kmmcrafts

Many times with looking for designs I will search for CNC laser etc plans.. Ran across this etsy seller that has some really cool designs that might interest someone here so I thought I'd share... I like the Harley lamp design.. But anyway.. check some of these designs out.. I'd like to try a few of them but.. wrong time of year right now for me to "play " as I need to get ready for the holiday shoppers.. https://www.etsy.com/shop/ProjectsForCnc/items

If you go to the Hawk web site they have a couple of videos on setting up the saw.. they also talk about some of the upgrades they have done over the years etc.. I thought they had three or four videos that gave more history on the older saws.. but maybe that was a dream, LOL.. as now they primarily talk about the difference between the Ultra saw and the new BM series saws... I think each video is around 20 minutes but there can be a lot to learn from these if you have interest in some of the things they've done to improve the saws etc.. For the videos you'll have to scroll down a little ways.. http://www.bushtonmanufacturing.com/WebsitePages/The-Hawk-Scroll-Saw.html

I used to play with them a little.. never did get real good at it.. but then.. I was only about 10 years old.. My older brothers used them to do custom paint jobs on cars.. when done they'd let me play with the leftover paint in some scrap hoods and fenders etc.. My father used them on paper to create scenery for his scroll saw projects.. he'd paint the top of the backer blue for the sky and green for grass etc etc.. and then glue it to the back of his cuttings.. made them really pop with a scene on the background of some of those cuttings he did.. He played a lot with the 2 - 3 dimensional cuttings where you cut think wood and create from several types of wood to create a dimensional scene..

At some point Hawk redesigned the arms on their saws to give them more strength.. it is mentioned in one of their videos on their web site.. I'm guessing this might be what you are seeing with these two saws.. Do the arms look the same? If I remember right one style of their arms had hollowed out holes through them to lighten them up.. and the other style they did like an I beam down to lighten it up.. and give it more strength..

I center the blade as best I can on both top and bottom clamps.. then I use a small square to set the table to the blade.. then I use that square and manually raise and lower the saw through a cutting stroke with the square next to the blade to see that the blade is square to the table throughout the blade stroke.. I then adjust the anvil ( set screw ) either top or bottom so the blade it plumb to the table in both top and bottom clamps.. If you don't have a small square that will fit under the arm through the blade stroke a credit card or something comes in handy as a straight edge LOL

Well one thing in my experience with the stock clamp is the sliding part never worked very smooth.. so.. it never really un released the tension to the same spot every time.. so each time I did a fret cutout and went to the next hole.. the tension for the next hole was different than what I have previously set it at in my first install of the blade. and each time I change to a new fret to cut... I never had consistent tension every time all the time like I do with my Hawk saws.. One thing to note too.. the two pieces of the stock clamp that the one slides on the stationary one was a very sloppy fit together.. and was always getting cockeyed and jammed up and sticking.. probably some slick dry lube or something could have done wonders maybe for that stock clamp.. I just feel this design is very sloppy on the stock clamp for a... what most would say is a higher end saw.. certainly not high end in my book with the poor clamping design.. otherwise the saw seems to be made very well.. Hawk / Hegner quality? No way!.. nice saw to use? Yes once I replace that clamp to the Pegas upgraded clamp.. So with that all said.. I too had trouble with mounting the blade in the clamp.. because my upper clamp didn't always release in the same position every time.. and you cannot see the blade way back there in the clamp to know where it's positioned at.. which your method sounds like it would work well.. and I think it could have been just a learning curve for many that are new to the saw.. In my case.. many have mentioned that I may have had a defective clamp.. could be I don't know.. I do know the design itself was very poor in my book.. the way it fit together to the fixed piece.. defective? Maybe.. and I hope so really.. if all of them are just made this sloppy I would think there would be many more complaints about this.. Most I've read is stripped out threads.. and I see that for the DeWalts as well.... though I've run my DeWalt for 10 years every day and 2 years on and off after that.. and it still has the same clamps and thumb screws etc...

Those are very nice.. love your corner work on them.. great idea..

You been a little busy? LOL.. Great work as always..

Awesome cuttings!! I like both very much.. but that Indian.. Wow! I'm not a huge motorbike enthusiast... but just love to see details in a cutting like this.. those fine details is what make a image just pop.. coming from a sawyer as well I can see how these types of cuttings can test your patients... but the gratitude of a job well done when finished is priceless.. I've cut a few ( very few ) of these type of cuttings.. the WoW factors you get when people see it makes it so worth the effort.. Great job!

As Scott said.. you can see the top of the blade as the upper clamp is really designed similar to the DW788 in than aspect.. I have to be honest.. before buying the pegas clamp I was really not impressed with the Excalibur.. and was going to sell it.. Now I've been using it instead of the Hawk.. I like the more aggressive cutting ( faster ) than the Hawk.. yet I can tune the blade movement to be able to do those tight inside corners with ease.. and have a faster cutting saw. the original clamps was a pain for me to put blades in.. and might not have been so bad had I been a top feeder.. but dealing with the upper clamp on every fret... made me want to throw the darn saw in the trash can, LOL Now the blade changes are much like I'm used to with the DeWalt..

Congrats on the new saw Travis.. I'd second the motion on getting the Pegas chuck upgrade... very much worth it and in my case.. kept me from selling the saw..

Yes, I also been there done that with my DeWalt.. why they never put a dust cover over the switch is beyond me.. other than cost cutting.. LOL Before I got the foot switch.. I took a old latex glove and cut it up to make a cover for my switch and taped it on.. never an issue after doing that.. I might suggest if blowing the switch out gets it working.. do something similar and you should be good to go.. then it might save you from having the switch short out and burn up.. and then needing a new one..

I started off with a old Delta two speed 16" saw model 40-560 I think it was.. still have it as it was my Fathers first saw.. Then that broke and while waiting on parts to repair it I borrowed my brothers Ryobi and I think it was a SC164VS.. Saved some money and bought a 16" craftsman not sure the model but had a angle guide built into the table.. not sure why I mention this saw because I never used it.. brought it home and unboxed it.. thing vibrated right off the bench almost.. and the variable speed wasn't working.. so I packed it back up and took it back.. saved a little more money and bought a Dremel 1800 that had the disc sander on the side.. used it for about a year and wore out the connecting rod at the back of the saw that connects the upper and lower arms.. ordered parts and repaired it and within 6 months it was getting worn again.. so saved up and bought my DeWalt ran it for about 3 years before needing a rebuild.. Bought an old Delta SS350LS to use while rebuilding the DeWalt.. That Delta was a nice saw.. but I sold it for some reason.. Then when my trusty old DeWalt was starting to get noisy again.. I started looking for a back-up saw.. wanted a higher end saw to just keep as a back-up.. bought my old Hawk 220VS 3 years ago and did upgrades to it.. Kinda been using it since.. Then I found the deal on the 226 Ultra and then not too long after than I found the deal on the new Excalibur EX-21 that I couldn't refuse.. All of this said.. of my experience If I could only have one saw.. t'd be a tough call between my Hawks and the Excalibur.. Now that I bought the Pegas upgrade blade holders.. I love the Excalibur.. Before the upgraded blade chucks.. it'd have been the Hawk hands down.. and would still be the Hawk if the Hawk was as aggressive cutting as I am accustom to.. since the Hawk is slightly slower cutting.. I choose the Excalibur.. both are easy to do blade changes.. If you are accustom to cutting on the less aggressive saw.. you may want to stick with a Hawk.. as you may find the Ex types saws may cut faster than you are wanting to.. you can do things to slow it down though as it's much easier to adjust blade speed or go to less aggressive blade etc.. Harder to go from a aggressive cutting saw when you're used to cutting fast and then go to a less aggressive saw and want to go faster.. I think the Hawk saw would be a good one to teach your daughter to saw on.. because they are less aggressive cutting and it's easier to get those sharp turns and corners on one of the Hawks than the Ex style saws.. Good luck on whatever you decide..

If I'm in a car like this... I do my best to sit in the drivers seat..

Very nicely done.. I've cut / sold a lot of those.. I make desk clocks out of this design.. It's a pretty easy quick one to do.. the toughest part is those louver things at the back window area.. especially if you don't have a small drill bit.. though I shrink the pattern down some which makes those cutouts smaller too.. Great job!

My 226 has the line-loc blower hose but the older style clamp.. My old 220 I upgraded to the line loc and it made a world of difference.. then a year later my upper tension mechanism wore out and so I upgraded to the new BM style.. I personally like the older style better.. and personally wouldn't upgrade it unless it is worn out and needs it.. Not really much difference in using the two different styles.. just something about that BM style upper system i don't really care for.. as far as the way it's designed..

I run across this on a laser CNC forum when someone asked about identifying a font.. someone replied with this place.. Just thought it could come in handy with the pattern makers.. Have no idea how well it works.. as I haven't tried it.. https://www.fontsquirrel.com/matcherator

Great idea.. I ended up buying a small bit chuck from Mikes when I started using the small bits.. My press would hold the 1/16 great.. but when I started using the real small numbered bits it wouldn't.. Where can one get a metric chuck for those metric drill bits.. I have a whole set of metric bits brand new.. but my chuck is standard US

Yes that is absolutely and option.. I'm thinking about putting the vac upstairs right above the scroll saw area.. then I could plumb the pvc through the floor.. and I have the upstairs all insulated etc too so it would certainly be much quieter than having the vac next to me.. LOL.. I don't think the higher end vacuums are all that loud though.. Maybe louder than I really think.. but just as an example.. I ran the Dbl app at the grocery store today.. pretty much was running at 50 -60 dbl just walking through the isles.. then when I got up at the checkout the beeping noise as they scan the items at the register the app showed 72dbl.. Those higher end vacs claim to be 62dbl.. which is the same as the me sawing a stack of ornaments.. so I really don't think one of those dust extractors would be much if any more noisy than sawing on the saw.. BTW.. Having fun measuring the sounds of things with that app.. have a few things I want to try.. like.. riding the lawn tractor.. my wife snoring

No I don't.. I'd rather loose my hearing than my lungs.. I wear a dust mask.. Not sure how many things I could strap to my head before I get too top heavy and if i lean too far one way I may just fall over.. . The noise don't bother me as far as being concerned about loosing my hearing.. I've work in a factory for 14 years and worked in the sawmill for 10 years a auto body repair shop for several years.. I've already lost some hearing according to my wife .. I only downloaded that app so i'd have an idea of how loud those higher end vacs are to what my shop vac is... It's more about just wanting to hear my music.. and not listening to the vac for 4-8 hours a day.. I could deal with it if I were just occasionally cutting for fun.. That all said.. yes i do wear hearing protection when running the table saw or other equipment that is quite loud.. not trying to say I don't care about my hearing.. but at the same time.. I don't want to wear safety glasses. dust mask, and hearing protection all day every day either if I don't have to.. In shopping for a dust vac I'm looking for efficient and quiet.. since it'll be running a lot..

So I've been looking for quite some time about scroll saw dust collection.. seen a lot of creative ideas from some of you on here with hooking up PVC pipe to your saw and a vacuum etc.. Something that has been some concern to me is noise.. as at the moment I only have a standard shop vac.. or..my big HF 2HP dust collector.. which in my opinion is plenty noisy.. A few weeks ago just for fun I hooked my shop vac to the dust port on my EX-21.. and it does pretty good at keeping the dust down.. but.. the noise was a killer to my head, LOL so I stopped doing that... today I bought a 3 way plug so i could ( temporarily ) run the shop vac only while the saw was on via the foot switch.. Probably not good for the vac or the foot switch so I only did this for a short time just to see how it went.. I also downloaded a app on my phone to measure dbl noise.. With the shop vac about 8 foot away I showed 86dbl.. I was looking at the noise level of a high end dust extractor both by Fein and Festool.. they both show in the specs about 62dbl.. How accurate the app works.. I don't know but in the ratings of the app some people said it was almost exact to their professional meter... I also seen Seyco as a small dust extractor that can attach right to the saw stand.. Not to sure about that unit.. I like it and the idea of it.. other than the fact I have multiple saws and i think I'd be better off with a larger unit and mount some PVC on each saw so I only need to connect the vac hose to the saw I'm using..but n the other hand.. those higher end dust extractors are quite pricey.. Not sure about if the little Seyco vac is a HEPA Vac or not.. Also don't see much info on the Fein Vacs if they are HEPA filtered or not.. They seem to be much less money than the Festool.. Oh forgot to mention that cutting on the saw without the Vac was about 65dbl..

He posted it in another message post or on a different forum.. at any rate..it was this place https://www.hibid.com/

Happy Birthday!! Love my Pegas clamp on my Excalibur.. haven't purchased one for the DeWalt yet..

That is kinda hat I was thinking about trying..and would be the only way I could do it most likely.. I don't have a router.. ( something on my list to get ) .. I do have a Bosh small hand held like trim router but imagine that would be quite a job for that little guy.. LOL

I've seen some awesome inlay work here so since I have limited experience in inlay I thought I'd ask if anyone has done inlay in thick wood? I was asked to make a cutting board with an inlay of the shape of Michigan in it.. Most cutting boards available in the area are just cut in the shape of Michigan and thus they are odd shaped and tend to be smaller than the traditional cutting board.. If I can figure out how to do inlay on this project.. then I'm also going to make my inlaws in Texas a Michigan shaped one as well... I know they'll love it .. I figured I'd make the cutting boards about 1" thick.. probably a tough one to do since the way I know inlay is sort of stack cutting with a slight angle set on the saw to make the piece fit good.. Maybe a better option would be to slice the board on the bansaw.. do the inlay and glue it back together so I'm not working with such thick pieces? How would you do a project like this.. I've done inlay on thin 1/8 and 1/4 inch wood before but nothing like this.. Be a great opportunity to try the tilting head of my Excalibur