kmmcrafts

I always seem to think I'm far enough out from under the saw to stand back up... lets just say the underside of that saw is just as hard as the top side.. much harder than my head.. Still hasn't knocked any sense into me.. but that's okay.. I wouldn't be the same if I had some sense..

Sue Mey pattern... Yeah not sure if I'll use the new saw.. I'd like to get it all dialed in.. but keep getting orders.. I've got plenty of time ( 3 weeks ) to get these done.. but I still want to just knock them out, LOL.. Still working on the 36 Ford clock order.. but I'm waiting on that person to get back with me on some details so.. I'll get these done first I suppose..

I probably could stack cut them.. they are 1/2" thick though and I'm not a big one to cut much more than 3/4".. so most likely will just cut each one at a time.. At least it's a fairly easy one to cut..

I've been conveying for a week with some retailer.. ( might be Walmart the way they tried bargaining LOL ) They been trying to bargain with me for a lower price since they want to quantity order some of these.. I think it's a wedding shop.. Anyway I wouldn't budge.. was kinda hoping they'd give up and walk.. well they didn't and now I'm the lucky guy to cut 10 of these.. If I can get my Hawk dialed in maybe a good chance to get some hours on the machine..

Here it is the right way... I hope.. LOL

I'm surprised that I hadn't noticed it during the picture taking.. Thankfully I had just glued it up took the photo and it was out drying.. It wasn't fully dry / cured and I was able to pull it apart.. and re-glue this.. It is now the correct way, LOL

Dang it.. I layed them all out and then had an issue with one of my strips so I took it out and remade another strip.. just so happens I thought I still had it layed out..

I did some practice cutting text again.. fun project from Sheila Landry's website.. I cut this from 1/8" BB ply stacked three.. then the backers are 1/4" Walnut ply with solid walnut strips in the back to hold all together.. I have a few other patterns of these type plaques they have on their site.. probably take a short break on cutting text though.. and I have to cut the 36 Ford pickup that Jim made a pattern for me anyway.. This measures about 18" tall x about 15 wide if I remember correct.. Cut this on the Hawk 226 Ultra.. ( Pegas MG #3) was cut before getting my new Hawk.. actually cut for a while.. just gluing the backer and assembling took almost as long as the cutting..LOL

So you can say you have many PHD's... Me too.. LOL.. My wife was talking to my kids ( mainly about Doctors but education and explaining different degrees ) about PHD's .. I piped up and said I have several PHD's The kids looked at me kinda funny and the wife had a slight puzzled look on her face wondering where the heck I was going to go with this one.. Once I explained myself.. they all just smiled and shook their heads.. Gotta keep them all on their toes.. LOL

Sells it to local horse farms and stock yards.. Not sure what the demand is at the moment.. but about a year or so ago he was telling me that he was grinding up the wood chips ( scraps go to a chipper where he sells chips to landscape companies ) to make sawdust instead of the chips.. at the time.. sawdust was almost more valuable than the lumber itself, LOL Just cannot sell to the farms etc if there is Walnut sawdust in there.. guess it makes horses sick? Not sure the reason ... but even just a little walnut gets in the sawdust.. he can't sell it to the horse farms.. but still okay for the stockyards..

Everyone has a different style cutting.. blade life will be very dependent on many different variables from blade speed, feed rate, to the material at hand.. I think most of us know that.. You might get an hour on them blades.. but " hours " is quite a stretch.. I say this as I did get an hour cutting BB ply last night but with spirals.. and I was only cutting a stack of two. .. My style of cutting wears out blades faster.. Back to style of cutting.. I almost always stack cut up to 5/8" thick BB.. probably the heat from cutting such thickness.. but if I''m only cutting 1/4 or less then yeah.. blade last much longer.. and it is typically too sharp at first so I slow the saw down until the blade gets that edge off.. as I start having to push into the wood a bit.. then I'll speed up the saw. In this case.. yeah you probably can get over an hour.. probably a stretch to get 2 hours though.. Not saying your wrong or I'm right.. just different style cutting.. BB ply is tough on blades though.. that's a fact.. LOL

Yeah the Pegas and also the Olsen blades are more brittle if one gets bent at all.. I've never used any blades smaller than a 0/2 that I remember of.. Does seem like I had some years ago that was 0/3.. but that would have been when I was just learning to saw.. around 2005-6.. Those blades are easy to get bent too.. since they have teeth on all sides they get hung up sometimes trying to feed them through the pilot holes..

Last year I bough a few packs of the Pegas spiral blades in various sizes.. Tried them doing some portrait work on the Hawk.. but I was on a mission and I kept breaking them so I went back to the FD-NS .. today I started cutting the dog portrait from my pattern request section that I asked for. Using the Excalibur to do the cutting since I have never cut a portrait or used spiral blades on it.. The FD blades was quite slow going.. stack cutting 2 at 1/8" BB ply.. and using the FD-NS # 0/2 so I bumped up to the FD #1 which was too aggressive going.. I remembered the Pegas and thought I'd give them a go on the Excalibur for this project.. Gotta say those blades are awesome.. I'm almost done with the cutting and have only used the one Pegas blade and two of the FD blades.. The Pegas is still cutting better than the FD blade when the FD blade was brand new.. I must say though.. They are faster cutters and I've slowed my saw speed down considerably for better control.. I think the FD-NS is easier to control especially if you're new to spirals.. those would be the choice.. The FD -NS blades was always slower than the other spirals from FD.. and I no longer have any of the others as I always like the easier control to the NS... With spiral blades... having an aggressive cutting set up on your saw.. the FD-NS blades are a must in my opinion if you're new to spirals.. Those blades work awesome on the DW saw.. but they are quite slow going on the Hawk and the EX since I tuned the EX to be not as aggressive.. set up to cut much like the Hawk.. In fact They way it's set now.. I think the Hawk is more aggressive.. Impressed with how much you can tune that EX.. Should be finishing up my portrait tomorrow.. hopefully some pictures in a couple more days once cut and the poly dries...

Not had too much problems with thicker pieces of Oak.. and I make a few projects from it.. not a big fan of cutting it.. the smell to me stinks.. ( not that I try to sniff up the dust and always wear a mask ) but I do like the look it gives.. Never had any luck with 1/8 - 3/8 thick though .. in some cases even 1/2 inch.. My go to wood is Cherry.. If it warps in the thin stuff I typically cut it up small enough to make ornaments out of it to salvage the wood if I can... Never said it's crap wood really.. just not my top choice to cut.. Cuts nice too.. just smells and warps easily.. unless you get to pick and choose the boards.. A lot goes into lumber warpage.. including how it's stacked, dried etc..

Birch and Walnut for contrast is what I use a lot.. most of my wall clocks and signs are nothing but BBply.. and walnut backer.. I've also used Red Oak with walnut.. (The sign picture )

The scroll saw will be fine with Hard Maple.. You might say a lot of bad words trying to cut it though....

I'd only get a small sample of them.. if they do indeed last hours of cutting time then that sample should last several weeks.. and plenty of time to get more on hand before you run out.. I only tried one blade out of the sample pack that I had of these and the rest of them still set in my drawer.. Maybe I'll mail them to JT.. You should try lots of different blades.. as everyone has different taste and style of cutting.. I didn't like these blades at all.. Not my style.. could be for you though.. Hours of cutting.. that's pretty stretched.. I only lasted about 5 minutes before I had enough of that blade myself.. again.. you might like it though.. I've tried almost every blade style offered by Olsen, FD, and Pegas... Not saying that all there blades are junk or anything.. but.. I almost exclusively cut BB ply or solid Cherry, Oak, and soft Maple.. I've always gravitated back to just the FD Ultra Reverse or... Pegas Modified Geometry.. Those are the main two blades I always come back too.. They are sharp, fast cutting, and a good all around blade that I don't seem to have issues with burning.. well I do something will burn cherry if using the Ultra Reverse blades for some reason.. but never have with the Pegas. which is really pretty much my go to blade.. The Pegas MG numbers 3 and 5 primarily..

That is who I was thinking of.. Sure miss him around on the other forum.. He was the "Original" puzzle king..

Looking at your G4 and zoomed in.. that saw design is looking exactly like my new BM-26.. I think the changes they did are with the adjustable lower blade holder and the motor has a redesigned bearing plate deal for smoother running.. Often wondered how my new saw compared to the G4.. almost the same thing really.. Okay.. back on topic.. I like the idea of the rolling 5 legged stool.. I may have to look into one of those.. My stool is tipsy if you try pushing it back to get off the chair.. I'm used to it now and am careful..

I had old worn and cracked wing type for my old saw when I first got it.. I went to the local hardware and they had replacements real cheap.. but they was round.. Funny how everyone has a different preference.. I don't like the round ones and like the wing style better.. Anyway.. check your local hardware store take an old one with you so they can match up the threads..

Quarter sawn Oak doesn't warp nearly as bad if your stuck on using oak... Also when purchasing lumber look at the grain.. and select lumber with tighter grain lines.. as they tend to keep straight a little better.. This is a big reason I do make a lot of my stuff from plywood.. And if I'm buying Oak.. I only buy quarter sawn... If I have a piece of oak that's not quarter sawn it's because if was free wood from my brother or uncles mill..

Yes, My thought too when i got my set... I didn't think about posting this info for those that are not mechanically inclined to set up the chucks properly.. Guess I just thought it was common sense..

Took a couple full bags of sawdust from my dust collector to my brothers mill to dump in his sawdust pile. He told me he had some more Hard Maple for me to take home so we traded. Not a big fan of hard maple but free is good. Hate scrolling it though so I’ll either be using it in the CNC or making a boat load of cutting boards. I might make more money selling his scrap lumber than trying to make stuff with it to sell .

That's the same style switch that came with all three of my Hawks.. I have the HF on / off switch on my DW ( I don't have to hold my foot on it click on click off ) The EX came with a switch that will only work with the EX as it's corded with that goofy style plug that goes to the saw.. and while nothing wrong with the switch.. it's made so I can't put a T connector and run the vac off the foot switch unless I cut the cord and splice into it with a regular plug... I always grab a switch from one of the Hawks if I'm going to run the Vac. or my new hour meters..

Ray you have a nice little spot to work in.. looks well organised.. Organization is something I lack when it comes to where to put what for the best space and work friendly area.. My wife.. bless her heart.. is great at it and went out one day to help me organize the shop.. she had the table saw crammed up against the wall.. would maybe be fine if I was cutting supper short boards, LOL.. One thing that does drive me nuts though is when she rearranges every thing.. takes me 2 months to re locate where my stuff went, LOL