OCtoolguy

Hey J.T. I don't recall mentioning your name, BUT if the shoe fits...................

Congrats on your new toy. We will all be waiting to hear how it works out. As for Harbor Freight, I have purchased a lot of power tools from them and have had no problems with any of them. I've had to perform minor repairs and adjustments on all of them but nothing that made me regret buying them. Let the snobs hold their noses. We will hold our wallets.

Those are beautiful. You and your wife did a great job on them. They should be appreciated.

Try doing an Image search on Google.

Brrrrrrrrr!

All they have done is cut out the names using a 3D technique and then cut them apart and staggered them. You can find tutorials on 3D scrolling on YouTube. Search for Gwinnett woodworkers. They have a few. The one you show here looks like it was done using 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" wood in the appropriate length. The pattern is then done with the names one above the other in a way that each name will be centered on each side of the wood blank with the centerline squarely on one edge of the blank. Very important that it be centered alone one edge. Drill blade entry hokes in each letter and then cut them out. I'd use a #5 or 7 super skip tooth blade to clear the sawdust out of the kerf. Once finished with those cuts just run the piece through a table saw to separate all the letters. Then mount them to a suitable base in an offset configuration. I know this may be confusing so I suggest trying to find a video first

First off, welcome. You found the right place to get all your questions answered. The Excalibur has gone through a lot over the years. First made in Canada, then Taiwan. Those were great saws. Then they went to China and became far less reliable than they had been. Not all bad, just not the same quality. With proper care and adjustment, they will last a long time. Look at the I. D. plate to see where yours came from. As for blades, any brand of 5-inch scroll saw blades will work but the preferred brands that most of us use are Flying Dutchman and Pegas. One of our members has a business, (Artcraftersonline.com), that sells both the Pegas blades and also the Pegas saw that is very similar to the Excalibur but a much better saw. The FD blades can be purchased through Mike's Workshop or Wooden Teddy Bear, both online sources. My preference is Pegas but many others are lovers of the FD blades. If you want to buy from a store front, look for Olsen blades. They are the best ones sold from storefront venders. Denny Knappen who is a member here owns the online store I mentioned above, is where I buy my Pegas blades. His prices are the best and his service can not be beaten. Another suggestion,, if you are going to get serious about scrolling is to upgrade the upper and lower blade clamps on your saw to the Pegas holders. They are an upgrade that can't be beat. I have them on both of my saws.

Are there more designs?

Practice, lots of practice. You are unintentionally pushing the work piece to one side or the other. Remember, the blades are 5 inches long and very thin so they are going to flex. It's up to you to keep them straight. Practice.

Baskin Robbin, 31 flavors. Something for everyone.

J.T. H/F has one owner. No share holders so they can sell for less and still make money. I think they are a great company and have come a long way in quality and offerings.

I never heard of this brand. I'd stay away from anything that obscure.

Wow! That looks like a very good deal. If it were closer to me, I might be tempted.

It's probably one of the old bicycle type saws. They do go for some big bucks. As to your search, here would be my list of saws worth looking at: Dewalt 788, the Delta version of the same, any of the green Excalibur saws both from Canada and Taiwan, certain Hawks, Hegners. Stay away from any saw that uses pinned blades or short blades. Common blade length is 5 in. , Pegas, although they will be few and far between because they are so new, and the newest Wen saw (not the $100 one) might be ok, Seyco which is very close to an Excalibur but a very good saw. They will be scarce though. PSWoods makes a good saw too but I've never seen on for sale used. One more suggestion, if you are into research, go to Scrollsaws.com. There is a ton of great info there on many saws.

You almost had me Kevin.

Wow! If you can spend that much, you should be able to find a great deal. Just ask Kevin (KMMCrafts) here. He lives in Michigan is always looking for good deals. He'll help you find something for sure. Heck, he may even part with one of his 5 saws.

Hey, if my wife is gone with our only car and I need plywood, I'll keep this guy in mind.

It might help us a bit to know what your budget is and maybe where you are located. I'm in So. Cal. and the used saw market is huge. I have never purchased a new saw. Or much of anything else in the tool category. So, if you are patient and ask lots of questions here on what you find on Marketplace or Craigslist we will gladly guide you in the right direction. We have all been where you are so please, take advantage of what we have to offer. There are truly some great deals to be had if you know what you are looking for. Just today 2 Hegners popper up on Marketplace. One for #350 and the other for $300. When it comes to Hegners and Hawks, you really have to know what to look for as for what they have on them and their age.

Choose wisely. Neither of those would be on my list.

Buy any of the ones mentioned except the Dremel. If it were me knowing what I know, I'd give the Bauer a try.

Because Hawks and Hegners are built like tanks.

5 hours ago, JimNC said: For some reason I had trouble using a foot pedal. I just use the switch on the machine. But I also have trouble chewing gum and walking at the same time. LOL It's not that hard if you go about it in the right order. I get a good chew going before I ever take my first step. Once you get the rhthym going it just sort of melds into an easy to follow action. Coming to a stop is just reversing the actions. After a few times, it just becomes natural.

One thing that helped me greatly is, I took both of my foot switches apart and re-routed the wire that came out of the side. It was always in the way. I drilled a hole in the front of the switch so that both wires were in alignment. A very easy fix.

Start another project. It's never too late.

WD40 is very corrosive. Never use it on firearms. Spray a pad of 4 0 steel wool and lay it outside. It will disappear.