kmmcrafts

I don't know how one would do such test.. certainly would be a pretty complex test.. For ME.. cutting ornaments I can stack cut 5 high at a time.. I cut out about 15 -20 ornaments with one blade on the 788.. and that same thing on the Hawk.. is about half that many.. same with cutting out clocks.. I can cut ( depending upon the clock of coarse but average) 1 clock sometimes partway through another with one blade.. but on the Hawk.. most times I'm changing the blade near the finishing of just one clock.. but this ( as I said before ) could be me pushing the wood too hard on the Hawks as they aren't as aggressive.. someone that cuts at a leisurely rate.. may get many more miles on a blade..

I recently made a couple puzzles.. and during the shrink wrapping I got to thinking about how the puzzles would possibly be purchased by someone as a gift for a small child to play with.. does anyone display any caution signs or anything to make people aware of the fact? I'd hate to have a child get their hands on these and choke.. so while packaging my puzzle up I include a business card but along with the card.. I also searched google for choking hazard logos and found one to print off.. I arranged it so they would print 9 of these per 8.5 x 11 paper.. and cut them out.. kind of tedious to do if I was going to make a crap load of puzzles as Iggy does.. I'd have this printed on a sticker or business card type stock through Vista Print.. Anyway, I sort of feel you cannot be too careful.. I know that the parents should know better.. the truth is maybe the parent is not buying it for the child.. Just feel it's something for those selling puzzles should consider.. IF I start selling a few of these online.. I'll be taking one photo of the item in the package with the warning showing in the photo.. as well as have this warning written in the items description..

What if I did a video using the same blade.. same board.. on the Hawk and DeWalt saw.. set a timer for 30 - 60 seconds cut a straight line and measure the distance of cut for each saw.. would that be a fair comparison for you to believe that one saw will cut faster over the other saw? Could even do a comparison of the Hawk in the more aggressive blade position and also record the distance.. Would maybe be a good test to try.. I'd do it if it was warmer out.. temps supposed to warm up over the next few days.. maybe I'll video several different testing methods.. or the video expert ( Iggy ) could do this if he has time..

I've done the same test about a month after getting my first Hawk.. ( Just didn't video the process.. thank you for taking the time to clarify the same findings I had ) I sort of think it's more to do with the blade clamping design being able to rotate on the Hawk as opposed to the fixed / rigid position of the DeWalt.. If you put a blade in both saws.. get a board and with the saw off.. push against the blade with some firm but moderate pressure.. You'll find the Hawk saw has more flex to the blade.. While i don't think this is the total reason for the saw being less aggressive and slower cutting..

For me the blades don't seem to last nearly as long on the Hawk.. but possibly due to being impatient and pushing the wood through too fast...

I think you people are missing the point... It's not about production numbers.. or at least for me it's not... Like driving down the expressay at the speed limit and come upon a person doing 10 MPH under the speed limit.. do you pass them and get to work 30 seconds quicker or stay behind them.... You've been driving all day at 70mph.. that 60 MPH just seems real slow.. even though it's not a huge difference.. Ever cut a super dense wood and think you're never going to get it cut? Kind of the same principal.. going from a 788 to a slower cutting saw.. that's the point.. NOT a production number thing.. it's a personal preference thing..

Back in the days before I got involved with scroll sawing.. My dad said he used to buy a brand that he couldn't remember.. this would have been late 1980's early 90's.. before the internet... and the store that he bought from stopped selling them and only carried the Olsen blades.. I started sawing in 2006 and went with olsen blades as well.. Used them for a year or so then seen on then seen the postings about Flying Dutchman blades been using them ever since,, well I do still occasionally use a few select Olsen blades.. and then about a year ago I gave the Pegas brand a try.. now I'm hooked on those.. and occasionally use FD or Olsen.. Mainly just so I can remember just how good those Pegas really are, LOL

I'm betting they are one of those " online only " purchases or order in store.

No I haven't.. Temps too cold the last few days to do much out there.. It's supposed to warm up the next few days again.. so maybe I'll get a chance to tune / tweek it..

Some of it for me is, I've used my DeWalt for 10 years.. have rebuilt and tweeked it to run as it now does.. I used higher end bearings and high grade synthetic grease.. I'm in the process of rebuilding my Hawks right just ordered some parts today for them both.. I won't rebuild the EX yet.. since it's brand new ( so was one of the Hawks but that's happens to be the one with two bad bearings too) until I actually give it a going through and tuning it.. then if I feel it can be improved upon I'll look into it.. I think once i get to using the EX.. I'll probably end up making that my main saw..

Yeah, they are making them again.. been in Home Depot for a month or more now.. didn't know about Rockler though..

Jt in all fairness.. He used the Pegas blade because it's a more aggressive faster cutting blade.. I also use Pegas in my Hawk and use FD-UR blades in my DeWalt.. If I use the same FD blade in my Hawk that I use in my deWlat.. I feel as though it's the different between a snail and a Turtle.. LOL.. so in reality he was 2 minutes slower with the Hawk using a faster cutting blade.. I realize this seems like comparing apples to oranges.. but if he was to do the same test with the same blade.. the Hawk is hands down a much slower cutting saw.. Speaking of slower cutting.. you mentioned in the other reply that you didn't see how one saw could be faster than another.. same motion up and down.. But in fact it's not the same motion on every saw.. and even you mentioned that in the same reply a few sentences below.. talking about the old Delta Q3 type saws with the C arm.. Now.. to be fair I too have been saying the Hawk is too slow for my type of cutting.. Not saying the Hawk is a poor choice of a saw at all by saying that.. just stating that it's too slow for my taste.. Awesome saw to do delicate fretwork etc with thin wood.. I too have been using my DeWalt for 10 years.. I also used my Hawk most of last year until the Holiday rush orders came... and I can say.. the Hawk is slower ( even with the more aggressive blades ) than the DeWalt.. Not in a production minded set here... but it goes along with what I've been saying for a long time.. Get off the expressway at 70mph for a days drive and go 30mph for a while.. you feel like you're barely moving.. I'm not worried about production.. I bored cutting sooo slow.. .. I think this is what Iggy means when he says he's not sure if he can live with the saw.. the production numbers are going to get done on either saw in a days work.. but is it more enjoyable to cut them at a faster rate that you are used to or.. slooooow it down and get bored with cutting like this.. 10 minuted longer at the end of every day isn't a huge deal IF you can stand cutting at the slower rate...

You bring up a very good point about the speed of these saws.. 20% doesn't seem like much.. and at the end of the day it's not very much.. but... going from cutting on an aggressive saw for several years.. then going to the Hawk.. I was rather bored with cutting on the Hawk.. Similar to driving on the expressway for 6-8 hours and then go into a town.. going 25-35 mph after driving all day at 70 mph you feel like you're barely moving.. which.. for me..It makes me want to push too much to feed the wood into the blade faster.. Hawk does an awesome job.. love the ease of doing sharp turns with it.. love cutting thin wood with it.. but can hardly stand using it for anything more that 1/2" thick wood.. which... I stack cut most anything thin.. and the rest is over half inch.. so I just don't use it a lot.. I have two positions in the lower blade holder for blade forward / back motion for a more aggressive cut.. I find with mine is that the more aggressive position is a little too aggressive for much of any detail work.. great for cutting the outlined project out or cutting bases for the clocks etc.. I don't cut very many bases with the scroll saw in general.. Usually use the table saw or band saw and rip down 2" wide strips then cut to length on my miter saw.. then sand them on a belt sander.. much faster than scrolling them out. Using different blades can and will help tremendously.. finding the right combo for a different saw.. can and will make the experience better.... I imagine for puzzles though you have to be careful on your blade selection so the puzzle isn't too sloppy.. so that limits you on speed to a very few select blades..

Thanks, I had planned to look at that to see.. as the DeWalt doesn't really have an adjuster but the one screw that is at that pivot point can be loosened or tightened to your liking as well.. so I was going to look into doing that with my EX.. like I've said it's new and I've just set it up.. so I'll be fine tuning it to how I need it set up.. I think I'll love the saw once I get things dialed in..

Glad you're liking the lift arm on the DeWalt.. I'd be lost without it on mine.. On the Hawk... Have you messed with the blade forward / back movement to try to help speed up cutting? They push this feature on quite a lot of saws now days.. and I kind of always thought by making it more aggressive that it'd cut a little faster? Speaking of the "easy lift" for the DeWalt.. This will be something to get used to on my Excalibur.. While the arm goes up and stays there.. It's quite stiff moving compared to the Dewalt and Hawk.. actually the Hawk just goes up on it's own once the blade is un-clamped.. I think the Dewalt with the easy lift used to but the spring has weakend some I imagine.. I've had that on the saw for several years now.. A tip on the easy lift.. Whenever I wax my saw table.. I also wax the slotted hole area where the arm and those washers slide.. help keep it lifting and lowering nice and smooth.. probably helps with wear too..

I'll probably just keep on using the FD and Pegas blades that I've been using for years now.. I had never heard of the " on-line " brand and was just wondering about others experience with them.. Thank you all for the feedback..

I see Seyco sells a "On-Line" brand scroll saw blade.. anyone use these or have any info on them?

Yeah I know what you mean.. The smoothest running saw I have so far has been the DeWalt.. Both my Hawks run quite smooth.. except a couple speed spots where they have quite a bit of shaking... I have grown used to running them at the " sweet spot " but.. it's not at a ideal speed I would really like to run it at.. I'll have to do some test cuts on this new excalibur to see for sure but I don't think its as smooth as my 788 is either.. but very close.. might just be some fine tuning needed yet.. Kind of surprised at how the "rave" is on these other saws.. and so far.. I always go back to the 788 to cut.. some of it could be just my comfort zone.. I remember not really liking the 788 at first.. but that has been the main used saw type now for 10 years..

I bought an actual Excalibur stand back in Dec. and now with being sort of caught up.. I went out today and swapped stands from the Harbor Freight stand I had that was too small and actually light weight compared to the actual EX stand.. I haven't cut anything on it yet as I had to come in and warm up.. but anyway I did plug it in and run it through the speed ranges.. very smooth running now.. I have a couple orders to cut so maybe I'll try it out.. Might have to play around with the adjustable legs.. I put them all at the highest level as my stool is a tall one.. I like a tilted saw too.. so I'm sure I'll be changing this up some before I get it all dialed in.. Now that there isn't much vibration.. I'm kinda excited to give it another try

Yes, my first post said it couldn't be done and to try again in 15 seconds.. so i hit it again.. apparently they both went through..

My Oldest brother had one of these when I was about 5 years old.. he was around 20 at the time.. yeah big family I have 6 older brothers ( I'm the youngest and the perfect one.. that's why my parents stopped after me Hahhaha)... anyway I used to play on that thing all day long.. pretending to drive all over the place, LOL.. He still has the same old tractor.. and he bought it from my grandfather.. memories LOL

Another custom request finally done.. With all the car clocks I have.. someone always wanting the car that I don't yet have on the web site.. Made this one from Poplar

Another custom request finally done.. With all the car clocks I have.. someone always wanting the car that I don't yet have on the web site.. Made from Poplar

Made this for a customer in the UK.. Used spalted maple for this and tried to use the wood grain at the bottom to look like dirt / mud....

That's awesome.. Glad you was able to make a purchase on a quality saw.. Hope you will enjoy making lots of sawdust with it