Looking at scroll saws

[Roy Smith]

I've got a job to do right now which involves cutting some interior cutouts. Seems like a job for a scroll saw. I'm looking at the DeWalt DW788. Some questions:

What's the realistic cutting capacity of a saw like this? The job I need to do right now is cutting 1-1/4 teak. Do these saws really have the power (and blade strength) to cut that? If I bought one of these, I don't anticipate cutting something that thick would be my usual task, but it's the task I need to do right now.

I don't have room for one of these to live full-time on my shop floor, so my plan is to forgo the stand. I'd park it on my bench when I need it, and it would live on a shelf the rest of the time. It's hard to get a good handle on the weight of this thing from the ads (everybody quotes a different number) but 50 lbs seems about right. Are there people out there with this saw who treat it as a portable? How does that work out for you?

Is it stable enough to use just sitting on a bench, or does it need to be attached to the bench top when in use?

[David Van Nort]

Haven't had the opportunity to cut material that thick but can help with the storage issue. I built a flip top shop cart to store my scroll saw. Saw mounts on one side and top rotates leaving a clear 24x30 work surface on the other side. I could justify giving up valuable floor space for a mobile work surface. 50 lbs sounds about right which is why I didn't want to put it on and off a shelf.

dave

[Pounds on Wood]

I have the smallest Hegner, 14". It's much smaller than the Dewalt, although arguably better made. Anyway, I have cut 1-3/4" work. I don't think 1-1/4 would be a problem even in Teak. The depth of cut should be a readily available specification from Dewalt, so look it up first.

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