a quiet scroll saw/band saw for my apartment?

[MBDPro]

no friends, no just joking but none with a garage or an outside area i can use. i figure a few or several of this apartment shop and i should be up and running in a small workshop again. some while ago i rented a nice 800 square foot warehouse. it was a bit pricey but i wasnt using it correctly, i was more focused on other things rather than be tuning up my wood and metal working skills, etc.

[MBDPro]

im sure ill pick up my hand tools first, i may end up having to go that route. i simply prefer a machine out of precision and fun. im not to worried about dust. i do have a patio and im sure ill be using it sometimes.

[Bill Wilson]

As mentioned, the scroll saw is, by nature, probably the quietest powered saw you can get.  Better quality saws will run smoother and quieter than the $100 ones at Harbor Freight.  You will be limited to what you can cut, but if you just want to make some sawdust, there are a ton of really cool and unique projects that are scroll saw specific.  If you are so inclined, check out the link to my scroll saw club below to see examples of fun stuff you can do with the scroll saw.  I know several folks who have only a scroll saw and some who use it in their living space.  I know of one fellow who used to cut in his apartment, but I don't know if it impacted his neighbors or not. 

Scroll saws make fairly fine sawdust, but they don't spray it all over the place like other saws.  Most will stay on the table or fall into your lap and on the floor. Wear a dust mask and try to work in an area that you can close off, but keeping scroll saw dust contained is easier than bandsaw dust, IMHO.  Now sanding is a whole 'nother kettle of fish.

I would suggest mounting it on a piece of rubber anti-fatigue mat.  This will serve to dampen vibration as well as help keep it in place.  Decent saws will run very quietly and won't make any more noise than a TV or a running microwave and way less than a vacuum or many dishwashers.  You can easily carry on a conversation over a running scroll saw.  However, once you start putting blade to wood, the noise ramps up.  The level of noise will depend on what you are cutting.  You won't notice much difference in one layer of thin plywood, but cutting thick hardwoods will make more noise.  In reality, I think you could get away with it, so long as you are mindful of how long you are cutting and the time of day. 

Good luck and enjoy!

[RobertJ25]

To put it into perspective,  my scroll saw and bandsaw make less noise than the vacuum cleaner,  dish washer,  or the wife's hair dryer.

[kurt18947]

To put it into perspective,  my scroll saw and bandsaw make less noise than the vacuum cleaner,  dish washer,  or the wife's hair dryer.

They aren't cheap but there are some pretty quiet vacs/dust collectors available. A band saw is pretty quiet and can be used to make long straight cuts unlike a scroll saw. Of course getting something like a MM16 into an apartment might be ........... interesting
but a good 14" saw will do a lot with a good quality blade. And yeah, if you were to go bandsaw centric, you'd likely want to develop proficiency with hand planes.

[Steve N]

Scroll saw with good blades is pretty quiet, PIA to resaw with though