Scroll/fret saw

[vx220]

Hi, I hope someone here can advise, or has better Google-fu than me!

I'm looking for a small, electric fret or scroll saw, with it's own table. It'll be for a one-off project and will only need to cut 3mm mdf.

I seem to remember a small, plastic yellow one we used to have at school, but all I can find is ones for £80/£90.

I don't think the one I remember would be a £80 thing, so does anyone have a link or an idea of what I should be looking for?

All help gratefully received

[Blakeatron]

Only one - coping saw it?

[Simpo Two]

vx220 said:

Hi, I hope someone here can advise, or has better Google-fu than me!

I'm looking for a small, electric fret or scroll saw, with it's own table. It'll be for a one-off project and will only need to cut 3mm mdf.

I seem to remember a small, plastic yellow one we used to have at school, but all I can find is ones for £80/£90.

I don't think the one I remember would be a £80 thing, so does anyone have a link or an idea of what I should be looking for?

All help gratefully received

I bought a Record scroll saw last year, £99 I think. You'll find the same machine under other brands too as they're all made by the same place in China; Record just stick the badge on.

A cheap and traditional alternative, depending on how much you have to do, is a coping saw or, if you need it finer, a fretsaw, which you use with a V-shaped board clamped to a bench.

[vx220]

I was hoping to find something cheaper and electric, as although it is for a one-off project I envisage it will be made from several pieces, and both sides will be slightly different, so a fair bit of trimming to fit.

Thanks for the replies so far

[Simpo Two]

vx220 said:

I was hoping to find something cheaper and electric, as although it is for a one-off project I envisage it will be made from several pieces, and both sides will be slightly different, so a fair bit of trimming to fit.

Thanks for the replies so far

Would a jigsaw do it?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/VonHaus-Pendulum-Variable...

Not the best for control or precision though if the work is delicate.

[vx220]

A jigsaw will do it, and the precision doesn't need to be mm perfect (and I already have a jigsaw) so I might end up going this way.

[henryk001]

vx220 said:

A jigsaw will do it, and the precision doesn't need to be mm perfect (and I already have a jigsaw) so I might end up going this way.

There’s a couple of decent clips on YouTube “converting a jigsaw into a scroll saw”.All you would need to do is bolt it to a wooden platform.

[Simpo Two]

vx220 said:

A jigsaw will do it, and the precision doesn't need to be mm perfect (and I already have a jigsaw) so I might end up going this way.

DOH!

[Yertis]

If you have a Dremel there's one you can plug it into, and hey presto!

I bought one. It was good enough for what I needed. It is also demountable so quite versatile. Bit pricey though.

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/dremel-f013ms20jb-...

[vx220]

henryk001 said:

vx220 said:

A jigsaw will do it, and the precision doesn't need to be mm perfect (and I already have a jigsaw) so I might end up going this way.

There’s a couple of decent clips on YouTube “converting a jigsaw into a scroll saw”.All you would need to do is bolt it to a wooden platform.

This might be a good idea, although I'm a little worried about safety if things get "close", as I'm assuming I'd have to leave the trigger latched and turn power on and off at the wall?

[vx220]

Simpo Two said:

vx220 said:

A jigsaw will do it, and the precision doesn't need to be mm perfect (and I already have a jigsaw) so I might end up going this way.

DOH!

I prefer the idea of offering a small piece of work up to a fixed blade rather than trying to hold a small piece of work down and steer and control the jigsaw with the other (why I still haven't learned to play guitar I suppose!)

[Simpo Two]

Yertis said:

If you have a Dremel there's one you can plug it into, and hey presto!

I bought one. It was good enough for what I needed. It is also demountable so quite versatile. Bit pricey though.

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/dremel-f013ms20jb-...

That's clever, turning rotary into reciprocating motion. But yes, the same price as a proper scroll saw!

vx220 said:

I prefer the idea of offering a small piece of work up to a fixed blade rather than trying to hold a small piece of work down and steer and control the jigsaw with the other (why I still haven't learned to play guitar I suppose!)

Being able to see exactly where the blade is cutting is important, I agree.

I wouldn't like to use a jigsaw upside down, not because of the safety but because they're a bit too brutal for fine work.

So you have two good options - a fretsaw (cheap) or a mechanical fretsaw called a scroll saw (£100)

[lufbramatt]

Maybe the solution is buy something decent second hand, then sell it once you're done?

I've done this for all sorts of expensive tools, rarely lose any money if you go for sought after makes, despite the initial outlay being more.

[GliderRider]

vx220 said:

I seem to remember a small, plastic yellow one we used to have at school, but all I can find is ones for £80/£90.

The one you are describing is the Spiralux Shapercraft Model 1010. The original one, the Model 100, had a yellow painted pressed steel cutting base which was square in plan view and sort of octagonal from the front or side.



The Model 1010 had a rectangular yellow plastic table marked out with grooves into squares and a front to back and left to right grooves for an adjustable fence. It also had a rotary knob on the base to vary the stroke, depending on what you were cutting.


Either of these are likely to come up on ebay fairly frequently, so if you set up a search (Shapercraft,Spiralux) Saw you should find one before too long. I did check and this is the only Shapercraft one on at the moment, although there are plenty of ordinary Scroll saws for under £40 as well: Ebay Shapercraft Saw




I made something similar when I was an apprentice, using a reciprocating electric razor for the motor and a piece of steel banding like you find around bricks, for the tensioning spring at the top. It worked but only on thin wood (upto about 3mm).

Lidl had their scroll saw on offer for £59.99 the other day; so I indulged, but have yet to try it.

Edited by GliderRider on Tuesday 23 June 12:20

[vx220]

Glider Rider, the model 100 is exactly what I remember, thank you!

I'm off to ebay or I might have a look at the Lidl one.

Thank you all!