kmmcrafts

Love it!! Great job on that one...Thanks for sharing with us..

Thanks Jim, I'll look it over more and see if I find any loose connections.. I think I'll clean up the spade connections.. I didn't notice yesterday but looking in my picture they look like they are rusty.. Doubt that is the issue but either way it should be cleaned up I would think..

I'll have to look closer at it and see.. but I don't see anything on the top side of it.. there is a couple screws holding it down.. was kind of worried about disturbing it more or breaking it, LOL.. as the saw works fine as long as I don't mess with the dial. and keep it off full speed.. on the other hand I don't want the power surge to burn up the motor.. which is why I was messing with it to begin with..

Well the old style controller is in fact different than the new one.. So my guess is Hawk cannot get the parts for the control box since the company that makes the motors are still in business.. Anyone recognize any of the parts inside this thing LOL.. I'd like to learn how to repair the problematic old Hawk motor / controllers.. P.S. I've heard of a few folks that completely bypassed the controller and wired direct.. which gave them full speed... I run this saw on high anyway.. but not sure if directly wired is faster than high speed and would burn it up or not.. I may take this to the small motor shop and see what those folks have to say about it..

If you are looking at them.. another tell tail sign of a old saw is.. Look at the air blower hose.. All the older saws came with just a hose.. the newer saws have the flex ( line lock ) hose.. but.. don't let that trick you as well.. as Hawk sells a upgrade kit to change the old saws into having the new flex hose.. ( one of the upgrades I did on mine )..

I think that was probably a smart choice.. Just my opinion but I don't think I'd ever pay any more than $200 for a saw of that vintage considering the older motor could have issues.. That said.. even a new saw could have motor issues.. I just find it hard to fork out that kind of money knowing it may potentially need a motor / controller at any time and have to pay an additional $400 for that.. then you still have a old potentially worn saw... On a positive note.. parts and upgrades are available for that old saw still... I've done many upgrades to my saw.. so many so that I feel I've actually put too much money into it.. and my issue is.. I have more in it than it's worth.. yet I don't need it either.. but refrain from selling it because I do know they have issues with the motor and mine does jump around with small power surges just touching the VS dial.. so I'd really feel bad to sell it and have it go sour for someone else.. That said, I have my money's worth of learning experience of working / rebuilding the saw.. as it was my first Hawk.. and I think I'm going to put some more money in it and replace the Pot.. if that takes care of the jumpy motor.. I'd be more willing to sell the thing or keep it and sell the new one, LOL Plus.. if fixing the pot takes care of the problems with the saws and their known motor / controller issue.. then I wouldn't mind having to pay a steeper price for another if I know that was what the main issues are.. The Pot is only $5 shipped..

On my Hawk... I can really tell when the blade is dull.. I feel like I have to force the wood through it.. many times not even a few minutes into a cutting... But on my 788 or Ex-21 the blade just chomps the wood away. but the way I can tell on these is.. the blade will get hard to control.. and will start wondering.. as to be quite dull though.. I've had some blades last through a couple of clock cuttings on the 788 / Ex saw.. but have never completed a clock with one blade on my Hawk.. But this blade usage varies on the density of the wood too.. I've cut a lot of cherry.. and have had some cherry that was very hard cutting... and some that cut real nice.. no two pieces of wood cut the same.. sometimes the same piece will have hard cutting sections in it..

I don't really know how many different blades I keep on hand... but I do have a holder that holds ( I think ) 16 tubes.. or maybe it's 24 tubes.. either way. the holder is full.. and I have at least a half dozen more tubes with blades in them... I do a wide variety of cutting.. but not all the time.. Typically use on a regular basis 4 different blades.. .. I could eliminate quite a few of the tubes.. if I'd just use up some of the blades.. as some of these are blades i bought as samples.. I probably should either use them up or give some of them away.. I bought a sample pack a few years back of the Pegas MG blades... liked them so much that I now have a gross or so of FD-UR blades that I haven't touched since finding that I like the Pegas.. I bought several samples of the Pegas.. Ie scroll reverse, MG, skip tooth etc etc... But the MG lades out of all the samples are my favorite.. Sometimes in a very fragile piece I will swap a regular ( non reverse) blade in.. those reverse teeth can mess up a real fragile cut.. so having a wide variety of blades for me is a must have..

Creative Woodworks and Crafts was my favorite one.. too bad they ceased the magazine.. Though I half wonder if even if they didn't stop.. if I'd continue the subscription.. The way they lay out the patterns in the books makes it difficult to scan and print .. without taking the whole magazine apart.. I really wish they'd go digital with many magazines.. simply put.. I can store many magazines on a disc in the amount of space it takes to store only a couple of printed magazines.. Plus side would be they could have a index that would show what designs etc. are in the magazine and easily found patterns, not to mention... easier to print the patterns... Or.. with a yearly subscription they send you a digital version every year as well as the print.. so at the end of the year you'd receive a disc with the years print on digital.. as a bonus to get people to subscribe yearly they could include some extra in the digital version.. ( ie they typically used to send subscribers a holiday special version... maybe not offer that in the print.. so everyone would get a bonus to subscribe.. Maybe I'm just a pack rat.. because I hate to toss out the magazines.. especially hate to toss out the paper patterns.. yet the boxes of magazines I have takes up a large amount of space..

My next order will have this one, I wanted it last time and I thought I had put it in the shopping cart.. but I guess I didn't..

I put this little ad together... thought it was sort of funny so thought you all might like to see it..

That is great to hear, Always good to get back in the shop.. maybe just working in the shop will help the pain and stiffness.. Looking forward to seeing what you make..

Well I thought they was still around... so I'm not sure about that statement.. and I don't know really where I got that info from... for some reason I was thinking that is what Buston told me.. Maybe it's just some of the components that are no longer made.. I would think the pot is actually what goes bad in these saws.. and every once in a blue moon my 220 will jump speed up.. and even just touching the VS dial will make it go crazy.. So I've always done any speed changes with it stopped.. I think I'm going to take it apart and put in a new Pot.. like I did with my newer saw.. because I broke it taking it apart, LOL.. Might save me a burnt up motor..

I'm not certain it's a motor issue, might just be a speed control issue or circuit board issue.. The real issue is that.. the company that made the motor or controller assembly s no longer in business.. so Bushton says if the controller fails.. they cannot get the parts to fix it.. so their fix for you is to replace the whole assembly.. Now.. not to say they a small electric motor shop can't make a repair.. as Bushton isn't a electric motor repair service. they just buy the assemblies and repair what they can.. For instance if the pot meter goes out... their fix is to sell you a whole new control box.. So since the control box is part of the motor assembly I'm guessing they cannot get a control box for these older motors since the company went out of business.. So anything that goes bad in the electronic system on the older hawks... their fix is new motor controller assembly at $300+ .. If I had an issue with mine.. I'd test what I could and then take it to a motor shop to see what can be done... Odds are.. a good motor repair shop could fix what you have much cheaper than the whole replacement.. I happen to have an awesome motor shop about 20 miles away.. those guys have saved me bundles of money on a lot of things from Well pump motor to air compressor to my cheap skil brand table saw motor they fixed last year.. They fix the table saw last year for me for $6.. I almost tossed it out and forked out $500 for a new one.. because when I get a new one.. I'm getting a better quality one.. just didn't have the extra cash when the table saw went out.. and they fixed me up... said it won't last a real long time but probably bought me another couple years he said..

That is one downside to their scroll saw company... They are somewhat difficult to get a hold of.. I'm not sure I've ever received a reply to any emailed questions other than they seemed responsive to questions about my placed orders.. Best to catch them on the phone.. but even as you've figured out..they are hard to catch up with on the phone too.. I sort of believe they may only have the one phone line that is personal and business...

That could be some of my issue I suppose.. I'll pay closer attention to that... Thanks for the information

Rather than type it all up again I have my story on my blog.. But to add a little to the beginning of the story.. I never even knew what a scroll saw was until my dad retired in the mid - late 80's.. and I was just about to graduate high school... I'd seen much of the work he did with his saw and really thought it was cool.. Anyway this is a little bit of a read but gives an idea of how I got started sawing.. and what kind of pushed me to use a scroll saw.. I knew of the many things that could be made.. just never really sat down and "tried" https://www.kevskrafts.com/post/266174035886/my-scroll-sawing-story

Yeah, made sawdust tonight with it... actually the saw has about $200 worth of upgrades.. 3-4 new barrel clamps.. upgraded to a flex hose air blower, and brand new.. maybe 4 hours use on the upgraded new upper tension lever blade clamp.. replaced the whole mechanism per Bushtons recommendations.... I do question wedge and arms on the machine though.. as well as it does have that old motor.. I haven't really had any issues with it.. but it was used quite a lot before I bought it and I've put a few hours on it myself in the couple years I've had it.. Why I have 5 saws.. I rotate from one to another spreading out the wear, LOL since I consider myself a production cutter.. LOL.. I paid $100 for the saw but did put a lot of money in it.. as well as used it quite a lot.. I've really contemplated putting it up for sale.. but I honestly hate to sell it given the known use it's had and the fact the motor is the problematic one.. My luck someone would buy it and have issues with it.. SO... I just keep on using it, LOL

Come across the lake and buy mine.. I'd sell my 220VS for half that

Yeah, I also ask Buston MFG many times about the saws I'm looking at buying... If you go look at a used saw.. check the wedges at the back of the saw.. the point on the wedges is one of the wear points on these saws... Not expensive to buy new but they are a tell tail sign of how much use it's had.. provided they haven't been replaced already, LOL.. The wedges should be quite pointed with a slight rounded tip.. Check that the tension lever ( at front of saw ) goes down and locks down into place against the arm.. Look to see if it has a round ( barrel clamp for the lower blade clamp ) or the more square one.. Barrel clamp is a older saw.. Not sure when they went to the newer clamp but I know the Ultra saws started around 1996 and they have the newer square looking clamp.. In good shape.. with the square type lower clamp.. I'd say not a bad deal at all.. but if it's a barrel clamp style.. probably not a bad deal if in great shape... but I wouldn't say it's a great deal.. The biggest worry of the barrel clamp style is if it's older one with the older motor.. as.. if there is any issue with that controller or motor.. Bushton will fix you up with a new motor and controller. but the cost is around $300-400 and I think you have to send them the saw.. but maybe not.. maybe they will send you the motor and controller assembly and let you put it together.. Something to ask I suppose if you're interested in buying it.. Edited to say: looking at the serial number.. I'm guessing it's probably a barrel clamp style.. But may be wrong..

Yeah, I thought about that as I was pouring in my mix of mineral spirits and BLO into the old windshield washer jug.. Been keeping an eye on it and so far so good... but it's only been a couple weeks.. so who knows.. Guess I need to use it up.. I like the metal can idea best.. I didn't know you could buy empty ones..

I very seldom go outside of my box of mineral oil and beeswax once I found that solution for a finish.. But that said.. back in the day when I exclusively used Danish oil.. The top would get sticky from the spillage from pouring it out into a container to dip the work in.. then pouring it back into the can.. The top would get pretty gummed up before the can was completely empty.. Those tops have that darn " push down and turn to open " child safe lid.. they almost never work after the first time opening it.. I ot to where I just used a pair of channel lock pliers and t'd grip that child safe thing good enough to get it opened up.. without pushing down LOL..

For the first time in my life I made the mix of BLO and mineral spirits 50 / 50 as I've read so much about.. I mixed it up in an old gallon plastic jug of window washer cleaner for the car.. It just so happen i emptied the jug the same night I was trying to figure out what to use to mix it up in, LOL... Now... that said.. It's probably going to have the same issue of the stuck top, LOL On a side note... I didn't like the finish it gave on a project I did.. I even top coated it with a polyurethane.. Yuck.. I think the mineral oil and wax mix that I make myself looks soo much more professionally done, and a cleaner less stinky and quicker drying method.. JMO..

Yeah, not too sure about tomorrow.. for me it says high of 40F and rain... 40 isn't bad if the sun is out.. but just seems like that concrete floor in the shop with the damp weather brings down the temps 10 degrees.. Can't work tomorrow for at least half the day anyway as I have to take my daughter to a Doctors appointment..

Thanks RJ, Sure cant wait to be able to spend a full day out in the shop without having to come in for a warm up every 30 min. - hour LOL... Maybe I could actually get something done, LOL