Thread: New to scroll saw- where to find suitable timber

Pretty hard to give any recommendations for suppliers when you have your location as Victoria as it's a big place. Can you narrow it down a bit?

A scroll saw is very useful for other things than just thin timber.

I use mine mainly to cut out saw handles (25mm thick) and roughing out 4mm perspex for templates for pattern routing.

What material you want and what sort of projects you wish to do will influence any sensible suggestions for where to source the materials.

People on this forum are very generous with their help and advice, but you have to help them to help you by providing details of what sort of scroll sawing you wish to do.

If you have a first project in mind, tell us about it and people will probably give you more advice than you need.

Originally Posted by Treecycle

Pretty hard to give any recommendations for suppliers when you have your location as Victoria as it's a big place. Can you narrow it down a bit?

Sorry about that, I live in Ivanhoe and I tried sourcing the material (MDF, Pine, about 3-6mm thick) from Bunnings however they do not have much choice and do not provide cutting service

Thank you very much for your reply and I really treasure all the opinion here.
I want to make small project like puzzle, toy car and door sign. Targeting to get thin MDF/pine/plywood sheet about 3-6mm thick

Keen to know a bit myself.

I've been using 3, 6 and 9mm MDF from Timberwood.com.au and was considering some of their hot-press veneers, which come in pretty much any thickness from 3mm to 50/60mm

I've a few of their 3mm Marri and Luan(?) boards, which need a bit of sanding first (they were bought rough deliberately) and they are well formed and void free

Might be worth asking about updating my prices

Halloween is coming up and I'm hankering to make a few SPPOOOKKKKYYY decorations

Originally Posted by Arka

Sorry about that, I live in Ivanhoe and I tried sourcing the material (MDF, Pine, about 3-6mm thick) from Bunnings however they do not have much choice and do not provide cutting service

Danahers on Lower Heidelberg Rd Heidelberg used to have a good range of stock when I shopped there 25+ yrs ago and from other users here, I believe they still do and they also have a full cutting service.

If you're happy using MDF or similar, I'd suggest googling for 'craftwood.'

It tends to a bit more exxy than larger thicknesses, but is often available at places you wouldn't expect to stock it. eg. handcraft and/or modelling suppliers. Even our local Spotlight & $2 shops have it in stock periodically and we're rural, so we miss out on many items suburbanites take for granted.

I think that many hardware chains such as Bunnings also stock it, but probably not in the construction or home-handyman sections... again, look to the craft-oriented areas.

Hi doug3030,
I am interested in making some saw handles and was interested in the type of scroll saw you use. I have looked at the Timbercon/ Carbatec models that sell for around $300, but not sure if they would be powerful enough.

Hi if you can go the distance with cash I would get the biggest available I have a excalibur 21 inch and it will cut 20 mm timber no problem but if you choose a scroll saw based on price and size you will be disappointed for sure, quick release blade is a must ,variable speed with good dust extraction.

Originally Posted by aalewis

Hi doug3030,
I am interested in making some saw handles and was interested in the type of scroll saw you use. I have looked at the Timbercon/ Carbatec models that sell for around $300, but not sure if they would be powerful enough.

aalewis contacted me by PM last night with the same question, probably because I had not seen this post at that time, so I will copy my response here so that others may benefit from it if they stumble upon it further down the track.

Originally Posted by doug3030

Hi Andrew,

25mm or so stock for a sawhandle is well within the limits of just about any scroll saw on the market. Better ones may be able to cut a bit more quicker and accurately but any of them would be able to rough one out. Obviously the better the saw the better the cut and the less work it leaves for the later stages.

Mine is a 30-year-old Ryobi (back when Ryobi was not synonymous with junk) 16" model which in those days had a cast iron table, unlike the stuff you buy these days. I haven't seen any of them for sale for quite a long time, but as I said, you can make do with even the lesser saws coming out these days.

Aldi has a scroll saw currently in stock which is their Ferrex brand which is related to the German company Scheppach, not quite Sheppach quality, I would bet, but probably better than Ozito.

With a scroll saw being used for the occasional saw handle, the blade is probably more important than the scroll saw itself. I would recommend Pegas blades - (online/timbecon/Carbatec) For 25mm stock you want a coarser blade with large teeth/gullets to clear the sawdust.

I have found a drum sanding kit on my drill press is great to smooth out the blank after scrollsawing and some riffler rasps for shaping the handle.

Now, If I didn't happen to have a scrollsaw in the shed when I decided to make a few saw handles I probably would have cut around the blank with my 14" bandsaw and drilled out the handle hole with a combination of forstner bits of appropriate sizes. I probably would not have invested in a scroll saw just to make a few saw handles. I also use my scrollsaw for cutting out perspex routing templates, and therein lies another can of worms entirely.

Andrew, good luck with your sawmaking endeavors, if I can be of further assistance please feel free to ask.

More on this quotey-bit:

Now, If I didn't happen to have a scroll saw in the shed when I decided to make a few saw handles I probably would have cut around the blank with my 14" bandsaw and drilled out the handle hole with a combination of forstner bits of appropriate sizes. I probably would not have invested in a scroll saw just to make a few saw handles

aalewis, have a squizz at this thread, it is most excellent: Brand New Saw Handle - The Method

The template, the use of forstner bits to get the "round corners" just right... its all so obvious when you see it done.

There is also this for a good read: Saw Handle

Arka, have I gotta deal for you

The Eltham District Woodworkers have an Exhibition at the Eltham Community Centre (opposite the pub) on Sat 12th and Sun 13th of November 2022.
They will have scrollsaw demonstrations and plenty of other woodworking demos etc. as well as the main Exhibition.
You will see plenty of scrollsawn items on display.

If you are interested (no pressure) you can join the club and have access to machinery to cut any timber to any size and thickness you require.
They also have a Scrollsaw group that meets monthly that you could be part of.