CNC Scroll Saw Uses Gantry and Rotary Table to Make Cuts, at Least in Theory

When we think about CNC machines, we tend to visualize a computer-controlled router carving out metal, wooden, or plastic parts for project builds. Andrew Consroe, on the other hand, visualized a computer-controlled scroll saw that could cut-out intricate shapes, and set about designing his vision, or instead attempted to. Ask anyone who has ever used a scroll saw, it takes finesse to make curved cuts without having first to cut away excess material, and the blades themselves are easy to snap if you’re not careful.

While routers can cut in any direction, scroll saws cut in one, and that was the most significant hurdle for Consroe to overcome — how to make the blade cut in different directions. Since the blade can only be oriented in one direction, Consroe decided to make the wood change orientation instead, effectively moving the material around the saw blade. To do that, he constructed his CNC Scroll Saw using an overhead c-beam X/Y gantry and 3D-printed rotary table (lazy Susan).

The gantry is employed to move the material to be cut along the X and Y-axis. In contrast, the 3D-printed rotary table turns the material, via a motor and gear assembly, according to a computer-generated template. Well, as much as it can at any rate, as it needs to take into account the mailability of the saw blade, which isn’t much before it breaks. Of course, Consroe never got the initial design to work as it should in theory, but demonstrated its capabilities using a marker instead of a blade. Like any engineer, however, he’s currently working on another prototype and applying the lessons he learned from his previous build, which is all that matters.