browders

Apparently there's a difference between 3M Super 77 spray adhesive and Scotch 77 spray adhesive. I've always used the 3M version and have had good results. I recently purchased the Scotch version thinking it would be similar. Wrong thinking. I sprayed the back of the pattern placed the pattern on the taped board and started cutting. Prior to finishing my first cut the paper began to peel off the tape. The paper would not stick to the tape with the Scotch brand adhesive. It sticks fine with the 3M brand. Apparently there's a difference. Jim

I opted for a more expensive saw, a Grizzly. This is an excellent saw with plenty of power. The down side is getting it serviced. There are only two service centers in the country. One in the midwest and the other in NW Washington. At almost 300 lbs. it's way too costly to ship. That said, I use a 3/4" blade and can successfully resaw 6 to 8" hardwood. Jim

I have ordered from them a couple of times. I love their selection and their prices are very reasonable. Unfortunately I live far enough away that shipping costs are prohibitive. Jim

Thanks for all the replies. After using the new saw it seems to cut just fine. I think I'll just go ahead and work with it as it is. It will just be a matter of dealing with the blade placement in the clamps. I suppose even this old dog can add one more trick to his bag. Jim

I just replaced my 10 year old DeWalt with a brand new one. Looks the same and saws great. One thing I noticed is that the gap between the upper and lower blade clamps is somewhat greater on the new saw. The blades fit in there, but just barely. Is that a change they made, or is something amiss with the saw? Thanks, Jim

Well, I guess someone has to do it. I'll speak on behalf of Olsen blades. I have tried both Pegas and Flying Dutchman and I know they are both high quality blades preferred by the majority of scrollers in the world. For me however, they just don't work. I find I just cannot maintain control as well using either of those brands compared to using Olsen. I have tried and have a fine selection of both Pegas and Flying Dutchman lying around the shop gathering dust. I'm aware that all this probably says more about me and my ability rather than the blades, but I remain a proud fan of Olsen blades. Jim

Gotta admit I've been doing a lot of lurking recently and not much posting. As of today I'll be in the shop cranking out my final ornaments. That's after I finish plowing out the 10" of snow we've gotten the past 24 hours. Looks like a white Christmas this year. Happy Holidays! Jim

I too have a Grizzly band saw and overall I have been very happy with it. I will offer one word of caution. If you need service as I did, there are only two authorized service centers in the country. One is in Missouri and the other is in Bellingham, WA. Technical support is very friendly and will do everything possible to help solve problems over the phone. However if service is needed your options are limited. I ended up having to drive my saw to the Washington location a round trip distance of over 1200 miles. That was still cheaper than trying to ship a 200 lb. saw. they fixed the problem for a reasonable price and it's worked great since. No other complaints. Jim

Welcome to the Village, from 100 miles north of you. I live in Kalispell, MT. I was born and raised in Missoula, and in response to Scrappile, Malfunction Junction is indeed alive and well. It is the intersection of Brooks St., South Avenue, and South Russell. If you look at it through Google Maps you can understand the name. But I digress. I like your setup. The dust collection system intrigues me. How well does it work? Jim

Thanks for all the great replies. Definitely learned some things from this. Jim

I am trying to plane some maple down to 1/8" thickness for Christmas ornaments. My planer is a DeWalt DW735 with new blades and clean rollers. It planes well until it gets close to the 1/8" thickness then begins to chip. Am I just expecting to much of the planer? Thanks. Jim

There was a recent thread about band saws and you're right, many different opinions. I will tell my sad tale. I own a Grizzly G0457 band saw which I bought new about 5 years ago. It worked great for about 3 years. Like you, I'm able to get scraps from others which I cut into thin stock. My saws developed a couple of problems. I was unable to set the tension correctly and it wouldn't saw straight. If I set it to saw a 1/2" thickness, by the time I got to the end of the board it was half that. I have spoken with Grizzly service and they have been friendly, but not terribly helpful. Whatever the problem is, it's beyond my capabilities to repair. Here is my problem with the brand: There is no local authorized service center. We have a very capable repair person in town, but he isn't trained on Grizzly products. That limits my options to sending my saw to the Grizzly service facilities of which there are only two. One in Bellingham, WA and one in Missouri. To ship the saw ( it weighs almost 300 lbs.) would be prohibitive. So there it sits in my shop collecting cobwebs. My point to this rambling rant is to say that whatever brand you decide to buy, make sure you can get it serviced. Even the best saws will break from time to time.

I own a Grizzly G0457 band saw. Initially it worked great, until it didn't. It might have been something I did, or not. I'm not avoiding responsibility here. My problem with the brand is that there are no locally authorized repair shops. They have two service centers one in Bellingham, Wa and one in Missouri. The saw weighs about 300 lbs. so shipping would be prohibitive from a cost standpoint. Their customer service is accommodating, but have been unable to help. Until I have a reason to be in either one of those locations, I guess what I have is a heavy expensive coat hook. Jim

That's a great story. We hear so much about the bad experiences. It's nice to know that sometimes things go well. Jim

I just happened to have some #5 Pegas MGT in my latest order. Gonna try them on my current project and see how they do. Fingers crossed. Jim

Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts. You've given me a lot to consider as I continue my quest to seek the perfect blade for my circumstances. Jim

I have been a loyal Olson blade user since I started scrolling. Lately though I've noticed a lack of consistency in the quality of the blades. I'm specifically talking about smaller blades, 2/0 - 2, generally in scroll reverse type. I recently ordered Pegas and Flying Dutchman blades. The Pegas were Modified Geometry type and the FD were Ultra Reverse. I have not had good luck with either one. The Pegas blades are so delicate that they tend to break just trying to set the tension. If they survive that, they cut very well. The FD blades were worse. Not only did they break, but they were hard to keep on track. My project is cutting 1/4" maple. My question is, to those of you who swear by these blades. Which types do you use? Did I order the wrong types for the work I'm trying do? I'm trying to adapt, but I'm not having much luck. Jim

Ya know, the sad part to all this is how most of the victims seem to be senior citizens. I don't like to think that just because I'm on a pension, I suddenly got so vulnerable. If you know you've paid your taxes, if you know there's no such thing as a free lunch, then you should know what these are. Don't be a victim! Jim

I have made two of these boxes using Steve's plan as is. They have both fit Kleenex brand boxes without any problem. Jim

I use all of the above. Additionally, I've found that a stiff bristled toothbrush will remove many fuzzies from a project. Jim

I avoid Black Friday shopping like the plague. However, I received a sales email from Michael's Crafts a couple of days ago. Michael's is my only available source for BB plywood in this area. They had a buy online, pick up in store sale of 40% off. I jumped all over that. I picked up the items from the store and walked out without having to stand in any lines. Feeling pretty good.

I have owned my 788 since January of 2012. I have had no problems with it. Having upgraded from a Ryobi, I can't make any comparisons to other comparable saws. I believe I got and excellent saw for the money. At this time, I have no desire to change brands. Jim

That is certainly the best deal I've seen for that saw. Jim

No hinges, just a liner on the underside of the lid to keep it straight.

My contribution to the Christmas Spirit in the Browder household. Just about as much as I could muster. This is a Sheila Landry pattern and was a joy to cut. Made from oak because that's what I had. Cut with Olson blades a Mach Speed 3 reverse and Olson 2/0 reverse.