> ...


Looking good so far. Can't wait to see the "power" for this! )


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Tom8021 said:


> *Table and trundle*
> 
> Some scroll work requires you to tilt the table. I accomplish this by allowing the table to pivot on the tower end and created a trundle on the opposite end. The thing to remember is the top of the table is 5" off the base. With the table width at 12" I created a curve so that the radius is 4 1/2" . The trundle is 2" wide 1/2" ply with a 3/4" slot in the middle. The slot can be smaller it just needs to be able to pass the lag bolt through it.
> 
> ...


Gets better every time


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## Tom8021 (Jul 14, 2009)

*Spring my foot*

I bought a package of four springs at Home Depot. You can put a spring at the back or at the front. I tried the different sizes in different places and picked the 4" one near the front.









I put it on by gluing short pieces of dowels, one to the base and the other to the bottom arm, and slipping it on.

The next thing to do is drill a hole in the end of the bottom arm. I failed to mention that the hole for the blade holder is 1" in from the front end of both arms. Also, I cut about 3/4" off the end of the top arm for visibility reasons. Anyway, the hole for the rope is 1/2" in on the bottom arm.










You can see another hole on the bottom arm. I tried putting the rope there but it didn't work. So ignore that hole. The rope ties with the smallest knot possible the goes through the center of a small board.










Then weave it through as shown down to another board. Mine is long because I stand up to use it. You could make it shorter and sit. I believe it is what you get use to. I found that I don't need it very high off of the ground, that it is comfortable at a lowest height. You don't have to pick up your feet so much. You can use either foot and changing the rope length is no problem. I put sand paper on the bottom rung so my foot doesn't slip.

The last thing to do is cut the cutout it the table top. This is so you can see what you are doing when changing blades, find small parts that drop through, and change the hole the blade cuts up. I did mine with 1/2 ply. I think it would be better to use 1/4 ply instead. Mine only has a 1/4 lip left on the table which isn't very strong. Anyway just make you insert, trace it on the table and very carefully rout it out.

Your done! Any questions I will be happy to answer.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Tom8021 said:


> *Spring my foot*
> 
> I bought a package of four springs at Home Depot. You can put a spring at the back or at the front. I tried the different sizes in different places and picked the 4" one near the front.
> 
> ...


wow great project well done good blog.


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