Scroll saw pulling to the left.

[Wade Lippman]

I have a Delta scroll saw that is a clone of the Dewalt DW788. I bought it a couple years ago when they had them for 70% off (just can't resist a bargain, whether I need it or not), but never had a use for it until today. I have a new Olson Crown Tooth 16TPI blade in it.
http://woodworker.com/20-20tpi-crown-tooth-blades-mssu-920-170.asp


Using a soft 3/8" Philippine mahogany I find it pulls to the left. If I feed it in at a 25* angle, then it cuts pretty straight, but it isn't particularly easy to trace a curve like that. What I was doing was pretty simple, so I managed, but doing something complicated would be a challenge.

Presumably I am doing something wrong. Wrong blade? Too much tension? Too little tension? Bifocals that pull to the left?

Any help would be appreciated.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

The first thing I'd try is another blade.

[Ronald Blue]

I agree with Ken. Sounds like a blade issue to me. I can't think of anything else that could make it veer off.

[Myk Rian]

Upper and lower guides/bushings, etc. OK?
I also suspect the blade. They act just like a bad band saw blade.

[Larry Frank]

I use Flying Dutchman blades and they are great for me.

If you are new to the scroll saw, make certain that the blade is in correctly, the tension correct, and speed proper. The blade should give off a nice ping when tightened properly. Using the scroll saw is not as easy as it looks. It will take some time to get used to your machine, and following a line. Many people end up pushing the wood to hard into the blade or have side pressure on the blade as they cut.

The other thing is that the blades do get dull and sometimes pretty quickly. I do a lot of Intarsia with my scroll saw and go through a lot of blades with the different woods that I cut.

[Jim Finn]

I find that many blades cut crooked like you have experienced. Just adjust your feed.