Scroll saws??

Don't make the mistake of buying "old Iron" when it comes to buying a scroll saw. The old scroll saws used a spring to pull the blade up, and the mechanical drive to pull the blade down. If the blade binds the spring fails to pull it up, and the mechanical grip on the bottom of the blade pushes up anyway, buckling and breaking the blades. The newer version of scroll saws uses mechanical arms that both pull the blade up as well as down, so there is much less blade breakage. You can run much finer blades, and with no pins in the blade ends with these saws, leading to the ability to do much smaller work with greater detail. The DeWalt 788 saw, or one made like it like the Delta that looks almost identical would likely be the cheapest of this new version of scroll saws. I have both a Delta Q3 and a DeWalt 788 scroll saw. Both of these saws will let me use blades down into the 1/0 and 2/0 sizes, but are powerful enough to use any size pin less blades in them. My blades usually get too dull to use and need replacing long before I break them.

I make ornaments as shown in the photo every year for Christmas and 16 of the crosses so far. The leaves and vines around the cross were relief carved using a dentist type air powered drill and 1/16" diameter bits. The dragon clock "The Keeper of Time" was made from red oak pallet slats edge glued together. Every line is a saw cut. I make 4 sizes of the reindeer, with the smallest being less than 1" tall. These small ones become ear rings. I made 47 pair of the reindeer ear rings for last Christmas, and will be making them again this year. I make the larger sizes up to 2 3/4 tall and just give them away to any woman who helps me in any way, cashier, sales girl, nurse, doctor, waitress, etc. All are delighted to receive them. I never sell any of my work.

Charley