Scroll Saw Vs. Jig Saw

Scroll Saw

• A scroll saw is a small, stationary power saw designed to make intricate curved cuts. The saw features a small table on which the work piece is rested, similar to a band saw, but unlike a band saw, in which the blade is a rotating continuous band, a scroll saw's blade is moved up and down by a reciprocating mechanism. Smaller scroll saws may be battery powered, but most have motors that must be plugged into an electrical outlet. Most scroll saws have a variable speed control.

Jigsaw

• A jigsaw is a handheld power saw that uses a short, straight, bayonetlike blade to make intricate cuts. Thanks to its narrow blade, a jigsaw can make cuts with tight, complex curves. The blade is moved by the saw's motor in an up-and-down motion, and many saws also feature orbital action, in which the blade moves forward on the up stroke and backward on the down stroke, thereby increasing cutting efficiency and reducing blade wear.

Uses of Scroll Saw

• Scroll saws allow precision cutting of complicated shapes, making them ideal for decorative and craft work. Their small size makes them unsuitable for anything but light-duty cutting, but the maneuverability of their blades, their variable speeds and the control afforded by their integrated table gives them the ability to make cuts that other saws are too unwieldy to make. However, their lack of portability means they can make these kinds of cuts only on smaller pieces.

Uses of Jigsaw

• A jigsaw's primary strength is its portability. A lightweight tool, it can be used in awkward spaces, and a battery-powered jigsaw has virtually no limitations on where it can be used. Able to make meandering cuts that no other handheld power saw can make, a jigsaw is ideal for both carpentry and craft work. Unlike a scroll saw, a jigsaw is also able to make plunge cuts in which the blade is plunged into the middle of the material to be cut rather than starting the cut from the edge or being threaded through a starter hole. However, because it is handheld, a jig saw is less accurate than a scroll saw.