OCtoolguy

I have every kind of saw you can name I think. Maybe no tile saw. Haven't needed one of them yet. Hope I never do.

Yes, Hawks & Hegners have great parts availability. The Hawks started out with belts and 2 groove pulleys that offered 2 speeds. Over the years they have made many improvements. As far as I know most any Hawk can be upgraded if you have a fat wallet. The blade clamping and tensioning systems are the major changes. And they wen't through a period of time that they had motor problems. If you find a saw with a Fasco motor that is one to walk away from. Not all bad but why take a chance? There is a ton of info on the Bushton site so if you have a serial number you can find out a lot about a saw. And all the manuals are available. As for Hegner pretty much the same goes for them. Except the motor problem. I've never heard of them having any problems. Great customer service too. They are sold by Advanced Machinery in Delaware and Wolfgang is their contact man. Parts are expensive but luckily nothing much wears out on them. If you find a saw and want help just let us know.

I see more used Hawks than any other saw. Second is Dewalt but there are just a ton of Hawks around me. Anywhere from $150 on up. But, there are many things to know about Hawks before you jump in and buy one. There are many folks here who will gladly guide you.

Another thing that has been lost is taking pride in a job well done no matter what the pay. I was taught that if I did a good job I'd be compensated accordingly. I've always tried to give it my all.

Don't get me wrong but I can't imagine enjoying your hobby. I like cutting wood. Not raising snakes. It just doesn't work for me. Something for everybody.

Here they replaced MS with something called "turpatine". Sort of like turpentine but smellier. The MS has hardly any odor so they decided we should use the smelly stuff so we would be more aware. I'm sorry but I'm sick & tired of someone telling me how to live my life. When I get to 100, I don't want to be laying in a hospital dying of nothing. Let me alone!

Concave side!

Waste not, want not! I'm frugal so I'll try these suggestions. Save 4 blades, that's a dollar! For those of you who think I'm serious here, well, I'm not. Blades are cheap!

The answer to the labor problem is simple. The Fed should stop sending out checks! They should also take "minimum wage" out of our lexicon. Once folks start realizing they need to work to survive, they'll take any job at any pay rate. My Dad worked for $0.10/hr during the depression. The pay rate should be based on ability & quality. Get back to Real thinking and not fantasy! JMHO!

They are but most are much younger. And once the reality of hot/humid summers sets in, they may be sorry. As bad as some things are here, you just can't beat the weather. If S. Dakota had weather like ours, we'd move there. Love the Black Hills!

For some reason the AQMD here in Orange County doesn't think we can handle it. I mean, all we have here by the ocean is 24/7 breeze to keep the air clean. I don't get it. But, what do I know?

Times 4 for a full sheet and that's actually quite a hike in cost.

I use it to soak my brushes in. I buy the cheap brushes and use them over and over. Where I live the government says we're not allowed to have it so I use it very sparingly. I live in fear of being found out.

Still here. We just can't find a place that is comfortable on a year round basis. Too hot, too cold, too humid. Yada yads yada. And, we're old. So, we'll just stay here and ignore the politics and high cost of living. Oh, and the ever-increasing crowds.

I just checked the place where I buy my wood, Cherokee Wood Products, and for a 5 x 5 sheet of 1/8", they are getting $26 if you pick it up.

Thank you for the compliment. I wasn't fishing but it's always nice to be recognized. I just wanted you to see what can be done with a scroll saw. As for the tilting head or table, it probably won't make that much difference unless you want to do a lot of of kilter work. If you can come across a nicely priced Hegner saw, even if it wasn't the latest greatest, as long as it's a Hegner in decent shape, you'd probably be able to do most everything you want to do. Hegner, Hawk, Seyco, Pegas, Dewalt, and Delta are all great saws but as far as being made here in this country, the Seyco and the Hawk are the only offerings that I know of. Since you have found your way her to the Village, whatever you find out there used, well just ask and somebody will give you the info you are seeking.

I realize that being made in the U.S.A. is important to you but there are some very fine saws made in other countries. Not everything comes from China. Even though it seems that way. The saw that I'm buying right now is made in Germany and marketed through an American company. The Pegas is made in Taiwan by a Swiss company that is closely monitoring quality control. The two Excaliburs that I have were made in Canada and Taiwan with excellent quality control. The new version of Excalibur is being made in China and is inferior so far. Any saw that sells under $200 is a saw to be wary of. Some folks have good luck with them but many more don't. It becomes a thing of either they learn to put up with it's shortcomings or they give up and get so frustrated that they quit. That is a shame because it's such a great hobby. You also mentioned cutting thick wood. Here is a pic of something that I made that had 20 pieces cut compound, that means cutting from more than one side. The parts I'm referencing are cut from blocks of mahogany that are 1 3/4" Wide by 3" long. Each one took about an hour to cut using Pegas #5 mgt blades. They were cut on my Ex 21 saw. Tilting and lifting arm. I attach these two pics to show that you can cut thick wood on a scroll saw. The second pic I am showing it to demonstrate how I used the tilting head to cut a bowl out one piece of 3/4" mahogany.

If you put the @ symbol before their name (@simpleman), it will show up in your post and get that person's attention.

Slasher, there has to be some place on a wall that you could mount a small a/c unit. Or is your shop centrally located within your home? You don't have to put it in a window. I just cut a hole through the wall in a place that wasn't being used for anything else.

It's funny that this topic popped up today. I spent the day installing a window a/c unit in the wall of my little shop. It's only 117 square feet so this little unit will do the job very well. I don't have any insulation in the wall. Its just studs and T-111 siding. But someday I might hit the lottery and I'll insulate the walls. I'm not sure how much longer I've got on Mother Earth but I'm going to be cool when I need to be cool and warm when I need to be warm. I've got a little electric heater that seems to work great. It is fairly humid here but not like you folks in the north and south, east of the Mississippi. That's partly why we decided to stay put. We actually were thinking of moving over to the Phoenix area until we experienced a few days in hot dry conditions on our way back from Tennessee. Not for us. We're spoiled.

Nobody mentioned that the bandsaw can only cut outside lines. The scroll saw can cut both inside and outside. I have both types of saw as well as a cheap jig saw. I don't make decorative stuff. I like to make things that have a function. Boxes, bowls and baskets so far have been my interest. In my mind I think I see what you want to make and I can see where you might want both a bandsaw and a scroll saw. If you do decide to buy a scroll saw, stay away from any of the under $200 saws. They will more than likely just frustrate you. For that same amount or maybe a bit more, you can find a good used middle to top end saw. I just purchased on Craigslist a Hegner 18" Multimax saw that retails for $1500. I bought it for $250. I'll pick it up tomorrow. There are so many used saws for sale that you should be able to find a good Dewalt, Delta, Hawk, Excalibur or Hegner for under $500 and that's the top figure. So far, I've not spent more than $300 on any of the used saws that I have purchased. I now will have 3 of the very best saws made and none of them have the "Made in China" label attached to them. That is a real "plus" in my book. Best of luck in your decision making but I don't think you will go wrong with a scroll saw. They can be used for many things. And welcome to The Village. Many great and knowledgeable folks here. I came here a total newbie knowing nothing about scrolling and these great folks have helped me every inch of the way. Thanks to all!

Thanks Meflick! I should have done it too. I noticed it early this morning but figured Travis was doing some house work.

Don, I was just looking at the Triton that you mentioned. I don't see any reference to attachments for it. Can you enlighten me?

There is no reason to be scared of using your table saw as long as you respect it and follow the safety rules. Myself, I use mine without any guards in place. It forces me to pay attention to what I'm doing. Also the use of "sleds" makes it even more safe. And accurate. Just be careful. Watch some videos on the proper set ups.

Have you googled it yet? Not sure what it would look like but I'm sure that it's out there. Maybe Pinterest?