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Jim Finn

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Everything posted by Jim Finn

  1. Jim Finn
    I have a 2008 Hegner polymax that is my ,go to, saw. I also have a 1986 Hegner multimax 25: that still runs great. I paid $600 for it three years ago; I say buy that Polymax. IT is a bargain. The main advantage of this saw is that it is very durable and you can still get all the parts for it. If you plan on cutting 3/4" or thicker material you will need a saw like this. IF you will only do fretwork I would not recommend it. Cheaper, expendable saw would be a better choice then. A new Polymax costs about $3000.
  2. Jim Finn
    My experience with using a shop vac for sawdust removal while sawing was that I killed three of them, one that was new, doing this. I have used this fan also and it works well but is kinda big and gets in my way in my small shop.
  3. Jim Finn
    I have tried many ways to blow away the sawdust including: bellows that came with the saw, aquarium pump, compressed air from my shop compressor, squirrel cage fan, shop vac, dust collector and finally the one I just started using this week. A $12 hair dryer from Walmart with the heat turned off. Works very well.
  4. Jim Finn
    I make a lot of boxes and inlay images into the hinged lids. I use 3/8" stock for a few reasons. For years I could not find 1/4" screws (I use them now) to attach the hinges with so I went to thicker wood. I use cedar mostly and at 1/4" thickness it is quite weak. I can re-saw and plane cedar to 3/8". Any thinner is risky.
  5. Jim Finn
    Hegner saws are known to last long. I bought a used one a few years ago also . It was made in 1986 and still runs fine.
  6. Jim Finn
    I was frustrated by continually repairing my DeWalt and was looking on line for a replacement and my wife told me ," Buy the best one you find." Wow! I bought a Hegner Polymax and love it. That was 2008. Still running great every day.
  7. Jim Finn
    What images do you want? I have over 100 patterns I am willing to send you a few in an email or in this forum
  8. Jim Finn
    I do a lot of inlay like you are planning. I get my images by doing an image search. If you want to do a frog, for instance, do a search for frog drawings or sketches or silhouettes. Then select image search and you will find hundreds of images you can choose from. Before i learned to use a computer well enough I used to get images from coloring books I bought at a Dollar Store.
  9. Jim Finn
    Lubbock Texas
  10. Jim Finn
    Jim: I do a LOT of inlay and I have my saw tilted at abount 2.3 degrees and drill the starter hole just inside the image at six degrees.
  11. Jim Finn
    I had a similar experience with a DeWalt. Mine lasted only 20 months. I went to a new Hegner in 2008 and still have it.(Polymax) I cut 3/4" and thicker material and the DeWalt did not hold up under that use. I cut this thick stock with my scroll saw about 30 hours a week. When using a tool that much, durability is important.
  12. Jim Finn
    I had a good year in sales. About 150% of last year! (So far, not finished yet) I kept good records of what I sold this year and I have started on getting my inventory up to cover all that I sold. After that I will explore new items to offer next year.... Ok Ok I just may sweep the shop.
  13. Jim Finn
    Durability when cutting wood over 3/4" thickness: DeWalt fails at this. Mine lasted just out of warranty before it died. There is a lot more to scroll sawing than just fretwork. I run my saws a lot doing inlay, Intarsia, compound cutting, lettering, and toy making. All cutting 3/4" or thicker woods. I am in my shop 35 hours a week year round. Mostly I use my 1988 Jet saw. So to me, durabilty is of prime importance.
  14. Jim Finn
    either your table is not level, or your blade is bending as you cut. (Too fast a feed rate, or not enough tension on the blade,will cause this.)
  15. Jim Finn
    I got rid of my DeWalt to get a Hegner because, while the DeWlat cut very well, it died just out of warranty. My two Hegners and my Jet all have induction motors instead of brushed motors like on DeWalt saw. Much more durable motor type but single speed. What kind of motor is on the Hawk?
  16. Jim Finn
    That is what I do also but it is kinda' silly to have to do that in my opinion.
  17. Jim Finn
    Anyone use this one from Grizzly? http://www.grizzly.com/products/AngleCube-2-Digital-Level-Bevel/T21562 It is cheap and uses a nine volt battery. I have a wixie and it works well but eats up the lipoly batteries quickly. I wonder if the Grizzly one works well.
  18. Jim Finn
    I use "ieSpell" myself
  19. Jim Finn
    My experience with the DeWalt saw was short lived. It died just out of warranty at twenty months. I then bought a Hegner. That was in 2008. Since then a friend of mine replaced his DeWalt motor five times. The DeWalt is a great cutting saw but most any saw with brushed motors will not stand up to hard usage. My friend and I use our saws to cut 3/4" - 1 3/4" stock and this is hard on this saw. If you plan to cut thiner stock as in fretwork the DeWalt will serve well. I also have a 15"Jet scroll saw (paid $15 for it) that I use every day cutting 3/4" stock, that was made in 1988 with an induction motor, and it still runs well. Different strokes for different folks.
  20. Jim Finn
    I use Flying Dutchman blades also. I like them. I find them to be quite aggressive, so this may be a problem for inexperienced folks. I do not do fretwork so I use #5 Polar blades doing lots of inlay work. Cutting 3/4" thickness wood. I have found some of these blades do break easily also.
  21. Jim Finn
    The reason I sell at craft sales and festivals is: I have two choices in how to get rid of all the wooden products I like to make. Sell it cheaply or burn it. This is my attitude so I keep my prices low and sell 300-400 items a year. I enjoy doing production work so making ten of one item is enjoyable for me. The worst show I have ever done in the past 6 years only grossed me four times the space rent. I often gross over 250 times the space rent.( I only sell at low cost venues.) I think I may out sell most of the other vendors at these sales. I have stopped making intarsia because it takes a long time to sell them. I also tire of transporting them to and from shows. I sell mostly keepsake boxes because they sell very well. I enjoy making this stuff more than I do selling them. Setting up at sales is a lot of work for sure.
  22. Jim Finn
    I have cut 2" walnut and mahogany while doing compound cuts. I use Flying Dutchman Polar #5 blades on my Hegner saw. Extremely slow feed rate and high blade tension is the secret of success doing this.
  23. Jim Finn
    I make and sell cedar boxes with maple images inlaid into the hinged lids. Small: 6" x 8" x 2" deep. They sell like hotcakes @ $20 each. I have over fifty different images I make and also do lettering. They make great gifts. Everyone likes boxes it seems.
  24. Jim Finn
    While cutting thicker material the feed rate drops off a LOT. Are you feeding the wood into the saw too fast? That may cause your problem. Try slowing way down.
  25. Jim Finn
    I have a 20" Hegner , a 25" Hegner and a 15" jet. I use the 15" jet 95% of the time. I use the 20" only because I have the Jet set to a 2.2 ° angle and when I need a 90° cut I use the 20" saw. My 25" saw is in storage. I could do all my work with 15" saws. It all depends on your needs.
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