kmmcrafts

I try not to talk about it money wise.. and I don't believe I've ever posted how much I make.. I do talk orders.. but that is a deceiving number simply because a order can have at least one item or as many as a million+ LOL..... In my mind it's none of anyone's business how many ornaments etc I sell / have sold etc etc.. or what the best selling items are.. as stated... everyone's location etc will be different. The biggest thing that hit's a nerve for me is one telling another that it can't be done.. nothing like shooting down the confidence of someone thinking they want to start a business doing crafts.. everyone is wired different and wouldn't know whether they could do it or not until they TRY.. I do make it clear that it's a lot of work and discipline and certainly not for anyone that has little motivation.. I never say they cannot do it.. BTW.. JT you mentioned Health care insurance a few times in some post about business expenses and how one just may not be able to make it on their own relying on this as income.. Just for the record.. Etsy actually offers a group insurance plan for those self employed.. I don't know much about it as my wife works a regular job with insurance benefits.. so at this point I don't have a need for that.. but it's there if I chose to do so..

Seems to me when I first started scrolling the hype Delta saw was the P-20.. with all the comments about the P-20 back in the day I always thought they was maybe the top of the line Delta saw.. Anyway, this seems like a good deal.. I don't know much about these so maybe not that great of deal.. I have read that a lot of parts are obsolete for these.. but they sure seem like a tank.. maybe better as a boat anchor? I remember looking at the closeout display model at my local woodcraft type store years ago thinking about how I'd like to have it.. no money and even if so.. it'd take an army of people to move the thing, LOL https://www.ebay.com/itm/DELTA-P20-PROFESSIONAL-20-SCROLL-SAW-MODEL-40-680-400-2000-RPM-VERY-NICE/322957028323?epid=1124782389&hash=item4b31bd2be3:g:TKoAAOSwbwJaP9~m

Merry Christmas everyone!!

Merry Christmas !!

This is my mentality.. it's not a hobby.. well it is but isn't.. I do slow down for life.. I quit a well paying higher position on a factory type job 19 years ago where I was within the top 20 in seniority.. I had 13 years into that company.. I did this because I always told myself that I'll never have kids if I am going to have to send them to a daycare type setting for them to raise them.. I tried to hang onto my job and get family etc to help watch the kiddos but it wasn't working out.. My wife didn't want to quit here career.. and I worked tons of overtime where she only worked 3 days a week 12 hour shifts.. she encouraged me to quit.. at the time I wanted to start up my own autobody collision repair business.. which I did here at home for a few years but proved too challenging getting work done while watching the kids.. that line of work can be tough on a mans body as he gets older.. I backed out of doing it.. more for the family and myself.. was too stressful dealing with both the needs of my family and my customers wanting their cars back, LOL Anyway, fast forward though several odd and end side jobs and little business start-ups etc.. I found my dads old scroll saw he bought after he retired.. at this time.. my kids was getting bigger and could get their own glass of water etc LOL.. I just sort of fell into business.. and this also happen around a time that I was thinking I could go back to work with a part time job... I do this part time.. but I make more money than I did at that factory 19 years ago.. It's convenient for me as I can work my own hours and at my own pace..as long as the work gets done. My wife was diagnosed with crohn's back in 2012 and had a lot of testing etc done.. I was here for her and was able to help take care of the family and take her to the university hospital for all the specialist etc.. had I worked a regular job I'd of been fired for all the days I'd have had to miss to be with her..and or take care of family etc.. Which is a BIG reason I am only a online business rather than doing shows.. I cannot commit to shows because we just don't know what life might throw at us in the next day or two let alone signing up for a show a month or more out in advance.. The online thing works for me.. I can do 90% of my online work right on my cell phone while waiting at doctors offices etc.. I cannot work a regular day job and do the things I do.. especially for the money I make.. It's not a lot of money.. but it's also not full time.. I work when I want / can.. and it brings in more money than most of the full time jobs I could land right now in my area.. so it's what I do.. I do work my tail off for 2 -3 months a year.. Oct. - Dec.with orders and custom made orders etc.. I don't build un-needed inventory.. make the first one.. take photos and when it sells then it changes to a made to order item.. Doing this allows me to make "new" inventory and keep the online store active with new products for customers that are following me.. And, yes JT.. I do think safety first.. I wear a dust mask ( eclipes model ) and run dust collection etc.. and as money allows I'll be investing more into dust vacuum systems etc.. but don't go into the shop without my mask on.. Most... well I'd probably say.. ALL the hobbyist wannabes.. that dream of doing online craft business such as I do will not put in the time it takes to get the business off the ground and build a following that is needed to do it.. It's a LOT of time online doing business to get off the ground... Time that I had where I was bored / worried while waiting in waiting rooms etc for the doctors to come and see my wife.. doing the business on my phone etc was a distraction for me.. and most likely would not have happen in a normal scenario.. so I feel those that want to do as I do online.. you'll need a lot of dedication..

My eyes are also perfect... that is until I put my new glasses on and then see what I really made

There is a couple on ebay at a lower price too.. FYI.. maybe not on there anymore as it was a few days ago..

I have a lot of windows (7) plus the two big garage doors.. during the daytime I never have to run lights in the shop.. I did that mostly because the other garage I used to work in had no windows.. and I practically live in the garage.. When I built this new shop.. I wanted lots of windows and also built it eco friendly.. everything is LED lighting etc.. Originally was ( and may still one day ) going to power this shop with solar panels.. and for those that wonder about the cost... not much when you build your own solar panels.. but that's another topic for a different day..

Did that mag light come with your Hawk? I like that it has a cover over the lens.. I rearranged my shop and now my saws sit next to a window.. and I don't like the idea of that mag light starting a fire with the sun shining in.. actually cover it with an old box.. but it's getting annoying to remember to do etc.. been thinking of upgrading lights to maybe a LED one.. with a cover of coarse LOL..

Cannot agree with you more JT..

If his goals was about making money he wouldn't be having goals of " how many he can sell ".. it'd be more about how little you can sell for the most amount of $$.. and he seems to me to be just setting a goal of how many he can produce and sell.. quite opposite of how a business would really run if they was looking for $$ growth.. unless you're a big production company and hiring a bunch of low paid workers.. then you make a lot and sell for little profit margins..

A Q3 will be harder to do those tight corners with... just sayin The more aggressive the cut... the harder it will be in doing intricate cuts and tight corners etc.. This is why if I was in the market for a new saw.. I'd be looking at the ones that have the adjustable blade forward / back motion.. EX, Seyco, Newer Hawks 1998 ish or newer..

I put pictures up.. as pictures are worth more than a thousand words.. that said...I never put my phone number on a public add like CL.. great way for commercial and sales people to get your number.. I'd much rather them have my email than my phone number.. especially my cell number... at least with my email I can set it to block everyone that isn't in my address book... then again.. you can do the same with your cell phone... either way.. like Ray said.. a flavor for everyone, LOL

I'm signed up for emails of special offers.. I had planned to buy a bunch of puzzle patterns from Iggy.. but with the discount they offered me.. well for just a few penny's less than $100 I got the full CD set of 445? puzzle patterns.. Since I wanted to give some of the puzzles a try I figured this was a cheap way to get a lot of patterns.. I figured if nothing else.. and I don't like doing the puzzles.. I can make clocks and ornaments out of the patterns by slightly modifying them.. Iggy still has a few I'd like to buy if I get into doing the puzzles..

Last year I sold so many ornaments that my head was still spinning in May.. LOL... Said to myself If they are going to fly off the shelves like that.. then I need to raise prices to sort of slow down the sales.. The old saying of price is controlled by supply / demand etc.. Anyway I raised my prices of each ornament by $2 in hopes of slowing the sales down some while making the same or more money.. I haven't added up anything yet.. but I've still sold more than I did last year.. but growth wasn't a huge amount.. $$ wise.. yes ALLOT more money on ornaments this year over last.. and didn't have to work so hard to get that $$ that said.. this year.. my desk clocks was flying off the shelf.. and orders still coming from them pretty strong.. Does that mean my clock prices are going up? Probably not a large amount like I did with the ornaments..

Thanks for the tip.. I didn't know that..

My set screws are the same way.. I did this when I first got my saw.. and do it to any new saw I have had since I figured this out.. sure makes sawing a lot easier and smoother running when a saw is tuned good..

Well there are a lot of medical helicopters.. and a lot of medical personnel to fly / work on them.. from the USA to International to Military etc etc.. LOL.. That said.. My experience is.. This ornament won't be a hot seller next year.. Last year was my bodybuilder / weight lifter ornament.. this year I sold a whole 3 of those even though I stock piled a bunch of them.. LOL.. The year before was the Ford Bronco ornament.. sold 2 this year and about 3 last year, LOL.. So it's never the same ornament..

I believe that was a Pegas MG #3.. I switch all over the place on blades.. sometimes I'll use a #5 Pegas MG.. then other times I use FD-UR either #3 or #5.. I normally run a pretty good blade speed on the saw.. Usually 3/4 -full speed.. I think in the video I have it turned up around 1/2 - 5/8 on the dial.... was difficult sawing looking through my phone screen like that, LOL..

I have the Jim Dandy Easy Lift attachment added to the saw.. don't know how I used to saw without it now that I've used it for about 8 years.. LOL You can get them at the link below.. but it'd be real easy to make one yourself too.. with just a few dollars worth of hardware from the hardware store.. http://www.jimdandy.com/products.html

Yeah I know exactly what you mean.. I also like to watch a "real time" video.. that is unless it's an hour or more long..

Yeah... it was the end of a long day of cutting clockwise so I was trying to unwind...

Yeah, not to sure about that.. my son does video reviews of lego builds and toy reviews etc.. He's been trying to get me to do videos for at least two years now.. but I am really camera shy and most times when he wants me to do one.. I'm on a mission with doing an order or something and never could get it worked out.. He's pretty hyped about me finally doing this one, LOL

I did a video of myself cutting out my best selling ornament for this year..( just shy of 100 of these sold this year) Probably the most boring 20 min. video you ever watched.. but I know some that will watch it all the way through..I taped 4 boards together ( usually do 5 at a time ). Excuse the movements in the camera.. I taped my phone to my Magnifier light.. was tough doing this as I couldn't look through my magnifier light because my phone was there.. so I cut these looking through my phone screen.. I had to slow down the saw and cut slower than normal.. probably about half my normal speed at cutting these.. This particular ornament sells for $15.97 each. I can cut approx. 20 per hour on a good day.. but really my average is more like 15.. as you can see in the video at about half speed I cut 4 of them in 20 min. This is my first YouTube video so be easy on me, LOL If you like the video subscribe to my YouTube channel as I will be doing some other videos on my process and some other type of things as time allows etc.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlcygntBix0

I think you really hit the mail on the head square and true with this statement.. I break blades with my Hawk.. and more so if I haven't used it in a while after using the 788.. i believe in my case.. I'm pushing the blade too much.. I'm used to the aggressive cutting of the 788.. I like to cut fast and the Hawk seems quite slow going for me.. which is really my biggest drawback from the saws.. My 226 has as many SPM 1750 as my 788 does.. but at full speed I was getting a lot of vibration... so I have to back it off a ways.. whenever I cut on the Hawks I feel like I'm forcing the wood through the blade...especially after the blade has been in the saw and cutting for about 10 min or so.. I ready for a new blade.. If I'm not breaking blades.. I'm still changing them well before I would need to on the 788.. I haven't cut much on my new EX-21 yet but I can say.. the SPM are slower than the 788.. but the blade clamp design is much like the 788.. and seemed to be cutting pretty much the same as the 788 would at a slower speed.. I kind of wonder about the blade clamp design of the Hawk.. you see they are allowed to rotate and or flex because they are on a round pin at both top and bottom.. which when pushing on them you can see that they will rotate to the back slightly.. the 788 and EX saws the blade is clamped firm into the clamp and it is a much more rigid blade once clamped and tension is applied ..that the blades are on the Hawks.. So yeah.. for me I'm quite certain it's because of the less aggressive cutting of the Hawk.. I do love cutting thin wood on it because it's easier to control what's going on with it..Just that.. well... I don't cut much thin wood.. well I do.. but typically stack cutting so.. it's not thin wood, LOL almost always cutting 1/2" +..