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General Category => General Scroll Saw Talk => Topic started by: Kragax on August 14, 2014, 05:55:55 pm
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Hi, Okay I used to do some scroll sawing years ago. Now that I'm retired I wanted to get back into it. But I'm having issues I don't remember having before. One of them is being able to see what I'm doing. It's not old guy eyes, it's the saw dust. It seems the blower doesn't work as good as it used to on my saw (old Ryobi). So I went and got an aquarium air pump. I little improvement but not a lot. I have been gluing paper to wood like I used to do but dust seems to cling to the paper. I'm wondering if I need a better grade of paper. If I used packing tape over the paper would this help clear the dust. I'm about ready to chuck it. Any ideas?
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If the blade is installed upside down, It brings a lot of sawdust up instead of down.
Don't ask me how I know that!!!!! :D :D
jerry
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Thanks for your reply. yes I checked that as I have done that before.
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On your aquarium air pump, it needs to be a large one and a nozzle on the end of the tube to reduce the opening size to create a stronger air flow. The nozzle also needs to be close to the blade (area you are cutting).
I do not use packing tape on top of the pattern. It seemed to create more dust problems. If I need it for lubrication I will put it on the bottom of the wood. I have been cutting without it now for a couple years and really do not see a need for it. Even cutting hardwoods.
As far as paper type I use whatever is on sale/cheap. For me the thinner the better. 8)
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The airflow on my saw (EX21) increases as the speed increases.
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I necked down the end of the tube I am using from the pump and it helped quite a bit. Now I just have to learn to cut a straight line.
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I necked down the end of the tube I am using from the pump and it helped quite a bit. Now I just have to learn to cut a straight line.
Straight lines are over rated ;D That's what table saws are for!
Ray
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Good luck on the straight lines...never had much luck in that department as Ray stated they are over rated.
Merlin***
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Have the same problem with the dust. What I did was , I built a stand and put a fan on it , at just the right level to blow of all the dust.Works great for me.I'll try and take a picture and post it later.
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Mickey,
Turn you fan around and put a furnace filter on the near side. It will "suck" the dust away and trap it in the filter for better breathing in the shop. It saves a bit of time sweeping the floor too. ;)
Rog
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Can't say anymore that all of ya's have already said except for....I AGREE ON EVERYTHING....
I also use a SMALL adjustable fan that is mounted directly to the right of the saw. It blows across the
area where I cut. Also have the adjustable tubing hooked to the saw that blows it to the left. All the
dust goes directly into a waiting square fan blowing away and has a good air filter attached.
Catches most all the dust. my 2 cents..................................Danny :+}
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I necked down the end of the tube I am using from the pump and it helped quite a bit. Now I just have to learn to cut a straight line.
Straight lines are over rated ;D That's what table saws are for!
Ray
You cut straight lines on a table saw. !!WOW!! Wish I could do that. LOL
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I have tried many ways to get that dust off of the pattern. Original bellows blower, aquarium pump, compressed air from my shop compressor, shop vac, (killed three of those) and, dust collector hook up. What I find woks the best is this fan setting beside me blowing the dust away. $50 at Lowes.
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My DeWalt 788's blower (Type 1) does an excellent job at keeping dust off my lines.
It was one of the very first things I noticed about the 788, how much better it was at keeping the dust off my patterns, even when scrolling at slow speeds.
It's one of those "little things" that has greatly reduced my frustration while scrolling.
I use a large box fan with a furnace filter to trap the airborne dust that is generated by my scroll saw, and I also have a HEPA filter running 24 hours a day that should clean up any dust that remains (I use the scroll saw in my home, so that is the reason for the multilayered dust collection).
I also wear a 3M 6000 series respirator at all times while I am scrolling, cutting or sanding wood. I won't do any work without it.
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If you use a fish tank pump get the bigger pumps for like 60 gallon and up tanks, the smaller 10 gallon tank pumps don't puff out enough air and over time get weak, trust me. I got a bigger pump and its alot better, in fact it has two outputs for tubes so you could rig up dual tubes, or use the T connector and run both tubes into one.
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Two things.
1. I do all my work with this saw. Love it, except that it comes with a horrible attachment for the dust blower nozzle. I threw the bracket away & taped the nozzle to the flexible light. Works perfectly as it shines the spotlight and points the blower on the line. No dust problem on the line. Click on the 1st page of the "Gallery" tab on this site to see some of my pieces. All Listed as "jerry1939."
http://www.menards.com/main/tools-hardware/power-tools/saws/16-performax-scroll-saw/p-1498056.htm Maybe they don't do it anymore, but in the past, this saw was often on sale for $69.99.
2. For any of you that might be thinking of starting scrolling, keep in mind the old saying, "Fancy tools alone don't make you a good carpenter." You can turn out nice pieces with inexpensive tools.
jerry
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I also use a small fan and it blows 90% of the dust away, but it is that 10% that accumulates right in front of the blade that is in my way. I hyperventilate blowing it away as I cut. lol( mental picture) I think that I will try the aquarium pump trick too. Thanks
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The pump idea sounds good and so does getting a fan. But would the motor on these get clogged up after a while? I read that a shop vac did and the aquarium pump motor and fan motors is quite smaller. Just wondering.
My air pump on my saw isn't working anymore ( OLD SAW) and I am looking for other options to rectify the problem.
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On the fish tank pumps if you look at certain spots they have a filter on the outside of them to catch household dust, so I would think you could make a small filter for those fish tank pumps to keep the dust out. Might even do test with a part of a dust mask cut out, or even a furnace filter cut a tiny piece out and put in place the filter they have from factory see if it affects the air intake of the fish pump.