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#1
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Are scroll saws safe for youth?
I was considering buying a scrollsaw, primarily so my 10 year old son
and I could do some woodworking together. He's at the stage in life where he's "bored" all the time. I've never used a scrollsaw in my life, so I was wondering if they'd be considered "safe enough" for a fairly mature 10 year old. He wouldn't do anything stupid or reckless. I'd always supervise him using it.. If by accident he did rub a finger against the blade, is it as devastating as a bandsaw? (I'd guess not). I'd like to have him start by making puzzles out of 1/2 plywood for his siblings. I don't know if you can get less aggressive cutting blades to make it safer or what. Again, I'm totally ignorant of scrollsaws, thus I am seeking your input. |
#2
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Are scroll saws safe for youth?
"bf" wrote in
oups.com: *snip* I'd like to have him start by making puzzles out of 1/2 plywood for his siblings. I don't know if you can get less aggressive cutting blades to make it safer or what. Don't think that duller/less agressive is safer. Any time you have to push harder to get a result, you're opening the door for accident. Again, I'm totally ignorant of scrollsaws, thus I am seeking your input. They make hand powered versions called "coping saws." They even use the same type of blade. They're more work and if you get a bad one you'll hate it, but I like mine. :-) Puckdropper -- Wise is the man who attempts to answer his question before asking it. To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm |
#3
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Are scroll saws safe for youth?
In article .com, "bf" wrote:
I was considering buying a scrollsaw, primarily so my 10 year old son and I could do some woodworking together. He's at the stage in life where he's "bored" all the time. I've never used a scrollsaw in my life, so I was wondering if they'd be considered "safe enough" for a fairly mature 10 year old. He wouldn't do anything stupid or reckless. I'd always supervise him using it.. If by accident he did rub a finger against the blade, is it as devastating as a bandsaw? (I'd guess not). Nowhere near as dangerous as a bandsaw. Blades are much finer, so they don't remove nearly as much material at once -- typical bandsaw blade is 3 to 6 teeth per inch (tpi), whereas 20 tpi might be a bit on the coarse side for a scroll saw. Sticking your fingers into a moving scroll saw blade means you need a band-aid. Sticking your fingers into a moving bandsaw blade probably means a trip to the E.R. I'd like to have him start by making puzzles out of 1/2 plywood for his siblings. I don't know if you can get less aggressive cutting blades to make it safer or what. Less aggressive doesn't necessarily mean safer. Match the blade to the material, and don't worry about it. Again, I'm totally ignorant of scrollsaws, thus I am seeking your input. Any power tool has the potential to be dangerous, particularly saws, but that potential is lower with a scroll saw than almost any other powered woodworking tool I can think of. -- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com) It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again. |
#4
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Are scroll saws safe for youth?
"bf" wrote in message oups.com... I was considering buying a scrollsaw, primarily so my 10 year old son and I could do some woodworking together. He's at the stage in life where he's "bored" all the time. I've never used a scrollsaw in my life, so I was wondering if they'd be considered "safe enough" for a fairly mature 10 year old. He wouldn't do anything stupid or reckless. I'd always supervise him using it.. If by accident he did rub a finger against the blade, is it as devastating as a bandsaw? (I'd guess not). I'd like to have him start by making puzzles out of 1/2 plywood for his siblings. I don't know if you can get less aggressive cutting blades to make it safer or what. Again, I'm totally ignorant of scrollsaws, thus I am seeking your input. As Doug says, match the blade to the work. Then have him keep the speed down until he gets the hang of it. Sort of a power coping saw. You can take a tendon pretty quickly if you don't have that blade guarded and your fingers out of the way. Of course, if you have your blade guarded on the bandsaw and keep your fingers out of the way.... |
#5
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Are scroll saws safe for youth?
"Doug Miller" wrote in message .. . Sticking your fingers into a moving scroll saw blade means you need a band-aid. I have a Dremel scroll saw. Sticking your fingers into it makes the saw stop. It is good only for cutting up to a quarter inch thickness. Perfect for jigsaw puzzles, perfect for children to use, otherwise a useless waste of space. Tim W |
#6
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Are scroll saws safe for youth?
"Doug Miller" wrote in message news:kn0dh.130
Nowhere near as dangerous as a bandsaw. Blades are much finer, so they don't remove nearly as much material at once -- typical bandsaw blade is 3 to 6 teeth per inch (tpi), whereas 20 tpi might be a bit on the coarse side for a scroll saw. Sticking your fingers into a moving scroll saw blade means you need a band-aid. Sticking your fingers into a moving bandsaw blade probably means a trip to the E.R. Doug - Agree/Disagree. I agree the scroll saw would probably do much less damage thatn the bandsaw. When working on small, thin stock, I let my pinkies get closer than I would the bandsaw. However my little Delta could very easily go to the bone. That's more than enough reason to go the the ER for stitches, shot and antibiotics. With that aside, I would probably let a mature 10-year old use one with close supervision. That is the way a lot of young folks learn to love being creative. A 13-14 year old? Ummmm, not so sure. RonB |
#7
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Are scroll saws safe for youth?
In article .com,
bf wrote: I was considering buying a scrollsaw, primarily so my 10 year old son and I could do some woodworking together. He's at the stage in life where he's "bored" all the time. I've never used a scrollsaw in my life, so I was wondering if they'd be considered "safe enough" for a fairly mature 10 year old. He wouldn't do anything stupid or reckless. I'd always supervise him using it.. If by accident he did rub a finger against the blade, is it as devastating as a bandsaw? (I'd guess not). I'd like to have him start by making puzzles out of 1/2 plywood for his siblings. I don't know if you can get less aggressive cutting blades to make it safer or what. Again, I'm totally ignorant of scrollsaws, thus I am seeking your input. I'd say a scroll saw is pretty safe. If you want to get even safer try a home built version. http://1nailbender.tripod.com/full.htm It shows a home built foot powered scroll saw. I figure it would be safer than an electric scroll saw, yet easier to use than a coping saw. |
#8
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Are scroll saws safe for youth?
"bf" wrote in message oups.com... I was considering buying a scrollsaw, primarily so my 10 year old son and I could do some woodworking together. He's at the stage in life where he's "bored" all the time. I've never used a scrollsaw in my life, so I was wondering if they'd be considered "safe enough" for a fairly mature 10 year old. He wouldn't do anything stupid or reckless. I'd always supervise him using it.. If by accident he did rub a finger against the blade, is it as devastating as a bandsaw? (I'd guess not). I'd like to have him start by making puzzles out of 1/2 plywood for his siblings. I don't know if you can get less aggressive cutting blades to make it safer or what. Again, I'm totally ignorant of scrollsaws, thus I am seeking your input. They started us out in woodshop in the 6th grade (11/12 years old), the only tool we were not allowed to use was the table saw. I specifically remember using hand drills, coping saws, a router, a drill press and a scroll saw. I don't remember any safety issues. It's too bad they cut out woodshop in the schools except as a highschool elective... |
#9
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Are scroll saws safe for youth?
Not having a kid myself, take my opinion as an observer. Scrollsaws are
very safe when handled properly and I see no reason that a 10 year old can't follow instructions. But clearly, it would be best for you to practice on the scrollsaw for a month or so before letting your son do it. There are basic tricks to learn and it's probably just asking for an accident if you try learning with your son. What I would suggest is that you let him watch you as you learn. When YOU feel confident with the scrollsaw, you can slowly ramp him into using it by starting with the basics (which by then you should have mastered well enough to be safe). Better yet ... look for a course in your area. And if possible, take it with you son! Just remember, cutting your fingers is only one of the dangers. Always wear goggles (or some form of eye protection from flying chips) and always wear a dust mask. I'd recommend a mask that "breathes", so that you don't find yourself sweating up your goggles. In conclusion ... I think it's a great idea to get him into woodworking at this age. But as you said, kids that age get bored easily and you do NOT want him trying to do something too fast before he's ready. Good luck. Jack bf wrote: I was considering buying a scrollsaw, primarily so my 10 year old son and I could do some woodworking together. He's at the stage in life where he's "bored" all the time. I've never used a scrollsaw in my life, so I was wondering if they'd be considered "safe enough" for a fairly mature 10 year old. He wouldn't do anything stupid or reckless. I'd always supervise him using it.. If by accident he did rub a finger against the blade, is it as devastating as a bandsaw? (I'd guess not). I'd like to have him start by making puzzles out of 1/2 plywood for his siblings. I don't know if you can get less aggressive cutting blades to make it safer or what. Again, I'm totally ignorant of scrollsaws, thus I am seeking your input. |
#10
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Are scroll saws safe for youth?
bf wrote: I was considering buying a scrollsaw, primarily so my 10 year old son and I could do some woodworking together. He's at the stage in life where he's "bored" all the time. I've never used a scrollsaw in my life, so I was wondering if they'd be considered "safe enough" for a fairly mature 10 year old. He wouldn't do anything stupid or reckless. I'd always supervise him using it.. If by accident he did rub a finger against the blade, is it as devastating as a bandsaw? (I'd guess not). I'd like to have him start by making puzzles out of 1/2 plywood for his siblings. I don't know if you can get less aggressive cutting blades to make it safer or what. Again, I'm totally ignorant of scrollsaws, thus I am seeking your input. I'd say a scroll saw is one of the safer powered cutting tools. I have a 14 year old who has used my bandsaw under supervision for several years without injury, or even scaring me too much. One thing to watch out for: For some reason, boys seem predisposed to "thump" or flick small cutoff scraps of wood away from the blade. They seem to think the short time their finger spends near the blade makes it less scary somehow. But it's a movement that is by its very nature uncontrolled and imprecise. Teach him early on to use another scrap to gently brush those cutoffs away from the blade. DonkeyHody "Every man is my superior in that I can learn from him." - Thomas Carlyle |
#11
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Are scroll saws safe for youth?
In article , "RonB" wrote:
"Doug Miller" wrote in message news:kn0dh.130 Nowhere near as dangerous as a bandsaw. Blades are much finer, so they don't remove nearly as much material at once -- typical bandsaw blade is 3 to 6 teeth per inch (tpi), whereas 20 tpi might be a bit on the coarse side for a scroll saw. Sticking your fingers into a moving scroll saw blade means you need a band-aid. Sticking your fingers into a moving bandsaw blade probably means a trip to the E.R. Doug - Agree/Disagree. I agree the scroll saw would probably do much less damage thatn the bandsaw. When working on small, thin stock, I let my pinkies get closer than I would the bandsaw. However my little Delta could very easily go to the bone. That's more than enough reason to go the the ER for stitches, shot and antibiotics. Well, I guess that's true -- I probably understated the risk a little bit. OTOH, it's hard to see how you could accidentally amputate a digit with a scroll saw... -- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com) It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again. |
#12
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Are scroll saws safe for youth?
A couple of comments:
inexpensive scroll saws are not the way to go. Too many people have purchased very low end scroll saws, only to find there is too much vibration, poor quality manufacturing, and too much blade wobble. They get frustrated and abandon the hobby. Buy as much saw as you can afford. A used DeWalt 788 just might be a better bargain than something from HF. Scroll saw is a skill. It is an eye-hand thing. Except in rare cases, there are no jigs, fixtures, or fences to buy or build with a scroll saw. Scroll sawing is an easy skill to pick up, and it don't take long, but you must build up the skill by doing. You know your son, and as you stated in you post, you need to start off with easy. The first 20 or 30 tries will be firewood. Expect that, plan on that, and use that fact to also learn about applying a finish, including if you want to sand before cutting, or after. (many times with fret work, it is better to sand before cutting.) Don't let him get discouraged because he might lack the fine muscle tone of a 13 or 14 year old. It comes with practice and skill development. But his ability to quickly grow skills through his youthful eye-hand coordination will amaze you. Best of luck. Phil "bf" wrote in message oups.com... I was considering buying a scrollsaw, primarily so my 10 year old son and I could do some woodworking together. He's at the stage in life where he's "bored" all the time. {snip} |
#13
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Are scroll saws safe for youth?
"bf" wrote in message oups.com... I was considering buying a scrollsaw, primarily so my 10 year old son and I could do some woodworking together. He's at the stage in life where he's "bored" all the time. I've never used a scrollsaw in my life, so I was wondering if they'd be considered "safe enough" for a fairly mature 10 year old. He wouldn't do anything stupid or reckless. I'd always supervise him using it.. If by accident he did rub a finger against the blade, is it as devastating as a bandsaw? (I'd guess not). I'd like to have him start by making puzzles out of 1/2 plywood for his siblings. I don't know if you can get less aggressive cutting blades to make it safer or what. Again, I'm totally ignorant of scrollsaws, thus I am seeking your input. My boys started using scroll saws at ages 7 and 9. At that point they used Hegner and Dewalt saws under close supervision. Now, at 8 and 11, they work on a Dremel scroll saw while I'm in the room but not hovering. They are very good about following safety precautions (safety glasses, fingers away from the blade, don't put fingers in the path of the blade) and have gotten quite proficient at cutting out puzzles. They've also cut out 3D figures and names. I've also had them working with hand saws, planes and chisels... even doing hand cut dovetails and resawing boards with a rip panel saw. If you can explain and demonstrate the processes well and the kids are attentive and relatively coordinated you can take them through a skill building process with good results. ALSO, a KEY thing to remember is don't give them sub-standard tools to use... my kids use my L-N dovetail saw, finely honed chisels, L-N planes, good taper ground panel saws, marking gauges, etc. If you give them junky tools to work with they'll become frustrated and end up with poor results. With those things in mind I don't have any serious concerns with the scroll saw. Seems to me I was about 8 when I started using my father's Shop Smith scroll saw. We were joking the other night that his scroll saw has lasted about 50 years so far... course I was the last one to use it and that was probably 40 years ago. ;~) John |
#14
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Are scroll saws safe for youth?
"Puckdropper" wrote in message news:457487a1$0$97269 They make hand powered versions called "coping saws." They even use the same type of blade. They're more work and if you get a bad one you'll hate it, but I like mine. :-) Coping saws are coping saws. The hand equivelent of a scroll saw is a fret saw. I have both scroll and fret saws. For some reason, I prefer doing it by hand. |
#15
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Are scroll saws safe for youth?
You must have an old Dremel or it's defective. I did a name plaque out of
4/4 purpleheart on mine. Never even bogged. "Tim W" wrote in message ... "Doug Miller" wrote in message .. . Sticking your fingers into a moving scroll saw blade means you need a band-aid. I have a Dremel scroll saw. Sticking your fingers into it makes the saw stop. It is good only for cutting up to a quarter inch thickness. Perfect for jigsaw puzzles, perfect for children to use, otherwise a useless waste of space. Tim W |
#16
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Are scroll saws safe for youth?
bf wrote:
I've never used a scrollsaw in my life, so I was wondering if they'd be considered "safe enough" for a fairly mature 10 year old. He wouldn't do anything stupid or reckless. I'd always supervise him using it.. If by accident he did rub a finger against the blade, is it as devastating as a bandsaw? (I'd guess not). I'm pretty sure that when I was 10 I used a scroll saw frequently without supervision. By 7th and 8th grade, I was doing intricate Christmas ornaments. No incidents that I remember. The scrollsaw was much less intimidating than the bandsaw. I seem to remember always using the blade guard because it helped keep the piece down on the table. I would actually be less worried about the blade than getting hit/pinched by the other moving parts. At one of the woodworking shows, I saw the Excaliber guy actually put his finger directly on the blade (on purpose) to show that it would not cut him. I'm still not clear on why he didn't get cut. One thing to keep in mind is that a scroll saw is really not good at making straight cuts. For that, I had a hand-powered miter box similar in design to this one: http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...=1,42884,43836 With those two saws and an egg beater drill, you can make a lot of stuff. I would get the scroll saw first because there are so many things you can do with it that don't require any other tools. Mark |
#17
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Are scroll saws safe for youth?
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#18
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Are scroll saws safe for youth?
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#19
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Are scroll saws safe for youth?
Or he's equipped it with a SCROLLSTOP(tm)
CW wrote: You must have an old Dremel or it's defective. I did a name plaque out of 4/4 purpleheart on mine. Never even bogged. "Tim W" wrote in message ... "Doug Miller" wrote in message .. . Sticking your fingers into a moving scroll saw blade means you need a band-aid. I have a Dremel scroll saw. Sticking your fingers into it makes the saw stop. It is good only for cutting up to a quarter inch thickness. Perfect for jigsaw puzzles, perfect for children to use, otherwise a useless waste of space. Tim W |
#20
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Are scroll saws safe for youth?
The scroll saw is probably the safest stationary power tool in a wood
shop. But, it can still hurt you. When my daughter was 8 I showed her the basics of SS operation and safety rules. At that time I told her she could use it as long as her mom or I was with her. She is now 10 and I feel OK about her using it without direct "standing behind her" supervision but she has to notify one of the adults in the house & tell us what whe is planning to do, and let an adult check out the saw vicinity for hazards before she turns it on. Now, she was going into the shop and using hand tools on her own from a fairly young age, and I have been using the scroll saw for several years. If I was just staring out with the scroll saw myself, I would not feel comfortable letting her work with it until I had a good working knowledge myself, to share with her. One thing about having kids in the shop, remember that when their friends are around, they sometimes have a lapse of judjment in an effort to impress or show off. There's a boy the same age as my daughter who she plays with pretty often. Apparently he did not believe her when she told him she was using the scroll saw, I don't need to go into details, nothing bad happened, but she did violate one the rule about not operating the saw without telling an adult first. -- For every complicated, difficult problem, there is a simple, easy solution that does not work. Larry Wasserman - Baltimore Maryland - |
#21
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Are scroll saws safe for youth?
bf wrote:
I was considering buying a scrollsaw, primarily so my 10 year old son and I could do some woodworking together. He's at the stage in life where he's "bored" all the time. I've never used a scrollsaw in my life, so I was wondering if they'd be considered "safe enough" for a fairly mature 10 year old. He wouldn't do anything stupid or reckless. I'd always supervise him using it.. If by accident he did rub a finger against the blade, is it as devastating as a bandsaw? (I'd guess not). I'd like to have him start by making puzzles out of 1/2 plywood for his siblings. I don't know if you can get less aggressive cutting blades to make it safer or what. Again, I'm totally ignorant of scrollsaws, thus I am seeking your input. Years ago there was British scroll saw that was completely safe. It wasn't high end, and it wasn't dear, but was just the thing for kids and for light work. The blade was a standard scroll saw blade but it had a very short stroke. You could put your finger on the blade and cut a piece of 6mm ply at the same time. It cut like a hot knife through butter . The blade would just catch the skin on your finger and the skin would move with it without cutting. Took me a little sweat to test at a wood show but I did and it never Actually new some people who purchased the machine and an arts class at a Primary school purchased 6 of the. Haven't heard about them for ages, but they may still be available. Regards John |
#22
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Are scroll saws safe for youth?
Thanks everyone for the input.. I'll continue to read. I like the advice of learning to use it myself first, and then teaching him. I think it will be safer and less frustrating for him as well if I know what I'm doing. The last thing I want to happen is for me to be fumbling in our first experience and for him to decide it's "boring" LOL. I ended up buying a used Excalibar. (Seeing the ad in Craig's list gave me the idea). Got a nice deal, but it was kind of sad. The guy had to sell it because his health no longer allowed him to do woodworking. Just another reminder to enjoy life while you can and not take things for granted. |
#23
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Are scroll saws safe for youth?
On Tue, 05 Dec 2006 12:42:55 +0000, John B wrote:
bf wrote: I was considering buying a scrollsaw, primarily so my 10 year old son and I could do some woodworking together. He's at the stage in life where he's "bored" all the time. I've never used a scrollsaw in my life, so I was wondering if they'd be considered "safe enough" for a fairly mature 10 year old. He wouldn't do anything stupid or reckless. I'd always supervise him using it.. If by accident he did rub a finger against the blade, is it as devastating as a bandsaw? (I'd guess not). I'd like to have him start by making puzzles out of 1/2 plywood for his siblings. I don't know if you can get less aggressive cutting blades to make it safer or what. Again, I'm totally ignorant of scrollsaws, thus I am seeking your input. Years ago there was British scroll saw that was completely safe. It wasn't high end, and it wasn't dear, but was just the thing for kids and for light work. The blade was a standard scroll saw blade but it had a very short stroke. You could put your finger on the blade and cut a piece of 6mm ply at the same time. It cut like a hot knife through butter . The blade would just catch the skin on your finger and the skin would move with it without cutting. Took me a little sweat to test at a wood show but I did and it never Actually new some people who purchased the machine and an arts class at a Primary school purchased 6 of the. Haven't heard about them for ages, but they may still be available. I remember when I was a kid I got a little toy scroll saw for Christmas one year--I think it was from Kenner but wouldn't swear to it. Don't know what happened to it, I think it disappeared in a move. Blade had no teeth, just a series of rounded indentations--it cut plastic foam and the like like gangbusters and even managed balsa if I recall correctly. Very safe little tool and fun besides. Battery powered so it didn't have much power--you could stall it by grabbing the blade. At the time foam for it was hard to find and expensive--I suspect that today it would do wonders with foamcore board. Another fairly safe tool, by the way, is a Fein Multimaster--cuts almost as fast as a Bosch jigsaw but you can put your finger on the edge of the blade with it running at full speed and nothing happens (yeah, I'm dumb, I tried it, it works). Really needs a shoe of some kind to be able to do any kind of precision work though. One of these days I've got to see about rigging one. |
#24
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Are scroll saws safe for youth?
"Mark Wells" wrote in message oups.com... At one of the woodworking shows, I saw the Excaliber guy actually put his finger directly on the blade (on purpose) to show that it would not cut him. I'm still not clear on why he didn't get cut. Maybe it was a ScrollStop prototype??? |
#25
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Are scroll saws safe for youth?
"Locutus" wrote in message ... "Mark Wells" wrote in message oups.com... At one of the woodworking shows, I saw the Excaliber guy actually put his finger directly on the blade (on purpose) to show that it would not cut him. I'm still not clear on why he didn't get cut. Maybe it was a ScrollStop prototype??? ugh, someone already beat me to a scrollstop joke... |
#26
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Are scroll saws safe for youth?
We never tire of it. In fact, it keeps getting funnier every
time we trot it out -- kind of like that excorsist movie :-) Locutus wrote: "Locutus" wrote in message ... "Mark Wells" wrote in message oups.com... At one of the woodworking shows, I saw the Excaliber guy actually put his finger directly on the blade (on purpose) to show that it would not cut him. I'm still not clear on why he didn't get cut. Maybe it was a ScrollStop prototype??? ugh, someone already beat me to a scrollstop joke... |
#27
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Are scroll saws safe for youth?
Locutus wrote:
"Mark Wells" wrote in message oups.com... At one of the woodworking shows, I saw the Excaliber guy actually put his finger directly on the blade (on purpose) to show that it would not cut him. I'm still not clear on why he didn't get cut. Maybe it was a ScrollStop prototype??? It didn't cut because the short stroke simply moved the skin up and down with the blade. If he'd bent his finger and placed the middle joint against it, it could have cut, but it still wouldn't have been deep before hurting a LOT. Experience counts! Pop` |
#28
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Are scroll saws safe for youth?
"CW" wrote in message news "Tim W" wrote in message ... "Doug Miller" wrote in message .. . Sticking your fingers into a moving scroll saw blade means you need a band-aid. I have a Dremel scroll saw. Sticking your fingers into it makes the saw stop. You must have an old Dremel or it's defective. I did a name plaque out of 4/4 purpleheart on mine. Never even bogged. Correct. It is about twenty years old. Tim w |
#29
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Are scroll saws safe for youth?
"Tim W" wrote in message ... "CW" wrote in message news "Tim W" wrote in message ... "Doug Miller" wrote in message .. . Sticking your fingers into a moving scroll saw blade means you need a band-aid. I have a Dremel scroll saw. Sticking your fingers into it makes the saw stop. You must have an old Dremel or it's defective. I did a name plaque out of 4/4 purpleheart on mine. Never even bogged. Correct. It is about twenty years old. Spring return rather than parallel arm, I take it? |
#30
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Are scroll saws safe for youth?
"George" wrote in message t... "Tim W" wrote in message ... "CW" wrote in message news "Tim W" wrote in message ... "Doug Miller" wrote in message .. . Sticking your fingers into a moving scroll saw blade means you need a band-aid. I have a Dremel scroll saw. Sticking your fingers into it makes the saw stop. You must have an old Dremel or it's defective. I did a name plaque out of 4/4 purpleheart on mine. Never even bogged. Correct. It is about twenty years old. Spring return rather than parallel arm, I take it? Exactly. With a bendy pressed tin body and a fitting for a sanding disc which also stopped when you touched it. Really a piece of idiocy but I mention it only because I found it fun for exactly the purpose the OP had - I could use it on the kitchen table with my kids making jig-saws puzzles, model aeroplanes, doll's house furniture and they could use it too. You could never have hurt yourself with it. Tim w |
#31
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Are scroll saws safe for youth?
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#32
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Are scroll saws safe for youth?
bf wrote: Thanks everyone for the input.. I'll continue to read. I like the advice of learning to use it myself first, and then teaching him. I think it will be safer and less frustrating for him as well if I know what I'm doing. The last thing I want to happen is for me to be fumbling in our first experience and for him to decide it's "boring" LOL. I ended up buying a used Excalibar. (Seeing the ad in Craig's list gave me the idea). Got a nice deal, but it was kind of sad. The guy had to sell it because his health no longer allowed him to do woodworking. Just another reminder to enjoy life while you can and not take things for granted. To reinforce what others have already said: my son, now 9, has been using the Delta scroll saw for a couple of years at least, has become quite adept at it, and now does it without problems and without much supervision. I think it depends much on the maturity of the child and whether he will "try" inappropriate materials or holding techniques . He now can operate the drill press safely (not the winged bits, just the fluted ones, in wood, slowest speed) and a couple of the power sanders (Porter-Cable half-sheet and orbital sanders), but not the belt sander. He has started on the Fein sander, but he's not yet proficient at it. He is not yet allowed to touch any other saw (probably the next one is the jigsaw). Under close supervision, he will use the drill press with winged bits. He has held the hand-held drill in a pocketscrew guide on a couple of occasions. The rule of thumb was "how much damage would the tool do before he could realize he is getting hurt and moves his fingers away?". For the tools he is not allowed to touch, the answer is "more than just skin." No chisels, but the handsaw. No belt sander, but the finish sander. No the jigsaw but the scroll saw. When he becomes more mature, he can progress. I am also afraid that, should he get hurt, even slightly, he will turn away. My $0.02. Pierre |
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