Bill WIlson

I think either Titebond II or III would work. Yes, it will come in contact with water, but it generally isn't recommended that wooden kitchen items be immersed/soaked in water or put in the dishwasher anyway, because it isn't all that good for the wood or whatever finish you are applying. If you will simply be washing the item by hand and rinsing, Titebond II would suffice. Use Titebond III if you have it available, but I wouldn't necessarily go out and buy a bottle just for this project.

I've had my EX for a few years now and haven't noticed that phenomena. Mine doesn't get the use that yours does, but I'll have to check it next time I'm in the shop. I'm curious to see if it maybe has moved a little or if the knob turns easily.

Just for clarification, the "baby soda bottles" are actually called preforms.

My Excalibur won't pass the nickel test at any speed, because I have the saw tilted forward and the table waxed. I don't know if the nickel would stay on if laid flat.

How and how much BLO is applied, will determine if your technique will be a problem or not. It all depends on whether or not the wood absorbs all the oil. The standard procedure for BLO application is to wipe it on liberally, let it set for a few minutes, then wipe it off. Some will do more than one application. It depends on the wood and how porous the grain is. Open grain wood like red oak will obviously absorb more oil than a closed grain wood like maple. If you flood the wood with BLO, I recommend wiping off any excess, after several minutes. If you don't, you risk the excess oil staying soft for a long time. It will feel gummy and greasy, attract dust/dirt, show fingerprints, etc. If you apply the BLO lightly, by wiping it on, you may not have to wipe any off, but you will still have BLO soaked rags. The key is to not ball them up and throw them in the trash can. If you are familiar with baling hay, you know that you can't pack damp hay bales in a barn or heat builds up sufficient to ignite the hay. Think of BLO rags as bales of hay. After using them, spread them out on a non-flammable surface until they are dry. Or you can put them in a pail of water. I take mine outside and hang them someplace where they get air circulation to dry. Throw them in an outdoor fire ring. Spread them out on the driveway. Just never ball them up and put them in a trash can. The rags are a hazard, but one that is readily managed. Folks just need to know the dangers. I'm not trying to sell anyone on BLO over mineral oil. If the mineral oil gives you what you want, then by all means keep using it. I just think it's good to know the relevant strengths and weaknesses of any finishing product you use, so that you can choose the appropriate one for your project.

As far as simplicity is concerned, it isn't really necessary to add mineral spirits to the BLO. It helps application and absorption somewhat, but that's about it. You could just apply the BLO right from the container, just like you do with the mineral oil. The practical difference between BLO and mineral oil, is that BLO is a drying oil. It takes a while, but BLO will eventually cure. Mineral does not. BLO also imparts slightly more amber tint to the wood than mineral oil, which helps pop the grain, especially on dark wood. In reality, neither one is really a true "finish" in the technical sense. Neither builds a film and neither is an effective barrier against moisture vapor. They do both alter the appearance of raw wood and water will bead up on the surface of wood that has been oiled, but only temporarily. I don't mean to denigrate either product. Both have their uses and I use both, from time to time, but only for specific purposes. There really isn't anything magical about either one. Just be careful with any BLO soaked rags. They are a fire hazard and proper disposal is essential, in order to prevent a fire.

Very nice display. I made over a hundred of those to give away as Christmas ornaments, in 2017. I cut the birds out of soft maple and dyed them with RIT fabric dye. I think I used 4 or 5 different colors.

^^^^^ This Many years ago, my Dad taught me to swing a hammer and use a circular saw with either hand. He told me that on a jobsite, you don't always have the luxury of being able to easily use your dominant hand. Kind of apples and oranges, but I think the basic premise applies here. Sometimes when the blade is fresh, it will cut a little more aggressively on one side than the other. Depending on the detail of the pattern and the room for error, I may use this to my advantage. I think it's good practice for all scrollers to be comfortable cutting in either direction.

That's good. Both books probably contain way more information than the average woodworker will ever want or need, but the basics are all there, explained in detail. Both authors are widely respected authorities on the subject of wood finishes. Choosing the right finish comes down to understanding the characteristics of the products you are considering; how they are best applied, how they cure; their protective qualities (or lack thereof), their appearance, etc. If that is all one gets from either of these 2 books, it is still worth the price of purchase, IMHO.

I've never operated a Central Machinery brand saw, but that same saw is sold under various brand names. My biggest concern would be vibration and blade travel. A few years ago, I was given a saw that was very much like that one. It was a Performax brand, but other than color, it looked exactly the same. It was unusable and I gave it back. There was so much vibration and blade wobble, plus the table wasn't flat, making squaring up the blade impossible. The one I had didn't take plain end blades, so I researched and ordered kits to convert them. They didn't fit and it wouldn't have been worth the effort anyway. Now I'm not saying that the Central Machinery saw in your link will be the same dumpster fire that the Performax was, but I'd be real leery of any saw of that style. It may be a step up from what you are currently using, but don't have high expectations for it.

I've recommended these books several times, in various finishing threads. I'll do so again. They really are worth the effort to get and read.

The ratio really isn't all that critical. All you are doing is thinning the BLO with the MS, to get it to go on a little easier, absorb into the wood a little faster and perhaps dry to the touch a little quicker. Full cure time will remain pretty much the same, because the MS will simply evaporate and you are still left with just the oil. I wouldn't go more than 50/50, because there is nothing to be gained by flooding your project with mostly MS. Maybe start out by thinning the BLO by 20% or so with MS. If you like how that works for you, great. If not, you can adjust up or down from there. Wipe it on, let it set a few minutes, then wipe off the excess. You really can't screw this up.

The only thing BLO gets you, when you end up topcoating it, is that it will impart an amber tint to the wood and make the grain pop more than some topcoats alone. Finishes like oil based varnish, polyurethane and Danish oils, already have some sort of drying oil as an ingredient (that the oil in "oil based"), so if you are going to use them as a top coat, then there really is no advantage to using BLO or tung oil first. The oil in varnish/poly/Danish oil will do the exact same thing as the BLO/tung oil alone does. I use it if I'm going to use a waterborne top coat, because the waterborne finishes go on clear and don't warm up the wood with the amber tint. But, I don't like the thought of applying a waterborne poly over an oil, even if it's fully cured, so I'll apply a coat of shellac to seal the oil and act as a barrier, so I don't have any problems with the waterborne topcoat. For all practical purposes, the BLO step in this finishing schedule is sort of a waste as well, because shellac will impart an amber tint and pop the grain, just like BLO does, so there is really no advantage to the applying BLO first. I don't use lacquer, because I can't take the odor, so I can't offer any advice about that. For my money, a simple Danish oil finish would accomplish what you want on that piece. Keep it simple.

Tung oil is really very similar to BLO, in most respects. Both are drying oils and both can be used as the base ingredient for paint, Danish oil and varnish/poly. Real tung oil is a little less popular and not as commonly available as BLO. It takes a long time to cure. Beware, as there are a lot of finishes on the market that have "tung oil" in their name, but likely don't contain any real tung oil. Some guys prefer it over BLO, claiming it has a deeper, richer tone, but the bottom line is that on a piece like yours, you probably wouldn't notice much difference between it and BLO.

I agree that communication would go a long way toward maintaining good customer relations. Set a production schedule and stick to it. That should be the least they can do. Long lead times don't necessarily have to be a problem. Not meeting expectations is certainly a big problem. Set realistic expectations, right from the start and have truthful and responsible answers ready, if the lead time extends beyond what was quoted. I work in production scheduling and planning, so I'm quite familiar with the concepts. If you run your business like a hobby, it's always going to take a back seat to your other interests. That isn't fair to your customers and not a good model for long term success.

I don't have a Hawk, nor am I in the market for one, but it sounds to me like Bushton is trying to run this business like a part time hobby. That may work, if your customers are agreeable, but in this day & age, people are conditioned to expect quick, "off the shelf" turn around on their purchases. Many of you remember the Eclipse and how they were built. It was essentially a one-man operation. Apparently Ernie Mellon did well enough, but once he passed away, no one was willing to take that business over. I suspect the shoestring operation, low inventory, long lead time business model would scare many away. It almost appears as though Bushton operates in a similar fashion. The question is, can they keep enough of their customer base satisfied to stay in business? Looks to me like the jury may still be out. I've got no skin in this game, but I hope they find a way to make it work. It would be a shame to lose another top quality manufacturer.

The bench cookies were designed to hold boards and raise them off the bench top, for operations like routing and drilling, etc. I don't own any, but from everything I've heard or read, they do work as advertised. It's up to the individual whether or not they are worth the price, as like with most things, there are multiple ways to accomplish the same thing for little to no money. I do have a couple of the shelf liner/sanding mats. They work well for sanding, but have lost most of their grip from wear and dust so I don't necessarily count on them to hold the wood firmly, if I'm routing. Larger panels are OK, but I don't trust it to hold small pieces. I made my own set of "painter's pyramids" by cutting a point on the end of a 2x2, then cutting it to a couple inches long. I have a couple dozen of them. They work great and were virtually free. They don't mar the surface. If they get too much overspray on them, I can just pitch them and make more, but I've used them for several years and haven't had to toss any yet.

Wood costs are very much a factor of geographic location. Fortunately, I live in an area with an abundance of native hardwood. There are small, independent sawmills and lumber yards dotting the landscape in Western PA. This means that lumber is typically much more abundant and relatively affordable around here. Imported woods are still expensive, but we do have multiple local sources for it, so we can pick out our own and avoid shipping costs. I know that many folks, in different parts of the country, do not enjoy this luxury. Best recommendation I can give is try to find a local dealer. If that doesn't pan out, then look for local businesses, like cabinet shops or millwork shops and try to find out where they get their lumber. Some places may not share that information or their supplier sells to commercial clients only, but perhaps the shop would be willing to let you order through them. I've never tried this, but I have heard of people doing it successfully. You need to establish a relationship with someone on the inside. If nothing else, you may be able to score some of their scraps and cut-offs. It's worth a shot.

I had never heard of Fiona Kingdon before. She is an amazing talent, blending creative artistry with impressive craftsmanship to create these unique and beautiful works of art. In the4 20+ years or so that I've been scrolling, I've been blessed and humbled to see traditional scrolling branch off into so many different directions. It truly has been a site to behold and Ms. Kingdon's work just takes it up another notch. I wonder if her work/patterns will ever make it into the scrolling mainstream? She deserves recognition for what she has accomplished.

I had to press down the top arm on my DeWalt, but it doesn't appear to anything on my EX. Spirals have always been a challenge for me to get secure in the clamp. But they won't just loose tension, they pop all the way out. There is a set screw in the top of the Upper Blade Tension assembly, specifically in the Clamp Bracket. It seems to have something to do with how much travel there is in the clamp when the Tension Lever is engaged. I don't know if this has any affect on blade tension or not. I've never really messed with it much, but it may be worth looking into, if the Seyco has the same clamp assembly. I don't use the rear knob on mine to adjust tension, but it says that you can, in the EX manual. Just need to make incremental adjustments and I suspect that rather than let the adjustments accumulate, at some point you would need to return the upper arm to parallelism with the table.

DOH!

Wonderful work! Several years ago , when I joined our scroll saw club, many of the founding members specialized in those classic, big clocks like yours. Seeing the work those gentlemen did left a very deep impression on me. They were true masters of the craft. It's always been my desire to someday build one of the large, Wildwood Designs clocks. Perhaps once I'm retired. I tip my hat to you, sir. You are a true scrolling master.

Yea, the rack & pinion angle adjustment is pretty sweet. Combine that with a Wixey digital angle gauge and setting angles is a snap. Doesn't the Seyco have a digital angle indicator built in? That would be a nice feature, but I use my Wixey on other tools as well, so I would have one anyway.

Finally got around to watching Steve's review. All-in-all, this saw is pretty much exactly the same as my EX-21. The big difference is the blade clamps. If they are as good as everyone is saying, then that is a decent upgrade. I was surprised that Steve wasn't familiar with the dust collection on the Pegas. His EX must be older and not include it. I found it to be more of a pain. YMMV. I ended up removing the membrane and the vac hose port. I've thought of filling the little holes as well. Small bits get caught in them when doing fretwork. The whole thing is little more than a nuisance to me and I wouldn't count that feature as a plus. The fact that this saw is made in the same Taiwan plant that the EX was, has the upgraded blade clamps and is significantly cheaper than my EX was a few years ago, make this a winner and a good value, IMHO. If I were in the market today, I would seriously consider it.

A member of our scroll saw club is considering a Pegas saw. I'm kind of anxious to get some direct feedback on these. I'm not in the market. My Ex-21 is only a few years old and I don't expect to be buying another saw for a long time, if ever. That said, the Pegas looks like a killer value. The advertised, introductory price was a couple hundred less than what I paid for my EX. The blade clamp upgrade included makes it look like a pretty sweet deal.