Grrrrr

[Shufflex]

Today I have started my first ever real scroll saw project.

I attempted to make the "Nose" glasses holder from from Steve's catalogue, I will post the finished results once sanded, sealed and waxed.

I say attempted because whilst the results are passable they are far from perfect. I used Oak and cut it with an Olson PGT number 9 blade. The problem I had is that when cutting a corner or curve I seem to end up pushing the side of the blade with the wood, which in turn causes me to panic, which causes me to push into the side more or go cutting in totally the wrong direction I should be cutting.

I can only surmise I am feeding the blade wrong and that I should be only pushing from the front. If so where would I push from? Do I need to be applying the pressure in a direct line from the blade or do I need to keep altering the angle whilst doing corners and curves?

I applaud you all as I am sure most of you have forgotten just how difficult this hobby is, once we find things easy and straight forward we take it for granted everybody can do it lol.

Gary 

[Toneman]

Do not get frustrated Gary! I know this is easy to say but believe me, cutting round or curved corners takes practice and patience! Go SLOW and do not push the blade, just guide and let it cut. When cutting corners it is tempting to get in a hurry, but I  sort of look a little ahead of my cutting (sort of like driving a vehicle; look ahead of you, not down in front ) so I know where the blade needs to cut. I place my pivot finger in a comfortable position and do not move it. Also if you are cutting a circle start you cut perpendicular to your pattern and not gradually into it. Make sure you are sitting in front of the blade or else you are tempted to pull or push which will get you off pattern. Also, just my humble opinion, I guide my wood about 3-4 degrees to the left since I cut with waste to the right (hope this makes since to you). Steve has a good tutorial on youtube about this and would help you to watch. Just remember, do not push you wood, guide it into the blade. If you have to push, either the blade is dull or too small. Hope this helps.

[Bill Wilson]

I'll second Tony's advice.  Slow down, take a breath.  Maybe even slow the blade speed down a bit, if it's cutting too aggressively for you to readily control.

You want to minimize applying side pressure the to the blade, as this can cause the blade to not only stray off the line, but the blade may not be cutting truly vertical.  This will be most noticeable in thick stock and could potentially spoil the piece.

Applying slight side pressure is sometimes necessary to get the blade to do what you want it to, but the focus should be on trying to feed the cut straight into blade.  You will need to develop the feel for how and when to turn the piece to follow the line.  This will come with practice.  It takes patience and some time, so don't get discouraged. 

Good luck and have fun making sawdust!

[Mark]

"Gotta slow down relax be cool get on the right track"
Its not a race its a hobby have fun.

[wedo]

Gary, a #9 blade is fairly large and much harder to make a tight turn. Not sure what blade you need but you could try a smaller blade and it should turn much easier as it has a smaller kerf and less width.

[dirtrider73068]

I had the same issue when I first started scrolling. What I did was turn the speed of the saw, for some reason if saw was running fast I would try to cut fast, and slowing the speed caused me to go slower. This helped me alot in my control as I got better I increased the saw speed till I could go at full speed.

Some also say look just a tad ahead of the blade when cutting not right at where you are cutting, looking just a tad ahead byt the time it take to make that curve and your brains sees it, and then tells you to turn you already making the turn.

Make up shapes curves and turns and pratice on scrap or some cheaper wood till you get the hang of it. It will take time but once you learn it it all comes second nature.

[sawdust703]

I agree with wedo? A no. 9 is a perty stout blade to be makin' curves & turns with. On the other hand, like toneman & Mr. Wilson said, learn to look ahead of you where you're going to cut, & don't concentrate on the blade.

Most folks, if you read their posts close enough, have generally the same issue. They have trouble cuttin' a straight line, or turnin' corners or curves or designs of some sort, even lettering. The scroll saw weren't designed to cut in a straight line. It's purpose is to cut designs & shapes & odd curves you aren't able to cut on any other machine.

Which brings me to my next point. The sharper & finer the turns & shapes, the smaller the blade you should be using. Don't get frustrated with the situation, brother. Just keep practicin'. Just because you're cuttin' thick material doesn't mean you can't drop down in blade size & speed. The smaller the blade, the slower it will cut, but, you'll be able to make sharper turns & cleaner designs. All of my projects are done in 1/2" hardwoods. I use anywhere from a #7 down to a #2/0 blade. It just depends on the detail, the curves & situations involved in the project. A little piece of advice. No project of any accordance will not use just one size blade. Sometimes it'll use 4 -5 different size blades.

Hang in there! Like they said, make ya different shapes & curves & try different size blades to see what works best for you. Make sure to keep your tension right, or your blade will turn when you turn your project. ;)God Bless & keep scrollin'!

[Toneman]

I certainly agree about the blade sizes! I use Flying Dutchman blades #1 and #3 UR on 90% of my projects. Any blade larger is hard for me to use without experiencing problems. I do use a #5 UR at times when there are no fret or scroll cuts and mostly on 3/4" backing material or what I call silhouette items. I do keep a few #7 UR's if I have to cut anything over 3/4" thick, which is rare for me. If i have fret or scroll cuts on thick wood, I simply stay with a small blade, increase my speed and cut SLOW! Remember, there are no set rules in scrolling; do what is best and comfortable for you!

[Shufflex]

Guys what can I say?

A massive thank you goes out to you all for some excellent advice.

I never for an instance thought about about the blade size having that kind of effect, but now that has been pointed out to me it does actually make perfect sense.

Dirtrider you have totally hit the nail on the head, I'm the same I seem to work under the pretense of, the faster the saw is going then the faster I need to be sawing, I am glad you found a solution and as you and others have said I will slow down and wait until experience allows me to speed up.

I am really enjoying my early scroll sawing experience, and this is partly down to the help I have received from you guys and these forums so again thank you all ever so much

Gary