Piercing Cuts

Figure 15-13. Several layers of material can be stacked, fastened together temporarily and cut all at one time for duplicate parts.

One of the most useful features of the scroll saw is its ability to make cutouts in the center of a workpiece. These piercing cuts are made by unclamping one end of the blade, threading it through a starting hole and then reinstalling the blade before making the cut (Figure 15-13).

The starting hole should be located close to the layout line--preferably close to an inside corner to reduce wasted effort cutting across the scrap. The starting hole should also be 3/4" in diameter whenever possible. This saves time because the mounting block and blade can pass through the hole.

On more delicate work the starting hole can be only slightly larger than the width of the blade, but the blade must be removed from the upper blade mounting block, threaded through the hole and then reinstalled. When removing and remounting the blade use the blade clamp shim to prevent the mounting block from turning and be careful not to bend the blade. Be sure the blade is properly seated in the mounting block and readjust the blade tension before cutting.

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