SCROLLSAW703

I don't know anything about hegners, but from reading, have you tried tightenin' the bottom arm bolt some? Or maybe the bushing/bearing is shot?

hello Dave. I was caught in Minot one time when the heater motors went out of my Peterbilt. Damn! It was cold! If you don't mind me askin' Sir, where do you get the patterns for the clocks you cut? I'm lookin' for some patterns of clocks. I'm wantin' to do a couple with the fretwork, & fairly tall. Not just an ordinary clock. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Thanks Roly! I appreciate your thoughts, Sir! And I'll do it. She keeps us busy.

yes Sir Mr. Wayne, you're right about priorities. My shop is my sanctuary, woodworking is what keeps my mind & hands busy. But there are times when family comes first, & their health situation. Love requires sacrifice, & sometimes that sacrifice will come back to us ten fold. God works in mysterious ways.

On another note, I've been busy looking after my mother lately & haven't made it to the shop. I've got plenty to do, but Mom's health is more important right now. I've tried to slip out to spend time in the shop, but either I get caught by mom or my bride, or mom needs somethin'. Sometimes as a caregiver, you have to be willing to make sacrifices. It's easier said than done, but better than other alternatives.

been there, done that. I had my shop in a small room in our basement before we moved to the shop we're in, & I created what I thought was an ingenious design for my screws. The basement having concrete walls, I had difficulty finding concrete screws in our small community, so I drove anchors in the wall to hold the screw bin. It worked well for sometime. Like you, in the middle of a project, my screw bin turned lose from the wall, hit the floor, & I assorted sizes of screws all over the floor in my "dungeon" as my bride called it. GEEZ! what a mess! I finally shortened the hose on my shop vac & cleaned them up that way, then dumped them out on the bench & started sortin'.

great work, Mr. Ike! hope you get to feelin' better!

My bm Hawk is 6" taller than my 220 was, so I had to raise my chair some. I sit in a barbers chair & all I have to do is pump up the base a little. I don't raise the back of the saw, or any of that. I've got my saw on casters so it's easier to move. The important thing with scrolling is not to put to much down pressure on your project as it'll make your hands, arms, neck, & eventually your back hurt. And 90* angle with your arms. Sit in a chair with some back support. Whether it be a small pillow, or the chair itself. My back surgeon gave me an inflatable lumbar support that I use in my barbers' chair.

looks like several of these guys done what I suggested in the end, bob. You done all you could do. It has one one of two uses now. brad.

you're right, dick! In more ways than one. I've had more return work by throwing in a pair of coasters, or a Christmas ornament. Last year at Christmas, I done a cross for some folks I used to haul for when I was trucking. He asked me how many times it took me to get their cross right. I told him one time, Sir. There is no room for mistakes when it comes to customer work. He looked at me, his eyes as big as the lenses in his glasses, & his next question was how does an ol' truckdriver get into this, & perfect it? I looked at him, & quietly said lots & lots of practice, & a semi load of customized firewood. He grinned, & threw in an extra $20 over my asking price. Sunday, he calls me & wants to know if I was back in the shop yet because he had a project he didn't want anybody but me to do. I told him to bring it by the shop & we'll have a look see. Turned out its four projects. Sometimes ya just have to spend a little time with your customers. It does pay off.

CSL, I understand exactly what you're saying. I started out with a single speed Craftsman saw. I finally wore it completely out, & bought a new shiny CW - 40 Hitachi 20+ years ago. I still have that saw, & use it. But have added & bought other saws to my collection too. My newest saw is a BM-26 Hawk. Just a word of experience, learn to use what you have before you update, & when you do update, try not to go by what the general crowd says, invest invest in what you can afford & want at the time. You'll use the saw more, & be happier in the end. jmo.

well, like zen, I'm not sure of what you're askin'. As a rule, the waste side is the right side of the blade as you're lookin' at it. Every pattern has different shaded areas & white areas. Most will tell you what areas to cut. If you're just beginning, try to pick patterns that shy away from the shaded areas, it'll be less confusing until ya get a few miles under your belt. And pick patterns that don't have alot of tight turns. The reason I'm suggesting this is because until you get to know different saw blades, tension boundries, & how your saw & you work together, the easier the patterns will teach you patience, & about your saw.

This has turned out to be out to be an interesting & cooperative thread. I think we all have different views of our hobby, & plans for the future of it. No matter what your situation, your input has interested me. Whether it be health reasons, a mental release after work, whatever the reason, it keeps our sanity & gives us something we can do still involving woodworking. There are days I don't go to the shop for various reasons, but other times, if I can't sleep, I'll go to the shop awhile. I think in one way or another, most of us that've posted are on the same page as far as having been thru some sort of life changing event, or some of our abilities lost. This is where the scroll saw becomes therapeutic for us, imo. It gives us a way to still use our hands & minds for creativity in our own way. It gives us a form of release we can get nowhere else but from the company of our tools & shop. And it also allows us to use our artistic abilities to put together a scroll saw project only we can design. No matter what type of saw you use, nor how many you own, the scroll saw never ceases to amaze folks at what we can do with it. Intarsia, puzzles, flowers, Native American art, whatever it is, if you are willing to learn & have the patience to keep practicing, you're doing what you love to do. Keep makin' sawdust, & thank you for all your input. God bless!

I'm not able to open them, either. I use 1/2" pvc pipe w/plastic ends for blade storage.

Amber, my first question would be what type of machine are you runnin'? There are several types of blade conversion kits available. Or try eraplacement parts to see if they have a blade holder for your saw. Or, call the manufacturer of the saw & get a new blade holder. top or bottom, or both.

You're right Mr. Rolf, this has turned out to be an interesting discussion. Like all of you that have posted, & as I posted, I've come to enjoy scrolling for most all the same reasons you folks do. It gives me time to relax my mind from everyday things goin' on around me. The enjoyment of the satisfaction of other folks, & just gettin' to spend time in the shop with my saw, my dogs, & other toys. It's great to hear from you fellas. I appreciate your participation. I've met some good people here, & enjoy this site. You guys give me alot of company when I'm not in the shop. Thank you! Sincerely!

Thank you for your input, gentlemen. What really got my wood workin' hobby started was my wife & Sawbones. I was drivin' for my Father at the time, & he was runnin' another driver & I til we couldn't stand up. We were haulin' confection sunflowers out of Orange Grove, TX. to Colby, KS. It's about 1100 miles one way, approximately. He had us runnin' 3 trips a week, just as hard as we could run. We'd been runnin' this run for over a month. I come in late one Saturday night & didn't even have my clothes bag on the floor yet. My bride took one look at me & said "you look like hell." She loaded me up in the pickup & off to the ER we went. The nurses took my vitals, & looked at me & told me not to be surprised if the Sawbones gave me an uninvited stay in the the hospital. Well, I took it for what it was worth & waited on the Sawbones to come in. When he walked in, he took one look at me & said the very same thing my bride did. I thanked him for the compliment, & asked him what his opinion was. He said my blood pressure was at stroke level, I was dehydrated, I was physically & mentally exhausted, & in dire need of rest. In the next breath, he looked me square in the face & said "Brad, I'm goin' to put this in words you'll understand. If you don't quit eatin', thinkin', sleepin' & breathin' those damn trucks, we're goin' to drop ya in a deep hole, & damn soon!" I looked at him & before I could say a word, my bride jumped up & said " you need a hobby, & I have an idea!" I looked at her, looked at the Sawbones, & said "hobby? what's that?" Well, long story short, he gave me ten days off medical leave due to exhaustion. My wife started tellin' me the next day she thought woodworking would be a good hobby for me to pursue. So, with ten days on my hands, I started readin' & researchin' tools & equipment. Wood, finishing, whatever our meager library had to offer at that time. 26 years ago. Then we bought a few tools, a small table saw, a RAS, etc. I went back to work, & kept thinkin' about what my Sawbones had told me. A short time later, I left Dads operation & went to drivin' cross country. Again. Two years later, I come in off the road with viral menengitis. I spent 8 1/2 months in our local hospital, lost complete use of my legs, & partial use of my left hand. I went thru epidurals nonstop, pain meds Thru IV, you name it. Then I had to learn to walk all over again. Since that time, I've had nerve issues from hell, back surgeries, they tell me I've got nerve issues in both hands. But I just keep goin'. After intense therapy, my Sawbones released me from the hospital. I went to work at a prefab house plant not far from here til they closed the doors. Then I went back to truckin'. It's what I know, It's where I belong. I drove about another yr & 1/2, & I lost my nephew & my Dad two weeks apart. I was on the road when I got the news about Dad. I had a nervous breakdown in the truck, went into a seizure, & wrecked the truck. When the law found me, the truck upright, but I'd been thru one hell of a ride. I was buckled in the pilot seat when I blacked out, when they found me, I was sittin' in the riders seat. My 35 year trucking career ended there. Since then, I've been put on seizure meds, & other meds that will no longer allow me to drive OTR. That was 5 years ago last month. Since then, I've buried myself in my woodworking just to keep my hands & mind busy. Been thru bouts of depression. I've taught myself woodworking. I'm sure not all of it is professional grade, but my customers are happy with the work, & I haven't had any returns. I have most all the toys I'll ever need. They are all paid for. I guess I live for the fascination of the scroll saw. The smiles & amazement of my creations. There are still things I want to learn on the saw & lathe. In 25 years of it, there's alot I've done, but I learn somethin' new from you fellas everyday. I thank God I've been given the skills I have. So, as you can see, it ain't been no easy run, but I've learned alot. My apologies for the extended post. God bless, & keep scrollin'!

As I was sittin' at the saw this afternoon, finally finishing a project I've been workin' on for some time, a thought occurred to me. Am I takin' my scrollin' hobby to serious? I've not been able to spend much time in the shop, much less at the saw lately due to health conditions, family commitments, etc. The longer I thought about it, I became disgusted at first because in my 25 years of woodworking, I've made toy boxes for our grandkids, dressers, desks, beds, cedar chests, numerous shelving units, drawers for kitchens, etc. & I'm no longer able to do those things because of my back. I recently had surgery #2. Hell, I have to get help to move lumber anymore, & I'm just 51 years old. My sawbones told me this is a trophy of sittin' in a truck all my life. Such as it is. As I sawed on, & slowly finally finished the project, I thought about it some more. And took a good look around my shop, looked at my all but new hawk bm - 26, & wondered if I was being to hard on myself, or taking my hobby to serious, or both? But then, as I sit there, asking God why all this happened, I thought about all the folks I've met throughout this journey, everything I've learned, the folks I've put smiles on their faces with amazement of my work, things like that. Then I told myself I wasn't takin' my hobby to serious. I'm doin' it because I enjoy all the good things that come with it, especially my time at the saw. So how 'bout you? How do feel about your hobby? I'm not bein' nosey, I'm just curious what others of ya think about it. Thank you for your time.

in the recent scroll saw magazine, there's an article about just this subject. My opinion is if that's what blows yer skirt up, do it! That's how ya learn different cuts, what blades need to be used in different projects. Try to go into it open minded though. Study the lines in the picture. Where they go & how they'll end up. You're going to find its going to be more like cutting fretwork than the average project. jmo.

Dave, I use a palm sander with a slightly bigger piece of sand paper so that it will roll over the two outside edges. And a palm sander isn't as rough on the finished project.

Anytime Mr. Kevin. My Main saw is a BM - 26 Hawk. It has an adjustment underneath the table that can tilt the blade more to the front, or straighten it up to 90*. The more the blade is adjusted forward, the more aggressive the cut. There are several variables that could be causing the events in your situation. I was thinkin' out loud, so to speak. No offense intended. Good luck to you.

In reading your post again, you mentioned you thought your stack may be bowed. Run your stack over a jointer on both sides to flatten it. That will take your bow out. At least for now. You also mentioned you thought your blade was cutting at some what of an angle towards the bottom. As I mentioned in my first post, your blade needs to be 90* all around. In lookin' at a couple parts diagrams of your saw, is everything square & tight? Any slack in any bearings? I'm wondering if one of your arms is out of alignment? Take a business card & check the blade for square on all four sides with tension on the blade. Make sure you use the the same edge on all four sides of the blade. From there, if your blade is out of square, you've got mechanical issues someplace, most likely with the arms. You also mentioned burning. Like I said before, speed creates heat. But, on the other hand, if you're using to big of a blade, you're going to burn the project, too. Try backin' off to a #7 polar blade, & adjust your speed accordingly. Maple burns like oak & cherry, especially cuttin' cross grain. Remember to, that the smaller the blade, the less tension you'll want. The bigger the blade, the more tension. If your blade is tryin' to turn when you make a turn, you don't have enough tension on your blade enough. Which in turn, can cause burning.

I've never worked with paduak, but do work with plenty of maple, oak, cherry, walnut, bloodwood, & other woods. I would keep at it with your #9 blade, but as mentioned, go to a polar blade. There is a difference between a polar blade & a skip tooth blade. The polar blade has teeth the full length of the blade. One may disagree, but, The polar blade will cut a smaller kerf, & cleaner cut. In hardwood, they will cut better, too. As far as wrapping your pieces in packing tape to reduce heat, I can't say as I fully agree with that suggestion. I been at this a day or two myself, & have never seen the need to wrap any of my projects in packin' tape for any reason. Heat comes from speed. The faster you try to cut, the more heat you're going to create. If anything, get yourself a piece of candle & rub your blade with that. The biggest thing to remember is you're cuttin' hardwood, & lots of it at a time, so findin' a pace that you can cut a smooth cut, & keepin' a smooth feed at the same time. Hardwood has a mind of it's own, & cuts the same way on a scroll saw. I don't know a flippin' thing about DeWalt Saws, old or new. But if your blade isn't runnin' straight up & down, & back & forth on the older saws, you'll run through blades like sh*t through a tin horn! That blade needs to be 90* all around. You can change a blade in mid cut without any issues. Just pull the old blade out & replace it. If ya have to get into a tight cut, run the blade through the cut, & then in your blade holders.

ereplacementparts.com is an excellent place to look for parts no longer available. I've dealt with them before on some parts for my CW - 40, & their prices are reasonable, too. Be sure to look at the machine picture. My Hawk has a fairly small center hole. There are times I wished it had a center insert, but there isn't enough of a hole for an insert. They had all the parts that were supposedly obselete for my CW - 40.

There's two things about back up saws ya kind of want to be cautious of. Call their service department & talk to them a little bit just to see how they'll help you if you need parts or assistance. And make sure things are in alignment on your used saw. More times than not, if the saw doesn't get much use before it's put up for sale, it gets things piled on it, tipped over, & mistreated. Those of us that spend a fair amount of time at the saw get to know these things first. Run it with a blade in it & listen to it just sittin' there runnin' at every speed. If something don't sound right, question it & note it. A question to ask the service department when you call. I've bought one used saw, & spent time with the manufacturer on the phone before I bought it to find out everything I could about it before I even bought it. You might be surprised at what they'll tell you about their saw. good luck.