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Old 12-21-2016, 09:07 AM
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Hydro Junkie
 
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I have to agree with Dave on pretty much all of what he said.
Now, as to switching to a scroll saw, you may not like the results you get with that either. While a scroll will give you a smoother cut, it's not going to be anywhere close to what you will get with a table saw using a high quality fine tooth blade. The problem with a scroll saw is that, unlike the band or table saw, the blade reciprocates as it cuts. This means the blade can tear up the wood on the up stroke after cutting on the down. The finer scroll blade also means that straight lines are harder to cut as well as the blade being more fragile.
All saws have trade-offs. It's just a matter of figuring out which saw will work the best for a given project. Let me cover the three saws with, as I see it, the pros and cons:
BAND SAW: This normally has the roughest cut. Curves can be cut, radius determined by depth of blade. Width of cut is limited on the throat side of the blade by the saw design. This saw can be dangerous in that it can easily remove body parts before operator knows what's happening
SCROLL SAW: This has a smooth to medium cut. Straight cuts can be a challenge, curves are easily done. Saw design limits depth of cut and it does require periodic lubrication to ensure smooth operation. This is the safest type of saw in that the blade, while it can cut you, will not remove body parts without considerable effort to do so by operator
TABLE SAW: Has smooth to rough cut, depending on blade and material being cut. This saw only cuts straight lines unless equipped with extra jigs or fences. Cut is limited by material size and how material is supported. This saw can throw material back at operator as well as quickly remove body parts so extreme caution is needed with one of these

I'm sure most would already know all of this but, for the few that don't, the above can save you from injury or death by being aware of the dangers each type of saw creates.

Last edited by Hydro Junkie; 12-21-2016 at 09:24 AM.