This is my favourite and most used tool. I bought this saw in 2007 and it has been well used with lots of mileage on it and no problems at all. I cut a piece of plexiglass the same size and shape of the table and stuck a magnet sheet on the back so it would hold to the metal table without moving. Using this I was able to cut a smaller hole for the blade to go through and therefore get good accurate cuts. It also is a very smooth surface to move your wood around efficiently. When threading the blade through a drill hole to do a fret cut I thread from bottom to top. To do this I need the arm of the saw to stay up. I just cut a wedge of wood which does the job perfectly. There is an attachment you can get which also does the job but of course you are going to pay for it.
I haven’t done a lot of scrollsawing as it gets a little fiddly for me. I thought I would like doing all that intricate work but … probably just needed more experience
This was how I solved the issue of keeping the arm raised when doing fret work. I used some pipe fittings, because that is what I had available. You could use a couple of small weights, or a small box filled with sand or just about anything for ballast. After I built the box to go around the arm I then attached a board to go over the back of the saw. Then all I had to do was balance the weights and slide them back until it held the arm up. Now when I need to change blades or do fret work all I have to do is lift the arm and it stays up. It will not lift up on its own, but it takes very little effort to lift. I hope this helps someone, it works well for me.
