THE YOUNG SCIENTIST. 
137 
another thing. One thing is certain, however, 
that the mere effort to do so must have a good 
effect. ^ ^ ^ 
A Foot-Power Scroll Saw and How to 
Make It. 
[The following letter will prove interesting, not 
only from the clear and excellent way in which 
our young subscribers are told how to make a 
cheap but very good scroll saw, but as showing 
the influence of our journal in teaching boys 
to work out these things for themselves. H. has 
succeeded admirably, and we hope that others 
who have good things that they have worked 
out themselves will send them to us.— Ed. Young 
Scientist.] 
Some articles about scroll-saws have already 
been given in the Young Scientist. Perhaps 
another one would not be amiss, especially as 
it treats of a foot>power saw. This saw is 
Now find a nice smooth piece of board, not less 
than i inch thick, 8| inches wide, 38 inches long. 
This is to form the table of the saw. Make one 
end of the board round. Take two pieces of 
strong wood 1 inch thick, 1| inches wide, and 
Fig. 1. 
4J inches long. At each end of these, cut out a 
piece in which you insert the arms of the saw. 
Try to have as perfect a fit as possible, and 
make the upper arm slope a little downwards.. 
This done, take your board, and, eight inches 
from the square end, cut a hole in which you 
tightly fit your two uprights, leaving them U 
inches apart, and 3^ inches from top of table, 
as shown in Fig. 2. 
You can now take the arms of your saw and 
screw the thick ends firmly into these uprights.. 
The thicker arm is for the top. Bore a hole in 
the board, on a straight line with the clamps, to 
allow the saw to pass through. The board, 
with the mounted saw-frame, can be screwed on 
a common table. You must screw the square 
end on the table, leaving the rest of the board 
outside. 
On the lower arm of the saw adjust a brass 
Fig 2. 
thoroughly original, and leaves mueli room for 
improvements; therefore, any boy trymg to 
make it will surely make some improvements 
to suit himself. , , ^. 
Take two strips of ash or other elastic wood, 
about 181 inches long, and | inch wide. These 
strips are to act like springs ; they also form the 
arms of the saw. The upper spring must be the 
strongest, and | inch thick at one end, diminish- 
ing gradually to i inch. The lower spring 
varies from 4 to i inch. At the thinnest end of 
each spring, glue a small square of the same 
wood, and place the grain crosswise to that of 
the spring. This is to insure solidity, because 
a hole must be bored through the spring and 
small square to put the clamp m, as shown in 
Fig.l. 
strip, t of an inch wide, and make the two ends 
meet underneath. You now bore a hole through 
the two ends, through which a piece of stout 
wire is inserted. Your wire connects to a treadle. 
Leave the wire short enough to allow full play 
to the treadle. It is well to make one end of the 
treadle stationary. 
Boys, your saw is finished. If you could 
mount it upon a real table instead of a board, 
you would have a much stronger hold and more 
power. I have done very fair work with mine. 
If any of you succeed and make improvements, 
write to the editor of the Young Scientist, and 
ask him to insert them in the paper. I have 
made a blow-pipe, which is half a putty-blower, 
run through an upright stick, and screwed on 
the end of the board in front of the work. H. 
