kmmcrafts

Well I have read post in the past and that's all I'm going by for mentioning it.. All my saws run on the style you have to hold and as I said.. doesn't bother me.. I used to have one of the click on / click off styles and it made no difference to me which one to use.. Some folks that run these saws are older retired and handicap etc.. so maybe they have bad or weak legs.. I'm not judging them just stating that some have posted they have trouble with the press and hold style so take that into consideration when buying one. As for safety, when talking scroll saws and these foot switches.. If a scroll saw was that dangerous to use they'd have a switch more accessible or other safety device.. some saws the power switch is clear underneath the table somewhere.. Look at the Hawks.. the power switch clear off to the side.. so in that case either style footswitch is safer than having to reach clear off the the side or other inconvenient spot to power it off.. I like the foot switch because it allows me to have both hands on the fragile project while still being able to turn on the saw.. some saws have a slight delay when powering them on.. most of the newer ones that I've used do not anymore.. so the foot switch is just a nice feature to have but not really necessary I suppose.. is for me after having used a foot switch for 20+ years, LOL

I don't know if those HF saws come with a foot power on / off switch but that's another very nice upgrade to make the scrolling experience better as well.. Harbor Freight sell those too.. two styles of them one is push it to turn on and push again to stop.. other is press in and hold it to run the saw and let up to stop.. I've used both and like both.. Some don't like the press and hold to turn on as the foot / leg can get tired of holding it on long cuts..

My favorite one is from my old 1998 Hawk that came with the saw as well.. I have 3 of them from Menards ( very similar to the HF ones). I often wonder what the brand is for those Hawk ones but likely not made like that anymore as that was 30 years ago, LOL... The Menards ones I ended up changing to a LED bulb after the original bulbs got too tired to come on.. This is the bulb I used and am happy with it but it is on the bright side so some may not like it. https://www.ebay.com/itm/222261066257

Makes beautiful snowflake ornaments etc too.. back in my early scrolling / business days I made a lot of ornaments with it. That said it is very easily breakable too.. Now days I'd probably use it for boxes rather than fret type projects because it's not very strong wood.. at least that's how I remember it.. had many that got broken or fall apart after cutting.

I bought a cheapy WEN 12" drill press for a second one so I could leave the forestner bit in my Delta drill press for drilling the clock insert holes and not have to change set-ups all the time.. I was quite pleased to be able to chuck up the #56 - 60 bits that I regularly use with the chuck it came with.. My Delta I always had to use a smaller chuck for small bits and it would wobble if you don't chuck it up in a certain spot.. like Wichman said.. once you find that spot mark it with paint and it's not too bad... no issues with it on my WEN though so that was good investment for me.

I also have the older HF dust collector.. as also don't have it plumbed to anything and just take the hose over to the plainer or table saw.. The DeWalt planer and table saw both have a blower already on them and then adding the dust collector hose in conjunction they do really well on those two tools.. I don't care for the bag style filter that mine has.. and the price to upgrade that to the filter like this new one has I'd be farther ahead I think to sell the one I have and just buy this one.. I'm not doing nearly as much woodwork as I did in the past so not sure I'll ever do that.. Agree with JT about using a better set up for at a scroll saw.. the seyco system I have on my scroll saw is just "okay" not great but better than having nothing too. I do run a box fan with filter by the saw and also a air filtration system that hangs from the ceiling.. My worst dust producer these days is the sanders.. I've heard mediocre results from a downdraft type sanding table.. I'm not sure how well the Festool sanders do for the dust collection but they sure aren't cheap to try to find out either.. plus I have no vac system like the Festool anyway.. one can spend an awful lot of money on those tools.. I was considering buying them but now heading off to the laser direction more and more so not sure it's worth going that route at this point.. I need to plumb the collector over to my CNC.. that machine makes a big mess in a hurry.. kinda like the planner does without hooking up to the collector, LOL.. I bought a boot hook up for the CNC but haven't installed it and don't use it a whole lot so I guess that's why I haven't done it yet.

My brother built something similar to this and he says it works great.. his is just a homemade deal with box fan and a box with filters on all sides.. I've not seen it being used as he lives in another state but he claims it works really well.. If it weren't for the space this would take up I'd consider building one myself..

I posted about the new HF dust collector back late fall last year and I just run across this video of it that I thought others might be interested in.. Looks like a pretty nice machine..

I got some Beech from my brothers sawmill several years ago.. recently needed a piece for a project and I couldn't find any anywhere locally.. Is it somewhat more rare of a wood species? You mentioned it and I've only used a small amount over the years and like you say.. not many people mention it.. It is nice to work with.. I just don't see much of it here in Michigan.

That's pretty cool! Now you need to make some glow in the dark ghost for Halloween, LOL Somewhere I seen glow in the dark paints but cannot remember where.. where did you find it at?

Thank you for sharing your info on this.. I'll be looking up info on this set-up as I need to upgrade from the small Seyco system I currently use..

I cut whatever wood I feel best fits the project at hand.. I mostly use Cherry, Walnut, Poplar, Red Oak, Soft Maple, and many other domestic hard and soft woods. Main thing I cut is Cherry because I got a good deal on a bunch of cherry years ago and just kind of stuck with it. A lot of people say that Cherry is hard to cut without burning as it likes to scorch easily but I've not had any issues with that so long as I use a good blade. Poplar is very nice to work with as it's not to dense so it cuts good, sands good etc. Red Oak is my least favorite to work with because I don't like the smell of it.. and there are a wide variety of softer / harder spots within the grain too so you can be cutting a long and all of a sudden it takes off on you in a soft part of the grain so it may not be a good choice for a beginner.

The purebond plywood is one that Carter Johnson? (Hope that is the right person.. guy that used to do all those Christmas card puzzles etc...) turned me on to.. I wanted to try my hand at puzzle making.. he had always used 1/4" BBply but he run across the purbond brand stuff and gave it a try then reported back that it was pretty good stuff... Don't know a lot about it now days but I have bought some to do some special projects with a couple years ago.. still have a box of Maple and Walnut. Not sure if I could get a great picture of the edges or not but I can try tomorrow if anyone is interested. I had forgotten about the stuff for several years until just a few years back @FrankEV posted about that was what he was using.. so that's when I bought those boxes.. No I don't think it's the same quality of BB ply.. but it is good stuff for portrait type projects.. I made a few ornaments from it too.. and not that anyone cares but it cuts nicer on the laser as it's not quite as dense so can be cut at lower power or faster speeds.. IF it were slightly cheaper I'd probably only use it in my laser projects and many of the scrolled ones too.. just a bit more money than the BBply. and the stuff I got is not good on both sides.. like the walnut isn't even walnut on the back side I don't think.. so it's not great for ornaments that are single layered.. great for backers etc.. but again.. pricey for just a backer when other options are cheaper.

I don't know what type of projects you all are making with plywood but there is quite a lot of plywood out there in various species other than BBply.. and from what I've used of some of them has been good stuff.. One source is Home Depot.. look up on their site for 5/32 Purebond project panels.. it is real close to the same thickness as the 3mm BBply in the 5x5 sheets that I've used for years. They also have it in 1/4" and it's free shipping.. Great stuff for doing portrait type work.. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Columbia-Forest-Products-5-32-in-x-1-ft-x-1-ft-7-in-PureBond-Maple-Plywood-Project-Panel-10-Pack-4940/312284408 For me a lot of the species are always sold out.. especially in the 5/32 size.. The 1/4 is usually stocked better. Another option is doing a search for 1/8" laser plywood.. I don't know where this laser plywood comes from or brand etc.. I'd like to find a good local source for buying 4 x 8 sheets or at least bigger sheets than they have and then I could get out of shipping cost etc. Anyway there is some really good plywood for laser cutters.. I'm assuming someone is buying it in full sheets and marketing it to laser cutters.. Maybe cabinet grade stuff because a lot of it is good two sides too.. I haven't been able to find good stuff locally like these laser marketed stuff is and as I said.. not sure where / who makes it.. It is different than regular plywoods because the laser cannot cut through some types of glues very well. Most of this laser plywood is in the 12 x 19 size due to most hobby laser machines are that size so it's marketed to those smaller hobby laser machines. A lot of these laser people do not even own any type of saw to cut down their wood and many work the lasers right in their spare room in the house.

Happy to hear you like it.. I would look at having blades made to the length you need instead of buying the box store blades..I think the name of the company I order my blades from is PSwood.com but I think the brand is Timberwolf.. you can order blades most any size you need and these blades are way better than what you'll get at a box store..

Wish I could confirm if that would work or not.. seems like it would help a lot at least. I've never had any issues but I think I probably use it up before it has a chance to get bad. Just make sure your storage syringe can handle the chemicals.. I once used one of these to mix up some lacquer for a air brush experiment and the lacquer melted the rubber on the syringe..

Too bad they couldn't make spirals easy for us to mount into the saw.. While it's not really that bad once you get used to doing them but I've ruined my share of blades trying to clamp and or tension them. Spirals also tend to be a bit more difficult to feed through a pilot hole too if the hole isn't plenty big.. since there are teeth all the way around the blade they tend to catch onto the edges of the wood as you try feeding through.. again it's just different than a flat blade and you'll get the hang of it but at first expect to break a few blades before you even get to run the saw, LOL.. Also spirals do seem to get dull faster than a flat blade and they don't cut the same speed / aggressiveness at the sides or back side as they do straight in front. I believe it's because the saw does have a slight forward motion as the blade makes the down stroke so if you're cutting from the back side of the blade the saw moves the blade forward away from the wood rather than bite into the wood like it does on the front side of the blade.. Years ago I found it easier to get them to mount into the saw by taking two pair of needle nose pliers and grabbing the blade close to the teeth and then with the other pair grab the blade at the tip and untwist the spiral to make my blade have flat ends.. worked well for me in the beginning.. I no longer need to do that now that I've had more experience but I just thought I'd also mention that.. I've heard of people flattening the ends with a hammer too but I've never tried that.. and the way I swing a hammer I'd probably hit the blade in the middle where the teeth are, LOL

I'm wondering if the picker guy picked off the wrong stack? My local supplier has a few different grades and even different manufactures of the this stuff.. some are even in 4 x 8 sheets instead of the 5 x 5 sheets.. One year I bought 10 sheets and it was like this.. when I got back home is when I realized it.. I went ahead and used it but it was pretty cheap stuff.. next time I was in getting some wood I mentioned it and they said they had a new guy working in the warehouse and he kept mixing up what they was selling and it was likely a mistake.. I was just there 4-5 weeks ago and bought 20 sheets.. all was good quality still so I don't think they're cheapening up the stuff.. I just think there may have been a mistake of some sort.

Do they have some sample packs? If so that's probably what I would do. or just buy a dozen of a few different sizes.. Everyone has different cutting speeds and what they're comfortable with.. That said, spirals because of them being twisted end up making a wide kerf... they're also somewhat more aggressive and they're hard to cut and have a smooth edge. I primarily used them for cutting thin BBply and usually never cut anything thicker than 3/8 with them. ie stack cutting 3 sometimes 4 1/8" thick BBplywood stacks. My favorite most used blade has been the 2/0 FD- New Spiral as they're a bit easier to control than the others.. though I've used both and also Olsen and Pegas spirals without issues too. I also use them to widen the kerf on thick wood like 3/4" Cherry, Poplar etc after cutting with a flat blade. Spirals will sort of have a mind of their own.. in that they take the path of least resistance so you can cut along and hit a softer spot in the wood grain and it'll try to pull into the softer wood.. sort of like hitting a big puddle of water in your car.. for a lack of better description. So with that, I suggest getting used to them some with BBplywood as it's usually more consistent in density. I have used #1 size too and that is what I use for the Pegas brand as they're number system runs slightly smaller than the other brands in my experience.. so a #1 is like between a 2/0 and 1 in a FD brand.

I order my box fan filters, air filtration filters, Danish oil and many other things from Home Depot and yes.. free shipping is a plus because the local HD for me is 40 ish mile away. Yet I usually receive my order at my door the next day. My DeWalt planer, miter saw and stands for both came from them too. I was ordering my Lacquer from them too but then last time I found it way cheaper at a place online called MaxWarehouse.. It did take longer than HD by quite a few days but the price was worth the wait.

Ditto what others have said above.. Paul that is really cool to do the Christmas cards like this... I might have to copy that idea..

I have ordered my table saw and many other bigger tools with free shipping through Home Depot too.. and yeah they have a lot of other brands to that you normally wouldn't see in many stores. Most times if Amazon is running a sale so is Home Depot.. and sometimes a few dollars cheaper than Amazon some how, lol

Those have a single speed motor and you change speeds via a belt on different set of pulleys.. I don't know if that makes any different as I don't know electronics enough to give any advice.. I just know this saw is a single speed motor.. was one of my dream saws I was saving up for back in the 2007 or so.. and they discontinued making them.. many parts are now no longer available so glad I never did get one, LOL

The laser leaves a bit of soot in the engraved area that sometimes washes away with the "flood" from dipping the project.. If you can spray a light coat of something on it to hold the soot in place and seal it off you could probably dip it in danish oil.. It's more about how the flooding of the liquid washing and moving the soot around.. if you can lightly ad the oil rather than flooding it but also have to be careful not to brush it away too.. some wood types are not so prone to do this too.. maybe it's just the experience I had when I first started doing laser projects I don't know.. but after ruining a couple pieces I figured out for me dipping is not the best option for finishing laser work. A diode laser engraves different from a c02 so maybe there would be no issues with one of those.. I'm not sure how woodburners finish their stuff.. maybe the Danish oil doesn't bother that type of stuff either.. just explaining my limited experiences with dipping engraved stuff.. As I also said not all materials had done this.. I never had any issues with Cherry.. Never done it on Maple or Walnut so? Red Oak is the one type that I did have issues with.. and you could hardly tell it was engraved.. now if I had engraved against the grain maybe that would be different? don't know.. Looks to me like this was done on a diode laser.. there may not be any issue.. It's a beautiful piece and I'd hate to see him dip it and have it wash the darkness of the engrave away.. Though I think dipping that Walnut and the Maple contrast would really enhance the wood and I think it's the best option for this piece to make that wood just pop.. What I would do is engrave on a piece of scrap maple and give it a try first.. if it works then I would rather see it dipped.. no better finish for making the grain pop in my opinion.. just hate to see the engraved area get washed away IF it is not at least tested first.

Now that I have a bit more time I'll add a little more info. LOL Dipping with the laser part won't hurt the engrave but it "may" make the engrave a lighter color.. for example if you have a nice dark grey or black engrave after dipping it it may change from dark grey / black to a lighter tone of grey and even at times it may wash most of the engrave color right off and then it'll just look like a slight different shade of the type of wood you used.. usually a darker shade but make it hard to see from a distance.. That's all I wanted to point out... I'm no pro at the laser and CNC routed stuff but I did make a lot of scraps trying to figure out the finishing process when doing engraves and routed carvings as finishing is (for me) way more complex than just dropping a scrolled piece into some danish oil.. Something I've been meaning to try is to spray a couple light coats of polyurethane onto a laser engraved piece and then a couple days later dip it into Danish oil to see if that would help preserve the dark engraving. The chemicals in the Danish oil will definitely melt away the sprayed on poly.. been there done that by accident on some other experiment LOL. But in doing that it might protect the engave just enough to hold the color while sealing up all the other work.. Also if you do dip it.. it as is.. I think you'll get better results if you try not to flood the engraved area too much.. I have had success just dripping some danish oil onto the engraved parts and then dipping the rest.. I think you might be okay doing that.. just don't drop it into a pan and let it set there for 10 minutes, LOL.. You probably could just dip a rag or brush into the oil and sort of wipe / dab it onto the engrave area trying not to brush or wipe across the engrave too hard.. These are just my experiences.. using a c02 laser.. I understand that the diode type lasers work differently and most times the engrave from a diode laser will come out better and darker.. I do not have any experience with the diode type laser as I have never used my big 25" x 25" diode laser I got 7 years ago, LOL.. I mostly wanted to do cutting and quicker engraving so the C02 is what I went with instead.. diodes are very slow.. but do amazing job with engraving so long as you don't mind the waiting time of the laser. IF, you end up dipping this and the engrave lightens up, provided you can get the piece back into the laser you could just engrave it again and darken it up.. I've learned to dip or spray lacquer before the engrave on a few different pieces to avoid the issue.. just be sure the finish is good and dry.. the finish will catch fire very easy, LOL.. don't ask how I know.