Orange County Scroll Saw Association

Become a member to have access to all our Tips & Tricks, Newsletters and more

Being a member of OCSSA provides you the ability to learn and improve your scroll sawing skills at our monthly meetings.Also, you'll have on-line access to a variety of tips and tricks, member shared patterns, newsletters and more.

There is a $40 annual membership fee. Use the Contact Us button to send us an email or stop by our next meeting for more membership information.

Sample Tips & Tricks

How to get started in scroll sawing

Chuck Collins suggests the nine things new scrollers should do to increase their knowledge and enjoyment of cutting on a scroll saw are:

  1. Take a lesson and learn the basics of scrolling and learn how to do it right instead of learning bad habits.
  2. Join a scroll saw club where you will interact with other scrollers and increase your knowledge of scrolling while having a great time.
  3. Be sure to install the blade with the teeth facing down and to the front of the saw.
  4. Use any of the available angle finders to ensure that the blade is 90 degrees to the table so all of your cuts will be perpendicular and can be removed easily from the top or the bottom.
  5. Set the blade tension properly. Pluck the blade until you hear a high "C" sound. If you pluck the blade and get a thud sound, there is not enough tension.
  6. Use the correct size blade for the wood you are cutting. Use a larger size blade for cutting thick or dense wood and a smaller blade to cut thinner wood with intricate cuts.
  7. Set the saw speed to a setting where you can control the cut. Use a high speed to cut a thick piece of wood in half and a slow speed for doing marquetry. Experiment and find a speed where you can control the cut.
  8. Let the blade do the cutting. Don't force the wood into the blade.
  9. If you are not able to cut on the line, stop, take a deep breath, and ask yourself what you need to do differently by reviewing the steps above. When you are experiencing problems cutting on the line, the answer is usually one of the above blade-related items, NOT you.