Well, folks, the holiday consumer orgy of excess is upon us, and this
year, like so many in the past, is an exercise in caveat emptor. While
considering the lead poisoning, the GHB date rape drugs, and other
toxins contained within the children's toys, the defective automobile
tires, and poisoned toothpaste manufactured in China, yet zealously
imported and marketed by avaricious importers and mass marketers
within this faltering remnant of a country, I bring you the Delta
SS350LS 16" Scroll Saw.

Yet another birthday has come and gone, and this was the celebratory
tool purchase of the year. Which leads me to believe that, at this
point, I have a memory which is far too long, and have seen too much
pass under the bridge at the hands of avaricious stock market driven
corporations and their idiotic boards of directors. My god, people,
can't you teach your 30 cent an hour Chinese slave laborers to set up
your machinery properly, mill items reasonably close to tolerance (?),
and not strip the housing threads when installing screws?

Long Lost Tenets of Business 101: It takes just as much energy and
materials to properly assemble an item as it does to screw it up and
when considering the resources involved in dealing with irate
customers, returns, and repair costs, it behooves you to tighten up
your non-existent quality control departments. Yea, I know, deaf ears.

I looked at the Hitachi CW40, which sells for $160 and is also made in
China. Profuse use of plastic for typically high stress components
such as the blade tensioner knobs/levers, and its light weight,
coupled with the repugnant Nike-like decorative style turns me off
completely. It uses a small DC motor and PWM speed controller. The
table is aluminum. Similar objections are raised by the Dremel. The
Dewalt is also of mixed foreign manufacture, and is considerably more
expensive. Considering the infrequent use a scroll saw gets in my shop
at the moment, I wanted to keep the cost of the potential contenders
below $250.

Which left the Delta as having the most potential. Aside from a few
warts which may be specific to this unit (Fat Chance), it should have
been the most usable, durable of the lot within this price range.
And it is on sale - for a price.

So let's get started. This is the unit, first the left side:

http://webpages.charter.net/videodoc...SS350LS_01.jpg

And the right:

http://webpages.charter.net/videodoc...SS350LS_02.jpg

The unit possesses a 2HP (rated) induction motor that is reasonably
quiet, runs cool, and its variable speed capability is proffered by a
consumer industry standard Amtel based U209B tachometer feedback
controller IC. In an apparent attempt to promote sales of replacement
controller boards (the line powered, non-isolated design is prone to
lighting and static failure), the part numbers have been sanded off of
the controller IC and the TRIAC. Absolutely Pathetic. The power switch
and speed potentiometer are typical lowest bidder stuff. The motor
does not have dipped or impregnated windings.

http://webpages.charter.net/videodoc...SS350LS_03.jpg

The "Quickset II" blade clamps take some getting used to in order to
properly install blades without undo kinks in the ends, but hold well,
and are simple. You cannot use pin type blades in the lower holder.

The saw's arms are not of "C" design, but are independent upper and
lower aluminum arms which pivot directly on steel pins. The motor
drive link contains ball bearings at both ends. The lower arm is
driven and a rear link then drives the upper arm. There are no
bearings at these other pivot points. (Lubrication maintenance should
be performed obsessively.) The clamshell arm housing is thin-wall
cast aluminum, and depends mightily on the two housings mating and
being tightened properly to provide rigidity. It seems to work OK, but
it's a weak spot compared to the old solid cast iron designs.

The cast iron table and base adds considerable mass (seemingly,
Chinese pig iron is cheap), and makes for fairly vibrationless
operation - except for one problem. This machine has a defect which
makes the upper blade holder and arm an issue. It is milled
incorrectly on the end of the upper arm, and possibly at the pivot
point as well. In a misguided attempt to kludge a repair and reclaim
these poorly milled arms, the blade clamp assembly was bent at the
factory to "correct" the defect. The following pictures demonstrate
the various angles compared to a ruler, and the projected alignment
with the lower arm.

http://webpages.charter.net/videodoc...SS350LS_04.jpg

http://webpages.charter.net/videodoc...SS350LS_05.jpg

While this may not outwardly appear to be a devastating defect, being
tensioned off axis causes the arm, and the blade, to vibrate side to
side at certain frequencies - sometimes so badly that the arm hits the
housing and makes quite a racket. It doesn't speak well to longevity
of the blades (or the unit generally) either, as they flex at the
clamp point. Besides, it's just an outwardly cheesy fix. I plan to
inspect other saws before condemning these units offhandedly, however.
I have no idea what Delta's stance on providing replacement parts for
this unit would be, and I have no inclination to find out, considering
that several of the threaded holes in the aluminum housing and motor
were also stripped at the factory.

Another oddity is that, if Delta is persisting in their past method of
dating models by the serial, this base unit was manufactured in 2003,
while the packaging claims a 2006 date. Are these saws on sale because
they're clearing the factory of junk? (Scratches head...)

Lest anyone believe the foregoing a screed against Delta specifically,
you would be mistaken. I own a shop full of Delta products, but have
witnessed the quality of ALL tools to drop precipitously over the
years - most dramatically since the move to China. Their Taiwanese
manufactured tools were well made and functional, but this stuff is a
whole 'nother story. The intention is there, the materials are there,
the promise is there, but the execution falls on it's face due to poor
attention to detail, lack of worker training and apathy, and pathetic
quality control.

If not for the aforementioned problems, I believe the unit would offer
a good bargain - albeit a Chinese bargain(?), if such a thing exists.
Prospective purchasers should carefully inspect the blade mounting
angles before plunking down their increasingly valueless US currency.
As for me, it's another trip across town to look for a replacement.

Happy Festivus, everyone.


Greg G.

{snip}
This machine has a defect which
makes the upper blade holder and arm an issue. It is milled
incorrectly on the end of the upper arm, and possibly at the pivot
point as well. In a misguided attempt to kludge a repair and reclaim
these poorly milled arms, the blade clamp assembly was bent at the
factory to "correct" the defect. The following pictures demonstrate
the various angles compared to a ruler, and the projected alignment
with the lower arm.

While this may not outwardly appear to be a devastating defect, being
tensioned off axis causes the arm, and the blade, to vibrate side to
side at certain frequencies - sometimes so badly that the arm hits the
housing and makes quite a racket. It doesn't speak well to longevity
of the blades (or the unit generally) either, as they flex at the
clamp point. .....

This unit is a reject. Return it for a replacement new saw. Not even a
factory re-built should be as bad as your pictures.

There must be absolutely no side to side motion of the blade during the
up/down stroke. There could be very a limited amount of front to back
motion during the full cycle of the stoke as well; front to back in the
range of 1/32" or less. Use a very small square, and manually walk the saw
with blade thru a full cycle slowly and verify the blade remains a constant
distance side to side and very little movement front to back. Blade must
remain at constant angle to table.

Don't care about price range, the above must be for a scroll saw to perform
as intended by the buyer. Implied warranty and all that.

However, don't confuse viewing blade by the strobe effect from florescence
lights with side to side motion. Without any wood to cut, the blade will
flex with vibration on any scroll saw. Loading of the blade into the
QuickSet II blade holder is a common cause of front to back motion of over
1/8 inch or more.

A scroll saw comes from the coping saw. Fine detailed work. It needs to be
a precise to function correctly. What ever the price. Compare with a cheap
router, would you accept a router that had a 3/64 inch wobble (runout) in
the main shaft? I don't think so. Would you accept a cheap router where
the collet locking nut had two of the six corners rounded over? I would
hope not.

At least contact the Service web site and find a Service Center to see if
you saw's warranty can replace the upper arm assembly.
http://www.dewaltservicenet.com/
(Delta, DeWalt, and PG service)

Aside: When checking for quality scroll saw, an overlooked but very
important test is the flatness of the table outside edge to the center. Too
many times at the factory, the center hole for the table insert, is punched.
If an error in production occurs they will re-punch the hole, causing the
center to deflect. Re-punching the hole is a cheaper repair than other
fixes. Straight edge test should allow less than piece of newspaper.
(Really long post as to why this table top gap is so bad. ) Remember, test
outside edge to center, without the insert.

Phil

Greg:

Well done! Taking back that messed up Delta scroll saw was just what was
needed. I suspect the store was trying to sell you some sort of re-packaged
warehouse 2nds. Saws that were sold once before, returned for defect, and
warehouse re-packaged instead of sending to factory for re-building. But to
find two more bad saws in stock---wow, as you stated, really says something
about selling practices and the consumer.

Your link to the differences between the two saws---just amazing how bad
that saw on the left is.

Anyway, about your scrolling to add a segmentation insert to a turned
project....
There are several Internet forums (web browser access) that are focused on
Scroll Sawing with turning folks stopping by.
My recommendation is:
http://wmyoung.proboards107.com/
A small but talented group of both turners and scroll sawyers. They at
least could point to other support forums for your project(s) you have in
mind.
I normally visit:
http://www.scrollsawer.com/forum/index.php?
which is mostly just scroll sawyers

Also, for your scroll saw blades for the segmentation / full depth marguetry
I emphatically urge you to try Flying Dutchman or Pegas scroll saw blades.
(both are ONLY available by Web purchase, no retail stores.)
Flying Dutchman Brand: http://www.mikesworkshop.com/
Pegas Blades: http://www.bearwood.com/
There are other outlets on the web for Pegas brand, Google.
Aside: Flying Dutchman is a brand name used in the North America. In the EU
the blades are sold by another brand name.

Since your technique may involve stack cutting two different woods, Keep in
mind the Bandsaw mantra of not too many teeth, and allow for chip clearance
out of the kerf. In other words, the Flying Dutchman XL series of blades,
or the Pegas Skip tooth design of blades, and keep the total thickness of
the wood to under 1-1/4 inch. (your Delta has a little under 1-1/2" stoke,
you want each tooth at some point in the up/down cycle to exit the wood,
above or below, for chip clearance.)

Sorry for the long post.

Phil

Phil-In-Mich. said:

Greg:

Well done! Taking back that messed up Delta scroll saw was just what was
needed. I suspect the store was trying to sell you some sort of re-packaged
warehouse 2nds. Saws that were sold once before, returned for defect, and
warehouse re-packaged instead of sending to factory for re-building. But to
find two more bad saws in stock---wow, as you stated, really says something
about selling practices and the consumer.

Actually, I believe they came from the factory this way. The boxes
were sealed, taped only once, and the contents were undisturbed.
The dealer actually has a pretty good reputation, and the manager is
painfully aware of the problems with certain products. The young
fellow who handled the return was inexperienced and unknown to me.

Your link to the differences between the two saws---just amazing how bad
that saw on the left is.

Well, the performance difference certainly made the effort worthwhile.

Anyway, about your scrolling to add a segmentation insert to a turned
project....
snip

Thanks for the links. The only blades I have at the moment are Olson
skip tooth blades, 11.5 TPI and 20 TPI, made in Germany.
I also have a few assorted fine tooth spiral blades from EU.
Are the blades you mention really that different and in what way?

Sorry for the long post.

Hey, Phil, I appreciate the information. I'm a relative newbie at
scroll sawing. At this point, proper tensioning seems to be my biggest
quandary. I'm tuning to a high E. ;-)



Greg G.

Greg:

{snip}
Thanks for the links. The only blades I have at the moment are Olson
skip tooth blades, 11.5 TPI and 20 TPI, made in Germany.
I also have a few assorted fine tooth spiral blades from EU.
Are the blades you mention really that different and in what way?


Tell you what, Go to Mike's workshop link, and get Mike's Email address.
Explain to him about the thick sawing you want to do (total wood thickness
over 1"), and about the turning segmentation bit. Mike may send you two
sample blades to try out. Mike also sells a sample pack of his blades real
cheap with a dozen blades for each of the 5 styles (60 total) for your own
try-out; an very good deal.

(BTW: in scroll sawing we only talk about size number of the blade, #5, #2,
or #00 (short hand version #00= # 2/0 for double 'aught.) We don't normally
get into TPI, since in skip tooth blades, the tooth 'count' for TPI normally
includes the missing teeth! (This is just tradition in scroll sawing, don't
be alarmed. Real long post as to why.) And then what about counting TPI when
you have a Double Tooth-skip, or a Double Tooth-Double Skip design?)

Anyway. save two brand new Olson blades, same size and style as the two
blades from Mike, most likely a #5, and do your own comparison, side-by-side
as it were. This is important: Do the Test On Your Own Saw with your own
wood with your specific scroll saw skill level. No mater what I may claim
as to why FD blades are better, you will find out in about 20 seconds
yourself. 30 seconds tops.

Trust me on this, Mike giving you a sample of his blades to try out is a
DAMM good business practice on his part. Once you get a 'taste' for his
product you will be coming back for another hit, real soon. You just might
end up like so many of us scroll sawyers, shuffling up on the Internet
corner mumbling: "Mike, Mike, Please I need another packet of blades, man.
You gotta help me out, I have needs, Man....wiping nose with back of shaky
hand." Oh Yeah!, his giving you a 'taste' for his blades is Good business!
They're that much better than Olson, Sears, Vermont American, and Delta
blades.

{sorry for the humor}

Phil

On Wed, 28 Nov 2007 07:54:25 -0500, Greg wrote:

Phil-In-Mich. said:
..
snip

Thanks for the links. The only blades I have at the moment are Olson
skip tooth blades, 11.5 TPI and 20 TPI, made in Germany.
I also have a few assorted fine tooth spiral blades from EU.
Are the blades you mention really that different and in what way?


I have been scrolling for about 10 years. I tried a number of
different blades. Flying Dutchman are the best I have tried. Mike
even gives free samples.

Ray

Phil-In-Mich. said:

Tell you what, Go to Mike's workshop link, and get Mike's Email address...

I noticed that offer on the site, but for the small cost of the
blades, plus free shipping, I wouldn't even go there.
I'll just order a few and see how it goes.

(BTW: in scroll sawing we only talk about size number of the blade, #5, #2,
or #00 (short hand version #00= # 2/0 for double 'aught.) We don't normally
get into TPI, since in skip tooth blades, the tooth 'count' for TPI normally
includes the missing teeth! (This is just tradition in scroll sawing, don't

Yes, I've noticed that, but I've also noticed that the blade
designations change from brand to brand. One mfgs #5 isn't always the
same as another's. Further confusing the issue...

Anyway. save two brand new Olson blades, same size and style as the two
blades from Mike, most likely a #5, and do your own comparison, side-by-side

These seem to dull pretty quickly, and also seem to flex excessively.
Could be my technique, but if I don't apply some feed pressure, they
just won't cut, but if I do, they flex and create a cut that is deeper
at the top than on the bottom.

You gotta help me out, I have needs, Man....wiping nose with back of shaky
hand." Oh Yeah!, his giving you a 'taste' for his blades is Good business!

Great, just what I need. Another unhealthy obsession/addiction. ;-)
Like all these tools and $22 bd.ft. wood isn't bad enough...

Thanks again,


Greg G.

Ray said:

I have been scrolling for about 10 years. I tried a number of
different blades. Flying Dutchman are the best I have tried. Mike
even gives free samples.

Thanks, Ray, for the input.
I'll give 'em a shot.

Does he also carry women? I could use some free samples. ;-)



Greg G.

{snip}
...but I've also noticed that the blade designations change from brand
to brand. One mfgs #5 isn't always the same as another's...

Oh, how true. But what you will discover, the slight differences between
brands don't matter a whole lot.

.....seem to dull pretty quickly, and also seem to flex excessively.
Could be my technique, but if I don't apply some feed pressure, they
just won't cut, but if I do, they flex and create a cut that is deeper
at the top than on the bottom.
{snip}

You just tripped about 3 different alarms on the
new-to-hobby-mistakes-that-everyone-makes alert box. Nothing serious. But
beyond the help on this newsgroup. This place really is about power tools
and mainstream woodworking.

Scroll saw hobby involves moving the wood past the blade with eye-hand
co-ordination. That means a skill, that means a learning curve, that means
practice. Easy learning curve, and don't take long. But a skill is a
skill, and practice means practice. Practice means making mistakes and
making firewood instead something to show off. No jigs or fixtures like
mainstream woodworking. Just time at the saw.

Next rainy (snowy?) overcast, gloomy, windy, winter's day (night?).....
Lots of reading and videos at Rick's place
http://www.scrollsaws.com/

Focused Internet forum on scroll sawing (basic, International members, very
polite forum board) sponsored by hobby magazine:
http://www.scrollsawer.com/forum/index.php?
Lots of help getting over newbie learning curve. There are other Internet
places for scroll sawing.
(I normally would recommend you also visit the Wood Magazine forum. But
their new software for the board just plain sucks. Worst forum software on
the Internet.)

Basic book for new scroll sawyers:
Scroll Saw Workbook
by John Nelson
Published by Fox Chapel

Several other books are also being sold just for the new to scroll saw. Way
too many to list all the good books. The late Patrick Spielman wrote many a
good book for the beginner.

Phil