Wild Bill wrote:

I think the variable speed feature mentioned in another reply, would be a
key feature for this type of work.

It's pretty much a must. But most of the decent scroll saws these days have the
feature.

It's also important to get the right gauge blade. Jeweler's saw blades run from
about 6-0 to 8 or so. You want a blade that will keep 2-3 teeth in the work at
all times. Most of what the saw suppliers and hardware stores will try to sell
you are too coarse for this kind of work.

The scroll (or jigsaw as it's known)
wouldn't neccessarily have to be a top-of-the-line model, any older cast
iron tabletop jigsaw should be more than adequate.
Step pulleys can accomplish speed selection for powering with an AC
induction motor.. I don't care much for high RPM brush-type universal
motors, but they can be adjusted with inexpensive speed controls or a big
variac.
A foot switch might be a very handy feature too.

A foot switch doesn't matter all that much because of the way you feed the
stock. (To stop cutting, stop advancing the material.)



I dunno if cutting dry is the general practice, but I'd think that a
wax-type cutting lube would be more appropriate, since a liquid would likely
be slippery and possibly create a situation where it would be too easy to
slip and get fingers cut.

Beeswax. Buy it by the cake at any fabric store.

(other good stuff snipped

--RC