hotshot

My original version was too fragile to be worn, so Kevin made a suggestion to firm it up. I enlarged and tweaked the wolf head to be within support distance of the words, then I tried to hide the supports by using the overcut method. Also, look for the places where the design touches the outer coin. My attempt was to conceal the supports, giving it a floating appearance. So did this approach create a more practical result? The design is very solid and could be worn. ------Randy

The EX-21 in that second link is definitely supportable and is a lot closer to being in the proper price range. If you can get the seller down a bit, that might be a good buy. When looking at Excaliburs, you can tell how much they have been used by the discoloration around the blade hole. This one is in pretty good shape, but definitely has been used more than a few times. Click on the attached picture to see in full size where you can see the tell tell signs of use. The question you have to ask is, how much is the warranty worth to you? It is not uncommon for folks to try to dump lemons on ebay. There is always a risk to doing business on ebay, so to counter that risk, I would really have to get a good deal. If you are close enough to drive up and observe it running under load, that would mitigate much of that risk. -------Randy

Don't even think about those older Excaliburs. You can not get parts for them any more. The price they are asking for that saw is out of this world all things considered. I'm with Scrapile on this one, you would be much better off buying a new saw with warranty and sup-portability. -----Randy

You will find the pace a little different over here. I still love Fox Chapel & scrollsawer.com and probably always will, but this place has it's own charm and has greatly supplemented my exposure to all thing scrollsaw. Posting over here will also give a whole different/bigger audience exposure to your work. I often double post to both groups as I have friends on both sides that only frequent one but not both forums. ------Randy

Kevin, you know, I kind of like creating some fragile pieces for the challenge of it, but at the same time, it would be nice to be able to make a more practical version of this pattern so that they can be worn. The more I thought about your comment, the more I liked you idea. I might have to grow my wolf a little and see if I can make it look right. I have a method of "floating" my pieces, meaning, I hide the supports. Growing the wolf to where I can add these hidden supports might just work. I'll experiment over the weekend if I get a chance.

Cut quite a few coins this weekend, including this challenging one.. I don't remember posting this design here before, so I thought I would take today's rendition and let you see. I don't cut this coin very often because it is so fragile that it can't be worn as jewelry. This particular cutting is going to a friend who is an Avid Dr. Who fan. -------Randy

It looks good, but it is kind of sad to see the old vestiges of the prior era disappear. I noticed that to get the 10%, you have to spend $100. That is a pretty big purchase for blades. Flying Dutchman blades are really re-branded Niqua blades made in Germany. At some point, I think someone else will hook up with Niqua to offer these blades under the Niqua brand, or to re-brand them again. Not that I'm unhappy with the current ownership, but it's always good to have competition. ---------Randy

I use the Hegner Quickclamps knobs on both the EX and 788. The swivel end is slightly too big, so I just grind it down slighty in the dremel. For me, best upgrade ever. --------Randy

Trackman, are the clamps the barrel type? ---------Randy

Problem is, this saw isn't anywhere the current model, and even when Hawk went out of business the first time, this would have been their economy version. The current line of Hawks are closer to the prior G4 model, and the clamping mechansims is worlds better than the old style. I personally would not pay more than $250 for this generation. ----------Randy

It the table is warped, I suggest you quickly get that taken care of. If you put it off, and dont' get around to it, you will regret that forever. That saw is too expensive to settle with a warped table. Tell them that they can replace the table, or you can return it for a full refund. If you purchased from Seyco, I don't think you will have any problems getting that fixed. --------Randy

Tony, which fretsaw are you using? I have a Knew Concepts brand and really love their clamps which have a feel similar to those found on better scroll saws. There is a lot of control with the these hand saws, but it sure tires the arm out. -------Randy

I have this, and love it, however, I'm working on very small stuff, usually drilling coins. So, here is the deal, from the bit to the bar is 4", which means, if you cut something that is 12" by 12", you won't be able to reach that middle 4 inches to drill. So, the plunge router accessory might be better for you if you are doing bigger pieces. If you have a Dremel, my favorite add-on is the Dremel chuck. It quickly centers the bits, and I've tried very very small bits without issue.: http://www.amazon.com/Dremel-4486-MultiPro-Keyless-Chuck/dp/B0000302ZV/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1456807701&sr=8-1&keywords=dremel+chuck

Being able to lift that top arm for top feeding and having easy access to that bottom clamp, it's a game changer. --------Randy

I think you will love top feeding. If you are used to bottom feeding, you may miss the hole in table a few times, but after a while, you will develop an instinct for it. Same with working the bottom clamp blind. However, new is always a little uncomfortable, so stick with it, after some practice, you will be really really glad you did. --------Randy

There is on in Murfreesboro which is super close. I'll give them a visit to see what they have. Thanks for the lead.

Ok, working on my mega dust collector but figuring out the plumbing of all this is making my head hurt. Initially, I didn't know the difference between Schedule 40 and DWV (Sewage and Drainage Pipe). Schedule 40 6" fittings were so freaking expensive that I about gave up. Then I got directed towards the DWV pipe fitting and the whole picture changed. Still expensive, but much much better. I got a good stretch of 6" DWV pipe for free, so I should be good there. I"m trying to run a 6" trunk with DWV, then transition down to 4" with a blast gate, close to the actual devices. So, I'm thinking 6" DWV trunc, to a Y that does 6" straight through, but does 4" on the branch. Now I have to get from 4" DWV to the size of the 4" blast gates. I'm assuming for that transition, I can use the 4" DWV to 4" dust collection fitting, but I'm not sure. Since my local big box stores don't carry any 6" stuff, I can't go measure. If anyone found the uber cheap source for these kinds of connections, please let me know. I think the parts I need are. 6" DWC Pipe 6" x 6" x 4" DWC Y 4" DWC to 4" dust collection (Whatever that means) 4" Blast Gates 6" Long Radius Elbows to make the corners I would do a 6" down to the floor sweep if I knew how to put a blast gate on a 6" DWV Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Ike is right on. I paid a little more for my used 788 because it was a Type 1, but $250 is the right number. Be careful of used saws, and try before you buy. Trying means putting a blade in, checking speed from lowest to max, making sure it runs smooth and doesn't glitch. Try cutting a piece of 1" pine to make sure it works ok under stress. And make sure table the table is "true" and that there is only minimal blade travel (some early Type Twos were really bad). Craigs list is your friend if you are careful. Build up your cash reserves, and continue fishing until the right saw comes around. I come from the Panhandle of Oklahoma myself which is more rural than where you are, however, the number of available saws around you will be significantly less than in some of the more populated areas of the country. You may have to fish longer, or buy new. ------Randy

If you are using the Ryobi and it is still functional, these saws are not much of a step up. Save you money for the next tier of saws. If you need something now in that price range, for a few buck more, the newer $99 Roybi is the "same bloodline" as the wen, but the clamps are much much much better: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-1-2-Amp-16-in-Corded-Scroll-Saw-SC165VS/205419917 The biggest difference between the lower end saws, and the upper end saws (IMHO) is the blade clamps and ease of changing blades. This is very important for fretwork. Click on the image below to blow up the image to get a better look at that clamping mechanism for the new Ryobi. I haven't been a huge fan of Ryobi in the past, but these kinds of improvement show that the company is paying attention. -------Randy

I count the mars on my EX as proud battle blemishes. If I see a picture of an EX that looks pristine, I'm thinking that the saw does not get used much. I think Wax will help, but I don't think it will eliminate that effect completely. They bothered me a little initially, but that wore off and now it's not a big deal. Initially, it is like getting that first scratch on a new car. --------Randy

Designing my dust collection system around this "Stumpy Numbs" had good success with doing this inline, but I think I'll test a side by side approach with 6" trunk and see how it fairs. ---------Randy

For me, the dremel chuck (an extra $10 accessory) hold any size easily. Many use the Dremel with plunge router,and I might do that eventually too. I think that is only $20. ------Randy

Jen, I agree and hope to do some inlay shortly that doesn't use straight lines, however, I'll also continue these because of their ease and role in my porfolio. These inlays are done with a table saw and since all the lines are perfectly straight, I can just drop in strips of wood cut to the width of the saw blade. That means that though the lines have to be straight, the technique is very fast and low skill, which makes it about right for me. If I sell these in my local craft store, I would be lucky to get $25, so that means I need to find projects that look as good as I can make them, yet keep the materials/time to a minimum. These fit that bill. However, I love to do the projects that are just for me, and for those, I like the more complicated cuttings. There are several techniques to do inlay, but the one that uses the scroll saw is called double bevel inlay. These are much more involved, but I hope to do some more of these shortly. I've attached a picture of the my best project I've done using the double bevel technique, along with a more artsy one. Notice the dovetails, those are done on the scroll saw as well. At some point I may do a tutorial on how to do those effectively. ---------Randy

It's not a sin to be a member of multiple forums :-) Good to see you on this side as well. -------Randy

Top feeding didn't used to be an option for anyone, so a lot of the old timers have been bottom feeding for decades and feel very natural/comfortable with that approach. I think you will find new scrollers typically top feed, but you really need a modern saw to do this cleanly. Of those saws, the new Hawks, Dewalt and Excalibur are your best bet. There is a way to cheat this on a Hegner and some other saws, but for the most part, folks refer to top feeding as releasing the bottom clamp, raising the arm (with blade) and lowering it back into the hole. This is super quick, and you don't have to bend over to look under your work piece. As far as connecting the bottom clamp "blind", you do it by feel, and it will become very natural, very quickly. There really isn't a wrong way, but I would try it both ways, and give each approach ample time, then chose which method your are most comfortable with. If you are not getting one of the saws I mentioned above, you won't have to worry about it. ------Randy