# Impulse purchase - Delta ss250



## Lucasd2002 (Sep 12, 2014)

I picked up a delta ss250 scroll saw on a whim yesterday. It just jumped in my car, I swear.

I've never even touched a scroll saw until I picked it up. I think I read somewhere on here about some pointers and advice specific to this saw…

Is FD the consensus for blades? Pretty sure the ss250 takes pinless blades.

How many years of practice before I can make quality wood gears for a clock?


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## distrbd (Sep 14, 2011)

http://www.scrollsawer.com/forum/

http://scrollsawworkshop.blogspot.ca/ .Click on free pattern catalog to choose the simplest design you can handle,the more outside cuts ,the easier ,the very small inside cuts are harder for a beginner, ,you need a lot of patience and perseverance when scroll sawing ,we have a few talented sawyers here that hopefully will chime in and help you out .


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## Redoak49 (Dec 15, 2012)

That is good advice and the forum that was suggested is a good one. There are several people on that forum who are good at cutting gears.

How long will it take for you…..it will be awhile and you need to practice, practice practice. It is kind of like other woodworking skills and just takes time to get better.

I use FD blades and they work well for me as well as the source of them that I use. There are other brands which are probably equally good. People tend to find the blades that they like and stay with them. The other part of the blades issue is that there are a lot of different types of blades for different uses. It takes some time to find the ones that work best for you as everyone has a little different style of the way they cut.


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## sawdust703 (Jul 6, 2014)

Mr. Lucas, you are about to get into one of the most fascinating aspects of woodworking there is. IMO. I've been scrolling going on 13 yrs., & am, by no means of the word, an expert, but am self taught. I started with a single speed Craftsman scroll saw. I wore it out, & bought a better, more versatile VS saw. Needless to say, I now own 6. With the latest addition being a 20 yr old 20" Hawk, in mint condition. First & foremost, if you don't have the patience of an oyster, & have no desire to acquire it, take that saw back where it came from. You'll get nowhere w/out patience! Second, try not to take every piece of advice you're given to heart. You'll figure out what works for you, & what doesn't. Third, keep your saw table clean & smooth. I use Johnson's paste wax on mine, a minimum of two coats. You'll find this will be a benefit in turning, curves, etc., as well as be a part of normal maintenance. Fourth, learn to adjust blade tension by what your blade is doing. Some say pluck it, & get a high tone, it's tight. I'm an old truck driver, & my hearing ain't that good! If your blade wants to wander, or has issues staying in line, check your blade tension. If its to tight, you'll break blades. If its lose, your blade will heat up, twist, cut jagged, well, you get the idea. Next, blade selection. There are several brand names & styles out there. I prefer FD & Olson myself. And there are pin & plain type end blades. Plain type are most common. Determine what patterns interests you. Fret work, lots of detail, things like that, use skip blades, as a rule, & have several sizes on hand. Every project requires different size blades. For your gear work, depending on the material, I'd recommend polar blades. If you decide scrolling is for you, the more you do, the more you'll learn. But start out slow. Get yourself some old paneling, or the like, some spray adhesive & paper, and a pencil. Draw "S" curves, lines, things like that on your paper. Spray adhesive to the back of the paper, & stick it to your wood. Install a #2 skip tooth blade in your saw, teeth pointing downward, set the tension, & you're ready to cut. Let the blade do the work. Scrolling is like driving your car. The harder you guide the wood into the blade, the higher the chance of breaking your blade, & the more room for mistakes. Easy does it. There are books, videos, websites, & all types of informative reading. Perseverance, patience, practice, & learning your saw will be your teacher. My apologies for the ramble, just my two cents. If I can be of further help, feel free to pm me anytime. Enjoy your new venture.


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