Caring For Your Scroll Saw

Here are some basics for taking care of your scroll saw. Your new saw is an investment and should be treated as such. Before you do anything take some time to read and understand the user's manual, doing so will save you time, money and possibly a painful personal injury.

Care of the Table Top:

• Your scroll saw table is not a workbench or storage unit, don't pile junk on it or perform repair work on it.
• Do not set or spill liquids on it.
• Don't drop tools and other hard objects that can ding and gouge up the tabletop.
• If you use nails or screws to stack cut make sure that they don't protrude through the bottom of your workpiece and scratch up the tabletop.

One of the first things that you should consider, especially if you have a cast iron or aluminum scroll saw table is to clean and apply a protectant, such as a product like Top-Coat or a good quality past wax to inhibit rust and corrosion. My saws table is made of cast iron, I prefer Johnson paste wax. First I clean the top with a light solvent like mineral spirits, thoroughly dry the top and apply a light coat of wax, let it dry and then buff off the excess, this will protect your table from rust and make wood easier to move. Don't apply to much or the wax will come off on your projects, less is more here. Another option here is a product like topcoat, some people don't like products that contain silicone as they can cause problems finishing later on, so keep that in mind when choosing products like these.

As hard as we might try, most people end up with some rust, especially if your shop is in an unheated garage or in the basement. If the rust is very light I like to use green scotch-brite pads either buy hand or clamped into my 1/4 sheet sander to remove the corrosion. For heavier rust or to remove some scratches use 400 wet/dry paper or an equivalent grade of emery cloth in a flat sanding block or glued to a block of wood, along with a light lubricant like WD-40 to remove the imperfections from your top. Sand in the direction of the machining marks that are already in the table or if you want to remove those too, use a circular motion till you remove the imperfections, be careful not to make low spots, move evenly all over the top. then clean thoroughly with a solvent, dry, and apply a coat of your favorite protectant.

If your saw has a table top made of aluminum, another good option to clean, lubricate and protect it is a product called Never - Dull "Magic Wading Polish", this is some great stuff, works on all non-ferrous metals, brass, gold, silver, etc. You can find it at car care stores or at a local boat shop. Wear gloves when using this product, because you won't believe how black it will make your hands. After cleaning with the Never Dull I would still apply a light coat of wax, this will prevent the black oxide streaks on your project. I have an aluminum router table that I clean like this, for just that reason.

Clean is Good !

Every time you use the saw you should vacuum the entire saw top too bottom, sawdust attracts moisture which creates corrosion.

Next up is the places that you can't vacuum. Depending on how much scrolling that you do and the frequency this might be best done every day, week, month, quarterly, etc. Make a schedule and stick to it. This will require you to remove the saw if bolted down to a stand, remove access covers and brush and blow accumulated dust with compressed air in areas that are normally inaccessible. This will make your saw last longer, perform better and be worth more when and if you want to trade up.

Lubricate

Follow the manufacturers instructions specifically for your saw on what kinds of lubricant, and where to use them, carefully wipe off the excess as it will only attract sawdust and dirt. If you find something that you think needs to be lubed but is not in the book, try paraffin wax or a dry lubricant like Liquid Wrench dry lube, etc.

Shake -n - Rattle

Take a few moments and go over the entire saw and look for loose screws nuts and bolts. If your scroll saw isn't bolted down to the stand or table, take the time to properly fasten it, you will be amazed at how this reduces vibration. If you can't bolt the machine down, try using C or F clamps to hold it to your work surface.

Cords

Do a visual inspection of your cords for fraying, missing insulation etc. If you don't have the saw plugged into a GFI outlet, but you have one somewhere else in the house/shop, plug it in to test the saw.

A little prevention should go a long way to keep you scrolling smoothly!