Thinking about buying a scroll saw...

[krusty]

I'm going to start making some detailing parts for my MSS loco out of brass sheet.
Can anybody recommend a scroll saw or possibly a more suitable electric sawing machine for cutting thin metal and wood. Having looked on the Machine Mart site and found some Clarke saws that fit in with my budget, (although the blades as supplied would appear to be for cutting wood only) I am still unsure if a scroll saw is the right tool for the job.
Krusty

[GTB]

I am still unsure if a scroll saw is the right tool for the job.
Krusty

Scroll saws are really designed for cutting out complicated fretwork in plywood. They usually use pin end blades (like a coping saw blade) and need an adaptor to use piercing saw blades for cutting metal. I've got one that gets rarely used. OK for cutting coach bodies out of ply and MDF, but not really designed for metals.

I find it easier to cut thin brass sheet for loco work with a deep frame piercing saw and a homemade bench peg clamped in the bench vice. Lay in a good supply of blades, as you will go through a few. They wear and go blunt fairly fast, then jam and break.......

The piercing saws sold in hobby shops have a frame that is only 70mm deep, which is OK in HO, but a bit small for this scale, even for Mamods. The one I use for large scale models came from a jewellers supplier and has a frame 200mm deep, which can handle anything I've needed to cut so far in this scale. Jewellers suppliers also sell better quality blades than hobby shops.

This is the type of extra deep frame piercing saw I have.
http://www.koodak.com.au/prod_images/2248.jpg

I found the handle on mine a bit small for comfort and replaced it with a larger one, like the one on my old Eclipse piercing saw frame.

This is what the normal type of jewellers bench peg for use with a piercing saw looks like.
http://www.koodak.com.au/prod_images/2434.jpg

I've had one of these for years for use in HO, but it's a bit small and flimsy for large scale model work and doesn't fit the bench, so I cut a pine offcut 100 x 19 x 150 to the same general shape and screwed a 45mm x 19mm cleat underneath so it could be clamped in the vice.

For cutting narrow strips, squaring up sheet, etc., I use a miniature combination shear, folder and bending rolls, which does most of the metal forming jobs I need and looks like this. These aren't particularly cheap, so I wouldn't bother for just a few parts.
https://www.machineryhouse.com.au/S648

No idea of UK suppliers for these sort of tools, but there will be jewellers suppliers around and the little shear is made in China, so someone will be importing them.

Regards,
Graeme

[krusty]

Many thanks for that very deteailed response Graeme.
I have just bought a small piercing saw from a hobby shop to get me started. I will have to make a bench peg this afternoon, havn't used one of those since leaving school!
Once a few parts have been cut I'll report back.
That metal former/folder looks a lovely bit of kit. A little excesive at present though.
John

[LnBmad]

Sheet metal work I do by chain drilling and filing. A pillar drill might be a good investment....

[GTB]

Sheet metal work I do by chain drilling and filing.

Much easier and safer to use a piercing saw up to about 1mm thick sheet. Probably quicker as well for the 0.5mm brass I use for loco. bodywork.

You still need to drill a hole as a starting point for closed cuts and a bench drill is the best way of doing that.

There is no way I will hand hold a piece of thin sheet to drill it and clamping down the workpiece to a backing piece of wood for large numbers of holes would get tedious quickly.

Try a piercing saw, you might be surprised. It isn't something you could use in the ride-on sizes, but it works well for SM32/45 platework as well as the small parts........

Graeme

[krusty]

After making my bench peg last night I tried out my new saw. Fair enough it only cost a tenner, but it already makes me feel a little more confident cutting small brass pieces.
I now need to make up a few simple jigs and clamps for folding small parts up.
Thanks for the advice guys.
John

[Boustrophedon]

Most motorised scroll saws are sold to take both pin ended and plain piercing blades.

To make things easier to hold and save my fingers I glue small pieces of brass that need cutting onto plywood with Evostick after I have finished the glue can be dissolved with any oily solvent.

As with anything you get what you pay for, Hegner are lovely but retail at about£800.

Some of the cheaper Chinese made ones are pretty useless, with sloppy bearings so that there is no guidance for the blade, this make precision work nearly impossible.

[oscillator]

I have for a long time succesfully used a Hobbies foot operated Treadle fret saw as recommended by Henry Holdsworth in his article on his 16mm scale Lynbridge layout in June 1983 Railway Modeller. Although designed for wood , with metal piercing saw blades loco frames bolted together can be cut out and tidied up with a file.

http://youtu.be/AMVw3wMUhzw