Scroll Saw Fretwork Kit

Pin-end blades are sturdier and easier to change (the pin anchors the blade) but cannot thread through a small hole (the pin is too big) — for outside cuts only. Plain-end (plain) blades thread through a tiny drilled hole for inside cuts (the fretwork) but are more delicate. Fretwork needs plain-end; get a saw that takes both.

Ornamental cut-out work — a pattern of inside cuts (the holes and curves) that leaves a delicate, lace-like wood piece. The blade threads through a drilled hole for each inside cut, saws the shape, and backs out. Fretwork is the scroll saw's signature craft — clocks, ornaments, and wall art of remarkable delicacy.

Fretwork needs a thin, stable, void-free material — Baltic birch plywood (the many thin plies, no voids) is the standard. Solid wood moves (expands/contracts) and cracks the fine fretwork; the plywood is dimensionally stable. The thinness (1/8 to 1/4 inch) suits the delicate work and the fine blades.

Drill a small hole inside the cut area, unclamp the scroll-saw blade (plain-end), thread it down through the hole, re-clamp, make the cut, unclamp, and back the blade out — repeat for each inside cut. It is the threading that lets a scroll saw make cuts no other saw can. The drill and the blade-threading are the fretwork technique.