SCROLLSAW703

howdy, Here in Kansas, we have had about 6'' to date, since the first of October. We needed the moisture, but the damn cold can go out to Mr. Ray's house! I drove in enough snow and ice, blizzards and snow storms, throwin' iron, scales shuttin' ya down on account of ya had so much ice onboard, it would put ya over gross weight, dealt with brainless drivers, gripin' dispatchers, and closed roads in 30 years of truckin'. Hell with that noise! This Lazy Boy chair I'm parked in is doin' the job just fine! Sawdust703(brad)

Howdy, I tell ya the honest truth Ma'am, were it me, I'd go along with what JT and Mr. Wayne said. You've got a clean break on both sides from the looks of your picture, therefore, I wouldn't be afraid to tape on both sides of your break, inside and out, then glue it together. To insure you get a straight and level glue job, lay both pieces on a flat, level surface and then do your gluing, Ma'am. Were it me, I'd use Gorilla glue, the white wood glue. I have had excellent results with it. When you glue your two pieces together, I would let it set & dry a little while before I started in with tape, rubber bands, etc. Just my .02 pennies worth, Ma'am. Sawdust703(brad)

Mr. Ray, No worries Sir. More times than not, I am more outspoken than the subject requires. Most of that come from my trucking career. You either speak up, or get run over. Fact of the business. My Bride tells me quite often I should back off a subject and let the youngsters figure it out because my .02 worth of knowledge won't mean a tinker's damn to them anyhow. So, I an slowly learning that there are posts I think I should comment on, and others I should just leave to those involved. Sawdust703(brad)

Good afternoon, I'm not sure about them big fancy words, Mr. Ray, I was simply giving Mr. Les a different viewpoint. My apologies if it was mistook for somethin' else. From your post Mr. Les, it sounds like it is runnin' to your satisfaction. I'll bow out of this conversation. Sawdust703(brad)

Good morning Mr. Les, Well Sir, It's your saw, & that'd be your decision, Sir. Were it me, I wouldn't spot weld anything on my Hawk as it sits. Reason being, it is designed to take the vibration and shock just the way it sits. I believe my next step, were I in your boots, would be to call and have a chat with Miss Nicole and get her thoughts on the situation before I spot welded anything. But again, it's your saw, my friend. Take whatever action you feel is necessary. Sawdust703(brad)

Good morning, I concur with JT on the plywood and MDF dust. If possible, were I you, I would set up a box fan with ac filters attached to both sides of it, and run the fan on low or medium. This allows the fan to pull the dust away from your work area, and blow clean air back into your environment so you're not breathing all the dust. The next thing I would do is pitch the plywood in the trash can and start using wood. Not knowing your whereabouts, there may be construction going on all around you. Find you a couple of those places and have a chat with the job foreman to get permission to get some of the used lumber they are throwing in the dumpster. It will be construction grade pine or fir, but will be MUCH easier on blades, and you will also find your blades will last longer in wood. If you happen to know a friend or someone with a thickness planer, you can plane your findings down to 1/2", 3/8", or whatever tickles your fancy. My advice would be to make sure EVERY nail is out of your findings as they will destroy planer blades in a heart beat. You'll be able to cut letters so much easier starting out in wood than you will in plywood or MDF, and your letters will stay in one piece for you. I would still recommend wearing a dust mask, regardless. Sawdust703(Brad)

Mr. Les, I don't want to rain on your parade, or yours, JT, but I've got my BM - 26 sittin' on casters on an a wood shop floor, and it'll do the nickel test at full throttle. Being welded to the base would make quite a difference, as well as absorb even more vibration. But in turn, if the your saw is tuned properly, and kept that way on a level floor, there is no reason why it shouldn't pass the test. Sawdust703(Brad)

Howdy, and welcome to the village, Being a beginner in this hobby can be the most trying times in your scrolling career, at the same time, the times you may learn the most. As mentioned in afore posts, the truth of the matter is, your blade insert is a "throw away" part of your scroll saw. If you were to look up your saw online, and look at the parts breakdown, and check the price of the blade insert, at best, it would cost you $1.00 or thereabouts. The solution to that ongoing issue is to make more than one at a time, keep them where you can find them, and be done with it. Not much more can be added to dgman's direct solving your issue with cutting into your insert. The main thing I would strengthen is the tension factor. Especially with smaller kerf blades. As a rule, you want more tension on smaller blades, less tension on larger blades. With that said, make no mistake, in any case, your tension should still be a "ping" when the tension is adjusted correctly, but, with a larger blade, you will notice a deeper tone "ping." It won't be the high pitched "ping" as with the the smaller kerf blades. When adjusting tension on a blade, I have found the best way for me to do so is to install the blade in the holders, adjust just enough tension against the blade until it is "snug." Run the blade on low speed for a minute or so, stop it, recheck the tension. The tension will have to be readjusted because what this does is "stretch" the blade, and help prevent more than necessary tension adjustments. From here, adjust tension on your blade to cutting tension. I would also agree with dgman on the fact that you are putting far to much lateral pressure towards the blade. The harder you "push" into the blade, you are going to get the results you are having. The idea, again, as mentioned, is to let the blade do the work. Just like any other saw. If you will, allow me to pass on a piece of advice I read in a scroll saw book I read when I was just learning. This particular author, whom I'm not able to recall at the time, went into great lengths with his examples and discussions, especially for the beginning scroll sawyer. His favorite quote throughout the entire book was "if you didn't have a lick of patience before you began scrolling, your scroll saw will kindly oblige you in that aspect." What he meant by that is the fact that if you are short on patience going into this hobby, your scroll saw will gladly teach you the patience required. It also helps to be somewhat of a problem solver, as well. Best of luck to, and keep practicin'. Sawdust703(Brad)

Howdy Mr. Les, If your saw is cuttin' smooth up to 3/4 throttle, Mr. Les, my first question would be is your saw good and level? And what are ya usin' for blades? If it is, the next thing I would look into would be the wedge at the back of the saw. If it is wearing deep into the bevel, that can cause vibration. You may check your mounting bolts, and the bolts in the end of the motor to make sure they are good and tight. Check to make sure your blade and table are both square with one another, Mr. Les. Something else you may want to check, Mr. Les, is make sure your motor is tight. Sometimes on the 220VS, the motor has a tendency to work lose. Something else you might check into, Mr. Les, is the bearings in the top and bottom arms. Do a "wiggle test" on your bearings and see if you can feel any back and forth or up and down movement in your bearings. If you can, you've got bearings on their way out, Sir. Truthfully, if that doesn't cover it, you've most likely got a bent top or bottom arm, or need to need to send the top arm in for some machine work at the bevel area. Sawdust703(Brad)

Howdy, It's been a few years since I ordered anything from Mike's, but if I remember right, the service was top notch! I found a few patterns in wooden teddy bear shortly thereafter, and have been ordering Olson and FD blades, along with most all my patterns from them. I get excellent service, and have always received my order in a short amount of time, and complete. I did find a couple patterns at Artworks last fall, but their shipping is more than the price of their patterns, and it takes an act of congress to get your order.

Howdy, As many years as I've been scrollin', I never paid no mind to any top or bottom markings. I have always run my finger down the blade, and set the teeth pointin' down. Reckon ya learned this ol' jaybird somethin' new, too, Mr. Ray! Reckon I'll have to have a look see at my FD & Olson blades next time my great grandkids let me escape for a few minutes to get to the wood shop!;) That's a new one on me. Course, what few Pegasus blades I did test drive, I didn't much care for, so I just stayed with FD and Olson. I reckon I've used them to many years to change now. They are kinda like a broke-in Peterbilt.;) After you've sit in the pilot seat of it enough miles, ya get to know its habits and ideas, and know what to expect from it.;) Just my .02 pennies worth. Sawdust703(Brad)

Hello Mr. Ray, To be honest, with the width and length you have to take into consideration, were I you, I would lay it flat on the concrete floor in your shop for the time being, and get some sort of weight down thru the length of the material until you are ready to work it. The more weight the better, but be cautious to distribute the weight equally the full length and width of the material. With the humidity, the flattening process will begin as the wood takes on moisture and the stress points begin to release with the pressure of the constant weight on it. Sawdust703(Brad)

Hello Ray, The piece I started out with was 12'' x 12'' square. By the time I had it flattened out and cut to size, the actual project piece was 9'' x 10''. The thickness of the wood was right at a half inch thick. It took damned near a full day to get that piece completely flattened out, but I finally got it done. Brad.

Hello Ray, When I started working on the piece, it had exactly an 1/8'' cup in it. That was the reason I wrapped in the big bath towel completely soaked first before I even started with the iron. That gave the wood a chance to absorb the moisture from the towel until the towel dried. Then when I started in with the iron, I dampened the towel, laid it on the beginning of the upside of the cup, and laid the iron on the towel and let it dry the towel in that spot, and just kept working along the edge of the cup, and flattening the cup. Like I said, it was a time consuming process Mr. Ray, but it worked with outstanding results! Sawdust703(Brad)

Howdy Mr. Ray, The way I go about it, I use a spray bottle and spray the wood with water, then put a wet towel over the wood to prevent the iron from burning the wood, and allow it sit there and steam the moisture into the wood to allow the stress points to relax, Ray. I wouldn't drench the wood, Sir. You're just asking for more trouble if you go about it that way. Call me if I can be of help, Sir. Sawdust70s(Brad)

Howdy Mr. Ray, Thank you, Sir. I had tried everything else I could dream up to "straighten" that given piece of wood, Mr. Ray. I finally came up with the brilliant idea of using the iron and the moisture to try to de stress the pressure points that were cupped. Little by little, lt began to level out and look presentable. Once I got it to the point of nearly completely flat, like I said before, I ran it thru the planer a couple times to clean it up, then thru the drum sander with 150 grit, and when I checked it with a square, I had a completely flat, square piece. It was a time consuming process, but as pricey as oak is on this side of the rock, a feller has to figure out how to make use of every inch possible. And my drum sander ain't a monster drum sander, Mr. Ray. It's a 10'' sander. It sits on a tool stand in the corner of the shop by the grinder til I need it. I pull it away from the wall a ways, and use it, then push it back in its corner. Sawdust703(Brad)

Howdy, I second the wet towel and iron deal. I picked up an iron at the local thrift store a year or so back, and used it on some oak I had for a tractor project. The oak was a 1/2'' thick x 12'' x 12''. I done the same thing with the wet towel several times and used medium heat on the iron. I had excellent results! I was able to finish plane it and run it thru the drum sander, and wound up with perfectly flat faces on the oak. I have also used it on picture frames that customers have brought into the shop that were old enough to belong to another generation, and have warped some. I use a bath towel soaked to start, and wrap the towel around the entire frame till the towel dries, then wet it again, and start in one corner of the picture frame with the wet towel and the iron, and work around the frame til I get all the way around the frame. I can get the frame straightened out enough to put glass and the picture back in it. And refinish it, if that is their instructions. Sawdust703(Brad)

Howdy Mr. Kevin, I am kinda like Mr. JT. Seein' how I have two lathes in my meager little work shop, I spin out might near any type of dowel I come in need of. IMO Mr. Kevin, I believe if it were me, I would use maple for the base, and consider walnut or even padauk as your corner posts. The maple, bein' lighter in color, would really brighten up your darker colors of the coasters, Mr. Kevin. For what's it's worth, you could go so far as to finish the maple out with say 400 grit sandpaper, then apply a couple coats of clear shellac, then apply your poly to the maple. My reason for suggesting the the shellac, my friend, is to darken the maple just a tiny bit before you begin your poly application. I use a lot of maple for my dreamcatchers and have had very successful results with this. I shellac the outside ring, or the center, whatever the situation, the shellac would darken the maple just enough to highlight those parts against the lighter places, and give the dreamcatcher a complete different look. Just a thought, Sir. You might even consider cuttin' your corner posts at a 45* angle as JT suggested just as a highlight to the project. Just my .02 pennies worth, Sir. Sawdust703(Brad)

Howdy Mr. Ray, Thank you Sir. I'll take a stab at it and get some practice with it. The more I keep thinkin' about it, that's the only true way that I can see to get the proper fit. I have studied other books I have, read, and watched other videos as well, and I don't see any other way. I think I've got setting the drill bit angle and blade angle figured out, it's just a matter of figuring out the correct angle now. Thank you for your thoughts and input, Mr. Ray. I appreciate it, Sir! Sawdust703(Brad)

Afternoon folks, I managed to get through the meeting in one piece. Sometimes the community meetings here can get kinda one sided at times, and it takes a firm hand to keep a handle on things. So, on with the business at hand. I have done some reading on this, and have read some conflicting information. Some say a sharper angle, some say a shallow angle. So, I am in between what to do. I have watched a couple videos, as well. Near as I can figure, with a 1/2'' thick project, about a 2* or 3* angle is going to be sufficient, but I'm going to have to practice a little with it before I cut the project itself. I reckon my next concern is, should I use double sided tape on the bull's head to hold it to the walnut to cut it, like a stack cut, or would it be better to just make a duplicate copy of the bull's head and glue it place on the plaque and cut it that way?? The plaque itself is going to be 20'' x 20''. And I am going to inlay the brand in the walnut the same way. In my mind, I can't see as a stack cut type situation would be of any benefit, but I may be looking at this from the wrong side of the coin, too. Thank you for your thoughts and input. Sawdust703(Brad)

Howdy, Mr. Kevin, I'm going to have to disagree with ya on this one, my friend. I think someone startin' out on the saw should get acclimated to the standard blades first, and once they have mastered a feel for what the saw is actually supposed to do, blade speed, and rate of feed, then move into more complicated blades and situations. It's like learning anything else, Mr. Kevin. Ya have start simple and work up to the more difficult things in that area of learning. And, the only real way to learn it is to do it. Spiral blades can be very beneficial for some if their chosen projects are portraits, fine detailed fretwork, projects of that nature. Standard flat blades can do everything a spiral blade can, it's just a matter of learning to use the right size blade for the business at hand. Some will most likely disagree, no doubt, but personally, I didn't start using spiral blades until a few years ago, and still do not use them to often. I keep numerous sizes on inventory for various purposes, but seldom use them. All of my projects are cut from hardwoods, no plywood or underlayment of any kind is involved. I plane the wood down to the thickness I need for the project, whether it be 5/8'' or 1/4'', it is still real wood. That way I know there are no voids in it, and when the project is finished, it has a more perfected look to it. I have used spiral blades on some 1/4'' material and had decent luck, and used them on 1/2'' or 5/8'' material to clean up around eyes, feathers, ears, claws, leaves, river banks, tree trunks, etc. but I have never used spirals on a full project. I don't care for the look they leave behind, and they create more finish work to be done. Sawdust703(Brad)

Good Morning Gentlemen, Wow!! Thank you for all the insight on this project! I greatly appreciate it!!! In my 25 years of scrolling, this is something I have never had a need to do much of, and if it was needed, I figured out a way around the bevel cutting to give the project a different look. I've got a community meetin' I have to be at momentarily. I will be back on after the meetin' because I'd like to discuss this further, if you fellers wouldn't mind. Thank you again so much for your thoughts, input, and time. Sawdust703(Brad)

Howdy Mr. Les, Thank you Sir! I appreciate your confidence, my friend. I am sure I can accomplish this feat, too, but it's good to have advice from those that have more experience with this than myself. I have done quite a bit of inlay work, but I always cut things tight enough so I can press them in place and then sand things out after that. But I want this to look tight and smooth. I am planning to finish it with shellac and Watco clear coat. What do ya think about that? Sawdust703(Brad)

Howdy Mr. Hermit, Welcome to the forum, and good to hear your thoughts and input. Whether or not you are a beginner or an experienced scroller, spiral blades have their place, in my opinion. Everyone has their own uses for spirals in numerous projects. Everything you brought to light in your post is all fact, my friend. That is why I mentioned in my post above that the spiral blade is a blade of choice, and a blade to be respected. The spiral blade can be learned to be used in more ways than one realizes, and the most prosperous ways, but it takes hours of practice, and several different species of wood to learn with. Every size of blade cuts different in every species of wood. And as Mr. Fred mentioned in his post, start with slow blade speeds and a slow rate of feed. My other suggestion is to use a smaller blade size, and make sure the tension against the blade is sufficient. You will find that the spiral blade will cut straighter, and last longer for you if it is kept tight. If you can put a little pressure against it & it bends in the least bit, in my experience, it is not tight enough. Yes, I agree, at times, the ends of the spiral blades are a might difficult to get set in the blade clamps, but, there are other options for that, too. Have you tried the flat end spirals? Keep makin' sawdust! Sawdust703(Brad)

Howdy, I agree with Fred. Spiral blades are not a blade for first timers, for sure. They are a blade of choice, and a blade to respect. As Mr. Fred mentioned, slow blade speeds to start out is a good suggestion. The faster a spiral blade cuts, the more wood it chews at a faster rate. Also, the bigger the spiral blade at a faster cut rate will open up places in your project that ain't supposed to be opened up. So keep a small blade at hand if at all possible. Sawblade703(Brad)