kmmcrafts

Best advice I've seen.. You really have to just test the waters and see what works for you and in doing the testing... yes you will loose and win.. I don't look at loosing money as a loss.. because it is also a learning experience that you can't get without trying..

Your question mentions Pegas blade holder but doesn't mention what you want to know about the blade holder? I don't do thick wood cutting so i probably cannot answer that question... however.. doesn't matter what thickness you're cutting.. if there is an issue with blade clamping.. it could be many things besides the holders itself.. Maybe give a little more details to your question.. what type of problem are you having... what saw are you using? stock blade holders? or the Pegas ones.. I had issues with my stock blade holders from day 1 with my Excalibur.. no matter if I was even cutting or not.. just insert the blade and run the saw it would slip out from time to time.. but not any once I put the Pegas on... that said... I've really hardly used the Excalibur saw even with the new Pegas holders.. Just like using the Hawk so much better.. Anyway.. give a little more info.. maybe someone will have some suggestions..

A postal worker once told me that they won't cover poorly packaged items.. they require a minimum of 1 inch space between the item and the box itself.. for the most part.. All of my shipping for my woodwork i wrapped in the large bubbles bubble wrap and about two - three inch thick of just bubble wrap.. then.. I use packing peanuts for fill to make the item filled in the box so it cannot get bumped around inside the box.. When I had items damaged several years ago.. I only used wrapped up news papers.. well not news paper but actual packing paper, LOL.. Anyway I showed my postal clerk how I package my stuff.. and they said they could probably get run over by the mail truck and not get broke, LOL.. On a side note.. just three weeks ago I had a return customer message me and said it was a good thing I wrapped all that bubble wrap on his order.. He said the box was delivered sopping wet and dripping all over the place.. the box was mangled and had a tire track on it just as if it had been run over.. he said he was sure it would be broke or at least damaged from being wet.. He said as he unwrapped the bubble wrap.. the item was dry and un-damaged.. He couldn't believe it wasn't damaged.. Bubble wrap is cheap compared to a scrolled piece.. well at least for me.. I buy it 1000 foot at a time.. and cost me $120 usually last me about a year.. Use about 2 bags of packing peanuts a year as well.. that's the big 20 cubic foot bags..

Unfortunately this happens from time to time.. while I'm sure it's a daily thing with the USPS.. but that said.. I mail out about 700 - 1000 items a year with my business and it's only happen to me about 3 times over the last 8 years.. I filed my claims online and uploaded a picture of the damaged goods.. They mailed out a check and I had it within I think like 10 days..

Client from Amazon asked if I could make her a 66 Dart.. not sure how I did on it but it's all I could do.. I made a sloppy pattern myself but I suppose it was cuttable as this is what I came up with.. If I make it again there will be a couple of slight changes but over all I think it came out okay..

Hope the sale goes better than you expected.

I'd consider going with the Jet.. I believe it has a slightly larger work table too.. I may be wrong but I thought the table looked bigger on the Jet when i was looking at them in the showroom floor.. I actually like the blade chuck on the Jet.. but it's the same set up as with my Hawk for the bottom clamp and i like the self clamp / tension in one step.. I see that as an advantage for fretwork like I do.. Jet seems to be close to the $1000 mark and would be with the Pegas upgrade..

I believe you have the tension cam set wrong.. You mentioned it being at 11 o'clock.. but you never flipped that lever down to lock it in.. The setting it at a certain time on the clock is just a starting point.. what you do is put the blade in.. and adjust that back cam lever until the blade is just starting to give some resistance or tension at the set time for the blade you're using.. then you flip that lever down and lock it down.. You do this with the quick release lever at the front of the saw in the tension position.. or locked down toward the back of the saw.. Once you set the tension at the back of the saw you can usually just use the quick release at the front of the saw.. sometimes you'll need to re adjust it if using different size or style blades.. I find that I need more tension with a Pegas blade after using a FD blade.. maybe Pegas are slightly longer blade or something but I always have to add a little to the Pegas.. Anyway, in the video you has that back lever pointed up at the 11 o'clock position and it should be locked down.. Sounded good.. anyway

Spiral blades do typically need a little more tension as others mentioned.. I also use them somewhat like a flat blade still and cut with them on the front portion of the blade.. The way a scroll saws blade motion works.. there is a slight front to back motion on the blade.. so you'll probably find the spiral will cut faster using the front and possibly the rear of the blade as opposed to the sides of the blade.. because of that slight blade front to back blade motion.. Spirals typically wear out a little faster too.. Since I do a lot of my cutting on them on the front like a flat blade sometimes I'll take the blade out and reverse it for the less used teeth on the opposite side..

This is what I ended up with since I couldn’t find the graphite. Not sure how good it is but I figured if it didn’t work well for the scroll saw I could use it for door hinges etc on the car and bicycle chain etc. So far it seems to be slick and easy working on the saw. But still plan to get the graphite next time I go to the store. I know now that I was looking in the wrong area at the store. So maybe next time I’ll find it.

Good to know, just in case I run out of lumber by then maybe I can get some good deals there.. Kind of a drive for me to that one as well.. I'm only about 25 mile ( 30-35 minutes) from Charlotte.. but about 1.5 hours to the SB one

That's cheap compared to our woodcraft.. shows it at $8.99.. I just looked at the website where I go and it's $12.75 for a 5 x 5 ft sheet.. If you buy 1-3 sheets. If you get 10+ sheets like I do.. then its $11.05 per sheet.. then wait for the big sale that they do as I mentioned above and they even do much better on the price..

Okay I see.. I was going to say.. they normally run a wood expo sale there as well.. It's usually a week or so before the Charlotte one.. as they bring the left overs to the Charlotte one so you'd get first picks there, LOL... Maybe they no longer do that at the SB store.. I don't know..

I've been to the one in GR but it's been probably 8-10 years ago.. While it's a nice store I really wasn't impressed with the wood selection they had etc.. at that time.. May have changed now since the LL Johnson work bench closed up.. I believe the work bench in GR was on Burton St? Only time I was in there was during a store closing.. didn't even know it was there.. But then I don't get up toward GR all that much.. about 2 times the distance as Charlotte...

LOL, I actually won't be buying much if any BB this year.. because I bought a lot of it last year and haven't used nearly what I thought I would.. But stay away from the Cherry lumber..LOL no they'll have plenty.. They should anyway.. They have a work crew that runs 24-7 365 days a year.. They use to have a mill there but that's been gone for quite a few years now.. they just contract it from other mills.. and they have a crew that just loads and unloads trucks of lumber pretty much 24-7.. They have a crew that just runs a planner and an edger 24-7.. That place turns out a lot of lumber.. every year.. place runs pretty much 24-7 365 days.. holidays and all.. LOL.. They have a store in South Bend IN.. have you been to it? Use to have several other stores but now they just have the two..

There should be a hole on the accessory arm that runs along the side of the upper arm where the stem of the magnifier lights fit into.. At least that is how I have mine set up.. I didn't need the clamp bracket that came with my light.. I just stuck the stem down into that hole..

Welcome to the village.. I'm also from Michigan.. we have a few from Michigan on here..

I've never used 1/4 plywood for portrait work.. I usually use 1/8" Baltic birch plywood.. much stronger and higher quality than a normal plywood.. with 1/8" you can stack cut 4-5 boards together at one time.. I've never used a spiral blade any larger than a #3.. and that is pretty rare.. Typically use a #0/1 or a #1 .. I mostly use flat blades but will use spirals from time to time.. I like Flying Dutchman spiral blades.. usually the "New Spirals" I bought a sample of Pegas spirals.. I do like Pegas blades.. I think Pegas blades run on the small side from the other blades I've used n spinals anyway.. Most online places that sells blades have a recommended usage description.. also a size chart for each size blade to get an idea.. not all brands and styles of blades use the same size by number configuration.. so a #4 Olsen blade will most likely be a different size blade that a #4 Pegas or other brand / style.. blade... Making portraits from 1/8 BB ply and then adding a 1/8 backer still allows the portraits to still fit in many picture frames.. You can paint the backers if using the same wood.. or use a regular 1/8 plywood from a contrasting color.. if the piece isn't too fragile.. you can also use a foam sheet or colored paper to ad color to the background of the picture..

Cut a couple of these out yesterday , then got the idea of making ornaments from the pattern. I did modify the pattern some but not too much, mostly just around the letters to sort of separate them. This is a pattern from the woodimals cd I purchased last year. Puzzles are made from Poplar and the base I colored with dark walnut Danish oil. The ornaments are 1/8 BB Ply with Danish oil. I copied the pattern and saved as jpg and then right clicked the file, selected print then in the photo print options I printed it as a 3x5 inch and print 4 of them to a sheet of paper. I resize a lot of patterns for wall hanging into ornaments this way. Anyway enjoy the photos. BTW I did both with cropped ears and without. Only got these two pictures for now.

I buy mine local in the 60 x 60 inch square size.. I have them cut it into 3rds so it's easier handling on my small table saw.. They do it for free if it takes them less than 5 minutes.. I've always read that the 4 x 8 sheets is not real BB just birch plywood.... There use to be a website where you could find local distributors of lumber and plywood etc.. Can't think of the name of it now Edited to add: I just realized you're from west Michigan.. Not sure how close to Charlotte you are but I buy most my supplies from LL Johnson lumber out of Charlotte Mi.. They have a yearly " Wood Expo " where they run sales on lumber and plywood's etc.. and have demonstrations, tool sales etc.. I try to by my years worth of supplies during this expo.. And.. it just so happens to be coming up in September.. I don't know the dates off the top of my head but.. you can google them for their web site and they should have something on there about it.. Usually first part of Sept. Last year the 1/8" BB ply in the 60 x 60 size was like $12 a sheet normally runs about $15.00 I think.. Expo is Sept. 7-8 http://www.theworkbench.com/expo.php

I just noticed it's about time to empty my saw dust can from my dust collection.. mostly from my planner or bandsaw.... got me to thinking.. what do you all do with your saw dust.. My brother's lumber mill is just a few mile up the road so I take it to his big saw dust pile.. since he sells saw dust by the big dump truck loads.. mostly to horse farms etc.. That said.. this time I cannot dump it because I planned some walnut and also did some glue-ups and walnut is toxic to horses... not sure about the glues but I assume it shouldn't be used for animal bedding etc.. anyway.. I have about 6 cans I use.. and once they get full i load them in my truck and take them to my brother.. just thought about it today because my 6th can is half full and I need to do some planning.. Anyway, it's fairly easy for me to empty my saw dust cans.. usually... brother is okay with me dumping walnut.. but he needs to know ahead of time so he doesn't deliver that batch to a farmer.. So what do you do with all your saw dust..

Hawk recommends a light oil for the bearings and bushings as well... but they recommend a dry lube for the front tension release cam area and I think the wedge at the back of the saw.. I've been using just oil.. as that's what the manual says.. however I've seen mention that Hawk now recommends the dry lube.. so I don't know.. I think Brad was one that mentioned he used the dry lube per Hawks recommending it to him.. I thought I'd give it a try and a short test run and check for wear etc.. and see how it goes.. I know the oil collects all the dust and dirt.. etc.. and i don't too much care for that.. and the grimy look that it leaves behind.. after a few hours of cutting

Okay here is some pictures , not sure you can see the set screw in this clamp opposite of the thumb screw. Then there is the picture of the hole for your blade changes, then I took one with the clamp in the hole for doing a blade change. The other pictures are of the two slots in which you set the blade holder into in the lower arm. The front slot is for a less aggressive cut or for thin wood cutting the one toward the back of the arm is for thick wood cutting or a more aggressive cut. I personally always use the front one and see little to no difference in the aggressive cutting from either slot. I do notice with it in the back slot I don’t get as good of a cut not squared. Not a huge deal other than cutting puzzles for me anyway or stack cutting.

There is a set screw on the opposite side of the thumb screw on the lower blade holder.. Your clamps are just like what Les posted above.. I just watched your 2nd video you posted the other day.. The lower clamp is there in the lower arm.. your video shows the set screw being in there.. as well as on the upper blade clamp.. That blade clamp comes out.. in order to change blades if you look on the right side of the saw on that brace that runs along side the upper arm.. there is two different sets of holes drilled into that.. You put your holder roll pin into one of those holes and the upper lip on the clamp should lock over the top of that upper brace.. this holds it while you loosen / tighten the thumb screw for changing the blades..

Very Nice!!