Tool for intricate cutting

Springywheel

I’m looking to buy a tool for cutting intricate shapes out of wood such as ebony, maple, rosewood and oak. It’s for a weird avante garde instrument. Do you think an ordinary handheld scrollsaw would do the job or is it worth investing in one of those electric ‘hobbyist’ saws? Any other tools which would do the job? 

Edit: they’re 330mm x 30mm x 5mm

brucegill

They look awesome. Not heard of those before. coping saw Would do it, lots of finishing I guess. How thick are the blanks? 

brucegill

Electric would make it more enjoyable! That said, depending on thickness of the blank, the hand coping saws can be pretty fast. 

Springywheel

Average thickness is about 5-6mm

brucegill said:

Electric would make it more enjoyable! That said, depending on thickness of the blank, the hand coping saws can be pretty fast. 

brucegill

Springywheel said:

Average thickness is about 5-6mm

brucegill said:

Electric would make it more enjoyable! That said, depending on thickness of the blank, the hand coping saws can be pretty fast. 

You’ll fly through those. No really need for electric. Just needs a deep throat I guess dependant on shape

Springywheel

brucegill said:

Springywheel said:

Average thickness is about 5-6mm

brucegill said:

Electric would make it more enjoyable! That said, depending on thickness of the blank, the hand coping saws can be pretty fast. 

You’ll fly through those. No really need for electric. Just needs a deep throat I guess dependant on shape

Cool, I was hoping that i could away with a basic coping saw. I had to google deep throat, which returned some unsavoury results, but I got it in the end. 

Roland

How many are you going to make? An electric scroll saw is quicker than a coping saw, which you’ll appreciate if you’re making lots of them, and it can cut several layers at the same time. It’s also more precise, and gives a smoother cut, because you can focus 100% on guiding the piece rather than your sawing motion. Of course it will cost more too.

Springywheel

Hmm, I had it in mind to build a set of about 50 or so, but I think I’ll just make do 15 or so for now by hand and see if that’s sufficient. 

Andyjr1515

If those pieces are the length I suspect they are, I think it is going to be a fretsaw, not a coping saw, that you will need.  A fret saw has a much longer throat which you will probably need for some of those internal and external curves.

But - even though I am a keen handtools user...I always use planes and chisels where I can rather than, say, a router...for 50 or even 15 of those shapes in some of those woods, then even the cheapest of 16" electric scroll saws will be so much quicker and easier than using a hand saw...