Learning how to safely use your scroll saw is important because cutting off too much wood can cause woodworking accidents and damage to your woodworking project. When learning to scroll, cuts should always be made in a shallow angle. The depth of the cut determines the amount of wood you will need to remove, and it also determines the amount of time it will take to complete the woodworking project.
Most scroll saw blades are designed with a “drop foot”. This is where the blade rests against the scroll bed. The drop foot determines the amount of pressure that is exerted on the blade and how much it can hold before it begins to move. The closer to the bed surface you are, the more pressure the blade will exert, and the tighter the drop foot is; the stronger the cut will be.
As a general rule, the tighter the drop foot, the less movement there is in the scroll saw. This means that the more closely you will follow the scroll saw patterns, the tighter the blade will be and the better the cut. If you start off with a loose drop foot, the amount of movement you have will increase as you turn the handle with the scroll, causing it to dig into the wood. While a tight blade will provide a tighter cut and give you good control, it will cost more money.
It is common for scroll saw tables to come with several pre-made patterns. These patterns are often adjusted depending on the amount of space you have available for use and the amount of work you would like to complete. When starting out, it is best to start out on a smaller table and work your way up, adjusting the scroll cutting depth as needed. This will give you a good feel for what is involved in each of the different scroll cutting depths.
There are additional things to consider when tightening your scroll saw blades. The most important factor is the amount of scroll saw table tension that you have. Having too little tension will cause the blade to bind up while at the same time not allowing you to make very deep cuts. At the same time, having too much tension will make the blade move when you are attempting to make a cut, but it won’t cut the wood properly.
There are a couple things to keep in mind when tightening your scroll saw blades. First, the amount of scroll saw table tension you need will be directly related to the amount of work piece you are cutting. For example, if you are working with only a small piece of wood, then there is no need to tighten the blade very much. However, if you are attempting to cut a larger piece of wood, the amount of blade tension will need to be adjusted accordingly. If you feel that your blade is holding up too tight, then make adjustments accordingly.