• 16 parts
  • Checked September 2026

Parts of a Scroll Saw

A bench-top scroll saw from the side, then its blade end enlarged.

Parts of a Scroll Saw

Name Date

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
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Write the name of each numbered part.Answer key

  1. Saw table
  2. Base
  3. Upper arm
  4. Lower arm
  5. Motor
  6. Blade tension knob
  7. Power switch
  8. Throat
  9. Bevel scale
  10. Table lock
  11. Scroll saw blade
  12. Upper blade holder
  13. Lower blade holder
  14. Drop foot
  15. Sawdust blower
  16. Throat plate

Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry. Licence: own work.

Each numbered ring is a button. Use the arrow keys to move between them and Enter to choose. Names are read out in Study, and once a part is answered.

Next step Next: the saw with a loop blade, the bandsaw

All 16 parts on the diagram

Show the list

The whole saw 10

  1. Saw table The work rests on it. It tilts for angled cuts.
  2. Base It carries the whole saw and can be bolted to a bench.
  3. Upper arm It holds the top end of the blade.
  4. Lower arm It holds the bottom end of the blade. It moves with the upper arm.
  5. Motor It drives the two arms from the back of the saw.
  6. Blade tension knob It sets how tightly the blade is stretched between the two arms.
  7. Power switch It turns the saw on and off.
  8. Throat The distance from the blade back to the frame. It sets how large a piece can be cut.
  9. Bevel scale It shows the angle the table is tilted to.
  10. Table lock Loosen it to tilt the table, tighten it to hold the angle.

The blade end 6

  1. Scroll saw blade A short, narrow blade. Some have a pin across each end and others are plain.
  2. Upper blade holder It grips the top end of the blade. It sits on the upper arm's end.
  3. Lower blade holder It grips the bottom end of the blade. It sits on the lower arm's end.
  4. Drop foot It is lowered onto the work, round the blade. It holds the work down.
  5. Sawdust blower It blows the sawdust off the cutting line.
  6. Throat plate The small plate in the table that the blade passes through. It lifts out.

How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-09-30 and kept only where at least two independent sources use it. (1) A maker's operator's manual for a 16-inch scroll saw, https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-7246304 , and a second brand's manual for the same make of saw, https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-7346009 , counted as one source because they share their wording: base, saw table, table lock, bevel scale, upper and lower blade holders and clamp screws, blade tension knobs and lever, hold down foot (drop foot in the second), sawdust blower, throat plate, power switch, throat. (2) A second maker's manual with a parts list, https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-7037654 : saw table, bevel scale, table lock knob, blade tension knob, upper and lower blade holder, upper and lower rocker arm, drop foot, throat plate, power switch, base, motor, throat depth. (3) A third maker's owner's manual, https://archive.org/details/dremel-scroll-saw-1672 : base, table, upper and lower blade holders, upper and lower arms, drop foot, blower tube, table insert, tension lever, on/off switch, motor, pin end and plain end blades. (4) Wikipedia, Scroll saw, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scroll_saw : the throat, the distance from blade to rear frame, which sets how large a piece can be cut; the two parallel arms with the motor near the back; the dust blower nozzle; the tilting table; pinned and pinless blades. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; no maker's machine, nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

A bench-top scroll saw from the side, blade end to the left. The second drawing enlarges the blade end, with the table cut through to show what is under it.

Read the full guide

How a scroll saw moves its blade

A short blade is stretched between the ends of the upper arm and the lower arm. The motor at the back moves the two arms, and the blade goes up and down through the saw table. The blade tension knob sets how tightly the blade is stretched.

Round the blade

Each end of the blade sits in a blade holder. The drop foot rests on the work round the blade, and the sawdust blower keeps the cutting line clear. The throat plate is the small plate in the table that the blade passes through.

  • Typed answers take hold-down foot for the drop foot and table insert for the throat plate.

Questions and answers

What are the parts of a scroll saw?

A base, a saw table, an upper arm and a lower arm, a motor, a blade tension knob and a power switch. At the blade end are the blade, the upper and lower blade holders, the drop foot, the sawdust blower and the throat plate.

What is the throat of a scroll saw?

The distance from the blade back to the saw's rear frame. A scroll saw is classed by this size, because the throat depth sets how large a piece can be cut.

What does the drop foot do on a scroll saw?

It is lowered until it rests on top of the work, round the blade, and holds the work down on the table while the blade moves up and down.

How does the table of a scroll saw tilt?

Loosen the table lock, tilt the table to the angle on the bevel scale, and tighten the lock again. A tilted table gives an angled cut.

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