Newbie in Kansas City

[KCSteve]

Just got my authorization to post - Hi folks! 

Branson, MO is only about 3 hours from KC.  There's a gentleman that goes by Mr. M there who teaches scroll saw.  This year I finally made it down for his class.  Also learned pen turning but that's another thing.  I thought I had a scroll saw - a 16" Ryobi I bought for about $69 at the discount tool place years ago.  Not too bad but not really up to real use.  Wore out on me in the middle of a project.

Went to the nearby Menards and got the best (only) saw they had, the 18" Masterforce for $200.  It's 80% great, 15% "hey, it's a $200 saw", and 5% unusable.  Doesn't really handle pinless blades.  They give you set screws and an allen wrench.  If you have access to a machinist it would be easy to replace their 'clamps' with something better but the arm doesn't lift so....

I really tried to make it work but just couldn't and had to take it back.  Went down to the local Woodcraft and bit the bullet to get a good saw.  Checked out the Dewalt but I just liked the 18" Jet better - https://www.jettools.com/us/en/p/jwss-18b-18-scroll-saw/727300B

Very pleased with it.  It is a bottom feed but the arm lifts 10" and stays up.  The blade holding is slightly odd.  There's a lower blade holder you put the blade in then use a hole on the side of the saw to tighten.  Once you pop the holder into the lower arm the upper clamp is a flip arm that cams in a pair of flats to grab and lift the end.  Set the tension once with the knob on the back and you get the same tension every time.

We looked at the lights at Woodcraft but didn't want to pay their price.  Instead we went to the Joann near our house and looked at the Ott lights there.  They didn't have a good desk mounted swing arm but the ever-indulgent wife spotted a little one made for use on a sewing machine - https://www.joann.com/ottlite-sewing-machine-light/15437528.html#prefn1=brand&srule=best-sellers&prefv1=Ottlite%20Lighting&addShipToHomeConditions=false&start=1
The reviews are very mixed but it's working well for me.  You can use one of those 3M Command strips to attach it to the side of the saw.  The arm is a bit weak but mine is working well so far.  I tried the magnifier head once - it's more likely to droop but also worked well.  Just don't need it most of the time, at least for now.

Having fun, improving my skills.  Probably most just lurk here but you never know.

Enjoy!

KCSteve :->

[gramps]

welcome to the sight kcsteve. your eyes are probably better than mine but i bought my magnifier light from harbor freight. it mounts right to my delta scrollsaw. it's a 3x magnifier but i think i'de like to try a 5x. and i believe the price about 5 years ago was under $30. gramps

[Berta]

I think you made a good choice. I always try to buy the best I can afford. You can’t have fun if the tool makes it hard.

[KCSteve]

Yeah, I knew the saw I had was a cheapie but it was good enough to get going.  I hoped the Menard's saw was a mid-range that would carry me along for a while.  When it turned out to not work for this kind of use I knew the best thing to do was to go down and get something from the 'good' level.

I was pleased that they had the DeWalt everyone likes in stock to look at, along with a few other choices.  That let me fiddle with them - including seeing how blade changing worked - and make my decision.

Everything I've seen says that blade changing is just about the single most important thing in choosing a saw, or at least in choosing between similar saws.  I'm thinking they are right.