kmmcrafts

I've never heard of either of those finishes so I guess I'll have to do some research.. Very tempting to just use automotive urethane clear as that stuff I know.. though I've never used it on wood, LOL. I did like the spar varnish stuff I used on a outdoor sign I made a couple years ago and have a can left.. might do that too.. not really sure what the best option is..

It's Walnut

I am making a wedding present for a family member that will be finally using some of my slabs I have had for 15 years, LOL. I got a whole big stack of these that I got from my brothers mill several years ago.. before the big epoxy resin table thing really kicked off, LOL.. Anyway I've been sanding the edges down as they was really rough.. run through the planer to smooth it all out and now have sanded it down to 320.. I will be doing some small carving with the cnc on a small portion that will have the names and date engraved in. Wil be adding pin legs I guess is what you call them. Wife want it to be a nice gloss finish.. I've not really worked with epoxy but I do have a small amount that I intended to use on a different project but changed coarse on that.. However it's a very small kit and I'm not wanting to run out of it in the middle of this project either. I am more comfortable just spraying something on it but what? Also that epoxy that I do have is not a "thick" epoxy it's supposed to be gloss but not a thick glass type.. I think that's what the wife is kind of after.. I don't mind spraying several coats of clear to achieve the result she thinks she wants, LOL.. Epoxy is probably the real way to go on this but thought I'd ask more opinions from someone that maybe has been there done that.. I'd really like to "seal it up with clear before running the carve on the cnc.. that's typically what I do and then after the carve I paint it and then clear over the whole thing but I'm not sure that'd work with epoxy either. I wish I had taken a photo before I started planing and sanding.. you'd have a hard time knowing how beautiful this grain pattern really is.. I did several large planks.. some was way too big for the planer so I ended up having to surface them on the CNC and even had to "tile" it on there as some are 3 ft x maybe 5 ft.. all are nice looking but this is the one she chose so gotta go with what the boss says, LOL

Interesting, because I've had several "older " Hawks and when looking to buy them also seen many many photos and saws in person.. for at least the last 12 years.. that is the first saw I've seen paint like this. Whatever paint / powder coat they use is very good stuff as it doesn't scratch or fade very easily so most of the Hawk saws still "look" very well, even those from the early 80's still look new. Hegner could take lessons from Hawk in the paint / coating department for sure.. EDIT To Add: That is a G4 saw if memory serves right so it's not "that" old since the G4 came out around 2005.. My two saw a 1993 and a 1998 look just as good as the 2017 I purchased new.. The 93 was not taken very good care of and was used a lot.. many worn parts on it when I got it so i had to totally rebuilt that saw.

I assumed that all the sizes would need to be the same.. that has always been the case for taping around the edges too. I ended up with a lot of oddball sizes a few years ago and that is actually why / when I bought the pin nailer.. quicker than screws and the pieces can be all different sizes.. that is actually what started the pin nailer method.. It has paid for itself just using up all those oddball pieces I had. There was a large lawn cart and two wheelbarrows stacked full of oddball sizes that was too large to just toss out but not the standard blank size I used and most was not the same size as any of the other pieces for a stack.

Like Bill said, we all work differently and one method doesn't work well for one or another.. I've never tried the hot glue method.. but many here have said that's how they do it which is interesting to me. Someone mentioned the pin nailer having to get one and many of the lower cost ones require a air compressor etc.. Being I'm usually in the mindframe of production cutting and do mostly stack cutting between 4 and 6 to a stack for the past 15 years.. my most used method was always tape around the edges.. IF you make sure to have the stack held together very tight and make the tape go over the edges tightly etc etc.. it has always worked very well for me.. I usually use shelf liner on the top layer and have my pattern already glued onto the top layer before taping the stack together.. this way peeling it back off is easy other than the very bottom piece but that is on the back side anyway so it could be sanded off etc. if needed.. I usually use clear packing tape as it is thinner than most of the painters tape.. The pin nailer work really well for me too for large projects.. as it keeps the middle of the stack good and tight.. I've not had any issues with that method either but I also have a small die grinder that I'll quickly use to grind down the pin nails so they won't scratch the table top etc. I could see myself a bit annoyed with the glue gun method as I'd have to wait for it to warm up to work.. I suppose if I planned it right and plugged it in while prepping the pattern etc.. that'd probably work well to once I got the system down. I've been using the tape for so many years without issues that sometimes if in a rush I don't bother and just use tape.. on occasion with big projects and the middle does start bouncing around I'll drive a screw or pin nail in a waste area just to help out. Anyway, I think I'll gift the glue gun method a try one of these days.. maybe I'll start a new method or maybe I'll hate it and continue what I've always done. I'm not one of those that my way is the way it has to be done and open to trying new ways.. This topic has been interesting to me to see how many are using the glue gun.. so I have to try it.

Guess it really depends on how much scrolling you do and if you have a local source for various thickness of boards that are readily available etc. I personally would be lost without my planer.. dang near every single project I make the board ends up going through the planer.. not always because I need a certain thickness but sometimes just to make the board freshly flat again after it has sat in the shop sometimes they get cupped etc. and it's nice to just be able to true them up before starting the project. For me when buying thin stock 1/8 - 3/8 by the time I get home with it it has already cupped.. nice just to take a 3/4" board down to whatever size I need and have it completely flat. My local source for project lumber is 30 - 35 mile away and it would cost me a fortune to make a special trip just to get a board at the certain thickness I needed.. so in that aspect I have saved a ton of money just in fuel. The tool I bought that I probably shouldn't have was the bandsaw.. I got it so I could resaw boards but the time and effort vrs the savings really ( for me ) wasn't worth it.. Most times when I need to resaw a board I have the wrong blade in and the set up time, resaw time, and then planning time etc to get the finished board I need for no more than I use it for the resawing purpose it'll take a very long time to pay off.. however that planer is done paid itself off several times over.. BUT as I said... really depends on your specific situation.. if you have a good selection very close by etc.. you may be able to do without..

Yeah, I don't know why they don't respond to their message system very well.. I don't know if they just don't get notifications from the website like they should or if they don't check them etc.. Kind of weird to me since they (from what I've seen ) respond to the messages quite regularly on their FB page.. I haven't had the need to contact them since I bought by new saw back in 2017 but I've been reading that they're much better with CS now.. maybe not though if they aren't responding to you.. I don't know.. and I don't blame you one bit if they are still having CS issues.. I get that from time to time with most everywhere.. and it does happen now and then. Seyco as an example as i always had great service from them until the last time I had a question.. Took them 6 months to answer it.. excuse was they swapped website or servers or something and they lost a bunch a data but then somehow retrieved that data and was going through the messages.. so at least they did reach back out to me 6 months later, LOL.. I don't think Hawk would have done that nor many other companies. At the end of the day.. the best contact info is done by phone and talk to a person.. I get email glitches etc happening all the time with Etsy and Amazon.. Etsy recently changed their system and had a glitch and it was marking everyones messages as spam and not giving us sellers any kind of notice so it's always good to be able to talk in person rather than rely on a message actually going where it supposed to.

Tape around the edges is what I do most.. I have also used screws in the waste areas and then take them out to reuse again.. just make sure they don't poke through the back side and scratch the saw table all up. I also and more now than ever use a pin nailer.. again.. be sure they don't poke through the back. I've read where some use hot glue around the edges. Gotta be careful with double sided tapes as they might peel up some larger wood fibers and create a problem..

Yes, both my lasers are like the one I showed.. then my other one is a attachment that mounts into the router on my CNC router which is a Nextwave Shark HD4 but the one for my router is very low powered.. It came with my CNC and I've never even tried it.. LOL Mine will cut 1/4" but it depends on the density of the ply.. sometimes you have to run it 2 and sometimes even 3 times to get it to cut through if using the good 5 ply BBplywood.. Cuts through 1/8 pretty easy though, and will cut through 1/4 of the cheaper plys pretty decent too. How it's tuned makes a huge difference as to how well it cuts too. Think of a magnifying glass in the sun if you get it focused just right you can set things on fire.. but if the focus isn't good it isn't quite as hot.. lasers work in that same kind of principal.. You don't want to cut if you don't have air assist and most the smaller lasers didn't use to come with it but it is easily added. I added that stuff to mine.. some of the newer ones come with air assist.. Air assist kind of works along the same principal of a oxy acetylene torch cutting metal.. get it hot and then blow the air and it cuts, without air assist you might just set the wood on fire, LOL.. Anyone with a laser should be prepared with a fire extinguisher close by.. never know when something might jam up on the laser and it just keeps firing the laser in the same spot.. don't take long to get a fire started. LOL

Nice photos.. I think these would make great photo jigsaw puzzles as well.. always wanted to do these types of puzzles but back then I didn't have a good camera and never knew where to get royalty free photos.. now I have a nice camera but my printer is only black and white..

Choosing a laser is like trying to choose a scroll saw blade for a said project.. first you get what you pay for.. a lot of folks get a laser solely to do engraving.. quickly find that they wish they could cut with it also.. then you get one that does both but cheap ones are soooo slow to do the job it's about worthless if you're trying to make it something profitable to sell. Kinda like dialup internet vers DSL vrs. cable etc.. LOL.. Then you get a cheap powerful one and find that the workable laser area is too small for many projects. My laser is powerful but too small to make much other than ornaments or keychains etc.. I do have a large 24" wide x however long you want if you tile the project and do in sections but the power is not there so it's very slow and will only engrave. If you're thinking of investing in a laser a Omtech CO2 unit is a good start for the money.. many of the cheaper open frame lasers will say they can cut through x thickness of material but what they don't say is at what power level and how many times you have to go over the cutout before it actually cuts all the way through that material. My cheap 40W CO2 will cut one pass clean through 1/4" plywood.. at 7mm per second speed or two passes if it's the good BB plywood. I mostly cut 1/8" BBply and run it at 10 - 12 mm per second cutting or 400 mm second to do engraving.. plenty of power to go 500 mm second or more but details get blured some at the faster speeds.. probably the cheap ( free ) software I use on it isn't capable to keep up with the machines speed capabilities.. This is what my two lasers are.. though the price is double what they were when I got mine a couple years ago. I really wish I had the funds to go with a larger 80 - 100 watt one.. even a 40 watt one is plenty of power just my workable area is only about the size of a sheet of paper.. so even a 40W with a much larger work area would be way better improvement. https://omtechlaser.com/products/40w-co2-laser-engraver-cutter-usb-032b-us

Sorry to hear about all the bad luck going through your homestead.. Never a good time for anything to wear out, give out, and just plain breakdown. I've also been dealing with a lot of just old worn out things giving me troubles from mowers, trimmers, cars and washer and dryers.. on a more positive note... hopefully the new replacements should last until I get some cash on hand again.. but man it sure has been one heck of a year for us.. IF I could have gotten the parts for the washer / dryer I might have rebuilt it again.. They were both here in my house when I bought it 32 years ago and old and worn out then.. I took them both apart and rebuilt them way back when.. and now the parts was just not available so we bought new.. That is the G4 Hawk and looks like a nice saw.. that said the paint on the stand etc. looks off to me.. looks like it had a crappy repaint maybe or something spilled on it? Looks like some sort of wrinkle finish compared to all the other Hawk saws I've seen so passing on it might not be a bad idea anyway. Never know if someone was trying to cover up something with the wrong type of paint or if some chemical spilled on it it could have gotten into the electronics and did some damage there that may not show up until you get it home and start using it. As far away as it is and judging the photos I think maybe passing on it is what I would do.. One will pop up at the right time that is maybe a better deal and or closer to home for you sooner or later.

I would never let just one person chase me off.. but you see, the whole scroll sawing community has this box they stand on called the soap box and they puff the chest out and say I made this with their own two hands.. rightfully so as it does take skill and talent to scroll saw as it does with any other form of crafting. I've been there done that with many different forms of scroll sawing been on that soap box myself over the years too, and again rightfully so. The issue is I have changed, haven't even touched my scroll saw this year.. yet anyway. Sales have slowed way up so I've been taking advantage of that extra time playing with the laser and CNC projects.. you'd think after 7 years I'd learn where that button is that is so easy to push as everyone puts it, on these machines that make you not need any talent whatsoever to pump out some chinese trash looking projects. But I guess I'm as bright as a burnt out lightbulb because I can't seem to find that button and am having to do more hands on and learning than that.. The sad thing is I've got a lot of friends and online family here on SSV.. many would like to see the things I'm making or at least they say they would like me to post the some of the laser and cnc stuff. Yet I post some things and the negative nellies come out of the woodwork and talk trash about just pushing that button.. discrediting any skill it took for me to get that project made and the whole subject turns into a handmade versus machine made topic. Why would i keep doing that and feeling I have to defend that it's more than that. Easier to just step out.. some may have noticed I haven't been posting as much. Funny thing is I can show my friends on the laser and cnc sites my scroll saw projects and nobody gets all bent out of shape and says anything about it.. JT, I did do the craft shows in the mid 80's through the early 2000's but it wasn't my things I sold.. it was my fathers stuff I helped him sell so I have seen that movement as did Dad. Dad always said he couldn't compete with them but sold very well despite they were there. He never trash talked the laser / cnc but rather was amazed at the detail and what they could do with them machines. I think if he'd of had the money he'd have bought one and messed with it.. as Rolf said, just another tool and he is a tool junky just as my father was. JT, the original poster mentioned a dislike for the laser machines too so it's not just about you all the time.. Again..I never addressed YOU! Thing is in the "other woodworks" section you're supposed to be able to post "other woodworking projects" nobody trashes lathe work or any other forms of woodwork, but open up a can of worms posting a CNC or laser item.. that's the hatred those of us that do have and use these tools in our shops get.. It's you all that chase us out.. maybe rightfully so too. I don't know. Just seem pretty harsh when 40 years ago people ruined the minds of so many because of the competition they created.. Clearly anyone that says there is no skill or no hands on work when using these machines have no idea what they're talking about. Sorry for the rant and changing the subject of the topic at hand. I'm stepping out on this one. Photo of my most recent fraud made product. $30 upcharge to engrave and hand paint the text.. Sad that just because i used a machine to help enhance the product for the customer it throws the whole thing out the window as being handmade now

This is why I advertise the stuff as laser engrave / cut and hand painted.. nowhere do I say it's handmade so get off the high horse JT. When someone ask for personalization I tell them I can "laser engrave" the names or "CNC router" that so they "know" it's not going to be hand cut.. IF they want 100% handmade I offer that too.. however it's gotta be completely made from scratch from pattern to finished product and 30 days out before I can mail it.. most either go for the quicker cheaper option.. some do not.. doesn't matter to me either way I'm going to make my money doing it or not.. if not then that next person / job is paying my way.. I don't try to scam anyone out of money.. they know what they are getting if they even care.. majority don't seem to really care about how it's made.. they just want that personalized gift that you're not going to find at Walmart.. Furthermore are you selling fraud products then? as I recall you "paid someone" to 3D print you a angel to enhance a pen you turned.. at least I'm doing "all the work myself"!!! Or is it okay for some to use these tools and not others? Just curious.. Handmade is an opinionated term anyway.. some of the oldtimers before you was probably mad because you had a electric powered scroll saw and they was trying to compete with a coping saw.. Things evolve and that is a good thing..otherwise we'd still be using outhouses and having to carry water from the local stream.. some people just can't accept change and that is okay.. no reason to be so bitter about it though.. I'd much rather scroll all my items but without the Laser and CNC I'd likely be out of business just like you.. these machines help with personalizations and doing things the scroll saws can't.. I find it truly funny how there is such a double standard.. Truly handmade should include you hand draw the design rather than purchasing a computer generated pattern too.. where does one draw that line? It's all "opinions anyway" you have yours and everyone else has theirs.. You always seem like you have some sort of beef with me. You and many others stated your opinions.. I stated mine and then get called out.. I never mentioned your name in my post.. just my opinion.. No need to run way again as I'm not on here much anymore anyway as I'm over on the Laser / CNC sights more now because I'm doing more of that stuff now.. you stay here as I'll leave this time.. as I don't belong here with my fraud selling laser and CNC products anyway.... sometimes you just gotta laugh at this stupid double standards that people have.

From someone that has a laser and uses it a lot.. I agree it was done on a laser.. I don't hate lasers nor the people that use them as hate is a pretty strong word.. I like lasers as they have a place in the woodwork and many other mediums and crafts. I do dislike the folks that use them and paun the products off as handmade.. Lasers can and do enhance scrolled work as well as many other types of work.. pretty hard to engrave with a scroll saw, LOL.. It's nice to take an existing scrolled product that is already made and be able to personalize it for an "upcharge" for those in the crafts selling scene. Many lasered products do look cheap, but that is just opinion and many people out there like the product at the price point they are offered at so people continue to make cheap looking items and try to compete with the cheap imported products you see at the box stores.. Just because it's a laser product doesn't mean it has to be cheap product.. there are people doing high end stuff with lasers, however the majority seem to make cheap crap with them. At the end of the day they are just another tool to add to and enhance my scrolled products much like any other tool such as routers and lathes.. Most the people that hate or dislike lasers only hate or dislike them because the people that started out using them years ago did paun off the stuff as handmade and they used the patterns and designs that was originally designed for handmade scrolled products.. Most nowadays don't know a darn thing about them and it's really easy to hand down that hate / dislike and give lasers a bad name and review when you've never set your hands on one and used it.. Like word of mouth goes on for years from oldtimers because of something that happened 40 years ago..

Only time I ever had issues with condensation was the spring thaw.. Not much issues during the winter but when the warmer temps started melting in the spring the shop floor would be damp.. keep a good coat of paste wax on all my equipment did wonders from keeping the table tops from rust. No issues these days since I put in the heater and keep shop warm through the winter..

Before I was making enough money to heat the shop I just used a small space radiant type heater only when I was scrolling. Then I got a wood pellet stove and basically keep it running and the shop stays around 50.. I just run it on low but when working I'll crank it up during the day to around 60 - 65.. My shop is a little more than a small shed though as it's 24 x 32 downstairs and the gable type roof upstairs is all open and only insulation currently is in the roof upstairs part I have 4" R-32 foam sheet stuff that I got a great deal on.. LOL As for glues.. I do keep those inside and always have for the most part.. paints etc are fine out there but I ruined a new bottle of glue years ago and just habit to keep in the house. Photos of the shop when it was being built. Have 4 windows upstairs and 3 downstairs. Upstairs is mostly my storage of lumber, inventory, and the laser machines are up there.. downstairs I mostly try to keep one bay empty in case I need to pull a car inside to work on it etc.. Old 24 x 24 shop is used just for storage now with several hundred live edge slabs.. more lumber and the mowers and tractors etc.

Kind of resembles Beech I think.. but I could be wrong.

Had the old problem motor and round barrel clamps anyway.. while not a bad deal by any means for the right person but it is one of those old finikey saws that many times push people away from Hawks because of the issues they have.

The G4 is the saw to have but like I said earlier, they don’t pop up very often. There is one local to me for around $400 which is probably a good price for one of those.

There is a Facebook Hawk Scroll saw group that you might find / learn more from.. I'm not on FB much and rarely follow any of the groups very closely but I have seen that Bushton seems like are on the group somewhat regularly answering questions etc.. so maybe helpful to some of you folks. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1270226317017076

That saw is not worth $500 in my area anyway.. Keep looking for an Ultra, G4 or BM series.. This has the problem motor on it too.. One way to tell if a saw is a round clamp or Ultra type is looking at the motor.. That motor looks huge and you can see it.. On the ones with the better motor I believe the motor is smaller and unseen unless you peek under the saw. I used to believe that the holes in the accessory arm indicated that it was a Ultra but some of the later model round clamp saws had those holes too for some reason. The surefire way is getting a picture of the lower clamps. Coming from someone that has both Hawk and Hegner.. my opinion is they both cut very much like each other and the most noticeable difference for me is the larger table of the Hawk and in my case my saws are 26" and they are huge.. The stand is better on the Hegner. I just have the MultiMax 18.. I feel like the Hegner runs a bit smoother than the Hawk.. All of the G4 and BM series saws I've seen have a black plastic material angle mechanism and its right up even with the edge of the front part of the stand.. Ultra and earlier saws have a machined aluminum angle mechanism and it sets back from the edge of the stand about maybe a inch. Hard to find a G4 or BM series for sale and especially for a good deal.. Most you'll likely see is probably the round clamp saws with a few Ultras mixed in.. The G4 and BM series is probably the best bet to get as they are a bit more user friendly than the older Ultra and round clamp saws.. and the G4 and BM series has a few more features to mess with, LOL

That's quite odd, typically when a saw gets worn it has to have more tension or slide the lever over more than usual.. I'm wondering if it's possible that your blades are shorter? For anyone not knowing what this saw is.. It's the Delta that is very similar to the DeWalt and has the same style slide lever to apply tension. Maybe someone had this issue with a Dewalt? I've heard the opposite but like I mentioned above but not heard of it this way. LOL

They didn't make the front to back blade adjustment in the "Ultra" version other than the two positions for the blade chuck to fit in on the lower arm. The ones with the allen screw in the end of the lower arm for adjusting front to back blade movement is the G4 or newer saws.. My BM26 is that way.. also those have the lower arm protrude through the angle mechanism and the blade sits out in front of the angle mechanism so you get the pleasure of wearing the sawdust you make on your lap instead of on top of the saws stand or in your case in the funnel.. BTW, those two positions for the blade chuck to set in on the lower arm.. one closest to the front of the saw is for less aggressive of a cut typically for cutting thin stock and the next position back is for a more aggressive cut for thicker stock.. I mostly only use the front most position because this is a more straighter up / down blade angle for a more square cut.. For me the slot for the thicker wood or the rearmost position if you're cutting thicker stock sometimes the corners don't cut square.. If you make those 3/4" thick dog puzzles the pieces won't slide together correctly if you use that rearmost position. At least that is what I've experienced