hotshot

Now for the much newer clamp to use as reference: Whether or not this is the perfect setting, at a glance you can see that the set screw is forcing the blade towards the center. Trust me, the arrow is pointing to the end of the set screw Finally, the set screw is sunken just barely under the surface of the clamp surface. I'm sure this varies some, but vary little from clamp to clamp.

Since there is not a lot on the Hawk stuff out here yet, I thought I would post some information on troubleshooting the blade clamps. One of the bottom clamps I got with the saw would have definitely caused the prior owner issues, but he apparently gave up and went back to his 788 before he found the issue. With a little inspection, I think it's pretty obvious what he needed to do to fix the issue. The first clue something may be wrong Hard to see down that dark little hole, but there is only threads, and no sign of the set screw But looking down the knob hole, there is a sign of something else. This was removed easy enough by poking/loosening it with another blade.

Getting way off topic, I'll create a top level post to dive into what can go wrong with the bottom clamp and set screw.

Ok, I had hoped you were not using 2/0 or smaller, and that your problem was something else. I'm agree with Stoney on his opinion, and maybe we get a shot at a different clamp knob to prove or disprove that theory.

Which size and type blades are you using? Top or bottom clamp or both? If you are getting the Hockey stick effect, I don't think too much tension is your issue. When you "pluck it", you should get a tone somewhat close to that of your 788. If you are getting those with straight blades >= #3 and every time, your probably seeing something different from me. On my other saws, I've seen this when the set screw had worked it's way into the clamp. That set screw must extend somewhat into the gap in the clamp. I'll post again in a bit to show you how to tell if you bottom clamp set screw is set correctly. That might be your issue. On your Dewalt, the end could rotate, so as the blade started to get tight, the blade and clamp knob tip would remain stationary relative to each other, while the shaft continues to turn and go that last little bit. With the BM, since the tip doesn't rotate, if it grabs the blade, it will apply a rotation torque, as the opposite side of the clamp would try to resist that rotation as it is held against the stationary set screw. I'm thinking smaller spirals and Jewelers would be especially problematic. The HockeyStick effect isn't my main motivation for trying to improve the knob. I'm more concerned with the torque required to get an acceptable hold. Also, if for some reason you miss your blade, then that rotational torque would now be "trying to turn" that set screw. Anyway, I think the guy before be got frustrated with the clamps as there is evidence he was also "working" on the issue. But what he didn't catch was that his set screw was not set correctly on the bottom clamp, which gives me the opportunity to show you a bad setting, versus a new setting.

I really don't think about it that hard. I like the pattern, so I thought I would cut it. I'm always looking for new designs that I think may sell in the store or that my friend would like.

I suspect manufacturing those would be very difficult, and keeping with "American Made" might make sourcing those difficult. Well I thought "I know Bushton is not making the motors, and I seriously doubt those are American made . . .", so, I got on my back under the saw to see who made the motor, and . . . Yes, it is American made by "Bison Gear and Engineering Corp." Wow and Kudos to Bushton on keeping the "Made in America" message squeaky clean. So given the no chinks in the armor, I don't think they would use the overseas sourcing. Some time back, I did some extensive research, called "many" manufacturers, looking for the knurled knobs with the rotating ends (like Hegner but intended to use on EX), and many did have "Swivel Heads", but that is not the same thing, and will not for for our application. But to your point, if Bushton gave us the option of M6 x 1 and shipped without the knob, then we could easily handle the sourcing for ourselves and have the best of both worlds.

Of course I interpreted all that as, "Hey, if you have a BM26 questions, I'm your man". :-)

I'm so far outside my comfort zone I can't even see land. I was assuming 13/64 based on some chart, but maybe they are just using the #7. Only thing I know for sure is that their thumbscrew is 1/4 x 20, but the one I would like to use is a M6 x 1. Im hoping not to have to go the Heliocoil or time-sert route, if that would even work in this situation. So, if I'm understanding right, in soft metals they usually drill with a #7 for 1/4 x 20 or a #8 for M6 x 1 So #7 is .201" and #8 is .199", so the hole will be .002" too large, which will mean the threads on the Thumbscrew will reach all the way outside of the threaded hole, but I will have slop closer to the shaft because the hole is too big. I wonder how much slop we are talking about. I might have to take Marks suggestion and test a m6 x 1 tap on #7 hole. The other possibility is to ask for the clamps undrilled, if they are willing to do that, then just drill and tap myself. Best solution would be if Bushton would offer these drilled and tapped for the M6 x 1.

Well, I wanted to get used to the saw with a Charles Dearing pattern, but my daughter had something very specific in mind. I usually don't do the simple cutout type stuff, but you know, when the daughter asks . . . . I think she wants to paint the whale pink and the rest blue. Who knows. Evidently Vineyard Vines is some clothes company and this Whale is their logo. The wood is 3/4 ply, and using #3 Modified Geometry blades Hawkeye gave me to test. Blades worked good, but the saw is not aggressive how it is currently set. If I did much of this, I would have to adjust for a little more bite.

I have a question for any machinist (or folks that know this kind of thing). I'm pretty sure what I have in mind will work, but I wanted to sanity check my assumptions. The current BM clamps are drilled somewhat less than 1/4" (13/64") and tapped at 20 threads per inch to result in it accepting a 1/4" X 20 Thumbscrew. The knobs I want to use are M6 and tapped to 1 thread per mm. In inches, the outer diameter of the shaft would be 0.23622 which is really really close to 1/4" So the question is, if Bushton sends me untapped clamps drilled at 13/64", am I going to be able to tap them using the M6 X 1 tap? The normal hole size for that tap is 5 mm or 0.197". So Bushton Hole is 0.203125" vs M6 hole which would be 0.19685" for a difference of .006275", so we can say the hole is about 6 thousands too big which seems like it would be close enough, am I right? I'm not a machinist, so my Math could totally be screwed up, but I know the M6 thumbscrews are close to the same size as the 1/4" because the M6 X 1 starts to thread into the Bushton clamp. At the end of the day, if I can get this to happen, I will have a Hawk Clamp that will take a Thumbscrew from the DW/EX/Seyco/Hegner and make use of that rotating tip. I really think that would help.

There have been a very very few buyers of the BM on the forums. Here is a thread from SSWC where FretFret explains the positives of the switch from the Dewalt to the BM, so this may be what you are looking for: https://forum.scrollsawer.com/forum/scroll-saw/tools-and-blades/835039-hawk-scroll-saw The BM20/BM26 series is in the same bloodline as the G4, so even though Rolf doesn't own this saw, he knows the G4 inside and out, and he has gotten a little time on a BM, so his perspective should be pretty good. https://forum.scrollsawer.com/forum/scroll-saw/tools-and-blades/50224-new-hawk-20-inch-saw On this forum, FlyingPigs/Doug explains why he gave up on the BM after struggling for < 10 hours. (BM220). (He went on to buy a Seyco and seems very pleased) So Doug was breaking a lot of blades and struggling with Spirals. I think I agree with Doug on the Clamp Knobs but for a different reason. I do believe the rotating head is a much better design, but not only to prevent the Hockey Stick effect, but because "I believe" the rotating head allowed the clamp to be tighter with the same amount of effort. I have had the blades come loose on the BM multiple times, and this was with knobs shipped fresh from Bushton. I can crank down on them, and not have that issue, but it requires less effort to get the clamps to that same holding tension on the Ex, DW788, and Hegner, which all use the rotating clamp knob end. I have had the hockey stick effect on the BM with the smaller blades, so that may have been why Doug was breaking blades. I am concerned that I will not be able to do my coins with the BM, as Jewelers blades requires a lot less tension, and my playing around so far has me doubting, but we shall see. Since Scott Smith has indicated that I may eventually be able to get untapped clamps, that may become a non-issue with me, and bring this saw over the top for me. What would be even better is if they were willing to tap the clamp for my desired thread size for me, but beggars can't be choosers. If this does happen, you will see a delightful post at some point in the future. It may be long long time until they make their clamp production runs, so I may have a long wait. Bonus Trivia: Nilus has his doctorate in Mechanical Engineering (according to a reliable source). I think the improvements to the Hawk saws show that he has some talent to go along with the degree. That problem solving mentality is good and I hope that effort to improve the saw continues going forward.

Thought I had better cut something quick before I got too rusty. This pattern is by Bobby Riggs who loves to cut crosses of every kind. You should be able to find him on Facebook if you look for Scrollriffic Crosses.

I did find out what I was doing wrong, and it was "simple". I had the rear tension lever engaged, but for some reason, I was thinking the end of the knob would face the back, not the front. man did that make a huge difference in vibration, and in having the knob not rotate. Here is my BM26 running full out, passing the nickel test. I think any more vibration, and it would not have passed. But, having that much moving mass, and squelching vibration to this degree, it's pretty impressive. I did have to place the nickel towards the center of table.

Scott, I'm sorry you feel offended, and am glad to hear of examples where Bushton replaced a part after the one year. Please try to see if from our perspective. $1400 (without shipping) is very very expensive for a scroll saw. But your customers are looking for a tool that they can count on to last for many years, so in order to get those "Years of Service", your customers pay the extra money. So, Bushton may indeed stand behind their machines, and that is a very good thing, but the warranty absolutely does not reflect that commitment to quality and durability. So, please don't be offended, but instead challenge your company to step up and give your customers a warranty that reflects that Bushton commitment to their customer, Bushton's belief in their product, and honor the investment and faith your customers place in your company.

I had considered roughing up the surfaces with sand paper to get a grip, but I like the way you think. I'm a little confused about the powdered rosin though. I don't think I know what that is.

Scott, it's good to see you pop in, can I ask you a few troubleshooting questions? 1. Since you help building the saws, when you put it together, how do you align the motor? I would like to check motor alignment myself but don't know how that is done? I can put an angle on the side of connection rod and see that it is exactly 90 degrees to the base, so I'm assuming that is good. But, I'm not sure how to check front to back placement. When you are building these saws, how do you know that the motor is positioned correctly or not? 2. When put these saws together, and you have vibration, what do you check? My BM26 isn't bad, but it sure won't pass the nickel test, and the vibration at the harmonic point (at about 6 and 7) is pretty bad. It's fairly decent at the other points. The feet are all solid on the concrete, the arms seem to be properly aligned (blade is 90 degrees to the table). Saw is tight to the table, and everything seems tight. Anyway, any suggestions would be appreciated. 3. I see you have machinist in your title. Here is the one I'm probably most interested in and right up your alley. Is there any way I get some clamps that are not tapped? The hole size is fine, but I would like to tap my own. That would be less work for you or the other machinist, and a much happier Hawk owner.

Carole has been doing this a while so she isn't the "Get my first saw in the mail today, review it tomorrow" type as you see so often. She does have some critical observations that you wouldn't get from paid sponsor. As Kev point out in the following post, Steve also did a pretty decent review and contributes greatly to our hobby. He does have a tight relationship with Seyco, but I don't think that detracts from the glipse of the saw that he gives.

Anyone try this with anything other than basswood?

Since I'm still on warranties, two very scary lines in the Hawk Warranty: "The warranty covers parts only labor and shipping charges still apply." "Any repairs and or replacement parts must be done by Bushton Manufacturing, LLC." These two things together, If they really held the line with this, could really bring on the pain. How much is round trip shipping? Labor for defective parts are not covered? Oh my! Just how much do they charge an hour for labor to fix their mistake? Warranty doesn't say, so seems arbitrary. I think they authorize customers to replace parts all the time, so perhaps they should have said "Unauthorized repairs" not "Any repairs." In another section of the warranty, it also says "This warranty does not obligate us to bear the cost of shipping charges in connection with the repair or replacement of the defective parts, nor shall it apply to any machine upon which repairs or alterations have been made unless authorized by us." Although not directly stated, it seems to imply that a repair that they "authorize" would still be covered, but legally, who knows. That said, I've talked to Bushton support and it was a very positive experience (as have been my experiences with Advanced), and I tend to trust these folks, it is just that reading the warrantee make me feel like it was written to undermine any "responsibility" the vendor has for shipping a defective product. I can't reconcile those two feelings.

That is true, but in the spirit of fairness and balance, though Bushton warranty is embarrassing, and the Hegner warranty much better, the thing that is most likely to go wrong with a Hegner (beside the inexpensive plastic connector rod), would be something electronic. How does Hegner handle that? "Electric components such as motors and switches and electronic parts such as variable speed controls carry a one-year manufacturer's warranty." The Hegner saw is simple with very little to go wrong (one of it's core strengths), but the most complex and expensive component is the motor (which costs about as much as a new Dewalt to replace). Some will say "the motor is of such quality, it will never go out", so then put a warranty on it that proves that fact. They also made a point that the one year warranty is a "manufacturer warranty." Not sure what the implications are of that, but I think the 7yr piece is directly from Advanced and not Hegner itself. So for electronics, the one year warranty for both saws stink. For my Hegner friends out there, this is not a Hegner slam, and I still have a Multimax 22v in my collection that I'm quite proud of and use it for my puzzle boxes, I'm just saying the 7 Year warranty thing isn't a clean "We stand behind our saws for 7 years." If these companies truly believe in their products, the should prove it my protecting their customers and create solid warranties without the small print.

Yeah, I see these a lot , too bad they are not modern saws. To say "Retails for $1199" might be a little deceptive since there is no current 14" Hawk being made. Maybe that was when they were new way back when.

Their warranty is so iffy, you have to get things taken care of pretty quick. I was watching the old G4 promotion video, and they were talking about their warranty at the time was like 5/6 years, and if anything happen, electric, mechanical, wearable parts, they would replace it period. Now, that was "standing behind their saws." Of course they went bankrupt, so there is that. . . . The warranty they have now looks pretty freaking scary for a $1500 saw. If they are confident in their saws, they need to stand behind them with a passable warranty, but in this area, they don't, so their new buyers just have to depend on crossed fingers. That is the one piece of the Bushton story where I just grimace/close my eyes and try to think about the more positive things about the product and company.

I think the Ex/788/Jet are in a class all their own as far as ease of use. But the mechanics are more complicated and much more to go wrong. Seems those that cut thicker materials are more prone wear out the 788 quicker. But that said, I love them both, and for fretwork type work, they are a total joy. The Hawk is a much simpler design (and Hegner is simpler yet), so they just tend to last forever. On the Hawk, they even took this to another level by creating a insert than can be replaced in the upper arm where the wedge fits. I'm really rooting for Bushton as I like the small family business in concept, love American made, and all the other promising aspects of their saw, but at the end of the day, they have to earn their position of respect. Since I now own that same saw, you can bet I'm vigorously pulling for the home team. But, I refuse to be "religious" about any of my saws. I need them to stand on their own merit.

Hey Iggy, I had the video set to private, sorry about that. I think you should be able to see it now. Looks like our aggressive setting position are at about the same place.