Doing housework can often be tedious and unfulfilling, because who enjoys cleaning or mowing the lawn? But when that housework actually entails doing something interesting in your garage like fixing a table or even building one, it is a whole other story. Building and repairing stuff can be very entertaining, not to mention beneficial since you will have fixed or made something for you and your family to use. The key to doing such tasks, though, is having the right tools in your garage.
While hammers, pliers, and tape measures are important, it is a scroll saw that really matters in many of the jobs you will be doing. Here is how you can find the best one online.
Shop around
You will find dozens of different scroll saw types online by several manufacturers, and you need to take it slowly before getting one. Shop around and read what other users have to say about different brands and types. You shouldn’t rush in and buy the first product you like because chances are, you can find it for a better price if you looked elsewhere online, or you can even find a better scroll saw. This is why you need to take your time with this and consider all your options.
What materials will you be working on?
This is one of the most important questions that you need to ask yourself before shopping around for a scroll saw. There are plenty of materials that you can work with, from wood and plastic to metals. If you want to cut through metal, you will need scroll saw blades for metal and those will be different from the ones you’d need for wood. If you use the wrong blade with metal, it could be destroyed and you would have to pay a lot of money to replace it. This is why you need to stop and think about what exactly you want to work on. You should get dedicated blades for metal as well as for wood, which means you can switch easily.
Budgeting
If you are shopping for the best scroll saw online, it is best to do it with a certain budget in mind. Some scroll saws go for hundreds of dollars, and if that is more than you can afford, then you need other options. So, to make the search easier, set a budget that you cannot exceed. Then, start only looking at options within that budget range and compare features between the different ones.
The type of blade
The type of blade you need doesn’t just have to do with the materials you’ll be working on. You can get a type of saw that accommodates pin-end or flat blades –– most scroll saws can only take one of these. Pin-end blades, on the one hand, are very easy to change and replace, but you don’t get as many options in terms of blade variety. They are also liable to break off easily while making intricate cuts. Flat blades, one the other hand, come in many options and are excellent for tight corners, but they are not so easy to replace. So, think about what projects you want to be working on, and get a scroll saw with blades that can help you with that. There are ones that can use pin-end or flat blades, but these can be pretty expensive.
Operating speed
Whenever you’re shopping for scroll saw online, you will find that they always mention operating speed. It is referred to by strokes per minute (SPM). The average scroll saw has an SPM of 400 to 800, but higher models can go up to 1,800 SPM. Why does the speed matter anyway? It makes a difference in the kind of materials you’re working on, as some require higher SPM to cut through. There are scroll saws with adjustable speeds, but you’ll need to do some research to find an affordable one.
Other features
There are a few other things that you should consider when you are trying to find the best scroll saw online. How loud is it and how hard does it vibrate? You don’t need a loud, tough to control a scroll saw, especially when there are quiet models in the market with low vibrations. Does it come with a warranty? If so, how long is it? These are all points that you need to consider.
As we mentioned earlier, you shouldn’t settle for the first scroll saw that you find in the market. You will find plenty online, so keep looking until you find an affordable one with excellent features. Remember to consider your needs and what you will be using it for. The last thing you need is a scroll saw that won’t help you do the projects you want to work on.