kmmcrafts

I like your way better as it seems easier, Thanks for the suggestion

Rolf, I believe your set screw is not protruded through the clamp far enough.. I like to use a feeler gauge to clamp into the clamp so to speak so the set screw on both top and bottom clamps are exactly the same so I'm not cutting on an angle.. If that makes any sense.. a lot of people like to have them in the center of the clamp.. and that works to as long as you have them both exactly centered.. But the most important thing is they are square to one another..

I also like to run the saw faster.. and no it doesn't mean you cut faster.. cutting faster is the rate you feed the wood to the blade.. I find it easier to do those sharp corner cuts with a faster blade speed.. I also like to cut so I'm not pushing onto the wood to get it to cut but rather sort of hold back on the wood if that makes sense at all.. I guess you're always pushing into the blade but at slower blade speeds I feel I push the wood through rather than let the blade do the cutting.. Lot's of folks say you don't need that kinda blade speed and say it burns up blades doing fast speeds.. I find opposite.. a blade will heat up at a slow rate if you're forcing it through.. You get all kinds of different strokes for different folks kinda thing but many think because I'm business I'm running full speed to go fast... and that's just not the case.. Many newer scroll sawers use blade speed to control how fast the cutting goes.. Too fast and they feel like they cannot keep up so they slow the saw down.. Years ago I talked with Mike that sold FD blades as I was having problems cutting a thick piece of white oak or hickory I don't remember the wood.. One of the first few questions he asked me was blade speed.. I kept getting burnt edges and what have you.. He told me I was running the blade too slow.. Told me to crank up the speed at least 3/4 on the dial or better.. So that proves my point.. forcing the wood through the blade will heat the blade.. If you let the blade do it's job either going fast or slow speed it won't get too hot unless your pushing off to one side slightly making the blade rub the edge of the cut.. I've read where people say if you run your saw on high speed you are stupid and or you have no business scroll sawing.. well.. the blade distributor is the one to tell me to run the saw fast... and I have been doing so for the last 10 years since he told me that.. which made me realize that it's actually easier to saw with a faster speed and then slowly feed the wood into the blade.. So to all those with the thought that I run my saw full speed because I'm in a rush are totally wrong.. But as I've said... everyone has a different cutting style.. also how the saw is set up makes a difference too..

Thank you Kevin! I try to be ahead but actually running a bit later than normal this year.. But i'll get them done as best I can.. and then say better luck next year maybe..

Thank you! You have plenty of time to make ornaments.. if it's too late this year just tell your self you're getting a jump start for next year, LOL I typically cut ornaments all year long but not all day everyday until September.. this year I'm running a bit later than usual.. Maybe having my truck break at the same time my sons transmission went out in his car.. I've been repairing cars instead of cutting ornaments, LOL

Saw vibration is a tricky thing... All the saws I have had always had the factory stand.. but when getting the saws brand new always too excited to give it a try so I just put them on the table or a work bench and give them a go right out of the box.. Of all the saws I've owned the dewalt was the smoothest running un-bolted saw I've ever used.. right behind that one was a old Delta 40-530 2 speed 16" saw.. that one was smooth and i never did mount that one down to the bench or a stand.. I was quite surprised how much vibration my EX had being made very similar to the deWalt and how everyone talked about how smooth they run etc.. Maybe mine was bad from the get go.. anyway... I had a cheap Harbor Freight stand and mounted a piece of 1" flooring OSB type material to the stand since the EX wouldn't fit directly to the stand.. Mounted it up this way and it was much better than un-bolted.. but not by a whole lot.. Ended up buying a actual EX stand.. once set up on that... smooth as silk then.. The Hawks are real fussy with the stands but those massive arms and the design of those saws it's kinda understandable.. I think by quite a bit the Dewalt was always the smoothest running saw I ever had.. Also something I noticed with the EX was that tuning the motor etc. made a difference in how smooth it runs too..

Thank you!

Thank you..

Thank you, Sue Mey has a very wide selection of themed ornaments.. Usually something for everyone on her website..

Thank you Marg. I try to keep a lot of different variety of things.. Makes for easier selling and usually have something for everyone..

Thank you Edward, Yes the angel patterns are from one of the old magazines I have.. I think most of the other patterns are from Sue Mey

Thank you Les, yes been a little busy.. not too bad yet though.. still time to be here picking on all you folks.

Thank you RJ, Angel patterns are from one of the scroll saw magazines.. Not sure off the top of my head which one or what issue it was in.. I haven't subscribed since around 2012 -13 ish so they are older ones.. I can look it up if you'd like..

Thank you!

Thank you.. and yes I need some good luck with the inventory

It is a great looking set up.. hope to add something to my saws after the holidays.. hoping to have a new Vac too.. But depends on the funds if I do well or not.. Oct. been kinda slow for me until yesterday anyway, LOL Ray if you rip it off.. make sure you turn the switches first, LOL

Nice set up Dave and good to hear that it was a great turnout for you.. At first the video played only a 3 or so second clip and it was small sized.. then I clicked on it and went full screen to a 55sec. video.. I think you did good on the video.. Thanks for sharing.. and good luck at the other shows.. Hopefully after the last show you'll need to take home empty containers that once was full of your stuff, LOL

Yeah I figured nobody wanted to see my info.... Just a hobby for most of you including me.. but I'm going to be paid for having fun.. Nothing wrong with either scenario.. I just never understood why people think if it's fun they shouldn't charge because it wasn't work it was just fun and playing around. I just hope that these folks that think this way didn't work their entire career doing crap they hated to make money so they could live.. because if it would have been fun they would've done it for free.. I'm looking to hire someone that will work for free because it's fun if you know of anyone Then again.. Nothing wrong with giving away stuff either. I do so all the time to family, friends or just some kids wanting something cool from the campgrounds etc.. just to make their day and see someone smile.. Just gave my niece this sign, dog portrait and the baby portrait for her friend who is expecting. so i'm not all and always about money because it is also fun.. These would have been nearly $250 had I charged her.. The sign was my second piece I've made with my CNC Router.. was going to post it here a few weeks ago but folks here don't like seeing the CNC router or laser stuff so I didn't.. So I do give a lot of stuff away too.. especially to friends or family.. The stipulation to them when they ask for something is.. you can pay X amount if you need it now.. or if you can wait until I have time to " just play around " then it's free or in some cases much cheaper.. This way I don't get overrun by everyone expecting me to "give " them whatever they want.. Most times they forget or change their plans.. During the slow season it's not usually and issue.. But when I'm busy it seems like everyone wants that last minute gift for someone and think I'm going to give it to them they have another thing coming then.. I make it that way for a understanding to them as to why I charge for one thing but give the next away, LOL

The box that they are in is 3.75 wide and 5.25 inch tall if that helps.. Most all the ornament designs I find I resize smaller.. Those angel ornaments was originally 6 inch tall but I sized the patterns so they'd fit into the gift boxes that I package them in.. Most round shaped ornaments I make at 3.5 inches in diameter.. Shrinking the sizes down actually makes for an interesting challenge on some of them because making them smaller also make them have smaller bridges and a more fragile ornament.. But it's not fun if it's not challenging in my opinion.. LOL

I got cold and tired so I didn't get all my pictures taken.. this is about half of them... I've been a little more quiet on here the last month or so.. because I'm building up inventory on the sold out ornaments from last year and adding these new ones.. I made 25 of each style on in stock and of these new ornaments.. I got a long ways to go.. before getting all the "NEW" ornaments stocked up and once I want to add to the site etc before the holiday shopping gets into full swing.. Anyway, Enjoy these few "new" ornaments I made last week.. Hope to have about 200 different styles of ornaments on the website in the next couple weeks.. Not sure I'll make it.. I think I've got about 165 right now..

Yeah I don't know what it is either.. but my pricing is typically $60-80 hr.. at the saw.. divide that if I'm stack cutting by the number of pieces in the stack.. Pricing in this way allows me to make about $3 and hour for myself after expenses.. I'm just kidding really.. I do strive to a $60+ per hour but my price structure changes when all said and done.. Plus.. while I make $60+ and hour at the saw.. it's real amazing how much time you spend on prep work, sanding, finishing, Packing, Mailing, Photographing putting listings on the website etc etc.. so at the end of the day that 60+ is actually more like $20-30.. So if that piece is an hour at the saw.. I put about a $60 price tag on it.. that said.. some things you make in no way will bring that kind of money... those things like that I make... I don't make again.. so I stick to things I have a pretty good idea of if it'll be a money maker.. Some things can be made much quicker off the scroll saw too.. I look for productive ways to make a piece bring me more $$ while keeping the price down for the customer.. (ie stack cutting... make bases on a table saw or bandsaw rather than scroll them out etc.. )

You are correct.. and that was the point I was trying to say.. By keep having to adjust that knob at the back to release the tension you'll soon have the upper arm out of wack.. BUT also doing that changes the aggression of the cut too.. at least to an extent.. might be minimal but.. your best bet is to not touch that knob at all if possible.. Also make note of where it's positioned because some of these saws ( actually many of them ) will turn on their own over time.. Mine was so bad it turned a half turn or more just doing one small fretwork cutout.. I ended up taking it apart and using blue loc-tite on the threaded shaft.. No issues with that at all now.. Some of the saws have a line marked on the knob and some do not. Mine did not.. so I took a paint marker and made one for a reference point to be sure it's where it should be.. Piece of tape or something would work as well if you have no paint markers.. Hope you enjoy the saw for many years.. Had I had a good experience with my China made EX and had I known the Pegas was coming out last year.. I'd have bought a new Pegas instead of the Hawk.. But i am happy with my Hawk and I'm still questionable on this China made EX.. I've basically rebuilt that saw and it was running awesome for about 30-40 hours use but i feel like something is messing up again.. Believe I just need to bite the bullet and replace all the moving parts OR.. sell it and a Hawk or two and buy a Pegas.. Been really thinking about selling some of the saws and getting a Pegas I'll always keep one of the 26" Hawks for the larger projects..

The quality of the bearing is more an issue with these type saws than the low amount of grease used.. I know most will say that the companies cheap out and put very little grease.. but they also cheap out and use poor quality metals as well.. The DeWalt I used to have was a year old it started making noises.. I took it apart and just did a cleaning of the bearings and added synthetic grease which bought me another year.. Then I bought some higher end bearings and added the same synthetic grease.. 6 years later it was starting to make noise again.. The thing is.. I didn't really saw all that much when just starting out.. but as I started up the business and started building inventory and filling orders.. Well I put at least 2-3 times the hours on that saw after the better bearing rebuild and got about 6 years heavy use as at that time I only had that saw.. My new EX doesn't have all that many hours on it and it's clattering.. I took it apart and cleaned up the old bearings and sleeves etc added the same grease.. I've put about 40 hours on it since that and it's already getting noisy again.. though I let it go too long making the noises the first time and they was a little beat up.. I should have just replaced them and most likely will after the holidays.. The better bearings I bought was special ordered from a local supplier that knows me and my family from many years of getting parts etc from them for my brothers lumber mill.. I don't recall the brand but I'll say they are more than double the price of those from VBX bearing.. which is where I got the last set for the old DeWalt.. they say right on the box made in china.. I want to say the ones the local guys got me was from Germany? I don't remember.. I sold the DeWalt so I have no idea how the bearings are holding up from VBX.. They felt lighter.. so I weighed them on my shipping scale.. they was .1 once lighter than those good bearings that the local guys got me.. I should have used grams instead of once's to weigh them as it probably would have been a bigger difference.. They was weighed after cleaning all the grease out so I wasn't weighing grease.. just the metals.. I'd like to get those good bearings again but the local shop changed hands and the new workers don't want t take the time to look up anything oddball.. wonder how long they can stay afloat with that type of customer service.. that place was known all around our area for they would search hours to find you just what you need.. now they just as nope can't get it... LOL Talked to Ray at seyco one day and he said those bearings in the arm assemblies are hit and miss.. maybe 1 out of 5 or so hold up for many years.. That said.. I'm betting it's not a China made saw issue..for the bearing issues anyway.. Heck I had to change the bearings in my Hawk ultra last year and it didn't have a ton of hours on it.. and it's from 1998.. I guessing the grease dried up from sitting all those years though..

Yes my Excalibur had those same pieces of scrap metal bolted to it too.. I wonder if Ray used to take those off the saws he sold... I can't see how anyone could easily change blades etc with them in the way..

Be careful about turning that knob at the back of the saw for adjusting blade tension... turning that messes with the blade aggression and the upper arm height.. That said.. you really shouldn't ever have the "need" to adjust that for tension.. Maybe.. and a big maybe is possibly when you use those supper small blades.. I've used 2/0 with no issues but that's about the smallest blade I've ever had or used