Messages

46

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: Hawk Owners...

« on: February 11, 2017, 02:09:36 am »

with the saw running, can you feel air from the air line? If not, most likely the bellows are shot. They are easy to change out, & available from Hawk.

47

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: Scroll Saw Popularity....

« on: January 25, 2017, 11:59:00 pm »

I can't help but ask Mr. Jeff, what breed of saw are you lookin' for? Have you considered the Hawk line of saws? You can get good deals on them sometimes on craigs list. Or, go to their web site.

I own five myself. 2 Craftsman, & one of those I've worn out. A Hitachi CW-40. That was my first brand new saw 20+ years ago, & it still runs like new. My brides master mechanic saw, & our most recent investment, a BM - 26 Hawk. It's my work horse.

A friendly word of advice from experience. Pick a saw with plenty of hp, & excellent tech & parts service. You'll be happier in the long run. my .02.

48

General Scroll Saw Talk / hope everyone had a good Christmas!

« on: December 29, 2016, 09:24:48 pm »

hello. been awhile since I've been on. I had major back surgery the 8th of December. Man! What a trauma that was! Slowly healing. not back at the saw yet, but have hopes of it SOON! Hope everyone got what they asked the fat guy for & enjoyed the time with their families! best wishes for good health & a great new year!!!

49

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: Need help not getting square cut on scrollsaw

« on: November 11, 2016, 09:54:38 pm »

you didn't mention what type of saw you're using. If the blade is dead on square with the table, up & down, & across the table, next thing would be to check the squareness of the top & bottom arms. This can be done w/a carpenters square, & if possible, loosen the mounting bolts to square up the arms. You've got a good start on squaring it up.

You may also have a bad batch of blades. It happens.

50

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: Blade feeding

« on: November 07, 2016, 08:45:43 pm »

i don't use birch plywood in my scroll saw projects b'cause my pockets ain't deep enough, & it burns. I use hardwood in all my scroll projects. I'll use birch ply if I'm doin' a drawer rebuild, or something like that, & I'm able to get it here at my local lumber store. It's damn pricey, but it's one of the few things I don't have to drive 3 hours to a big box store for it.

51

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: Blade feeding

« on: November 01, 2016, 08:42:52 pm »

I've been a bottom feeder from the start. I tried the top feedin', & all I got accomplished was bend blades. So, I went back to bottom feedin'. I get more accomplished.

52

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: drilling a hole

« on: November 01, 2016, 08:37:45 pm »

try slowing your bit speed down, & use a backer behind your work piece for starters.

If you're using a drill press, try not to drill w/as much downward pressure. Let the drill bit do the work, & you be the speed. The harder you push down as you're drilling, you'll have the problems you are.

53

Introduce Yourself. / Re: Thanks for the add from North TX

« on: October 23, 2016, 08:50:21 pm »

welcome to the forum! I'm Brad, aka sawdust703. Enjoy your time here, & don't be afraid to ask questions or comment on posts. God Bless. Brad.

54

Tutorials, Techniques and Tips / Re: Scroll speeds

« on: September 24, 2016, 01:24:59 pm »

speed also has alot to do with blade type. If you're using a smaller blade in thin material, The faster you cut, the more tear outs & chipping you'll get. Easy does it until you find a speed that does a good cutting job, & little tear out.

on the other hand, if you're cutting in thicker material, say 1/2", try a #3 skip tooth, or an UR #3, & cut at different speeds to see where the sweet spot is, & leave it there. Every blade type & size will react differently at different speeds. You just have to play with the variables until you reach your satisfaction point. jmo. 

Speed works against blade control, as well. If you're cutting to fast, you'll have less control. To slow & you'll have better control, but at the same time, you may want to  rush the feed rate, & break blades, & have crooked lines. Remember, the smaller the blade, the more tension you'll want. The bigger the blade, the less tension you'll want. It all works together, & takes practice, practice, practice.

55

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: Drill press

« on: September 10, 2016, 12:44:22 pm »

have you looked at the Ryobi drill press? Mine is a bench top, & I built a stand for it. It has plenty of clearance, adjustable speeds by moving the belt to different pulleys. Laser, & a work light. the table tilts both ways. And reasonably priced, with decent customer service. I haven't had any problems with mine, & I've had it 4 years. The chuck is tight enough, it holds the tiny bits I use for entry holes in scroll patterns. Some guys i know with other brands have had to invest in the mini chuck for the smaller bits to go in the bigger chuck of the press.

56

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: Cedar Wood

« on: August 03, 2016, 08:27:35 pm »

Howdy toneman! I've used cedar in several projects. I just finished two garden carts that I made from Western cedar I managed to locate right here in our home county. The trees had been taken down by a farmer ten years ago to widen his drive way to allow for bigger farm equipment. He said they had the trees planked shortly after taking them out, & stored the wood in his barn on the floor, flat & solid. It's been laying there all this time. There was thicknesses from a full 1" down to 5/8". It was red cedar. I didn't plane a single piece of it, only to joint the edges for the table saw. I didn't use any finish on the cedar, nor did I sand any of it. I left it rough sawn for the look. I've also made memorials from dark cedar, & 3/4" exterior cedar. My nephew was killed four years ago in a drunk driving accident, & I designed & made an 3' x 8' cross that we put at the crash site. Everything, including the cross, is made of cedar. I resawed a cedar 2" x 4" 3' long to an 1" thick, & cut his entire name in that w/the scroll saw. It was the cross piece. I bolted it to a 4" x 4" 8' long. Then I cut several patterns of things he liked, all out of cedar. They were also cut w/the scroll saw. I also made a picture frame from cedar that is under the cross piece w/his picture in it. I bought the cedar from our local lumber yard, & used an exterior clear coat put out by rustoleum. We set the cross 3' deep in concrete, & leveled the ground off with sand & rocks. It is still standing, & all the pieces are still on it. I enjoy working w/cedar. It has many different patterns in it, & it makes the project look unique from any other. Thanks for starting this, toneman. Every chance you can to get some different breeds of cedar, get it! You won't be disappointed, brother! Thanks for starting this post. God bless!

57

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: dewalt 788 or excalibur

« on: August 02, 2016, 12:44:20 am »

Nothing against the ex, because I know very little about them, only what I've read. I've got friends that own dewalts, & after seeing & using my VS220 Hawk, That I bought used in pristine condition, say they wish they'd have looked harder at the Hawk before buying the DeWalt. Out of the five saws I own, my Hawk is my work horse. I can cut the finest detail work, stack cut, you name it w/it. I've made beer steins to Grandfather clocks. I make dream catchers of all kinds. I cut my own feathers with the Hawk. I believe investing in a scroll saw takes some serious consideration, research, type of projects you intend to do with it, & your budget. Hawk has the best tech support & parts replacement in the business. IMO. Also, buying used equipment of any breed may be getting into somebody else's headaches. Walk lightly there. If possible, get your hands on it, spend some time cutting with it. Listen to it. Research it. Its your investment, so invest wisely. I'm sure you'll do what you think is best for you. Good luck, & keep us posted. Enjoy your endeavor!

58

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: hitachi cw-40

« on: July 30, 2016, 09:43:06 pm »

Thanks DW. That site did have the parts, & I was able to order what I need. But, the parts are listed as obsolete there too. Luckily, they had it in stock. I bought my CW-40 about 15 years ago, & its still running strong! I've got enough hours on it though, that some things finally wear out. I use it now as my teacher saw more than anything. My work horse is a 220VS Hawk. Out of five scroll saws, I use these two the hardest. I refuse to turn loose of it! Outside of the Hawk, its the best saw I've ever owned. Thank you again for time & info. Regards, Brad.

59

General Scroll Saw Talk / hitachi cw-40

« on: July 30, 2016, 03:52:07 pm »

Afternoon folks! I haven't posted here in awhile, but, I'm still around. I'm looking for a CW- Hitachi scroll saw. 16". It doesn't have to be in perfect shape, as I'm looking for it more for parts for mine. The parts I need have suddenly become obsolete on the Hitachi site, so, plan b kicks in. My email is bulldog6536@gmail.com. My phone number is (785)772-7321. Thank you for your time. Enjoy the day!

60

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: HELP!! Please

« on: July 20, 2016, 05:12:25 am »

I don't know much about the DeWalt saws, but when my saws get to doing that, something is out of alignment. Try aligning your top & bottom arms, & squaring your table. Sometimes if one or the other is out of alignment, that's all you get done is break blades. Also, if you're using a drill press to drill your entry holes, check to make sure your blade isn't bent, & your table is square with the bit. If you're not drilling your entry holes straight up & down, you may be putting an angle pull on your blade. And remember, the smaller the blade, the less tension you need on the blade.