Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

Scroll saw internal cuts

Updated: 16 October 2026

You want a window in a plaque, and the blade on a scroll saw is held at both ends. You cannot plunge it. You drill a starter hole in the waste, unplug, and pass the blade through that hole. This page, from the Products Compared editorial team on 16 October 2026, is that technique for the saws in our [scroll saw comparison](/hub/power-saws/scroll-saw). We did not run a lab test. A qualifying amazon.co.uk purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Everyday feed, once the blade is back in, stays on [how to use a scroll saw](/hub/power-saws/scroll-saw/sub/scroll-saw-how-to-use).

You want a window in a plaque, and the blade on a scroll saw is held at both ends. You cannot plunge it. You drill a starter hole in the waste, unplug, and pass the blade through that hole.

Our top picks

Bucktool Bucktool SSA18BV

Best overall

Bucktool Bucktool SSA18BV
7.1/10about £227.99
View offer
Dremel Dremel MS20

Rank 2

Dremel Dremel MS20
7.3/10about £99.95
View offer
Einhell Einhell TC-SS 406E

Preis-Tipp

Einhell Einhell TC-SS 406E
6.6/10about £99.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Why a scroll saw cannot plunge
  2. 2.Drill, unplug, and rethread
  3. 3.How the blade system changes the hole
  4. 4.Which of these saws can do fine pierced work

Why a scroll saw cannot plunge

The blade is held at both ends. The arm or the frame closes over the work, so there is no free end to stab into the wood. Starting from the edge cuts a slot you then have to hide. The starter hole belongs in the waste, inside the line you will throw away, not on the line itself. A hole on the line leaves a flat already taken out of the finished edge. Mark the opening, mark the waste, then drill. The bit follows the blade, not a universal 1 mm. Woodworkers Institute’s notes use 2 or 3 mm for plain-end work, and sometimes 1 mm when the inner piece is tiny. A pin will not pass a 1 mm hole.

Drill, unplug, and rethread

Drill while the saw is off and the wood is free of the blade. Then unplug. Release the tension, open the upper clamp, and lift the blade out. On the Bucktool, the bullets say the arm lowers onto the upper clamp for inside cuts. Pass the blade up through the hole with the teeth pointing down. Refit both ends, and tension until side flex is small. A loose blade wanders, and a blade you twist to force a corner snaps. Start the motor before the wood touches the blade. Unplug again for the next opening. If the tension screw does nothing after several cycles, stop. On the TC-SS 406E, UK returns describe a screw that did not tension the blade. A screw that will not hold is a return under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
Bucktool Bucktool SSA18BV

Testsieger

Bucktool Bucktool SSA18BV
7.1/10about £227.99
View offer

How the blade system changes the hole

Pin-end blades need a larger starter hole, often about 5 mm, because the pin has to pass. UK reviews attach that figure to the Dremel MS20. Plain-end blades can use a smaller hole. Woodworkers Institute’s example is 2 or 3 mm, and occasionally 1 mm, sized to the inner piece. Do not file the pins off a pin-end blade to fake a plain end. Dremel’s FAQ says MS20 blades are about 4 inches, not standard 5 inch blades. The Bucktool names 127 mm pinned blades and 130 to 133 mm pinless blades, so the hole changes with which you load. If the listing does not say pinless, a 2 mm hole is still a guess. Which system to own is on the scroll saw buying guide.

Which of these saws can do fine pierced work

The Dremel MS20 is a poor fit for fine pierced work: pin-end blades only, a starter hole of about 5 mm in UK reviews, and no fit for standard 5 inch plain-end blades. Einhell’s UK page for the TC-SS 406E says cross-pin and pinless. The amazon bullet about circular saw blades is the wrong line. The Bucktool SSA18BV states pinless blades of 130 to 133 mm and pinned blades, with a 457 mm throat. You still unplug for every window. Both Katsu listings are silent on the blade system. The Vario does not answer pinless. The generic 16 inch has no review line. If the saw cannot take the blade the hole needs, model fit is on best scroll saw.

Common questions

How do I cut a hole in the middle of a board with a scroll saw?
Mark the waste inside the opening and drill a hole the blade can pass. Unplug, release the tension, and pass the blade through with the teeth down. Refit, tension until side flex is small, start the saw, then bring the wood to the blade. Unplug again for the next opening. The blade is held at both ends, so it cannot plunge.
How big should the starter hole be?
Match the hole to the blade. Pin-end blades often need about 5 mm so the pin can pass. Plain-end blades can use a smaller hole. Woodworkers Institute’s notes use 2 or 3 mm, and sometimes 1 mm, for that plain end. A 1 mm bit will not help a pin-end blade. Drill in the waste, not on the finished line.
Can the Dremel MS20 do pierced cuts?
Only if you drill a hole large enough for its pin-end blade, about 5 mm in the UK reviews. Dremel’s FAQ says the blades are the maker’s own, about 4 inches, not standard 5 inch plain-end blades. That is a limit of the system. For fine pierced work, use a saw that states pinless blades.
Which saws in this set state that they take pinless blades?
Einhell’s UK page for the TC-SS 406E says cross-pin and pinless. The Bucktool states pinless blades of 130 to 133 mm and pinned blades. The Dremel MS20 is pin-end only. Both Katsu listings are silent. The Einhell Vario includes a fretsaw adapter and leaves pinless unanswered. The generic listing has no reviews.
What if the tension screw will not hold after several blade changes?
Stop. Internal cuts reset the tensioner for every window. On the TC-SS 406E, UK returns include a screw that did not tension the blade. On the Bucktool, threads stripped after 23 days. That is a return under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, not a home repair. A blade snapped by twisting a corner is a technique fault. Correct that on scrap.

Related pages

Scroll saw or jigsaw

Scroll saw

Best scroll saw 2026: top pick and who should skip

Scroll saw buying guide: what actually changes the cut

How to use a scroll saw: unplug, tension, then cut

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings in this comparison. Page updated October 2026.

  1. HSE WIS23 wood dust (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  2. HSE PUWER overview (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  3. HSE woodworking noise (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  4. Einhell UK TC-SS 406 E (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  5. Yandles Charnwood SS16F (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  6. Dremel FAQ (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  7. Woodworkers Institute scrollsaw basics (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  8. Amazon.co.uk Scroll Saws best sellers (retrieved 16 October 2026)