Bandsaw vs Jig Saw or Scroll Saw ???

[CaptainMarvel]

Please forgive this embarrassingly NEWBIE question . . .

Why would someone want/wish to use a bandsaw over, say, jigsaw or a scroll saw?


I am new to the world of DIY/Home Hobby Woodworking, and I'm honestly curious as to this question - at least on/for a home-hobbiest/DIY level.

 

[Stuey]

Bandsaw - cuts smooth and quick, different blades can allow for different curvature. Wider blades are better for straight cuts. Cannot be used on larger or immobile workpieces (e.g. large plywood or kitchen counter.

Jigsaw - can be used to make straight cuts (if you use a straight-edge or guide), or curved cuts. You bring the tool to the work.

Scroll saw - kind of like a very light duty bandsaw-jigsaw hybrid. This is what you use to make more intricate cuts on thinner materials.

For home hobbiest and DIY level work, start off with a jig saw. Jig saw can be used on wood, plastic, metal, depending on blade. Often you cannot really cut wood on a metal bandsaw or metal on a wood bandsaw due to speeds. Scroll saw can be used on metal, wood, or plastic, again depending on blade, but you're often limited to thinner workpieces.

This is a simplistic explanation. Tell us what you plan to do and you'll get more accurate recommendations.

 

[FMC]

some tasks are better preformed on each tool.
A bandsaw has a more rigid blade and will cut very accurately through thick materials.
Jigsaws will lean the cut left or right with a small amount of side pressure.
Scroll saws are delicate and meant for cutting swoopy shapes in thinner materials.

 

[Major Ramifications]

Stuey pretty much hit all the main points.

If you are making a cutout for a sink in a countertop, the jig saw is the only one that will work. These are great for larger work pieces.

Scrollers are great for intricate, curved cuts on thin material, but are not quick.

Bandsaws are fast, and are for smaller work pieces.

 

[Stuey]

Bandsaws can also be used to resaw thicker pieces of wood much safer than on a table saw.

 

[SteveL]

Have all three. In order of use frequency:

1.Bandsaw
2. Jig saw
3. Scroll saw

Use the band saw A LOT! Everything from styrofoam to aluminum and brass given the right blade. Can make a thin board out of a thick one which is virtually impossible with any other type of saw. Can make really tight scroll work with the right blade and a decent band saw. Much safer than a table saw and it's always set up and ready to work.

I don't think I've used the scroll saw a total of four times and it just takes up space. Not good for much of anything except delicate, intricate work.

Jig saw is indispensable for certain tasks and can be pretty handy to have. Just make sure you get a good quality one like a Bosch that can accept a variety of blades and has variable speed.

 

[StevePgh]

I think the folks above covered it pretty well.

With a jigsaw it is pretty easy to force a cut in thicker material in such a way that the blade bends causing the cut to look straight from the top but not be square to the surface if you looked at the side cut. My wife is one of those people that have a hard time with this. An orbital jig saw with dial based (not trigger based) adjustable speed will give you the best results. This does not happen on a bandsaw or scrollsaw, as the blades are stretched and attached at the top and bottom.

The jigsaw and scrollsaw both have blades that move up and down, cutting only on the downstroke (unless you have an unusual blade). The bandsaw is always going in one direction, and is always cutting.

My local Rockler store has a workshop essentials course for less than $50 that shows you most of the bigger shop tools. Community colleges usually offer noncredit shop classes that can get you some better exposure to the tools and how to use them.

If I had to pick one for general use, the jigsaw is most versatile (and portable), but as others have said, what do you want to build?

 

[96snma]

Also a band saw cuts 100% of the time where the other 2 are only 50% of the time

 

[Milton Shaw]

Band saws can usually cut through material up to about 6" thick, some with extensions can cut through 12" thick. This will allow you to stack cut copies of the same shape in one operation. It also allows you to resaw thicker material into two or more pieces. Jig saws are a portable tool for material usually 1" thick or less. For cutting wood flooring around beams, sink cutouts, finishing out cutting stair stringers etc. Scroll saws are usually used for 1/2" or thinner material and can include inside cuts where a small hole is drilled and blade inserted and cut out. Usually seen in wooden scroll work and very involved detail work, sometimes seen on clocks and wood carvings etc. Each type has its own range of operations and sometimes they overlap. A Sawzall is a heavy duty jig saw for cutting all kinds of materials, but normally only in straight cuts, although you can buy heavy duty scroll saw blades for a Sawzall.