Is a scroll saw useful vs a portaband?

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milkbaby

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I'm an apartment dweller who does all my work on my cozy balcony porch, storing my cheap drill press and belt sander inside and carrying them to the porch to work. I cut my blade blanks out by hacksaw and cut handle wood and liners by hacksaw, coping saw, miter saw, and even xacto razor. I have a clamp on vise to hold stuff on my kitchen table, LOL.

Rough shaping scales or just cutting simple rectangular G10 spacers is a pain, I resorted to multiple passes with an xacto razor on the latest G10 spacer. I used aviation snips to cut copper and brass spacers which I then had to straighten.

I'm thinking of getting a little scroll saw for rough shaping handles and cutting spacers. Anybody have advice about something sub-$100 that's worthwhile? Or will some kind of portable band saw mounted vertically be a better choice? The scroll saws I looked at have a much deeper throat which is why I'm leaning that way. I make wooden sayas and want to make spoons and other similar wooden stuff too. I'm planning to stick to the hacksaw for blank cutting for now. I'm not sure how much more noise I can get away with before my neighbors go apes*, LOL.
 
I personally believe that the porta bandsaw is a way better option. I have both, and can tell you that the scroll saw does not event get used anymore. The bandsaw has substantially more power, and it is more versatile as well. You may find one on craiglist for the price you want, I know harbor freight carries them too but I am not sure on the price.
Good luck
 
I have a scroll saw, bench mounted wood bandsaw and a portaband mounted to a bench. The portaband sees almost all my cutting, G-10, micarta, trimming excess kydex from formed sheaths, wood and most of all METAL. G-10 will dull a scroll saw blade in a heart beat. As a knifemaker, I would give up both the scroll and wood bandsaw before i ever gave up my portaband. most used machine in my shop, next to the grinder.
 
Portaband is the way to go. They are noisey though if that is an issue


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Thanks for your question MilkBaby, it's something I've always wondered about. You probably just saved me a wasted power tool in my yet to be constructed shop. Good luck!
 
milkbaby said:
I'm thinking of getting a little scroll saw for rough shaping handles and cutting spacers. Anybody have advice about something sub-$100 that's worthwhile? Or will some kind of portable band saw mounted vertically be a better choice? The scroll saws I looked at have a much deeper throat which is why I'm leaning that way. I make wooden sayas and want to make spoons and other similar wooden stuff too. I'm planning to stick to the hacksaw for blank cutting for now. I'm not sure how much more noise I can get away with before my neighbors go apes*, LOL.
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I wonder if an electric jigsaw would work? I've never used a scroll saw so I'm not familiar with its capabilities.

- Paul Meske
 
Portaband with a swag table with foot pedal!!!!
 
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Jll346, I am hopeful that you are correct. I have seen the review from Wranglerstar on Youtube about the Swag table for portabands. It is ordered, hopefully right after Christmas. HF #62800 is $139 here in SC without any coupons. As a matter of fact, its the Swag table that finally convinced me to start making knives of my own design.

To the OP, definitely look into the portaband table from Swag. Especially in your circumstance. Might even review it myself when it arrives. I haven't seen one from anyone else other than homebrew, but could be wrong.
 
I could not live without my portaband swag combo!! The hacksaw, grinder days were horrible.
 
Catalpa Woods said:
Jll346, I am hopeful that you are correct. I have seen the review from Wranglerstar on Youtube about the Swag table for portabands. It is ordered, hopefully right after Christmas. HF #62800 is $139 here in SC without any coupons. As a matter of fact, its the Swag table that finally convinced me to start making knives of my own design.

To the OP, definitely look into the portaband table from Swag. Especially in your circumstance. Might even review it myself when it arrives. I haven't seen one from anyone else other than homebrew, but could be wrong.
Click to expand...
I didn't know they made a swag table for HF portabands. I have mine attached to the bench with steel brackets.
 
Not even a close contest. Dewalt or Milwaukee Portaband saw in a SWAG table is the way to go. Buy the "Deep Cut" models. Larry PS Buy the foot switch from SWAG...It's relatively cheap and is so handy. LL
 
Deep Cut Portaband with SWAG Table and Variable speed foot pedal will improve your cutting experiences on most materials.
 
You'll likely find a scroll saw would be fairly limited and more trouble than it's worth. Cutting wood is one thing, but g10, brass, and other similar materials can be a pain. You need pretty robust blades, and even then you'll probably break quite a few unless you're doing fairly thin materials.

I've got a scroll saw, wood bandsaw, and a couple of metal cutting bandsaws (including a bench mounted portaband), and the metal saws do all the work I need them to.
 
The only thing I use my scroll saw for anymore is cutting thin wood templates. Portaband and swag table with foot switch does everything else. It is night and day when it comes to trimming scales.
 
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