OCtoolguy

Follow this link and it may help you out. https://www.stevedgood.com/stencil/

I use Pegas # 5 for almost everything. I don't do much fretwork though. I have tried using the #3's but not often.

Steve Good has some very basic tutorials on using Inkscape to do what you are wanting to do. Check him out at Scrollsawworkshop.blogspot.com..

And here is some more info from same place.

Here's a great pic of what I'm talking about. It came from Scrollsaws.com if you haven't visited there yet.

Ok, when Spike did what you said, how far did he go into the machine? If he took that tension cover off and found that rod, he should have been able to pull or push on it and while lifting up on the arm it should have slid in and out fairly easily. If that wedge has gotten jammed in where it slides, it may require splitting the case apart to get at it but first try what I'm saying. Get to where you can maneuver that rod in and out and while pushing it in toward the saw body, try lifting up the saws arm and jiggling the rod. I think what has happened is somebody lifted the saw by the upper arm and while doing that they may have turned the tension lever and it got the wedge fully engaged. Once the saw was set back down again, the arm relaxed and the wedge got stuck. Try lifting up the arm really hard and while doing that move the tension lever as far in each direction as you can and see if you can unstick the wedge. I'm sure that is where the problem is.

That's the brand I was going to try before reading about Gorilla. Thanks.

This is what I have now but a different brand. Thanks.

Let us know if they work out. Also, which brand nailer do you have? I've been toying with buying the Banks from H/F.

This is why I get confused. There are two schools of thought already on this subject. I always screw the cap on tightly but the next time I want to use the glue, and it might be a while, it's either dried solid or has become jell-like and won't come out of the bottle. I have been reading on the different brands of CA and it seems like the Gorilla brand of instand glue gets the thumbs up for lasting and drying fast. No accelerator necessary. It amazes me at the cost of any of the CA glues. There are a couple of names on Amazon that I've not heard of but they have pretty good ratings. Except for the folks who never give good ratings on anything. I guess I'll just keep doing what I've been doing and hope for the best. Keep all the info coming though. I'm reading everything and trying to keep an open mind on what to do. Brand names help too.

I have had terrible luck with buying any of the CA glues and keeping them useable. I open, use once and the next time, they are dead. Sealed up never to be opened again. Anyway, to my question, What brand, viscosity, size to buy? Also, I've heard that the accelerator is really nothing but water in an aerosol can. So, who can tell me the straight truth? I want to buy some to have on hand, and I want it to not dry up in the bottle between uses. How to do that? Please!!

Joe, how about turning down the air pressure to your nailer? Would that keep the pins from driving so far into the wood. And also, when nailing, place the stack on a steel surface so the pins that might protrude are flattened on the steel. Just guessing here as I've not tried that yet. I'm waiting for the right deal to come along on a pin nailer. What's the shortest pin you can get?

Also pay attention to the sleeves when doing this job. When I did mine I was prepared to buy a whole set of bearings and sleeves. Luckily I had no bad ones. Examine the sleeves for wear marks. If they are not grooved or overly shiney, chances are good that the bearings are not bad. Try to wipe as much of the old grease out of the bearings with pipe cleaners but DO NOT wash them in solvent. Once you do that grease will never stick to the bearings and they will quickly wear out. Just give them a good packing of synthetic grease and reassemble. You'll be amazed at how much quieter and smoother the saw will be.

Looks great Scott. I hope you have a successful outing.

Beautiful work there. I like the pattern.

Maybe a bit more tension? Not sure as I've not used that brand or size. Just thinking about what I'd try. Maybe a bit of info regarding what you are cutting would help. Wood, thickness, species etc. Saw brand/type too.

I'll be 79 next week so age is just a number. I plan on staying around to the centennial. Anyway, you'll be up and running tomorrow. Promise.

Ok, now you have given me the info I was looking for. If Spike is half way mechanical, all he has to do is to take the tension lever cover off and under that you will find an aluminum cover. There is a rod that runs under that cover and it goes clear back to the back of the upper arm and pulls on a wedge shaped piece that causes the upper arm to raise and lower. When you turn the tension slider, it is pulling on that rod and in turn the rod pulls on that sliding wedge causing the arm to rise and apply tension. That sliding wedge is either jammed and not returning to it's relaxed position or someone has turned the tension rod in too far which shortens is and causes the wedge to not slide all the way back with releases the upper arm. That's why I mentioned Scrollsaws.com because there is an article relating to how to get rid of a knocking noise that is caused by that rod. There are pics that show everything. It's a 30 minute job to take it apart, determine the problem and put it back together again.. You'll be back in business and that almost new saw will be working fine. I think someone must have applied too much tension at some point or they picked up the saw using the upper arm and it is jammed. Never lift those saws by the upper arm.

From what you are saying, I get the feeling that I understood your plight correctly. It does sound to me as though your upper arm is either stuck in an up position not coming down completely as it should. Make sure your tension slider is all the way off and then try raisng the arm and jiggling that tension lever and see if something comes loose. I think between Kevin and I we have nailed it down to the tension rod being either stuck or severely out of adjustement. It's very easy to do an adjustment on that rod if you go to scrollsaws.com and do some reading there. Very easy task. Maybe a half hour at most.

I've read and re-read your post and I get from it that you can't seem to mount a 5 inch blade because it's not long enough of something to that effect. Can you possibly post some pics of what you're talking about. This topic has people thinking that you are saying that the clamp slot is too wide open and it must either be spread out or worn out or something like that. I understand you to say that you can't mount 5 inch blades which is what most all of the pinless blades are. I'm completely confused as to what your issue is. Pics would help a ton.

If the wood that I prefer to use keeps going up in price, I may have to go back to wood carving. I have a box full of bass wood blocks that still have no shape.

There is no reason for a Dewalt to not accept 5 inch blades unless the arm is not coming down all the way. It may be that the tension lever is stuck and not releasing correctly. A simple fix if that's the case.

Exactly what MrsN said. First decide on your seat, chair, stool, whatever. That will determine saw table height. Then determine height of saw above stand. If your wife has a sewing machine, measure the height of its table.

Where are you located?

There are tons of used saws out there. Check with Jim Browning on here and maybe you can work out something on his last Hawk. He just sold one and has one left. He also has a Dewalt. There are so many good used saws where I ilve but I realize I'm in a highly congested area. Check C/L and see what might be near you. Also, look at Marketplace on Facebook. I bought a used Hegner for $40 a while back off Marketplace. For that money, if you have to go new, you should be able to find a Dewalt or Delta for under $600. Just don't get lured into buying a new Excalibur as they are all Chinese now. Good luck.