kmmcrafts

What kind of air pressure is needed to use the Critter? I'm spraying small lightweight Christmas ornaments and under higher pressure they may just blow away, LOL I've had them wiggle around some with just a spray can.

Watco Lacquer.. I spray most all the ornaments that I cut on the laser.. The scrolled ones I just dip in Danish oil.. But since I paint details on the laser cut ones I cannot dip those.. tried it on one and the chemicals in the Danish oil melted the paint and made it run all over.. but lacquer works great.. Many of these ornament are personalized so I can't really do big batches.. mostly just 1 - 10 at a time..

Well, I finally put some Lacquer into the can to give it a try.. it does work good as far as pressurizing etc.. I experimented with different pressures starting at only like 10psi and worked my way up to around 60psi.. at 10psi up through around 30 it mostly just wanted to shoot a stream rather that a mist.. Getting up to 60psi it started spraying much better but I'm not to comfortable going to the 100psi. Read the reviews about how the thing will spray at you when trying to charge it up.. That only happens if you have fluid in the system.. ie tip the can upside down to release the fluid out of the suction straw and it doesn't do that. I think it'd work good if I could put a different nozzle on it.. removed several nozzles from various paint cans I had but nothing that I had would fit into the can.. so my conclusion is in my opinion it's not very good for paint.. I kinda figured when I read the reviews but thought I'd give it a try. I do think it'll be great for penatrents such as WD40 or PB blaster.. I've been buying that stuff in gallon cans and just using a pump sprayer over the years but I think this will work better for that so likely what I'll be putting into it. Guess I'm going to run airline to my paint room and just get a sprayer or maybe just continue with the spray cans.

I totally agree with the spray gun idea and that a cup thinned will go way farther than a spray can.. My issue is what do I do with the excess mix if I don't use it all? Leaving it in the spray gun will likely dry out and ruin the spray gun. I seem to remember someone using something like the "critter" sprayer and when they was done they could seal the jar back up with a canning jar style lid.. I sometimes go a week without spraying anything.. sometimes I'm only spraying one ornament that I preconized for a order.. I was just trying to find a more practical way of doing things to where I could buy quart cans of Lacquer.. Maybe I'll have to keep on using spray cans..

Congrats on the new saw, I hope you get many hours of trouble free sawing with it. Thank you for sharing the experience so far. Maybe update us again after you get several hours of time on it.

Is that the sprayer that looks like it has a glass mason type jar? Do those spray decent? I see some of these are up there in price close to my HVLP spray gun that is used for my autobody paint repair.. I'm pretty picky with that gun and will only use it with automotive type paints.. thought about a cheap Harbor Freight gun.. but I worried about the quality of spray.. many of the autobody guys I know that have tried them say stay away.. as the spray sucks on them so I was a little worried about trying one.. Though I don't need a 12" spray pattern for ornaments and they probably work better than the spray cans I've been using, LOL.. I found some of those sprayers you mentioned and they're upwards of $200 or more for some.. I did find a New open box one for $52.. it's tempting to give it a try.

I've been considering something similar that I haven't really seen anyone do.. and that is... lasering designs for kids to color with markers and then they can frame or gift them to someone.. Was going to give it a try with a couple small ornaments that can be colored.. I hand paint most all my laser cut ornaments and thought maybe kids would like to make mom / dad colored ornaments that they color. Probably a dumb idea but thought it might take off or might not..LOL

Congrats on the new toy.... Yeah they are big and bulky saws and do take up a bit of space.. A 220VS Ultra popped up on marketplace at a pretty decent deal.. I've always wanted a smaller Ultra style Hawk.. It's got the marbles in my head rolling around so much I can't sleep very well, I don't need another saw.. nor do I want it take up yet more space in the shop on something that would probably be used very little..

A shed would be the best option probably.. that said there are several ( myself included ) that have scrolled inside the house.. If you have a spare room where you could set up a saw.. get a box fan and a good quality furnace filter attached to the back of the fan that you run while you saw can get a good amount of the fine dust. Maybe get a door sock thing to lay on the floor in front of the door while working to keep any of the dust from going under the door and out into the rest of the house.

Very nice work! I've had times this year where I didn't scroll at all for 5-6 weeks and it sure felt good to get back in that seat..

I guess maybe I'm the odd man out.. I can't sell a uncompleted project so once the pattern hits the wood I complete it.. Now, that might be a few weeks out if I get special custom orders etc. then the uncompleted project does happen as the order take priority but once that order is finished I go right back to where I left off. I sure wish I could sell uncompleted projects.. be nice sometimes to be able to box up a piece of wood, a pattern, and some saw blades to the customer.. .. had a few customers over the years I felt like doing that too as well, LOL.. Unfortunately not all customers are great customers.. they should have customer reviews as they do seller reviews.. Now I suppose it depends on what stage of uncompleted you're talking about.. I've got patterns that I've both purchased and many printed out but never did make them.. but like I said.. once that pattern is applied to the wood I finish it.

So I open up the package to look at it tonight and from what I see it seems to be made a little heavier than the standard spray can, maybe I'll measure the can thickness and cut open an old can to compare. The one dislike I have so far is the diameter of the can is a bit larger or something and it's not as easily / comfortable ? to hold onto to spray.. Just feels odd I guess. I haven't actually put anything in it or charged it etc.. just "looked" it over.

I still use the shelf liner as shipping label adhesive is really sticky.. you don't want a shipping label to be able to fall of nor easily peeled off so they usually stick quite well.. shelf liner is a must with these I think.

Thanks for the heads up on the water based lacquer info, I'm going to look into it.

Once you try full sheet labels you'll wonder why you ever messed with this messy spray glue for so long. If you do large format printing the labels can be bought in most any size you like. I used to do portrait work and did a lot of 11 x 14 portraits and had a large format printer. It's so nice to just print, peel and stick.. IF you shop around you can find these full sheet prices pretty comparable to the price of the standard paper and the cans of spray glue.. not to mention not having to deal with the mess and clogged nozzles.. https://www.onlinelabels.com/products/ol768wx?campaign=Shopping+WX&qty=100&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwgL-3BhDnARIsAL6KZ6_oZV7CujwAjdiC6oGThK06QUBBVkkpyrh9KV3BYyn4uafD_UJpFXgaAs6EEALw_wcB

My compressor stops at 200psi so this should be fine.. Water base lacquer? I might have to look into this as never heard of it. I have used the blue / teal colored cans of water base poly.. I like it sort of.. doesn't smell bad and dries quick.. My dislike for the stuff is it doesn't enhance the wood grain at all and the spray mist is more like a spatter than misting. It also is terrible for raising the grain on the wood so really requires a light sanding before the last coat. That said I did like it well enough that I did set up to spray it in my spray gun.. however it still doesn't spray / mist well so it must be something with the make up of the poly. I tried a water base Varathane spray that was worse yet. I really like the lacquer smoothness and look so rather stay with it. I probably should have clarified that I find it hard to find the lacquer in spray cans locally but there is always plenty of quart cans.. last time I needed some I had to order online and wait 5 days for delivery. While cost is a write off it's still an expense and better if I can find a cheaper source so this was just an experiment that I was going to try which is also a write off. IF this doesn't work out with the lacquer I use a lot of different sprays like Wd40 and PB blaster for spraying rusty bolts etc. before taking stuff apart so I'll be able to use this for other things if the spray pattern isn't good for paints. I did read through some of the reviews but I take reviews with a bit of optimism because there are a lot of people that complain about their lack of common sense rather than a poor product. Kinda like the review I read about a 1/2 ton floor jack that the guy complained about wouldn't lift his semi truck. .. You are correct about getting the correct air pressure will determine the spray pattern.. I have a high end compressor set up for doing auto painting and can regulate a precise pressure.. It might take some experimenting the first time using it to get the right pressure. There are guys on YouTube making old spray paint cans refillable by soldering a valve stem onto the can that isn't intended to be used like that. If that blows up on them then it's their fault.. If this can I bought blows up and I've used it within the means of the directions there would be a lawsuit.. but again common sense plays a large roll in the use / safety of anything someone does. BTW, the best reviews are the ones you watch the people on YouTube use.. this way you can get an idea of their intelligence rather than reading a written review plus you can sort of view how this is supposed to work or lack of.

Anyone tried one of these yet? I've heard about them a few years ago and then kinda forgot about it. I ordered one last week but I haven't even had a chance to open up the package yet and probably won't really get a chance to for a few more weeks as I'm in the middle of doing some home remodeling projects.. Thought maybe someone here has tried them? I'm hopeful to be able to buy quart or gallon cans of lacquer and use this as I do the spray cans I had been buying.. Spray cans are pricey compared to the quart / gallon sizes and many times I'm doing a one off personalized ornament that isn't worth all the hassle of getting a spray gun set up and then clean up etc for one or two ornaments. The spray cans are just handy to grab and go.. hopefully this will work like a normal spray can and be able to refill in. IF not then I might try building a refillable spray can out of my old empty one.. I've seen videos on adding a valve stem to a old can and refilling / recharging with air.. Where I built my finishing room in my shop I never did set it up with a line for the air compressor either so doing the whole spray gun deal would require more work than I'm currently willing to put in on it at this current time... so anyway hoping this works.. If nobody has tried one I'll update my thoughts on it maybe in a few weeks. Hopefully I'll have had a chance to at least open the package by then, LOL... Edit: Oops I forgot to put in the link. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0748KZFQK?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder_k0_1_19&amp=&crid=168HGT532N0WN&sprefix=refillable%2Bspray%2Bpa&th=1

I remember this same struggle when I first started.. Then I accidently learned that I could just print them on self adhesive peel and stick paper.. no messy spray glue, no more clogged spray nozzles.. no more getting sticky glue all over my fingers.. I think it's the best thing ever.. including better than sliced bread in my opinion,

That's really cool, I did not now that...

Something I’ve always thought about was making things for veterans or the families of veterans. Used to be a charity website where pattern designers and scroll sawers would go and submit photos of fallen soldiers for designers and patterns for cutters to create a gift for the families of fallen soldiers and there were delivery people where they delivered in person etc. Pretty neat operation. Don’t know if they are still doing this or not.

I’ll send you a pm when I get back home later today. Someone here made that pattern for me and it might be in the pattern section. I can’t remember if the pattern they made was for a clock or just the car. Many times I modified the patterns to be a clock. You should have said something before I put it in my fire.

Now that we're going into fall and the position of the sun is changing it now comes through my window.. I never thought to clamp a cloth to it.. that is exactly what I use but I just having it setting by my saw and when I'm done I cover it. Just thought I'd mention the sun being in a different position since some might have checked and it wasn't coming in through the window when they checked.. but it could be now.. just something else to think about.

I don't think you "have to" make multiples of anything you make, especially if your not really worried about making profits etc. I will say it's much easier especially for online selling to sell the same stuff so multiples is pretty much a must do and saves a lot of work from creating all the listings and photos. You could look into local crafts shows and consignment shops. Donation centers etc. Or if you're into ornamental fires like me.. LOL Kevins iPhone 9-2024 727.MOV

One thing about the RBI Hawks is they are very picky about having the stand legs planted firmly to the floor.. On occasion I've had to loosen up the bolts to the legs and run it through the speed range and sort of let it settle into the permanent spot in the shop and then tighten things back up.. That is one thing Hegner has going for the smoothness of the saw as they designed a three legged stand.. Also they welded the stand together with many braces.. Hawk stands are on the tall side and they bolt the stand way up at the top without really having any sort of bracing down lower to stiffen it up.. They really shake at certain speeds but smooth out either above or below that harmonic balance.. I've mentioned it many times but I don't think there is 1 perfect saw out there that handle every type of work you throw at it.. some are great at certain things while others are better at other things.. a bonus is having the shop space and the ability to keep a few different ones in the shop which is what I have done..

Coming from someone that has all three saws.. having three different style blade clamps on the Hawks I have.. the round barrel style and two different versions of the smaller square style clamps.. Also having a Hegner, and a Excalibur with Pegas chucks.. To me the Hegner blade chucks are really no different than that of the Hawks.. yes they are a different chucks but same principal.. break a blade and spend the next week looking for the blade chuck.. I don't know if the spring steel clip is somewhat worn out on the Hegner but it's three times worst for sending the blade holder into another dimension.. I rarely have a blade chuck come out of the Hawks when a blade breaks.. but that darn Hegner only stays in the saw maybe every 10th time I break a blade, LOL All three saws are great for certain types of projects.. I can see where people get the attitude that "my saw is better than yours" because having had many different saws over the years and doing many different types of projects I find myself liking the Hawk and Hegners for very detailed fretwork in thin stock.. but I find I like the EX-21 better for cutting thicker stock.. could I do all the various projects on one saw? Yes.. but having all three styles of saws I have favorite projects for the various saws that makes "business life" easier and more productive. IF I were just toying around to pass time I could care less what saw I had in my shop out of these three saws.. Probably the most user friendly saw in my opinion is the new Hawk BM-26.. large table top or bottom feed.. IF I were to do angle cuts.. I'd say the EX is probably better.. The Hegner without some modifications would be my last choice of a saw.. table too small to support the wood on larger projects.. upper arm doesn't move up high enough to easily switch holes and no way to top feed.. That said it's probably better built than any of the others and runs way smoother than any of the others.. A lot just boils down to personal preference and muscle memory from whatever style saw you started out with. All saws mentioned are great saws and in no way trying to say one is better than another.. just stating my opinion based on the types of projects I make and my experience with running many different saws..