Jig Saw vs. Scroll Saw

[jsburger]

There are metal cutting blades available.

Like small scroll saw type blades? Can you send me a link to some? Just curious what they look like.

https://www.amazon.com/Scroll-Saw-Blade ... A387631011

[Spooner]

Those are so cool.. But seriously Ed... The box looks more worn than the files. You sure you've used them?

[reible]

Those are so cool.. But seriously Ed... The box looks more worn than the files. You sure you've used them?

Just on wood but files are really hard so even if I had been using them on metal they most likely wouldn't show wear. I have hand files from several generations back and no sighs of wear on any of them.

Thinking back I looked for these on the open market and found a place that sold them but you had to buy quantities which wasn't worth it.

Ed

PS:
I use to work in a machine shop, 9 hour shifts and the last hour was clean up. The overtime was because it was the evening shift and no shift differential. Good way for a young guy to not have a night life and save some money.

Anyway for a long time I worked as hard keeping the tools and shop as clean as I could but now it just to stacked full to do much and I need to spend a few weeks putting everything back together and cleaned up better. I can work about a half hour out there without heat and then my hands start to ache too much to do more. So many unfinished jobs and projects to even count.

[Spooner]

There are metal cutting blades available.

Like small scroll saw type blades? Can you send me a link to some? Just curious what they look like.

https://www.amazon.com/Scroll-Saw-Blade ... A387631011

Awesome JSBurger thanks a bunch. I was so close to getting a set of files last night on ebay but the guy ended up putting them up for auction on ebay without telling me and someone else grabbed them. I am so bummed right now.

[BuckeyeDennis]

You can still buy the files new, just not Shopsmith-branded. The generic name for them is "parallel machine file". The little 3-1/2" files with 1/8" shafts are hard to find; most of them are 6" - 8" long

It appears that ArtCo Tools still has some 3-1/2" files in stock. You have to play around with the shape and coarseness selectors to see what they still have. Price is about $12 per file.

[Spooner]

You can still buy the files new, just not Shopsmith-branded. The generic name for them is "parallel machine file". The little 3-1/2" files with 1/8" shafts are hard to find; most of them are 6" - 8" long

It appears that ArtCo Tools still has some 3-1/2" files in stock. You have to play around with the shape and coarseness selectors to see what they still have. Price is about $12 per file.

And these Files from ArtCo would fit the Jigsaw? Basically anything with an 8th inch shaft will work?

[Spooner]

Would Jewelers Blades be the type of blades what would be used for cutting metal too? I found a guy on eBay selling a bunch of SS JigSaw blades and 5 of the 6 files along with some SS router bits and mortising bits. The problem is he wants $200 bucks for all of it which I think is really high. The $15.05 for shipping seems a little high too.

Heres his post.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-SHOPSM ... SwBzteMEyh

[chapmanruss]

Ed's file set shown in his pictures are the original set of 6 - triangular, round, square, half-round, pillar & crochet shapes made for the Model 10 Jig Saw P/N 12095. Later and into at least the 1980's they were sold individually and in only 5 shapes, pillar, knife, half-round, equaling & round. I do not know when they were dropped from the catalog.

The Jig Saw can use even the finest blades that the Scroll Saw can but be warned, because it uses a spring return it is easy to damage or bend fine blades. This is where the Scroll Saw is better by having the blade held evenly between the two moving arms with constant tension. Scroll Saws can use blades that can cut in both directions. The Jig Saw cannot use bi-directional blades and should cut on the down stroke only. That way the blade is being pulled through the cut and not pushed into it. See the Owner's Manual for more.

As for more of what the Jig Saw can do. It can cut wood, metals, plastic and more. The Jig Saw can be used without it's upper arm for Saber Sawing and make cuts with single ended blades in larger materials that would not be able to be done with the arm in place. That and more is shown in 2nd through current editions of Power Tool Woodworking for Everyone. The 1st edition has the Model 10 Jig Saw although the capabilities and function of both Jig Saws are pretty much the same.

For cutting metal I use Jig/Sabre Saw metal blades.

[reible]

It may not have been clear from the pictures I posted, the files are 1/4" shank. I have a set of mini pattern files with smaller shanks, 1/16"? and I seem to recall trying them and found them to be way to flexible in the jig saw.

I also have some regular pattern files which I would guess have 1/8" shanks but the shank portion is way to long so I cut one off to try and while it was way better then the mini's it still was pretty flexible. The good news is that it can get in to way smaller locations.

Here is an old post (2009) I did on a couple of other options using the jig saw:

https://www.shopsmith.com/ss_forum/view ... cks#p53125

Ed

[jsburger]

You can still buy the files new, just not Shopsmith-branded. The generic name for them is "parallel machine file". The little 3-1/2" files with 1/8" shafts are hard to find; most of them are 6" - 8" long

It appears that ArtCo Tools still has some 3-1/2" files in stock. You have to play around with the shape and coarseness selectors to see what they still have. Price is about $12 per file.

And these Files from ArtCo would fit the Jigsaw? Basically anything with an 8th inch shaft will work?

The SS originals are 1/4" X 3 1/2". Here is a source for both 1/4" and 1/8" by 3 1/4" long. They should work fine.

https://www.falcontool.com/PublicStore/ ... 7,183.aspx