kmmcrafts

I have had some issues with getting the correct tension too.. I found that sometimes the upper arm doesn't always come down all the way.. I also found that the lever doesn't always lower the upper clamp all the way to the same position every single time.. It takes a learning curve as does any "New To You" saw would.. I have to say.. Hawk made a tension / clamping design about as fool proof as one could get for these saws.. You get the same results every single time on a Hawk... Maybe Hegners too? But the Dewalts and other saws seem to have missed something when designing this portion of the scroll saw in my opinion... Not that its difficult to get proper tension.. especially once you " Learn " the particular saw.. Anyway.. I found that wiggling the cam lever and looking to be sure its at it's lowest position has somewhat resolved my issues with this.. I bottom feed though... so if you are a top feeder then.. I'm not sure.. just make sure the upper clamp is all the way down to the same position every time..

Whats the name of the group? I'm on a lot of them.. but not that one since I can't see it..

They'll likely send you a gift too.. not sure if it's a promotional thing or they just really feel bad about the mistake and hope by sending you a gift ( pen, sticky, notes, etc ) with your card design on it... Part of me thinks they do that so you'll buy more of the gift they offer when you run out or see it in person.. Big business like that... bound to make mistakes.. and they are ready to handle them with a promotional gift.. Maybe they don't do that anymore.. like I said.. was several years ago when I had an issue.. either way.. they well known big business and they didn't get that way by doing crappy work and bad customer service.

I agree with you 100% JT... also... something really annoys me with the FB groups.. I'm on several of the groups.. of those groups there seems to be many others on the same groups.. and some will post a finished product to every group they are on.. which fills up my news feed with page after page of the same posting but to a different group.. I know I could stop following most of the groups but then I miss things that doesn't get posted on "All " of the groups.. Not sure if what i said make sense to you all but.. anyway.. It's a big reason I pretty much un-followed most all the groups... either they are dead ones.. or two or three members posting the same things on several different groups that sort of spams all the others that are members of all those same groups.. This is why I asked the question.. what is a good group to join.. I plan on thinning the ones down that I'm on.. and sticking to just a couple of the more active ones.. and try to eliminate all the clogging of the same postings.. on different groups.

I'll have to look into some of these.. Thanks for sharing the info..

I'm pretty sure they will set you straight... I had an issue several years ago ( don't even remember what the issue was now ) and they sent me a whole new batch..

Do we have a list of facebook groups on here? I see mention a lot of this group and that group on facebook.. I'm on a couple of them but there are many many of them that just aren't active at all.. So I was just wondering what the good groups might be on there..

I use Gimp and or inkscape.. I had a older verson of corel draw.. but that program has way more tools and features we wouldn't need / use for doing patterns.. I like gimp best for doing picture to pattern type patterns.. but for other stuff.. ( word art and other things I like to use inkscape ) both programs are capable of doing both.. I think it's more of what I learned from each program.. Ie I first learned portrait type patterns with gimp so naturally I like it better because I haven't taken the time to "really" learn it on inkscape.. There are a lot of videos right here in the forums on each program and this is where I learned to do patterns years ago.. Steve Good is where I learned corel draw.. but it's expensive software.. I probably could be real good at patterns... but I just cannot get any enjoyment from setting at the computer making patterns when i could just pay someone to make them and spend my time at the saw making sawdust.. so I opt to do just that... then when I need a pattern and I can't get anyone to make one I try doing it myself and I usually can't remember how to do it..

That's what I thought.. which is why I went to their web site and compared... then at the top of their page it says "Total Shop" as one of their brands.. would be a very nice deal for someone.. I sure don't need / want another saw.. Probably be hard to sell because most folks won't buy something they haven't heard of in fear of no parts or service... they'd go pay double or tripple for a DeWalt or Delta etc..

Yeah, I don't need another saw... having 5 and only able to use 1 at a time kinda sucks, LOL... I've actually been contemplating selling off 2-3 of them just because I really don't need them all.. I ran just 1 saw for 8 years or so but taking it apart and needing a back up was something I felt was necessary for my business.. just kind of went crazy when i started looking and finding real awesome deals.. some how a back up saw turned into 3 extra back-up saws, LOL.. I could sell them and buy something I could put to better use... such as a drum sander or a router and table etc. things I don't have but could be of use in my shop.. would also like another drill press.. or two.. and keep them set up with my clock drilling bits.. and my sanding mop etc..

My local dollar stores have it... if I remember correct the are much much shorter rolls and i think they only have the wide rolls whatever they are 18"? anyway the 12 inch wide stuff is much more user friendly in my opinion.. I keep rolls of both so when I do a larger project I use the wide stuff.. but I use about 20 rolls of the 12" wide stuff to my 1 roll of the wide stuff..

If you look at the photos of the manual he provided in the ad.. it shows a motor in the manual mounted underneath the saw.. and the parts list he provided also shows number 35 is the motor.. I suspect it comes with the motor.. I believe that some of the shopsmith tools were individually powered as well.. I'm not sure of that.. but either way.. it appears this saw has a motor on it..

I think this is a Sakura scroll saw? Seems like a well made saw and a decent price.. I'd never heard of a Total Shop.. but going o P.S. Wood's site appears to be the same saw as the P.S. woodmachines and the Sakura.. run across it while searching out for a used jointer.. https://centralmich.craigslist.org/tls/d/21-scroll-saw-total-shop-model/6634947493.html

Both the wedding things are a Sue Mey patterns... if anyone is looking to make them..

I've been quite busy and haven't posted much on here.. or actually haven't really been on here much other than a couple quick glances every now and then.. Chevy Nova and the 57 Chevy Wagon are a couple custom orders from last week.. rest is stuff I had but sold last week.. Hoping everyone is enjoying their summer and getting lots of saw time in.. Thanks in advance for your likes and comments.... as this week is already starting out busy so I'm probably not going to get much time to get on here..

Nice stand / cart Ray.. looks like it should work pretty well for you.. as for my shop... I do pretty good at keeping it clean.. just wish I had taught my kids to do the same.. also wish i had taught them to put tools back where they found them.. most times when i need a tool.. I know better than to look in the tool box for it.. just pay attention to where my kids have been working on things at.. and i'll find the tools I need.. 9 out of 10 times they aren't in the tool box.. so anyway.. that is one big thing I failed to teach my kids I suppose.. but I'll take that over the majority of mouthy disrespectful brats that many of the younger kids are these days..

Very nice work there.. From what I'm gathering.. if I want to make it look real good like what you have done here.. I need a stain rather than Danish oil.. I sort of feel like trying to stain a fretwork piece would be rather difficult to do with all the small cutouts etc.. maybe work by dipping into stain and wiping the excess off and maybe blow out the fretwork with a air compressor.. just not to sure on that method though.. I guess I just need to experiment with some scraps and see what I can learn..

Thanks Wayne, I've read a little about dyes.. and had forgotten about that option as well. I need to give this one a try sometime too..

Thank you JT for your reply.. I really appreciate you sharing your wealth of knowledge here.. Years ago I accidentally bought a can of walnut ( seems like it was dark walnut) and I dipped a couple of ornaments made from BB plywood.. They looked like they fell into a mud hole and had blotchy look to them.. not having any experience in wood finishing i thought the stuff was junk. Mind you.. this was back when I first started working with wood.. I've read a little over the years and have heard the BB ply doesn't do well with stains etc.. but never looked into really trying it on any other wood.. I'm going to try some scraps with some of the oil... provided it's still good... that was a long time ago so may not be an good.. I do realize I'm just coloring the wood.. and I would never try to pass it off to a customer as another type of wood.. My step brother worked at a cabinet shop.. and that is exactly what they do.. sell the customer the type of wood but then actually made it from I think he said Poplar then stained it the color of the wood they was supposed to use.. he said the customers never know.. as long as the color is there.. LOL... whatever I guess.. not how I roll though.. I'd just like to learn other finishing methods etc.. but probably will always use my natural color as I always do.. While on the subject of finishes.. I tried the whole BLO and mineral spirits mixture.. I think the look is similar to that of Danish oil.. But I think you mentioned to e in another post that this isn't mean to be a finish like Danish oil? While at the store today I seen a can of BLO.. and it says on the can that is seals and protects.. so why do many people say it's meant to be top coated with something? Just curious.. Also finally picked up a can of lacquer and top coated a piece I made and finished with my 50 /50 mix of BLO and Mineral spirits.. Turned out real nice.. I like the lacquer look much better than any of the other top coats I've used so far.. so Thanks again for that tip.. it did leave a rough feel to the piece but I think some real fine maybe 1500 - 2000 grit sandpaper and either a light coat or just maybe wax will do the trick for that..

I like most all of the hardwoods.. but probably Cherry is my most used wood.. Love to cut walnut but for my projects I find the darker wood doesn't show all the details in the cutting like a lighter wood would.. I get a large amount of my wood from my brothers sawmill or my uncles.. but if they don't have what I'm looking for then I buy it at a local place called Johnson's workbench.. try to only buy it during their wood expo sale.. as they offer some really awesome deals. ave to buy a lot because the expo is only held once a year.. First part of Sept. I under estimated and ran out back in March-April so I've been picking up a few boards here and there from the mill.. but the stuff from the mill is usually not dried out good..

Anyone use the Danish oil finish with color / stain added to it? Just wondering what your thoughts are on the stuff.. I have a big pile of Poplar lumber given to me last year.. couldn't refuse the deal.. though I don't care for the look of poplar for many of my projects.. free poplar is free poplar right? Anyway, now I'm setting here getting real low on my Cherry and Oak lumber that I use the most and keep looking at the 150 bft. of Poplar just sitting there.. I realize I'm probably not going to get the "real look" of cherry or oak.. but just wondered how well this Danish stain oil works? I normally use the natural color Danish oil.. ever been a big fanatic of stains etc..but I have a lot of Poplar just sitting here.. who knows.. maybe I'll learn a way to get nice results using this poplar up.. like the way it cuts etc.. and well... price of Poplar it way less than Cherry or Oak.. So anyway since I am not a experienced wood finisher since I've never experimented with anything other than dipping oils.. what is a good way to use up my pile of poplar besides a nice bon fire, LOL ( won't do that for real BTW.. )Just trying to learn new finishing methods etc.. and try to expand my brain a little.. I can put a nice finish on a car or anything metal.. but when it comes to wood........ LOL..... Thanks in advance for your input on finishing procedures etc..

Andy Dean, http://www.80artdesigns.com/

Pretty sure that is the one my dad made several years ago.. Unfortunately when he passed away, all his pattern books and his woodshop contents went to my brother in law.. and he don't even saw.. he ended up selling all the stuff after he said I could have it and he'd bring it to me next time he was in the area... that was back in 03.. At the time I didn't saw either so I never pushed to get the stuff either so not completely his fault..

The smaller stands I have are made fairly well, actually the larger one is also fairly heavy except the springy legs. While they are made of thinner steel than the actual EX stand. While I think the larger one is supposed to hold a heavier tool.. I think the smaller one is actually more sturdy. If I was in a position to need a stand and didn’t want to pay the EX stand price. I’d go with the smaller one and mount a plywood top on it. This can also then be doubled as a side table if you get a larger plywood top for it. Also would help in keeping the sawdust from landing in your lap. But it would probably take some adjusting and toying with to get the weight distribution to where you need it for the least amount of vibration.

I need to remember this.. but I'm sure i'll forget this one by the time I need to replace mine, LOL ... sure wish I had a memory like my wife does when she remembers how I made her mad 25 years ago at a certain time and day .. I have a hard time remembering where I put that 10mm socket like 10-15 seconds after I just had it in my hand..