Does anyone have any suggestions for dampening the vibrations of a
scroll saw? Due to space limitations, I have to use an existing table
top for my saw. I thought I had the vibration under control, but a
bottle of pigment on the other end of the table told me otherwise.

I seem to recall a place that sold isolating rubber pads that you
mounted under the saw, but now I can't find any reference to anything
like this.

On Tue, 01 Nov 2005 06:06:50 GMT, justme wrote:


Does anyone have any suggestions for dampening the vibrations of a
scroll saw? Due to space limitations, I have to use an existing table
top for my saw. I thought I had the vibration under control, but a
bottle of pigment on the other end of the table told me otherwise.

I seem to recall a place that sold isolating rubber pads that you
mounted under the saw, but now I can't find any reference to anything
like this.


Try standing it on some router mat - double layer if necessary.
Probably won't need any fixing - weight and friction should hold it in
place, with perhaps a piece of two of double-sided carpet tape. If
you feel the need to bolt the saw to the bench (and most seem to work
better that way), use appropriate grommets to make sure that vibration
hasn't a 'hard' (i.e. to say, easy) path to follow. If your actual
work isn't being affected, then simply clear the bench before you
start - I long ago found that a scrollsaw bench and small easily-lost
parts weren't good neighbours. My own 2-speed Delta is bolted to the
bench (via both grommets and a layer of router mat) with
butterfly-nuts so it can be brought out and put away very quickly.

And check out the saw itself. A scroll-saw's natural action does of
course tend to produce vibration - but sometimes the problem is in
whatever cam or lever arrangement connects the motor to the arms.
I've seen some saws that pay little more than lip service to balancing
at that point. And that kind of vibration doesn't do the saw itself
much good.

John

In article ,
says...
On Tue, 01 Nov 2005 06:06:50 GMT, justme wrote:


Does anyone have any suggestions for dampening the vibrations of a
scroll saw? Due to space limitations, I have to use an existing table
top for my saw. I thought I had the vibration under control, but a
bottle of pigment on the other end of the table told me otherwise.

I seem to recall a place that sold isolating rubber pads that you
mounted under the saw, but now I can't find any reference to anything
like this.


Try standing it on some router mat - double layer if necessary.
Probably won't need any fixing - weight and friction should hold it in
place, with perhaps a piece of two of double-sided carpet tape. If
you feel the need to bolt the saw to the bench (and most seem to work
better that way), use appropriate grommets to make sure that vibration
hasn't a 'hard' (i.e. to say, easy) path to follow. If your actual
work isn't being affected, then simply clear the bench before you
start - I long ago found that a scrollsaw bench and small easily-lost
parts weren't good neighbours. My own 2-speed Delta is bolted to the
bench (via both grommets and a layer of router mat) with
butterfly-nuts so it can be brought out and put away very quickly.

And check out the saw itself. A scroll-saw's natural action does of
course tend to produce vibration - but sometimes the problem is in
whatever cam or lever arrangement connects the motor to the arms.
I've seen some saws that pay little more than lip service to balancing
at that point. And that kind of vibration doesn't do the saw itself
much good.

John



I'd guess that the isolation is what I need to work on. I have the saw
bolted to a board with some foam separating the two, but it acts like
the vibration is traveling down the bolts to the board. Everything
works nice and smooth until I hit a certain speed, then something in the
setup hits a resonance frequency.

On Wed, 02 Nov 2005 06:03:18 GMT, justme wrote:


I'd guess that the isolation is what I need to work on. I have the saw
bolted to a board with some foam separating the two, but it acts like
the vibration is traveling down the bolts to the board. Everything
works nice and smooth until I hit a certain speed, then something in the
setup hits a resonance frequency.

Try putting a small but heavy piece of paving stone between saw and
bench (with or without router mat, etc, in various combinations) -
might damp the resonance a bit.

John

justme wrote:
Does anyone have any suggestions for dampening the vibrations of a
scroll saw? Due to space limitations, I have to use an existing table
top for my saw. I thought I had the vibration under control, but a
bottle of pigment on the other end of the table told me otherwise.

I seem to recall a place that sold isolating rubber pads that you
mounted under the saw, but now I can't find any reference to anything
like this.
I have a piece of 1/4" Insertion rubber under mine.
No vibration transferred to the bench (Not noticeable anyway) and also
quietens it down quite a bit.
regards
John

As he puffs his chest out and struts about the room - Roy replys:

I really don't know! I've never had that problem with my Hagner. It
must be the type of scroll saw you have.

I'm sorry I had to do that. But the problem you are having is the only
reason it took me 50 years to buy a scroll saw. My dad had one that
vibrated more then it cut wood. And loud!! I was a kid and decided I'd
never have one of these things.

Enter wood shows and Hagner. Ah, the dreams of a kid re-ignited.

Maybe I can help you. . . . save for a Hagner!

Roy

"ROYNEU" wrote in message
oups.com...
As he puffs his chest out and struts about the room - Roy replys:

I really don't know! I've never had that problem with my Hagner. It
must be the type of scroll saw you have.

I'm sorry I had to do that. But the problem you are having is the only
reason it took me 50 years to buy a scroll saw. My dad had one that
vibrated more then it cut wood. And loud!! I was a kid and decided I'd
never have one of these things.

Enter wood shows and Hagner. Ah, the dreams of a kid re-ignited.

Maybe I can help you. . . . save for a Hagner!

Isn't that spelled Hegner??

Yes. Sorry that is an inside joke between my wife and I. Don't let her
see this.

Roy

justme wrote:
Does anyone have any suggestions for dampening the vibrations of a
scroll saw? Due to space limitations, I have to use an existing table
top for my saw. I thought I had the vibration under control, but a
bottle of pigment on the other end of the table told me otherwise.

I seem to recall a place that sold isolating rubber pads that you
mounted under the saw, but now I can't find any reference to anything
like this.

When I had a Crapsman, and it wasn't a cheap one either, it vibrated and
was loud. I found it was best to bolt it tight to the bench, no
grommets, no padding. The bench sucked up most of the vibration and
made the saw a lot more usable.

Now I have a Dewalt. No vibration. Can leave small parts, like 3D
ornaments, on the scroll saw table while cutting more out and they don't
vibrate off. Quiet too, can listen to the radio while sawing now.

Any of the better saws, Dewalt, Hegner, Excaliber, etc., are miles ahead
of the $200 type saws I've tried.

--
Bill Berglin

"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of
arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid
in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly
proclaiming, 'WOW! What A RIDE!!" ... Unknown

"justme" wrote in message
.. .

Does anyone have any suggestions for dampening the vibrations of a
scroll saw? Due to space limitations, I have to use an existing table
top for my saw. I thought I had the vibration under control, but a
bottle of pigment on the other end of the table told me otherwise.

I seem to recall a place that sold isolating rubber pads that you
mounted under the saw, but now I can't find any reference to anything
like this.

The kind that pull against a spring and then release can never be tamed.
That's why all the good ones have parallel arms now. If they're built
right, you should be able to mount them to a board which clamps to a bench
and work with no vibration. Doesn't take a lot of money to get a pretty
good saw any more, either. When I got mine they were 500 bucks.

Letting it bounce against rubber isn't my idea of how things should go.
Adjust the speed of saw or feed if required, and watch blade suitability.
Make sure the hold-down shoe or your fingers are doing their job.

In article , George@least says...

"justme" wrote in message
.. .

Does anyone have any suggestions for dampening the vibrations of a
scroll saw? Due to space limitations, I have to use an existing table
top for my saw. I thought I had the vibration under control, but a
bottle of pigment on the other end of the table told me otherwise.

I seem to recall a place that sold isolating rubber pads that you
mounted under the saw, but now I can't find any reference to anything
like this.

The kind that pull against a spring and then release can never be tamed.
That's why all the good ones have parallel arms now. If they're built
right, you should be able to mount them to a board which clamps to a bench
and work with no vibration. Doesn't take a lot of money to get a pretty
good saw any more, either. When I got mine they were 500 bucks.

Letting it bounce against rubber isn't my idea of how things should go.
Adjust the speed of saw or feed if required, and watch blade suitability.
Make sure the hold-down shoe or your fingers are doing their job.




I'm fairly sure that my saw (a delta SS350LS) is the parallel arm type.

I actually have the saw bolted to a piece of 3/4 inch melamine particle
board with about 1/8 inch of foam between the two. The cutting surface
of the saw seems acceptably vibration free. When I get about half
speed, however, I seem to hit some sort of harmonic on the table the
entire thing is resting on. The next thing I know, things 6 feet away
are starting to walk to the edge and fall off.

"justme" wrote in message
.. .
I actually have the saw bolted to a piece of 3/4 inch melamine particle
board with about 1/8 inch of foam between the two. The cutting surface
of the saw seems acceptably vibration free. When I get about half
speed, however, I seem to hit some sort of harmonic on the table the
entire thing is resting on. The next thing I know, things 6 feet away
are starting to walk to the edge and fall off.

Well, isolating the vibration _to_ the saw with rubber feet, as I said,
seems pretty foolish. You are attempting to use the tool, and its product
suffers from vibration. Get the rubber out and see if that bugger can pull
an entire bench. Might just have enough inertia to keep the resonant whack
from developing at all.

Oh yes, clean up the workbench once in a while.

I seem to recall a place that sold isolating rubber pads that you
mounted under the saw, but now I can't find any reference to anything
like this.


ISTR that some sort of device for isolating vibration was, or is, sold
by Hi-Fi dealers.

On Tue, 01 Nov 2005 06:06:50 GMT, justme wrote:


Does anyone have any suggestions for dampening the vibrations of a
scroll saw? Due to space limitations, I have to use an existing table
top for my saw. I thought I had the vibration under control, but a
bottle of pigment on the other end of the table told me otherwise.

I seem to recall a place that sold isolating rubber pads that you
mounted under the saw, but now I can't find any reference to anything
like this.


add mass to the saw.