Recommend me a bandsaw , drill press and scroll saw .

[Jordan Gilbert]

I am primarily a wood turner but I want to get into scrolling . I need a new band saw and drill press though because I sold my last year . I normally don't cheap out on equipment , I have a nice lathe since thats what I use the most . I only need a bandsaw for cutting blanks , a drill press for drilling pens and small holes for scroll saw work . I was thinking about getting a 14" craftsman band saw one of the crafts little drill presses , and a 16' craftsman scroll saw . I would have about 600 into all of them that seems very reasonable . I don't want to buy a rikon or jet thats basically the same thing as the craftsman but 400$ more and I honestly don't see the difference . Is there anything else I should look into ?

[Gary Herrmann]

I turn quite a bit. I don't know how large your lathe is, but I have a PM3520b. I can resaw 16" on my BS, and I wish it was bigger. If you want to make pens, either drill them out on your lathe, or make sure you can get a DP that has very little runout. Pens need tight tolerances or the glue joint will fail. I've read about lots of DP disappointment on this forum.

I don't own an SS, but I think about it once in awhile. Is your use related to turning? If you won't be doing much of scrolling, consider getting a decent turning (hand) saw and spend your money well on the other tools.

Others will know more about CMan tools, but I wonder what you're getting for 600 for all 3. $600 can easily be spent on a BS, or a good DP for that matter. I think the DeWalt SS goes for about $600, but I know nothing about those tools.

If you're just trimming blanks, consider a chainsaw, and spend your money on the other two. Lots of options.

Also consider vintage tools. Or even refurbed.

Personally, I prefer to buy quality once.

[Jordan Gilbert]

I have a delta 46-460 which is a great lathe honestly I would rather have a powermatic matic but for 630.00 I will be happy . I got word of a 18" 2hp rikon that all be going on sale soon for 1k I could buy that l it definitely seems like that would last me forever . I am unsure about the scroll saw thing though I don't really want to spend 500.00 on one but I guess I could .

[Brian Kent]

You have me sort of stumped. First I would try craigslist to see what is available used. If I never needed anything bigger, I would go with a Grizzly 14" band saw and a Harbor freight drill press, whichever size has the needed stats. You are already at $600 with shipping. I have no idea about an inexpensive scroll saw.

[Jordan Gilbert]

I could buy more expensive stuff I am unsure about it though . Like a drill press for 400.00 is crazy IMO I can understand the reasoning behind the bandsaw and scroll saw prices though .

[glenn bradley]

Your DP problem is not unique. There are $1000 DP's out there that are not very good. The recommendation of drilling on the lathe makes sense to me in lieu of an expansive DP if pens are your game. I would assume that the blanks you are cutting are scaled to pens as well and so, a reliable 14" model would probably suit. A lot of folks like the Grizzly G0555 series saws but, If rough cutting of thinner material is what is involved, I have an old 10" saw that I use for things up to 1-1/2" or so.

[Kevin W Johnson]

The Rikon 10-325 bandsaw goes on sale at Woodcraft for $800 or so from time to time. I have one and like it. I also picked up a Ridgid 15501 DP on CL for $150. With a quill travel of 3 3/4", it drills pen blanks without having to raise the table like I do on my Craftsman bench drill press.

If your not on a time crunch, I'd keep an eye on CL for the used market. You'll most likely wind up with a better older machine for less than the cost of a cheaper made new one.

[Guy Belleman]

My recommendations, mostly from experience and the best machine for the money:
Delta 18-900 DP currently on sale at the Amazon
Grizzly 17" or 19" bandsaw
DeWalt DW788
All good tools that will provide life-long service. I prefer to drill pen blanks on a full size DP. After messing with a 14" BS for years, then getting a larger machine, I had wished I had bought the larger machine years before. The DeWalt scroll saw is a nice machine and with good blades will produce fine work.

Good luck.

[Myk Rian]

Is there anything else I should look into ?

Vintage machines.
Restored machines can be had for less than new, and are most likely better.

[Michael Moscicki]

I second the DW788. $250 is what I paid for my saw, but you will see them anywhere from $200-$500 on Craigslist. The Type 1(Made in Canada) is the desirable one as the Type 2(Made in Taiwan) suffers from quality control issues such as non-flat table, and the blade holder and hole not properly aligned. Not all of them, but enough to make it hit and miss whether your Type 2 will be fine.

If you get a cheap saw you will be frustrated and not want to keep scrolling. There are also Hegner, RBI, and Excalibur scroll saws. The Hegner's are made in Germany and difficult to break them. The RBI was made in the USA(don't know if they still make them). The Excalibur is currently made in Taiwan, but used to be made in Canada. Rather than tilting the table for bevel cuts, you till the whole blade mechanism allowing you to scroll on an even surface.

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[Jordan Gilbert]

I am pretty sure I am getting the rikon 18" when it goes on sale next month for 999.99 it's a behemoth . Drill press I was looking at rikon and delta . The scroll saw I was looking at dewalt and delta . I want to buy everything new with warranty if possible . I am just curious if something went bad on a 500lb bandsaw do they come to me or what ?

[Greg Portland]

I am primarily a wood turner but I want to get into scrolling . I need a new band saw and drill press though because I sold my last year . I normally don't cheap out on equipment , I have a nice lathe since thats what I use the most . I only need a bandsaw for cutting blanks , a drill press for drilling pens and small holes for scroll saw work . I was thinking about getting a 14" craftsman band saw one of the crafts little drill presses , and a 16' craftsman scroll saw . I would have about 600 into all of them that seems very reasonable . I don't want to buy a rikon or jet thats basically the same thing as the craftsman but 400$ more and I honestly don't see the difference . Is there anything else I should look into ?

I think an important question is "what kind of blanks?". If you're cutting pen blanks then pretty much anything will work. If you need to cut 100lb+ bowl blanks then you'll want a bit more heft and power.

The three brands you mention are all made overseas with about the same quality level. Buy from a store that has good support so you can exchange any defective or misaligned parts.

[Jordan Gilbert]

I can't have the rikon 18'' because its a 220v . I looked at the 14 in deluxe model and its 110v/220v what does that mean ?

[Andrew Kertesz]

Let's start with the band saw. That indicator means it can be wired either 110v or 220v and it is on sale right now at Woodcraft for $799 and I believe that also gets you a $100 gift card for Woodcraft. Something to take into consideration with the Dewalt 788 Scroll Saw. That model is being discontinued to be replaced by the new Delta 40-695. Dewalt is slowly getting out of the hobbyist/homeowner grade tools. That doesn't mean it is a bad saw just some food for thought.

[Larry Frank]

During the last year, I got into scroll sawing and went looking for a saw. I ended up with a Hegner 18" variable speed made in 1988. The saw had barely been used and works fine. I did spend a few more dollars to buy some blade clamps and a couple other things. Parts for this machine are still available which was a plus for me and the customer service is very good.

There is a lot of discussion on which scroll saw is better. The DeWalt DW788 is liked by many people but you should be aware that there are several different versions of it. The Hegner is a German made machine and the 18" lists for around $1400 including a stand. It is a fine German machine. If you watch Craiglist, you can fine them for around $300-400. I went and checked out several before I found the right one in terms of condition and price.

Just like any other tool, there is a learning curve with a scroll saw and I have benefited from the scroll saw forum to learn a lot.