When you’re working with woodworking projects, there are a lot of questions you will be faced with. One of the most important of these is “How thick of wood should you cut with a scroll saw?” Although it may not seem like it at first, understanding the answer to this question can save you time and money when cutting material. So let’s take a closer look at how you can figure this out.
First of all, scroll saws really are very simple to use. The basic steps to using a scroll saw basically include:
Cover your work surface with a thick layer of blue painter taping. Using a dry cloth, check the blade’s tension. Although it’s unlikely that intarsia will help you with the tension measurement, many woodworkers are still using intarsia techniques when working with scroll saws. The reason why is because most people think that they’ll get more accurate results using it than they really will. In actuality, most woodworkers would be better off just using a level.
The next thing you want to do is set the saw’s speed to a fairly low number. Setting the speed too high can cause your wood to be pulled too tightly into the motor. This can lead to the scroll making lip. Also, setting the speed too low can cause the wood to skip or wiggle. Ideally, the speed should be right in the middle of a midway point between both.
After setting the speed control and the tension, you should look into the scroll saw’s power switch. The tension should be enough to hold the scroll in place but not so tight that the saw cuts the wood when it’s under load. Your wood’s weight should also play a role here. If you have a heavy-duty scroll saw, you may need a stronger arm to support the weight. On the other hand, if you’re using an older model, you may be able to get away with a lower tension setting on your power switch.
Some saws let you adjust the size of the cutting teeth as well. If you’ve got a long scroll and want to make thinner cuts, you can adjust the teeth’s length. You’ll find that the best way to judge how much thinner you want your cut is by figuring out how much wood the scroll can cut per minute without getting hung up. If you want a thinner piece of wood, lengthen the teeth on your scroll saw to get more power. On the other hand, if you want to make a thinner piece of wood and get more accuracy, shorten the teeth.