Bill WIlson

Thanks for the update. It's good to hear from someone with a considerable amount of time on this saw. I too have historically given the side eye to Harbor Freight power tools, but have to admit, they seem to have significantly upped their game and kept prices reasonable. I have a 3 yr old Dewalt and a 2016 Excalibur, so I don't anticipate ever needing to buy another scroll saw, but if I did, I'd have to think long & hard as to why I shouldn't get the Bauer.

Nice work. Personally I think it could look great in a frame.

Where I worked, we used lots of them, but we did a lot of electronic assembly with very small fasteners. I don't remember where we got them, but I'm pretty sure McMaster-Carr would have some.

If you are using pan head screws, you could add a washer or 2, either underneath the screw head or under the hanger.

Truly a sad day in the world of scrollsawing. RIP Steve Good and prayers of comfort to his family.

I've made stand up puzzles to donate to Toys for Tots for several years. I've never sold any. I used to dip them in BLO, but it took so long for the smell to go away. I put the assembled puzzles in a ziplock bag, on a still piece of cardstock, with a copy of the pattern, in case they had trouble figuring out how they went together. I'd have to make them in the Summer to have them ready by December. LOL I also discovered (via my grand kids) that children like to color these themselves, using paints or markers, whatever is appropriate and permitted. So I started leaving them natural so that if the kids wanted to color them, they could.

I'm going to have to look into that. I had a couple different lifters when I had my first Dewalt. The Jim Dandy was the original and on the saw when I sold it several years ago. I also had a DIY kit that one of our scroll saw club members had put together. I never put it on the saw, but as JT said, they're fairly simple and made from readily available hardware. It went along with that first Dewalt. Now that I have another Dewalt, as my back-up saw, I miss the lift. I haven't used it much, so I haven't made replacing the lifter a priority, but it's taking up space in the back of my mind.

I agree with the others, no need to get into a rebuild unless you are having vibration and knocking issues. Sending it to Seyco for a rebuild is probably cost prohibitive. I replaced the linkage in mine a few years ago and had a couple conversations with Ray Seymour. He told me that shipping it to him would be a last resort only, because it would be really expensive. If necessary, you can always call Ray and he will walk you through the steps so you can make repairs yourself. The instructions that came with the parts I replaced were pretty good. Blow the dust out of the switch, but keep it connected to the foot switch. I did that years ago with my old Dewalt and put one on my EX-21. I would never go back, even if there was never a problem with the switch. As for the blade slipping, there are a few steps you can take to remedy that problem. First and easiest is to dress the ends of the thumbscrew with some sandpaper. Just scuff the surface, no need to grind them down. Next would be to get tip replacements for the thumbscrews. Still relatively cheap and simple. You could upgrade to the Pegas blade clamps, if all else fails. Might cost you about $100 or so, but a lot of users seem to like them better than OEM blade clamps.

Steve is one of the best resources for scrollers that the Internet has to offer. Here are my best wishes for a speedy and complete recovery.

I can't tell you what blade to use. All I can do is tell you what blade I would use and why. I have an EX-21 and have the blade travel dialed in to the least amount of forward & backward motion possible. I would use an FD #1 Ultra reverse. I find them to be very controllable, but also cut well and stay sharp longer than some other blades I've used. For text like that, control is more important than speed & aggressiveness, IMHO. They require precision or it shows up very quickly in the lettering. The FD #1 will easily cut the 1/4" poplar.

The finish product you are using determines what to use to thin it. Each product should state what is appropriate in the instructions, on the can. As a general rule of thumb, mineral spirits are commonly used to thin oil based finishes, such as poly. Denatured alcohol is the common thinner/solvent for shellac and Lacquer thinner is the thinner/solvent for lacquer. According to Jeff Jewitt, in his book The Complete Guide to Finishing, you should not thin waterborne finishes more than 5 to 10%. Bob Flexner, in his book Understanding Wood Finishing, says you can thin using up to 20% distilled water. Finishes, such as oil based polyurethane (varnish) & shellac can be thinned to most any level desired. I am less familiar with lacquer, so I won't comment other than to say that the brushing lacquer I've used in the past tended to be pretty thin right out of the can. A retarder is often used to slow the drying of lacquer, but this is not the same as a thinner. I probably wouldn't go more than 50/50 proportion on shellac or any oil based finish. Less solvent if I'm brushing than if I am wiping the finish on. It isn't an exact science. Of course, the higher the proportion of solvent, the more coats you will need to apply to get the same level of protection/sheen as un-thinned finish. Again, the instructions on the can should say what to use to thin the finish.

I was thinking more along the lines of lumber grading. Sapwood is considered a defect when grading hardwood for purposes such as cabinet and furniture making. For the hobbiest, making craft type projects, sapwood can certainly be used.

Generally speaking, sapwood isn't the most desirable. That isn't to say that it can't be used. I've made a couple frames out of cherry and used sapwood. Not exclusively, but allowing the narrow stripes of white sapwood to contrast against the dark reddish/brown of the cherry. I thought it gave the wood character and liked the look. It worked...for that particular project. I wouldn't necessarily use it that way all the time. Is the sapwood cheaper at Ocooch? I presume it would be. if so, it may be a way to save a little $$ when buying wood. Sapwood is usually narrow strips of lighter colored wood, on the edges of the board and if not desired, you could easily cut it out of the board, using only the heartwood portion and still end up being cheaper than buying #1 select grade, with no sapwood. Something to consider.

I've never used Tru-Oil, but from what I can tell, it is simply an oil/varnish mix, much like a Danish Oil. The composition may be designed to maximize certain qualities that are preferred for gun stocks, but it appears to be some mixture of an oil like linseed or tung, mixed with a little varnish and thinner. This is the classic recipe for Danish Oil, so there is nothing wrong with using it on any type of wood project where an oil/varnish blend is appropriate. Be aware that manufacturers like to make woodworkers think their products are some sort of exclusive blend of ingredients with near magical properties. The truth is that usually it's a lot of marketing hype. You don't have to use "gun stock oils" on gun stocks and "gun stock oils" aren't exclusively for use on just gun stocks. Gun stock oils are made with much the same ingredients as many other common woodworking finishes and gun stocks are wood. Understand the qualities of the finish and choose the appropriate one based on those properties, as well as factors such as cost, ease of application and availability rather than marketing hype.

Re the bolded sentence above, "necessary" to accomplish what? If it is to keep dust off, then I would guess that your framing technique should be adequate. I don't think coating with varnish will add anything. If it's for appearance, then "necessary" is totally subjective.

Have you tried applying sandpaper to the fences on your miter jig? if the piece moves, even the slightest little bit as he blade is passing through, joints will be off. The sandpaper will add some grit and make it easier to hold he piece still during the cut.

Clear shellac will impart an amber tint. It doesn't necessarily "change" the color, but it will darken slightly & enhance grain contrast, much like an oil does. I don't think putting shellac over Danish oil would really impact the color all that much. Shellac is also available in a variety of hues (within the amber/orange color range), if you buy it in flake form, so you can use shellac alone and add color, if desired..

Offgassing of oil based finishes can take a long time. Much depends on environmental conditions. A piece finished with an oil based product needs optimum conditions for the fastest cure. Offgassing will occur until the finish is completely cured. Curing is different than "dry". Oil based finishes cure by way of a chemical reaction that requires oxygen. Make sure the piece is in a well ventilated area. Add a fan to move air over the piece, if possible. Temperature and humidity requirements should be noted in the instructions, on the can. Many years ago, I built a china hutch for my wife. I finished the entire piece, inside and out, with an oil based varnish. Because of the lack of air circulation inside the hutch, it took years for the smell to go away completely. You couldn't smell it on the outside a few weeks after it was finished, but when you opened the doors you could catch a whiff. Lesson learned. Never finish the inside of cabinets, drawers, boxes, etc., anywhere there isn't sufficient air circulation, with an oil based product.

For something in-between Titebond and CA glue for quick hold, I like to use Aleene's Tacky Glue. It isn't an instant hold. It gives you time to adjust the joint but tacks up far quicker than Titebond.

Well, whoever invented it, the Amish are certainly up to their necks in the stuff. You can't swing a dead cat in Lancaster County, PA without hitting a store selling items made out of it. As I understand it, it's also pretty big in Ohio Amish (Holmes County) country, as well. My guess is the Amish saw a business opportunity and jumped at it before everyone else got on the bandwagon. Now they are so widely associated with it that they've practically cornered the market around here. I wonder if this stuff is as popular in other regions of the country that don't have a significant Amish population?

Was in Lancaster PA recently and that Polywood stuff is everywhere. I knew the Amish were into building the outdoor furniture, but had no idea it was their invention. Interesting. You can buy plastic lumber to make your own stuff, but man is it expensive! https://bearhollowsupply.com/collections/poly-lumber?srsltid=AfmBOopNXEYJ-vjAo8Tn2qISJedwZz-QNpElcTCvKeBb8DhBh7kriefT

rafairchild2 said; "Rather than trying to do a sharp turn, do "nibbles" to make the sharp edges." dgman said; "Or you can do a “u” turn. Cut past the corner, make a u turn in the wast side, then line up the line and proceed. " I routinely use both of these techniques. Not just for compound cutting, but for general fretwork as well. Use the waste area to your advantage. Helps maintain better control and can give you sharper, cleaner corners.

I use primarily straight blades, but not because I have anything against spiral blades. It's just that most of the projects I cut lend themselves best to using straight blades. I think spiral blades are very application specific. There are certain patterns and cuts for which they work very well, better than straight blades. But they aren't a "do all" kind of blade. Scrappile mentioned Charles Dearing patterns. Those are the types of patterns for which spirals are best suited. I can't imagine ever trying to cut one of those with straight blades.

You might be new to scrollsawing, but your work says otherwise. Very nicely done!

It's just that the top arm on the Dewalt does not stay up by itself, nor does it have any built in feature to hold it up, like some other saws. If you want the top arm to stay up, you will need something to do that. A short piece of 2x4 is the simplest method.