It is almost like we go out of our way to introduce danger, why would you use a saw blade mounted at an angle in your spindle to cut groves when as deema has said the grover is safer ? I don't own a spindle but when you think about it a router cutter or spindle cutter will remove material across it's cuting faces but the "woble saw" is in effect moving up / down as it rotates. The closest I have seen to this is where people run wood over there table saw blade at an angle to cut out a concave moulding which also sounds a dangerous practice.
Nature of the game WARNING this post contains graphic images of a hand injury
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Against_The_Grain
Established Member
If all you've got is a wobble saw, that's what you're going to use. They are certainly less popular now than they were in the previous century, they still are the most cost effective option for grooving on the spindle moulder, an Omas wobble saw that covers a range of 3mm - 15mm is £140, whilst a Whitehill adjustable groover 4mm - 15mm is £300.
As far as tooling goes the wobble saw is one of the safer pieces of equipment, they just frighten the uninitiated as they make a lot of noise and look scary whilst running, provided safe working practices are followed there's no extra level of danger beyond any other piece of cutting equipment that conforms to modern regulations. After all, if they were intrinsically unsafe they would've been excluded from professional use when PUWER 1998 came about, one of the very few pieces of tooling that can be over a hundred years old and still conform to modern standards.
Using wooden packers to make a regular blade wobble on the shaft, now that's scary and used to be pretty common when I started out.
A agree.
It shouldn't be scary at all. We were taught to fit a false fence and then advance the saw blade through it to the desired depth, and lock it off at that. So all you have is the solid fence(ply) with the blade sticking out slightly through it.
I wouldn't have it without a false fence, the gap between the in and out feed fences would be too wide and that in itself isnt supporting the workpiece properly.
And if you are laying on, then you should be using a back stop and if you havent got that fitted, someone hasnt trained you properly.
Compared to other bits of tooling you fit to a moulder, it looks really tame.
I also use false fences on the router table. I prefer the was the workpiece is supported across its entire section, and theres no chance if it catching or sticking on the leading edge of the outfeed fence as you push it through.
There is one flaw to the wobble saw I think we should at least discuss, although It's never happened and while its unlikely, its something I've noticed. Might be superfluous with a modern wobblesaw or just down to the type. I've only use really old stuff.
Some have a locking screw(bolt to be exact), and I noticed it can end up getting a bit worn, and while its never happened to me or i've heard of it, it's the last thing you want to suddenly loosen off while running. Now a false fence is going to partially limit it going from 3mm to 15mm(or whatever) in an instant should it fail I think people should check these things periodically if its that type and replace that part where necessary.
It's probably just the way my head works. I see something like that and it makes me take notice of it, but I just thought I'd mention it
The case was I noticed the tightening slot of our saw bolt was really worn, and you werent able to apply a great deal of pressure on it as the bit would jump out. I replaced it with a new bolt.
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An adjustable groover has limited cut, a wobble saw doesn’t, you should always use a false fence with all cutter blocks.
The cost difference of an adjustable groover versus a wobble saw is insignificant compared to loosing fingers / serious cuts. Lets put it into comparison, a decent spiral router cutter is going to cost circa £35+, you'd probable have at least 3 to cover the range, they are slower, don’t have nickers to make clean edge cuts and a hand router IMO is far more dangerous than a groover.
The cost difference of an adjustable groover versus a wobble saw is insignificant compared to loosing fingers / serious cuts. Lets put it into comparison, a decent spiral router cutter is going to cost circa £35+, you'd probable have at least 3 to cover the range, they are slower, don’t have nickers to make clean edge cuts and a hand router IMO is far more dangerous than a groover.
Adam W.
A Major Clanger
They are so dangerous these machines, yet they are used quite successfully by so many people, that we sometimes run the risk of becoming too comfortable around them.
Anyways, I hope our injured colleague makes a fast recovery, free of any complications.
Anyways, I hope our injured colleague makes a fast recovery, free of any complications.
Against_The_Grain
Established Member
Not quite true, the saw blade of a wobble saw is designed to have a limited cut by the body of the blade acting as the limiter for the teeth.
I’m not sure what the spiral router bit anecdote has to do with a wobble saw?
Jacob
New Luddism. Wake up and resist.
Answers like this because one beginner mistake is to try to rip a board on a TS which then starts tightening up and the danger is in applying more force, ignoring the warning, rather than backing off and stepping sideways as it kicks back.
Jacob
New Luddism. Wake up and resist.
Biggest danger with a wobble saw set is that the large gullets make it semi invisible at full revs and if you aren't keeping your hands well away you may get it wrong. Otherwise they seem pretty safe on a spindle, but perhaps less so as a vertical dado cutter.
sploo
Somewhat extinguished member
That's exactly what got me with a router table many years ago. I was considerably luckier (just one slightly trimmed thumb), but given the pain afterwards from that I don't even want to imagine what yours is like. Hope it heals as well as possible and you're back up and running soon.
Doug71
Established Member
A bit like this one that I acquired.....also looks like the spacer rings have worn a groove in the centre, don't know what has happened there
Surprisingly I haven't used it yet.
Adam W.
A Major Clanger
That looks like archaeology.
Who used a wobble saw ??? I've never and would never own one, I have groove saws from 3mm up to 22 mm
Who's used a wobble saw ????
Inspector
Nyuck, Nyuck, Nyuck!
I have, a 6" on my 1st table (cabinet, 5hp) saw. It worked just fine. I made throat plates and brought the dado up through it to create a zero clearance plate. Depth it would cut was limited and the bottom wasn't flat as the teeth could only be made to cut flat at only one width. I gave it to a friend when I got a 10" dado stack. He uses it occasionally.
Pete
Sachakins
The most wasted of days is one without woodwork
Where do you get the wide grooving saw blades?
Jacob
New Luddism. Wake up and resist.
Often, but on a spindle not a TS.
Jacob
New Luddism. Wake up and resist.
You don't, you buy a wobble saw unit and adjust it to size. This sort of thing but mine unbranded was just £50 from a local saw doctor.
In the bad old days people would use an ordinary saw blade and pack it with tapered washers to spin wobbly, but it was highly deprecated
Whitehill tooling
okeydokey
Established Member
I have a pack of unused picador wobble saw washers in a drawer maybe should sell them as I've never got around to using them
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