Scroll Saw - Noise Levels

OK, so i've been toying with purchasing a scroll saw... I still need to save some cash, but i tend to save better if i have an end goal in sight.

Bit of background, I recently purchased and moved into a townhouse, and i have a single car garage I want to potter around in and build stuff in.

I was originally planning on buying a small benchtop table saw, or trying to get my hands on a flip saw, but I'm starting to lean towards the scroll saw side of things. I will be making some shelving and cabinets for the house, but i don't think i have the need or space to be ripping and cutting large sheets of timber, so i'd likely get what i can't cut on a circular saw done by the lumber yard (or visit a mates place of work who has access to larger machinery).

What i want to know is, on the scale of Cordless Drill to Planer/thicknesser (with circular saw being in the middle) how loud would a scroll saw be while cutting? I mainly want to try my hand at some boxes/chess sets and maybe make some simple wooden toys...

Oh and would a Carbatec 18" Variable Speed Scroll Saw be a sound investment for starting out? Want to try avoiding anything too cheap like the Ryobi from bunnings, but also can't really afford to shell out for anything crazy... Once i've got some coins saved i'll scour the 2nd hand market as well.

Thanks for any advice!

The Carbatec that you are thinking of is exactly what I started out with & even though I now have an EX21 or General as they are named in this country the Carbatec served me well & started me off on my addiction with the scroll saw. I would also say that the noise level would be on a par or even less than a battery drill.Cheers Peter.

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Originally Posted by pawoods

The Carbatec that you are thinking of is exactly what I started out with & even though I now have an EX21 or General as they are named in this country the Carbatec served me well & started me off on my addiction with the scroll saw. I would also say that the noise level would be on a par or even less than a battery drill.Cheers Peter.

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Brilliant! Thanks for the info. I'll start counting the pennies!

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Agree with pawood!

So I found this scroll saw on the Hafco site... https://www.machineryhouse.com.au/W352

Its a great deal cheaper than the Carbatec... anyone know if there is a $500 difference in quality? The budgets just been tightened further due to car troubles, so i'm undecided if i should buy the above or should hold off and save for the carbatec i mentioned in my opening post... any input would be greatly appreciated..

Cheers

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Originally Posted by Dibbers

So I found this scroll saw on the Hafco site... https://www.machineryhouse.com.au/W352

Its a great deal cheaper than the Carbatec... anyone know if there is a $500 difference in quality? The budgets just been tightened further due to car troubles, so i'm undecided if i should buy the above or should hold off and save for the carbatec i mentioned in my opening post... any input would be greatly appreciated..

Cheers

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Dibbers,
I can vouch that the 18" Carbatec Machine is a sound unit and are adored by scroll saw clubs, The only upgrade people tend to make is they purchase the Hegner quick release blade clamps i think these are around $60 and make blade changes completely tool-less. (blade clamps available from thewoodworks.com.au) As for noise, scroll saws are generally as loud as each other motor wise but what will make a difference is the weight of the unit, the lighter the tool, the more vibration, the more noise. The carbatec unit you're looking at is far from light!

Hope this helps. T

OK so an update... I didn't get the Carbatec... main reason is I scored a Jet 16" Variable Speed Economy Scroll Saw off a mate for $50 with a few spare blades thrown in!.. Oh and a handful of hardwood posts & planks and a detail sander that they didn't need/use in their shop...

Now all i need to do is clean out the shed of all the household junk that's accummulated since the last time i cleaned it out and start practicing! I bought a Scrolling book that has some basic project/training ideas so i'll start with that first. I figured for $50 I'll put up with any issues/foibles that it has and if i enjoy scrolling and use it enough i'll look to upgrade later...

I'm going to get some cheap pine from Bunnings to play around on and see how i go... are their any issues with using 9mm ply or mdf in a scroll saw? they might be cheaper than pine boards. I don't really care what they look like, its more to practice cutting shapes etc so I'd rather use the cheapest material possible to learn on...

Hopefully my mate finds a DC, bandsaw, drill press, ROS and SCMS he doesn't need and then i'll be set! haha.

When cutting pine the blade will cut easily with the grain, not so easy across. This can mean the blade may wander.
With ply the finish could be splitery, where as MDF is easy to cut and will probably need a quick sand to clean up. Dust extraction (not a blower) can make a big difference to the enjoyment of using a scroll saw by keeping dust off your lines not to mention any health benefits.

Congratulations on your new saw & at a good price too . you should get many hours enjoyment out of it .I don't have any experience with the Jet saws,Do you feed the blade from the top or bottom & can you use pinless blades in it.You should be fine using the ply or MDF but a word of warning ,wear a mask when cutting the MDF as the dust from it can be toxic. I use mainly 4mm Marine Ply for my fretwork ,It may be a bit dearer but it has less voids in it.I would also try the solid Radiata Pine which I mainly use for other projects in the 19mm thickness.You may need a few different blade types in your collection depending on what thickness of timber you are cutting .If you need to know where to get the blades or need to know anything just let me know.Cheers Peter

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Originally Posted by pawoods

Congratulations on your new saw & at a good price too . you should get many hours enjoyment out of it .I don't have any experience with the Jet saws,Do you feed the blade from the top or bottom & can you use pinless blades in it.....

.Cheers Peter

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Thanks mate. Havent set it up in yhe shed yet. Various other houselhold items taking up room at the moment.

Not sure about feeding the blade yet. I know my mate gave me a couple sets of pinned blades with it so not sure if it takes pinless too.

Ive downloaded the manual on my work computer so ill have a look tomorrow and see what that says.

Thanks for the advice re wood options. Once i get the hang of scrolling I'll start using better material but ill probably practice on ply to start with cos i have some scrap lying around.

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Wow, I thought I did pretty good getting my Hegner for $400; you scored sir...well done!!

OK so takes both pin and pinless blades... and i can't tell exactly (manual seems rather vague to a newbie) but if i had to guess i'd say you attach the blade at the bottom first then feed it through the material and attach the top...

I think you're correct sir from memory of my old Ryobi.
The Hegner has the ability to fit the blade the install it, bottom first then top in place...
Anyways here's a link for a manual off the Jet website, it may help..
Manual | JET
Cheers, crowie

Thanks Crowie, will come in handy.

Just another pearler from my mate that sold me the Scroll Saw, He's looking to get rid of his Carbatec 14" Heavy Duty Bandsaw... Upgraded the fence to a Kregg with micro adjustments too (not sure specifics on this but he said it was around the $300 mark for the fence)... Offered it to me for $500! Not able to get it just yet as his workshop needs to sort out their upgrade and get it delivered, but hopefully in the new year i'll be adding this to the workshop... dunno where i'll fit it in, but i'll cross that bridge when i come to it...

Cross the bandsaw off the list!

You are certainly getting some good deals lately ,that bandsaw sounds like a very good deal.Cheers Peter