1. Scroll Saw Operation and Safety

2. Safety Glasses Always wear safety glasses!
In all woodworking, you run the risk of dust or chips or particularly small knots flying out of the machine. Safety glasses are an essential tool in protecting your vision.

3. Clothing, Hair, and Jewelry
Don't wear any loose clothing that may get caught in the travel arm of the saw.
Tie back long hair.
Do not wear jewelry.

4. Dust Scrollsaws generate very fine dust.
Keep the floor vacuumed up as much as possible so any new movement in the air flow, will have little dust to move around.
Wear a dust mask.

5. Relief Cuts
In situations where the pattern asks for either a tight inside or outside cut it is always safer to make relief cuts before you start.
Cut just before the pattern line, to avoid a notch in the finished path. This will allow you to break away wood as you go along and prevent binding the scroll saw blade.

6. Cutting Small Pieces
When scrolling small pieces of wood, attach a cardboard or wood handle with rubber cement or hot glue so you can cut without getting fingers too close to the blade.
Use a stick to clear the path of the blade when creating small cutoffs.

7. Hold Down clamp Lower it down as close to the wood as possible.
It helps hold down your work. It is also a great guard in making sure you don't slip your fingers into the blade

8. Speed
Keep it slow - Most scrollsaws have very small motors and very fine blades. They are not designed for speed cutting. If you try to cut too fast, the blade will have a tendency to walk in its own direction. The scrollsaw will then be in control and NOT you.

9. Pressure
Use an even consistent pressure, always pushing the wood into the front face of the blade and NOT the side.

12. Scroll Saw Safety Rules
Clear the table of everything except your work piece.
Make sure all handles are locked.
Never reach under the table while the machine is running.
Give the work your undivided attention.

13. Scroll Saw Safety Rules
Always keep your hands and fingers away from the blade; follow the 3” rule.
Never place your hands or fingers directly in line with the blade.
Do not start the machine with the blade in contact to the work piece.

14. Scroll Saw Safety Rules
Hold the work firmly against the table.
Make relief cuts before cutting long or sharp curves.
STOP the saw and wait until all motion has stopped before removing small scrap & cutoff pieces away from blade and off the table.

15. Scroll Saw Safety Rules
Do not cut a work piece that does not have a flat bottom that can rest on the table.
Do not cut a workpiece that is too small to safely be supported and held onto.
Never back out a bound blade with the machine on; turn it off, then back out.

16. Scroll Saw Safety Rules
When finished, release the blade tension to reduce stress on the blade.
Clean the table with a bench brush.

17. Kansas City Woodworkers’ Guild | Scroll Saw Operational Safety Rules