Jennifer Moon-Child

Thanks everyone, I definitely haven't been pushing it too far, I read the instructions the first time I used the new chuck head when they first came out. I just didn't know the levers could be replaced, or that they could be purchased. Denny shipped my new one like immediately so I'll be back in business on Tuesday if the postal service cooperates. I've already figured out how to remove the old lever and install a new one, it's just a matter of pushing out the little pin that holds it in.

Denny, I found your website and ordered a lever and some blades. I will plan on ordering spare levers in the future to keep on hand (parts always seem to wear out for me when I am at my busiest). Thank you very much!

Cool, I didn't know you could replace the levers on the Pegas. I would love to get a new one!

I've been using the Pegas blade chuck on my Excalibur, and I do a lot of scrolling so the first one lasted me about a year before I had to switch it out for a fresh one. I also switch out the set screws from time to time. In December I started on a new one and within a couple of months I began to have a problem where the lever won't stay down at all. I happened to have a spare on hand (grabbed it during a black Friday sale), so I switched to the new one and now, after about 3 months, I am having the same problem. The second I push the lever down, it pops back up. I've made sure the head of the saw is level, there's no lubrication anywhere, the set screws are new and aligned with each other in the top and bottom chucks, I've cleaned out the threading, I am out of ideas and really prefer not to have to change out this $100+ part every 3 months. Does anyone have an idea how to fix this or if it can be fixed besides replacing the whole chuck again? Thanks in advance! I've attached a video of the issue. PXL_20210624_125925586.mp4

I usually just print the names out in the font and size I want to cut them in, using a word processing program. I take a red pen and mark the letters so they are cuttable, then I cut them out with scissors and scotch tape them onto the pattern. If you are cutting the names in a smaller size and a more difficult font, I recommend doing the trickier letters first. I do all the lower case a's first, then the e's, o's, and s's, d's, b's, and so on. That way you're less likely to mess up an ornament you've put a lot of time into.

I got my Porter Cable in September. I used it off and on but in November started using it almost daily to make gifts for Christmas. By December it was in the shop, it was squeaking and vibrating. I tried lubing it to no avail, and then it stopped working altogether. The repair man said there was a set screw tucked in the back that was missing entirely. He replaced it and it worked fine for 6 weeks. Back to the shop; I thought it was the same issue but this time it was a different screw towards the front of the saw. Both times the people at the shop weren't happy to see my saw; apparently Porter Cable is notoriously difficult to deal with warranty-wise. This past Monday (about six weeks from the last time) it started acting up again. It rattles and squeaks and vibrates, and just when I think I've got it fixed, it starts up again. This is the third strike for me. I'm not driving an hour to take it back for repairs, and I'm not dealing with it anymore, warranty or no. There is very little information online about how to fix this saw yourself, and apparently another thing Porter Cable is notorious for is not stocking parts for their tools. If something needs to be replaced there is a good chance that it won't be available. Since this is a fairly new model there are parts available online but some are already in limited quantites. When it is working properly, it is very quiet, like a sewing machine. It was definitely a step up from the Dremel Moto-Saw I started on. For occasional use this is a fine saw but if you are planning to really get into scroll sawing I can't recommend it. It does not come with a foot switch; there is a dust collection port. It takes both pinned and pinless blades. I always feed the blade from the bottom with it. Blade changing is easy once you get the hang of it.There is a plastic insert in the table that is not flush with the table so if you are working with small pieces of wood they can catch on the edge between the plastic and the metal table which is very annoying. Also the plastic gets chewed up by the blade very easily (especially when you are just learning how to use a scroll saw) and then you have a large ragged gap. The gauge for the table tilt was off by several degrees. The stand is nice and sturdy but it is standing height (for me anyway, I'm 5'1") or you can sit on a stool with it. I paid $199 for it and I guess I got what I paid for; I certainly used it a lot though there was a lot of downtime while it was being repaired.

I love ash, I think it's underrated. Not only is it more affordable than say, cherry or walnut, when you can't get it for free, the grain is often very beautiful, more interesting than maple but still a light color. I order it from Ocooch all the time.

At my latest show on Saturday I did a u-shaped layout, and I was on a corner. Most people were afraid to enter the U, and about 2/3 of what I sold was on the table that was on the outside edge. Probably won't do it like that again.

I use easycast, mixed with a little acrylic paint to tint it to whatever color I want, I spray the whole board with a sealer and put felt pads on the planchettes to avoid scratching. The resin is a lot of work, although it's more forgiving than you might expect; mistakes can be sanded and redone. Your way is much easier.

Hey I make those every now and then for fun; I never thought of doing it like that with the clear sheet of plastic. I cut the letters out of the board and then fill them in with resin. Looks nice!

I use the dremel workstation, I have it set up right next to my saw so I don't have to get out of my chair to drill tiny holes. For larger holes and other usages, I have a regular drill press. And I use my lower-powered dremel in the workstation and my newer, more powerful dremel for detail sanding. It's funny how you start out with just a scroll saw and next thing you know, not only do you have every other tool under the sun, but more than one version of some of them.

I love the look of the box and the inlay, and I think the same box would look really cool with some other inlaid patterns, like a celtic knot sort of motif.

I just recently started a page for my scroll sawing. I'm finding it's a good way to keep my previous/current customers updated on what I'm doing, and I use it to gently nudge people to consider ordering Christmas ornaments. I haven't spent a penny on it, and the time I spend on it is fairly minimal, but I was already a regular facebook user.