Does anyone really use their scroll saw?

[Terry Wawro]

I was clearing out a space in my shop and came across an 18inch scroll saw that someone gave me about 10 years ago. I've been woodworking for decades and I've just never really used it. I remember owning one way back in the 1980's, but can't remember anything I made with it. Right now it's taking up space so, unless you can convince me that I just can't do without it, I'm donating it to our local Habitat for Humanity resale store.

[James Jayko]

Cutting f-holes in an archtop guitar build?

[Rich Engelhardt]

I use mine - but - I also use my Daisy Pin Router - tools which have been overshadowed by "foo-foo" stuff.
(Not that there's anything "foo-foo" about a laser and/or CNC, just that using those to just set things in motion while you sit back and watch is sort of......I'd rather make the real garbage I do than turn out picture perfect machine made stuff.)

[Patty Hann]

For those of us that own neither a CNC router nor a laser cutter a scroll saw is great for cutting out "tiny stuff".

[George Yetka]

It seems to be a tool that is purchased with dreams and ambitions ends up being moved to secondary storage. Knowing this I bought one saying no Ill use it in the colder months in my basement. Used it the first day and never turned it on again until the day someone came to pick it up 5 years later. Thats not the case for everyone but for many it is.

[stephen thomas]

Cutting the inside of D-handle plane totes out of really hard wood, but that is a roughing operation. Finished with chisel/files/abrasives. I don't even get close to the line, given how much a thin blade can diverge.
Cutting patterns in sheet aluminum or sometimes plastic, for stuff to run on the Gorton.
However, even that has been easier to take a trip to the library, and have a model printed, cnc routed, or cut on the laser.
All the ones i've kept in the shop have been given to me, until i pass them on. Though did give $15 at a yard sale for one moved to the hangar, again for cutting patterns and odd stuff the bandsaw can't quite do.

Sort of like a die-filer. Except the die-filer is used a bit more often.
Including cleaning up jig-sawed metal patterns.

[andrew whicker]

This thread reminded me that I have one collecting dust on an upper shelf.

[Edward Weber]

I bought one at a yard sale for $10. A small Dremel 1671 scroll saw, with a good variety of blades. Took it home, tried it out and let it sit.
It only gets dusted off now and then but since it doesn't take up too much space I'll keep it.

I know full well that the day after I get rid of it, I'll need it.

[John Kananis]

Mine is in the back room, between the DC and my old dw735

[Phil Mueller]

I use mine a lot. I don’t own a bandsaw. I use it for roughing out curved pieces, making templates for inlays, and thinner stock sizing. All things I used to do with a fret saw.

[jack duren]

No and will be the first tool that leaves my shop..

[Michael Schuch]

I recently gave my Dremel scroll saw away to one of my daughters friends that is getting into wood carving.

I used it a couple times over the past 30 years with jewelers blades to cut intricate shapes in soft metals like brass, nickel silver, etc.

[Patty Hann]

I recently gave my Dremel scroll saw away to one of my daughters friends that is getting into wood carving.

I used it a couple times over the past 30 years with jewelers blades to cut intricate shapes in soft metals like brass, nickel silver, etc.

This is exactly the application where it is useful, and I can see no substitute that can do the job half so well.

[Michael Schuch]

This is exactly the application where it is useful, and I can see no substitute that can do the job half so well.

I have never had a need to cut wood in intricate shapes because I have never done any inlay work. But the scroll saw was a whole heck of a lot faster than using a jewelers bow saw. I had to get some clamping blade holders for the jewelers blades because the scroll saw was designed for pin blades.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I have seen some unbelievably beautiful things made by very skilled people using a scroll saw. I am not one of them. One of our local woodworking club members, recently deceased, a retired USN Chief, was extremely talented with his scroll saw. I have used our scroll saw on a couple projects. I bought one at my wife's insistence, we both took a scroll saw class and it's the only mutually owned tool in my shop. Since I bought it for her and we took classes, she has never used it.