Wood Vibration

[troy_curtis]

Ok, I am very new at working with a scroll saw. Only completed 4 projects so far. (not counting 2 failed projects) My biggest problem (other than not having enough time to work on projects) is the wood tends to vibrate like mad at times. This has caused 2 projects to break. What am I doing wrong that would cause the wood to vibrate so horribly? Any advice would be nice. 

[Russ C]

What kind of blades are you using? If you are using a reverse tooth blade (blades with two teeth down and one up) that is probably the reason for the "vibration". You just have to get use to using a little more pressure to hold the project down. It also will tend to happen more in cutting curves etc. You will get use to it before long, just keep trying. You will only get better. 

[dunk]

Sounds silly but ensure that your blade is not in upside down.  Hey it happens to all of us from time to time.  Keep the proper amount of down pressure with your finger tips & take your time.  Like Russ said, it takes time and practice.  Don't get discouraged.

[troy_curtis]

I should have mentioned the kind of blade I use. My saw is not an expensive one and it only uses pin blades. I dont know if that makes a difference or not. And the suggestion to check if they are upside down or not is good advice. My first week using the saw I did have the blade upside down. LOL that was lesson #1 for me. Well thanks for suggestions and help. Still not sure why sometimes I get this vibration and other times not.

[Keefie]

You can get adaptors so saws will take the pinless blades. They aren't too expensive(I dont know if they are made to fit your particular machine) but it would make a lot of difference to the type of work you can do. Plus pinless blades have a much greater selection and tend to be much thinner so cause a lot less "bounce" of your wood while cutting.

[troy_curtis]

Ok, this might be good news. Now, how can I find out if the saw I have can use adapters? Is there somewhere online I can check? If I can't get adapters for it that will be ok for now. My wife is pretty happy with my first projects. She wants to save for a much better saw. Until we can afford one that is pinless I am happy to use the saw I have.

[dgman]

Check here: http://www.pozsgaidesigns.com/index.htm

[daliclimbs]

If your saw is single speed that can add a lot to the vibration department. The speed on a single set saw is usually VERY fast! So hence you can end up with quite a bit of chatter, especially if your cutting thicker material.

[GrayBeard]

One suggestion I would make is that you feed your workpiece very slowly so the saw has a chance to let the blade cut cleanly and not bind.

~~~GB~~~

[tux_linux]

What kind of saw have you got? some take both sorts of blades.

It also helps a lot to add weight to the stand and therefor to the saw. Pave stones are pretty neat, a bucket of sand can also be enough.

[troy_curtis]

What kind of saw have you got? some take both sorts of blades.

It also helps a lot to add weight to the stand and therefor to the saw. Pave stones are pretty neat, a bucket of sand can also be enough.

Well, since my wife and I are on a tight budget and I have never really done much for woodworking before, we got a very affordable saw. That is a nice way of saying, we got something cheap and probably the reason it isnt as good as what most you use. The saw is from Harbor Freight. It only uses pin blades. I dont know if it can get an adapter and not sure how to find out.

A lot of you are giving some good advice. Perhaps I need to slow my speed down and cut a bit slower. Maybe that is part of my problem. Until I learn better it is hard for me to know when to use a faster speed and when not to. I guess for harder wood I need to use a slower speed and cut much slower?

If anyone knows a decent saw to upgrade to that doesnt cost a fortune please let me know. I enjoy working with my saw well enough that in this next year I might save up for a better saw. Until then I will be happy with the one I have and make beautiful things the best I can. 

[troy_curtis]

Ok, to put an end to this story of mine...I have learned a lot about things I can do to eliminate the problem...thanks to all for help. Also, much to my embarrassment, I found out not only does my saw have the ability for an adapter to use pinless blades....it actually came with one. I found the adapters in a small bag in the bottom of the box (Thank God I kept the box in storage room). So, now I just need to figure how to put adapter on the saw and I will be able to use better blades. Thanks again for the help from all you pros.

[Keefie]

glad you found the adaptors, when you start using the finer blades you will notice a 100% improvement in your cutting. Also I would recommend "Flying Dutchman" blades. It's my opinion, but they seem to cut straighter than any other brand and stay sharper longer too, it's a win win situation lol.
they can be found here http://www.mikesworkshop.com/blades.htm and Mike is very helpful if you have any questions

[troy_curtis]

glad you found the adaptors, when you start using the finer blades you will notice a 100% improvement in your cutting. Also I would recommend "Flying Dutchman" blades. It's my opinion, but they seem to cut straighter than any other brand and stay sharper longer too, it's a win win situation lol.
they can be found here http://www.mikesworkshop.com/blades.htm and Mike is very helpful if you have any questions

I just ordered some blades from them. Their site is nice, but their order form is a bit odd. Will post a review when I get the blades.

[TheMelster]

I just caught this topic today,,,, I snapped a few pic's of my Harbor F. adaptors... you may want to print them and put with your manual...I know the manual is not all that. It took me several hours to figure it out.  Hope this helps.