scroll saw for cutting thick card

[Maltedfalcon]

Always looking for an easy way to cut thick card for templates. Has anyone used a scroll saw?
I had a dremel scroll saw, I never thought to use it for paper modeling until the other day. and I realized if I slowed it down with a variable speed control. and put in the finest blade. It would make cutting templates like cutting butter. (definitely need to slow it down as it would burn the cardboard) So then where is my scroll saw? Looked high and low cant find it... found out my brother had "borrowed" it, getting it back today - will post results soon.

anybody else do anything similar?

[Leif Ohlsson]

Hello my friend.

Yes, I've used a scroll saw for cutting out parts laminated with 2mm hard cardstock.



Building in 1/16 this is the usual thickness for laminating aircraft formers, if you wish to keep to the dimensions kits enlarged from 1/33 are designed for. Cutting out a large numbers of such parts by hand quickly turned into a nightmare, making my thumbs, fingers, and hands go very sore. So I went looking for something I had dreamed about anyway - a Proxxon scroll saw.

It worked fine, although it produced quite a lot of noice, and I had to withdraw behind closed doors. Not quite the meditative pastime cardmodeling should be. Which is why I eventually turned to 2mm foam for the laminating material itself, thus eliminating the need for the scroll saw.

The foam can be exclusive Depron (which is what the ultralight model plane builders use, getting it from electric floor heating installers), or just any kind of foam of roughly the correct thickness. I get mine from the same place where I buy paper. They get it in large sheets as protection for the large paper sheets they sell. It gets thrown away on a daily basis, so I just ask for it. If they haven't yet thrown it away they are glad to let me have it.

I believe this is the ultimate for thick laminates. With 200 g (thick ordinary printing paper) on each side the parts are quite stiff, yet very, very easy to cut out. And you can use white glue to laminate the paper to the foam. Laminating on both sides, and weighting it down while drying, of course.

At the time the scroll saw was a great improvement, and although I hardly use it anymore, at least now I've got it. One little ambition in life fulfilled...

Leif

[Sgt Glick]

While browsing, the term scroll Saw for cutting cardstock caught my eye.
I would like to call attention to the Scroll Saw I built to help in my ship modeling.
Looks like i could use it for cardstock cutting.
Anyone interested , please go to;
www.modelshipbuilder.com
Click on Resources , and under <In The Workshop> ,
there is an article ( Custom Scroll Saw)
written by Winston Scofield, the owner of the site.
Sgt Glick

[Sgt Glick]

Oops!
Correction.
Article was written by Winston Scoville
Sgt Glick

[bigbenn]

Hi,
I bought a scroll saw years ago.
I found that the cutting process was slower than I can do with a sharp knife, with a ruler or when cutting curves or angles.
Also I found that I did not have the accuracy I had freehand and it was easy for the saw blade to wander off line.
In the end, I sold it for what I bought it for and have relied on elbow power ever since.
BigBenn