Band Saw or Scroll Saw?

I have a large floor model 100 yr Olde Delta bandsaw I use for rough cutting. My scroll saw is Delta too, it's for the finer more intricate work.
Probably rely on both just as much.
BUT, come on guys... can ya have enough tools ? My motto " if you need it once, buy it ! You might need it again.... maybe
well, there is a limit to floor space and wallet concerns too. :D
 
I have a large floor model 100 yr Olde Delta bandsaw I use for rough cutting. My scroll saw is Delta too, it's for the finer more intricate work.
Probably rely on both just as much.
BUT, come on guys... can ya have enough tools ? My motto " if you need it once, buy it ! You might need it again.... maybe
I agree within reason. I think I am running out of room for my stuff and now I have to find a way to store the machines that I have. My drawer labelled "miscellaneous tools" is no longer useful. I would like to store more in the garage, but it gets really cold in there in the winter months with the Canadian winters and all that.
 
In lieu of a scroll saw I use a variety of jeweler's saws and a bench mounted cutting block. Very, VERY retro but I like doing hand work.
As for bandsaws, I have a Porter Cable bench top model from Lowes. A good all-around band saw for modelers, a bit under powered, but it cuts straight, resaws, doesn't wander, a good inexpensive saw for a modeler. Home Depot has a Ryobi bench band saw, inexpensive, higher power, built in light, ball bearing blade guides and won't cut a straight line to save its' life. The manufacturer built in mis-aligned upper and lower blade guides. Usless, unless you have a dingy that needs an anchor.
Both types of saws have their own peculiar benefits and drawbacks. Generally, the scroll saw does just that best, lighter scroll work on lighter stock with tighter curves and can be set up to cut out sections in the interior of a flat, decorative piece. The bandsaw is best for heavier duty work, re-sawing, wider curves, thicker stock.
Both require practice, getting used to and are exceptionally useful to model makers. Do the comparative research to get the most effective, durable and reliable
tools. You get what you pay for, but not always.Cautious More expensive is not always better. Consumer Reports style investigation required!

Pete
 
It depends

It depends, which kind of cuts you want to do


A scroll saw is the besz if you have to cut out f.e. an element of a frame (POF) - the blade of a scroll saw is not very big / long (only one or two mm in cross section), so you are able to make very small curves - but off course this is an disadvantage to make straight cuts
I have a Hegnar scroll saw and absolutely happy with it for these works, for which they are designed

on minute 13 you can see what I mean - with a bandsaw more or less not possible

A band saw blade with a band width ( length of up to 5 or 8mm is off course much more able to make straight cuts (but not really small curves)


a little bit a mix is the Pegas band saw with very thin blade - here curves are possible - therefore she is named sometimes "scroll-band-saw" - but I think thick boards will be problematik


A wonderful demonstration. Well done!
 
Кто собирает модели "из коробки", будет достаточно вот такой пилы с АлиЭкспресс, требует не большой, и не затратной переделки. Также в наличии подобные мини пылы с разными дополнениями.
Смотри, что есть на AliExpress! Настольная мини-пила для деревообработки за 5 632,24 ₽ - уже со скидкой -30%
 
Old Sears Floor model bandsaws on stands from the 60s-70s-80s are really nice . I had one that I'd still be using from about 1983. But I had to let it go when I sold my business. They had plastic housings, but don't be put off by that. They were very good saws. Like a good violin, a good bandsaw requires a lot of upkeep, cleaning (every time you use it) and tuning (blade tension and travel). Old Deltas with the metal housings are good too (if you can find one) and can be upgraded with roller bearing blade guides. A good rip fence is also a necessity.
A lot of these got produced and are probably still around being disposed of by old guys, like me, cleaning out their shops before moving to the retirement community. :rolleyes:

Pete;)
 
Old Sears Floor model bandsaws on stands from the 60s-70s-80s are really nice . I had one that I'd still be using from about 1983. But I had to let it go when I sold my business. They had plastic housings, but don't be put off by that. They were very good saws. Like a good violin, a good bandsaw requires a lot of upkeep, cleaning (every time you use it) and tuning (blade tension and travel). Old Deltas with the metal housings are good too (if you can find one) and can be upgraded with roller bearing blade guides. A good rip fence is also a necessity.
A lot of these got produced and are probably still around being disposed of by old guys, like me, cleaning out their shops before moving to the retirement community. :rolleyes:

Pete;)
This one is 30 years old. Lots of work/upgrades but it shines!IMG_1371.JPG
 
Very impressive workshops. I have things in my garage and in a spare bedroom. I use the garage for cutting and sanding and the spare bedroom for the rest. I have a scroll saw and am just beginning to learn how to use it. I find it hard to make long straight cuts. The piece always seems to drift. I am thinking that a band saw may be better for these long straight cuts. I will shortly be embarking on a new project, the MS Constitution. From what I can tell there is a lot of scratch building in that project so I may need the band saw sooner rather than later. I may in fact sell the scroll saw because I am questioning whether I will be needing it at all. I wonder if a bandsaw with a sufficiently narrow blade would allow me to make curves? I don't think I need to make any fretwork so a scroll saw may not be needed. Anyways I can use a coping saw for this sort of thing. Ok, so I see some have included a pics of their workshop. Here is mine. I use different configurations depending on what I am working on. Old Max is inspecting the area to make sure that I put things away when I am done.
In the second picture are my upcoming projects; The Constitution and the building slip. And in the middle you will find my nemesis, the model of the Bismarck.

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Scroll saws are not designed to make long straight cuts. Scroll saws can cut tighter curves than a bandsaw because you can get much smaller blades for scroll saws. Scroll saws can make inside cuts by inserting the blade through a pre-drilled hole. Bandsaws can't do that. You can probably do anything with a coping saw and a jig that you can do on a scroll saw.
 
The Amati Bismark is impressive. That is a huge and difficult project. Hats off! Okay
There is a distinct difference between a coping saw, which is larger, uses heavier blades and is more difficult to control for fine work, for which there is the jeweler's saw, which generally has a lighter frame, uses finer blades and is easier to control for fine work. I have never found much use for a coping saw, save interior cuts, as mentioned above in Van's post for thicker interior cuts.
A scroll saw is not useful for straight cutting and tends to wander. A band saw is superior for thicker stock, wider curves, and repeated straight cuts (with a rip fence, which you may have to jury rig, not difficult to do). A good quality scroll saw is very nice and useful, but I have long since abandoned the idea in favor of the jeweler's saws with frames with different depths of throat for my purposes.
My Porter Cable bandsaw from Lowe's serves well (if a little underpowered) with 1/4" and 1/8' interchangeable blades. The1/8" blade for tighter curves. They are not difficult to change over. It did not come with a rip fence. I made my own with two pieces of wood in a "T" configuration, held in place to the saw table surface with a clamp, works a treat!
All three options take practice and getting used to. Hope this is useful to you.;)

Pete
 
Pictured are: the Porter Cable band saw with homemade rip fence; A Ryobi boat anchor from Home Depot (the upper and lower blade guides are irreparably factory mis-aligned); a miniature table saw from Micromark, which I use often with the fine slotting blade for very fine materials, such as veneers and thin modeler's plywood.20231016_120716.jpg20231016_120728.jpg20231016_120745.jpg20231016_120803.jpg
 
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