kmmcrafts

While I don't have what i would call variable adjusting on my ultra.. I do have 2 slots for the blade holder to fit in.. Today I was cutting out a clock order and there was some small areas of grass in a fret that was quite large.. I put the entry hole near the grass and was cutting it first... once I got past that delicate area it was too slow going for my taste.. so I stopped the saw loosened the blade tension which gives enough slack to change the lower blade holder position... without removing the blade.. moved to the more aggressive position and tension the blade.. no tools required.. I bet not many saws can do that.. That said though.. with my saw cutting out 1/2" + hardwood.. I find that the two positions are either not aggressive enough.. or too aggressive when I get to detailed areas.. If there was a position in between.. I probably could live with it better and not need to make any adjustments.. however I do like the less aggressive position for cutting a stack of 3 or less detailed cutting on 1/8" bbply. which I hate doing on my deWalt, Being able to stop in the cut and release tension change position of clamp and go again is a pretty nice feature though..I imagine the BM series could do this as well but probably not as quickly and easy.. But they can get that sweet spot in the middle that I cannot..

That is per listing.. and listing last 4 months or until sold.. also will be charged 3.5% ( I think ) of the sale price.. If you list a quantity of more than 1 on a item.. when that item sells they will automatically relist it and charge you another ,20 listing fee..

First picture ( if you can make it out ) the plug inserted and the second picture is after I removed the plug.. Third picture is a view from under the saw... and the other is the plug and a tape measure to reference the size.. Now I thought this was a bigger plug than it actually is..I just remember it being there when I put the saw together and thinking it might be a dust port to stick a vac hose in.. Was thinking about hooking up either my dust collector or shop vac to it to see how well it would perform.. will need to buy some adapters as my shop vac has a 2.5 inch hose I think.. and my dust collector is 4 inch. Might try it though.. just thought I'd ask before buying the stuff.. but I guess my saw is the only one with a hole? Kevin

Nope don't have a Hegner.. My Hawk 226 Ultra has a spot to put a dust port right under where the bottom blade clamp is.. large hole which just has a plastic plug in it right now.. I assume it's a dust spot to put a vac hose in.. but the manual doesn't mention it.. My old Hawk 220VS doesn't have a hole there.. The 220VS is from 1993 and the 226 Ultra is a 1998.. which was new in the box still so I imagine it was made that way.. Just figured the newer models all had them.. though never seen another like mine.. so not sure.. maybe special ordered that way? I will see about getting a picture up to show what I am talking about.. Kevin

Since there has been a lot of Hawk topics lately.. is anyone using the dust port on theirs? I'm thinking about hooking it up and seeing how well it will work. Just thought I'd see if anyone else is using it.. I like how the dust collects on the top of the saw below the blade rather than all over me like the DeWalt does.. but using that dust port below might actually help keep a lot of dust floating around in the shop.. I do use the box fan filter next to the saw.. which helps..

I've also bought my first Hawk for $100 not really knowing much about them at the time... and ended up with a $350 before I fixed all that was wrong with it.. live and learn I guess..

Just thought I'd share.. Just ran across this on craiglist.. Not in my area but if anyone lives around here this could be an okay deal as long as it works good Hawk

Coming from an autobody repair guy.. I've always done this.. I get out my buffing compounds and my buffer and have at it on about all my new tools.. Back when my dad first got into scroll sawing after he retired back in 1987.. I came home to find him trying to wax his scroll saw table... I told him to hold on I will make it real smooth for him.. Got my buffing stuff out and made it real smooth in just a few minutes.. he talked about that for a long time.. because I made it sooo slick, LOL Kevin

That is pretty much all I use for a finish.. well.. I use my own concoction of mineral oil and beeswax.. almost all my products are finished with this..

I use an elipse dust mask.. Best one I have tried so far.. I used to use a Totobobo mask and they are awesome too.. just those little filters fill with dust way to fast and need changed almost everyday.. The elipse mask I believe is a industrial type mask and the filters are supposed to last for quite a long time under industrial type use.. Elipse Mask

Scott, I've use the Mach blades way back when ( 2009 ish ) I liked the FD Ultra reverse better back then.. now I don't care for the FD blades all that much.. those Pegas MG blades are awesome cutting compared to any blade I have used ( I've tried a lot of blades over the years) I however flip back and forth with FD blades when using my DeWalt as the Pegas are a little aggressive on that saw.. just depends on what I am cutting what blade I use when sawing with the 788... I found I like best is the pegas blades while running my Hawk as they are faster cutting.. yet I can leave the blade adjustment on the Hawk at a not very aggressive so i can do the nice smooth cutting corners etc with ease yet cut fairly fast.. I think you'll probably love those blades.. I'd wait to make any adjustment to your blade aggressiveness until after you run those pegas.. JMO BTW, glad you are starting to like your new saw.. I have to admit I felt bad at first about the first Hawk.. as I was one steering you toward the Hawk..

Both my Hawks are fairly smooth running and are manageable.. but neither saw is as smooth as my DeWalt.. also neither saw cuts as aggressive or as fast as the Dewalt.. That said.. hard to compare the older saws that I have to the new BM series.. but I do wonder what that comparison is between the older Hawks and the New one. My 220VS is from 1993 and my 226 Ultra is from 1999 according to who I had on the phone from Bushton,, so they are quite older.. The 226 was still new in the box so no wear and tear before I got it..

Not only is it interesting that woodcraft is selling it.. but something that is also interesting is the price.. that's a steel for the 30" saw.. I believe the 21" was priced in that price range.. I didn't see a 21" offered.. unless I missed it.. looks like only a 30" and the 16"

Back before I purchased my Hawk this spring I was looking into buying one of these.. at that time.. I couldn't find anyone that would ship a saw to the USA.. Maybe someone will now.. or maybe more distributors now and someone will ship.. but back around the first part of the year.. I called a few different stores..which I am glad now anyway.. as I got my Hawk..

I am not sure what the whole upgrade consist of.. nor do I have any experience with the EX's ... That said though.. one sentence in the description mentions polishing the top of the clamp for a smoother surface which will equal less wear.. Seems to me.. one could polish their own for less wear on the original clamp..I did read of another part of the upgrade as well.. which since I don't own or have any experience with these saws so I don't know what that consist of.. only comment on the polishing part since I have experience with polishing.. ( several years of building / restoring old cars / street rods etc.. LOL Kevin

You can go to the RBI Hawk web site and download your manual.. Hawk built these for Record Power.. Yours looks to be the same machine as the 220 Without seeing the other side where the power switch is I don't know if you have the 220VS or the 220-3.. Not sure how Hawk handled the serial numbers for the other model names they used.. http://www.rbiwoodtools.com/WebsitePages/Scroll-Saw-Manuals.html Hope this helps

That's what I was going to say.. I even went so far as trying to use my Dewalt screw in the Hawk clamp last year.. but as mentioned they are a different size.. I never put much more thought into it.. but yes.. best solution would be for Hawk to consider making their own style of thumb screw or change the size of the hole and buy those style that DeWalt or Excalibur use..

I did go out this morning and run the tension adjuster at the back of the saw toward the front.. It's amazing how that effects the saws vibration and noise level.. Purs like a kitten now.. and the awful noise and vibration at top speed is almost completely gone.. pretty sure it would pass the nickle test now.. Kevin

Maybe the issue I have with mine.. since on both of mine I run the lever toward the back.. both are smooth running except in a couple of different speed ranges.. I'm going to try that once I get back in the shop.. Thanks for sharing this.. Now that Scott has joined in on this message.. I might be selling the couple older Hawks I have for a new BM series.. depending on how all this pans out.. Kevin

So how do you resize in gimp? is it quick and simple? I do a lot of resizing and I use a couple different methods depending on what I am working with.. 1) is I use posterazer.. free download.. you just put in your image and select boarders if needed.. you can resize by % and in inches mm etc.. then it saves it to a PDF file. 2) certain patterns I will resize by just right clicking the image file and click print. then it brings up options for the size and you can change the number of copies per sheet.. I typically do this for my Christmas ornaments and do them as a 4 x 6 then click 4 per full sheet

Steve Good also did a review of the Jet... look him up on youtube or his blog

Very much agree with your statement. I have a type 2 that was bought new in 09.. never a issue out of the ordinary bearing re-grease / replacement after the first 5-6 years of use.. not the kind of use I put it through now that I have my business and run a saw a lot of hours.. now re-greasing is about a yearly thing I shut down to do.. only re-placed the bearings once.. because that was before I knew about the issue of them needing attention.. so while many folk say they need new bearings every year is really nonsense because if you do preventive maintenance before the bearings get dried out.. you'll save a bunch of money on bearings and sleeves.. but.. run it dry and it can cost a couple hundred to replace all that stuff..

Just a thought for anyone going to look at this.. that upper blade clamp thumb screw looks awful massive.. so I half wonder if they have been cranking down on the blade.. While I know that some users have arthritis and have trouble with the standard thumb screws.. I also question this when I see a larger replacement screw.. So with that being said.. at worst you might need a new blade clamp.. as when they get cranked down so tight too many times.. two things can happen.. one is they can stripe out the threads.. Two is they can spread the clamp apart making the gap wider which will make it more offset and on an angle which will give you clamping issues.. I don't recall off the top of my head the price of these clamps.. but seem like they was in the $25 ish range.. but that's been a few years since I've looked them up.. Ask for a picture of the motor or ask them to check and see if it says on the motor tag Type 1 or 2.. I think it's a fair price.. provided it's not worn out.. take a blade with you and power it on.. run it through the speed range.. listen for any loud or unusual noise or vibration.. These typically run pretty smooth.. actually smoother than my hawk through the whole speed range.. but not built to last like my Hawk,

Hotshot's right.. they haven't made a 14 or 16"saws saw in quite a few years.. These saws are not very desirable to many because the tension lever on the 14" & 16" saws are at the back of the saw.. Many of these are also not variable speed.. Most of these in my area are lucky to get $150 -200.. so in my mind these two are actually quite high priced for what they are.. Well in looking closer at the photos.. the one says ultra.. I don't think the guy even knows what he has.. because the tension lever is at the front.. Don't think they made a 216 like that.. Guessing he has a 220 there.. but then.. is it really an Ultra or just a regular 220.. Price is still on the high side unless maybe it really is a Ultra.. then Maybe..

This has me wondering a little.. both my Hawks I had a heck of a vibration once I got them home and set up.. Me being the mechanic trouble shooter enthusiast ( I like mechanical challenges ).. For me on both saws it was only at various speeds.. while not totally smooth like the DeWalt through the speed ranges it was there and it also made a hell of a noise when at the worst vibration speed.. sound like a motorcycle or something.. I tweeked a lot of things and never really had much success until I determined the noise seems to be coming from the arm that goes through the base and connects to the lower arm and the motor ( connecting rod ).. it was awful close to the one end of the slot cut out in the base.. I loosened the motor and moved it some ( motor mount holes are slotted on mine for some reason) and it took care of the noise and most all the vibration.. It still has a little more vibration than my DeWalt.. but really not bad unless I at a select speed.. I wonder if I need to move that motor around and find a sweet spot.. I hate to mess with it much now since I got it so close to being smooth all through the speeds.. That all said.. if this is the issue in your case.. I have a really hard time believing the motor could have moved during a shipment.. unless.. they failed to tighten the motor bolts... even after loosening them up some on mine.. the motor wasn't really all that easy to move.. I had to loosen them up quit a lot to move it.. Also seems like they'd test ALL saws before they go out the door.. If nothing else.. test it to make sure it turns on.. While in my case.. both saws was used.. well one was new still boxed but it's a old saw (1998).. With my issue.. I never really gave it much thought and just sort of figured it was part of setting it up.. plus.. they just wasn't brand new saws.. I sure hope they take care of the problem for you..