It’s tough to beat a scroll saw for fine detail cuts. Unfortunately, it’s also tough to work on a scroll saw that vibrates around on top of a workbench. I didn’t have room in my shop for a dedicated scroll saw stand, so I came up with the next best thing: A sand-filled box that deadens the vibrations of the saw. BASE DETAILS. Really, there’s not much to this shop-made scroll saw base. It’s a simple box that’s assembled with butt joints. The secret is that, before closing it up, I added weight by filling the box with sand. That way, you can be sure the scroll saw will stay stable and vibration-free as you’re making cuts.
To make the box, simply cut the top and bottom to size from plywood. The ends, sides, and an inner support are all made from “two-by” material. After cutting the parts, screw the entire box together, except for the top, which can be left off for now. Before you add the top, lay out mounting holes on it to match your scroll saw base. Then drill counterbored pilot holes and install T-nuts in the underside of the plywood top at these locations. Now fill the box with sand and screw on the top. Finally, it’s time to set the scroll saw in place and install bolts to securely fasten the scroll saw to the base.
