Thread: Getting more serious - Power Tools

I have been making scales and restoring blades on a regular basis now and I have only been using a dremel and hand sanding. I am thinking about stepping up my game and was asking for suggestions on belt sanders and band/scroll saws. I think I am going to get a Delta SA180 for the sander, but is there anything in that price range that I can use on blades too?

Anyone recomment a band saw in that price range as well. Or should I go with a scroll saw?

Thanks!!

For scales, I would prefer the scroll saw.

If i got say a block of 1.5" X 1.5" X 6" wood could I cut out 1/8" strips with it?

Originally Posted by Aquanin

If i got say a block of 1.5" X 1.5" X 6" wood could I cut out 1/8" strips with it?

I would use my table saw for that. The scroll saw I use has a very narrow blade with an adjustable speed motor it allows for some very manueverable cutting. If you use aband saw, to both rip and cut scales are you going to have to change blade sizes/tooth sizes?Will the saw allow for that?

If you want to know a really sweet setup for turning any sized lumber into scales, I'd go with two tools.

1. A bandsaw. Any bandsaw. Grizzly makes some reasonably priced bandsaws that do excellent work.

2. A delta 10-20 drum sander.

If you're on a budget, there is a micro-mark thickness sander that works slow and will only do 3" wide pieces but it'll do the job for you and it's only $200.00.

Nothing like quality equipment, though. A scroll saw, in my opinion, is only ideal for very slow, tight work on small pieces and inside cuts and if you don't have the right thickness of wood, you're screwed.

For wood scales, there are all sorts of ways to work the wood down with belt sanders being one, but not necessarily the best. There are things you can do with a belt sander that you can't do with other tools, but if it's sanding to proper thickness, nothing but nothing will outperform a drum sander, which is made to do exactly that.

Originally Posted by Aquanin

If i got say a block of 1.5" X 1.5" X 6" wood could I cut out 1/8" strips with it?

Not with a scroll saw. Not straight and not without a LOT of patience. That's where bandsaws really shine, although bandsaws will also cut the profiles you'd want for scales, as well. I had a scrollsaw and only used it a few times. The bandsaw did everything I was doing better and faster (much faster).

If pressed, A chop saw could cut slabs for you, but on 1.5x1.5 pieces, you won't have much room to slice pieces. With larger lumber, you can lop off a 1/8" slice pretty easily but as the piece gets too small to easily square and secure, it gets tougher and tougher until it's damned dangerous.... which is why a chop saw isn't a great solution, either. Table saws.... better than nothing, but they're not the right solution for cutting very thin pieces of wood, either.

Thanks, I am trying to get away with minimal equipment at first, but you know how that goes. Thanks for the suggestions.

When you are into stationary power tools you are well past "minimal equipment".

I would look not only at scale making but also at other projects you might do.

I like the drum sander idea they appear to have more general utility than the belt sander would.

If you are going to be doing things that require resawing lumber, like furniture making or turning then a band saw is a very very good thing to have.

If like me you do fretwork or cut jigsaw puzzles a well.... jigsaw or scrollsaw is a must. I can also cut scales, in bulk, on it if I want to. but for me that not even its main use.

You would need to fit a fence, but YES a scrollsaw is perfectly capable of cutting 1.5 inch thick wood and pretty quickly too. Just buy a good one. The cheap ones are all but useless, expect to pay upwards of $400 for a good one.

I've got a video of a pro cutting 1" deer out of 1" stock in less than 20 seconds but I can't link to it (the page is in frames).

Originally Posted by PapaBull

For wood scales, there are all sorts of ways to work the wood down with belt sanders being one, but not necessarily the best.

Personally I prefer a simple bastard file. It removes wood very fast, it is dirt cheap (got 3 for 2.5 euros in the bargain bin), doesn't make much noise (can do it when the kids are asleep) and doesn't cause wood dust to fly around.

Apart from the fact that I prefer working with manual tools, the above are the objective reasons why I haven't invested in a belt sander yet.

I also would like to point out that 1/8" flat wood planks are not always as useful as it seems. A lot of razors (especially the bigger ones) have tapered tangs. If you want to make scales that fit snuggly around the razor, you have to shape the scales around the razor. simple flat wood will not work, or you need to use a thick butt spacer to allow the razor to close without having the tang bump into the scales.

I've shaped scales like that on a belt sander, but it is a very dusty work, and ironically, nothing beats a bastard file for speed when it comes to wood removal. give it a try. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

just my 2 ct.

My vote would be for a band saw and drill press. You can get out wood with a band saw and you can also split a pencil line in half with a band saw. A drill press is a versatile tool, you can improvise a thickness sander for razor size pieces of wood from a drum and a fence on the drill press.

I would do the contour shaping with a double cut half round wood file and sandpaper.

Shaping 1/8 wood with power tools is kind of like shaving with an electric razor in my book. There is nothing wrong with it, but it is just not for me. I enjoy the hand tool process. But by the same token I would rather use a band saw or power tool to get small chunks out of big chunks then do the refining by hand.

Charlie