Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Everything for the scroll saw enthusiast, from tips and techniques and tool reviews to patterns and instructions for amazing projects including fretwork, intarsia, portraits, puzzles, and much more!

This means gently guiding the material across the blade and allowing the saw to do the work. Forcing materials through the saw can cause imperfect cuts, blade jams, and even permanent damage to the saw. To avoid any interference, some woodworkers remove the foot altogether. A safer option is to choose a saw with a hold-down foot made from strong yet thin metal.

There are also 4-inch and 3-inch scroll saw blades, but they’re far less common and provide less cutting capacity for most cutting needs. The saw offers variable-speed cutting ranging from 450 to 1,500 SPM, which makes it suitable for making intricate cuts in various wood types and thicknesses. The 18-inch throat depth is ample for most projects, and being able to mount the saw on the stand makes it suitable for those who do not have adequate workbench space for mounting.

• We’re proud to offer what we believe are the best scroll saw blades on the market.
• The average top speed of a scroll saw is between 1,500 and 1,800 SPM.
• Although some scroll saws are also capable of cutting other materials, such as plastic or sheet metal, we limited our tests to wood to compare performance equally across all the models.
• The scroll saw moves up and down, and the blade is quite fine, causing barely any kickback (which makes other power saws potentially more dangerous).

Sorrento is so named because of the area in Italy in which such carving was most popular. By the 1860s, the first mechanical fretsaws—called https://bestwoodcarvingtool.com/best-6-scroll-saw-reviews/s—began to appear in the U.S.  Thus, a great art form and hobby was born. Glenda Taylor is a BobVila.com staff writer with a background in the residential remodeling, home building, and home improvement industries.

Use plenty of light to see cutlines, the saw, and other details that might affect the result. In particular, inadvertent contact between the blade and the operator’s fingers are unlikely to result in serious injury. Use the table above to know your price and when discounts apply. Sawtooth Picture Hangers are sold “Per Bag of 100.” If you Add “1” to the Cart you will get a bag of 100.

The second Grizzly scroll saw to earn a spot on this lineup, this 21-inch powerhouse comes with upgraded features that serious scrollers will love. The on/off switch, the tension lever, and the speed adjustment are all located within easy reach, so we were able to make adjustments quickly when necessary and continue cutting. Winners of this designation come recommended by our professional review team and are personally approved by Bob Vila. A scroll saw is a small electric saw that is useful for cutting intricate curves in cases where a jigsaw or coping saw is not appropriate. Along with band saws, jigsaws, and now recently seen chainsaws, scroll saws are used with modern intarsia. Fretwork was introduced to America in the mid-1800s as Sorrento wood carving.

For testing, we assembled and mounted the saws in our workshops and then used them to cut both hardwood and softwood. Although some scroll saws are also capable of cutting other materials, such as plastic or sheet metal, we limited our tests to wood to compare performance equally across all the models. We tried out every feature on every saw and noted important factors, such as vibration levels. As with other power tools, scroll saw technology has been improving in recent years. We wanted to know just how good today’s models are, so we decided to test them in our own woodworking shops.

We carefully researched 20 highly rated scroll saws, selecting the seven best contenders for hands-on testing. From there, we chose our favorites in various categories, some suitable for pros, others for beginner woodworkers. If you need to make precise cuts for projects like jewelry boxes, wood signs, or birdhouses, a scroll saw is probably the tool to use. Considered essential tools for woodworking, these specialty saws are particularly indispensable for craftspeople and artisan woodworkers who want to add finer details to their work. And typically, scroll saws leave level edges, so minimal sanding is necessary to achieve smooth finishes. While it may not be a professional-grade power tool, it allowed us to make intricate cuts nonetheless.

Remember, every piece of wood is unique, so the piece you get won’t look exactly like the pictures. Join our email list and be the first to know about new products and special offers. Sometimes I feel like they’re dying out when more can opt for laser cutting, CNC, etc but I love having one in my little shop space. Picked up an old Craftsman variable speed and pumped to be able to do small detail work.