orangeman

Iggy, I received a notice that there is a craft show in Andrews, NC centered around the eclipse event. Cheap too. 2 or 3 days. They expect crowds. bb

Got an answer from Bushton. My newly acquired used Hawk is a 1999 model. And they have a DVD vs a VCR tape but they also gave me a you tube link which has the same info. The saw evidently was not used very much as it looks brand new. Also got a ton of blades with the saw which I will never use as hey are mostly spiral blades. bb

A backerboard for jigsaw puzzles makes it a tray puzzle and easier to assemble and you can pick it up with ease. All my 1/4" Baltic Birch puzzles are tray puzzles with the 1/8" backer board.

Thanks Dan - good explanation. bb

Look for a calendar with lots of cat images. Pick an image and glue to 1/4" Baltic Birch with 3M 77 spray adhesive. Coat with Krylon Triple Glaze. Glue a piece of 1/8" Baltic Birch for a backing. Then start cutting. That's all there are(sic) to it. bb

I recently bought a little used RBI HAwk. I have contacted Bushton Manf to find out how old. No response yet. Obviously an older model as it came with a VCR tape! However the manual says NOT to plug it into a GFI circuit as it has a DC motor. Any comments on the latter as all I have in my basement shop are GFI circuits. I would have to run a long extension cord from somewhere else. bb

Rolf, it looks brand new and I have a serial #. But it must be old since there is a 19 minute VCR tape that came with it: RBI Hawk 216 precision Scroll Saw. I will call Hawk and find out when it was manufactured. Stay tuned.

What does BM stand for?

My go to blades for 3/4" hardwood puzzles are the Pegas #5 and #7 Modified Geometry blades. I switched from Flying Dutchman several years ago. I will use the #3 occasionally for very intricate cutting. For puzzles made from 1/4" Baltic Birch I will use the Fkying Dutchman puzzle blade.

I have a VS22 Hegner and a DeWalt. Been cutting puzzles for 10 years now and this is my 4th DeWalt. The Hegner sits in the corner. I have found it difficult to adjust to get a true 90 degree angle which you know is necessary for puzzles. Then there is blade breakage. I have never broken a blade on a DeWalt. The Hegner is a different story! Occasionally I cut stamp puzzles with a jewelers blade and Christmas card puzzles with the FD puzzle blade. In my opinion this would be impossible with the Hegner. I recently bought a little used Hawk for $100 and it sits in my garage - need to find a place in my shop for it but from appearance it looks like it would have the same issue re stamp puzzles and Christmas card puzzles.

1,000 puzzles in 9 months. @$25 a pop= $25,000! Sell your machine for a couple hundred $ and buy a new one might be a better option. But after 9 months it is under warranty so let DeWalt fix it. Look at how many puzzles you could have cut while fixing the saw. Was it worth the down time. I have a Hegner and it has some limitations. I cut some stamp puzzles (stamp glued on 1/4" Baltic Birch) using a jewelers blade. It's almost impossible to adjust the tension and fit the blade into Hegner's blade holder. Same with FD puzzle blades. I don't know if the Ex has the same problem. Would like to know if the new Seyco saw could accommodate jewelers and puzzle blades. Hope someone will chime in.

Cypress would work too

Really great review. My Dad always said: Never buy a new car the first year a new car model comes out. Sounds like assembly issues need to be ironed out. I'll wait until Woodcraft stocks the saw and then buy their floor model already assembled.

I bought one maybe 6 yrs ago. Never could get it to work. Don't know what I did wrong. Went with a 3M sanding wheel. A little over $7 a pop and i can sand about $1500 worth of puzzles. bb

The new Seyco saw has holes too. bb

You wouldn't believe the number of parents that will buy a puzzle with choking pieces for their little toddlers. If there is a kid under 3 with them I always remind them that the puzzle has choking pieces. Often they will buy anyway and say "oh he/she doesn't put things in their mouth". But the kicker was the last show. Sold a Sea Life tray puzzle with lots of choking pieces to a couple with a little kid in a stroller. They took the puzzle out of the package and placed in front of the kid to play with. My wife and I couldn't believe it. Often wonder if they still have all the pieces.

The face looks like a raccoon. How about Coonie? bb

Very creative! Good idea. Let us know how it tests out on the wood puzzles. How will you respond when folks ask if the paint is safe, as you will get the question. Is it made in China (big negative for some)? bb

I always label a puzzle with pieces that fit into the cylinder as a choking hazard - not suitable for children under 3. Other puzzles do not get the warning label.

Attached is the device I built to demonstrate whether pieces are a choking hazard. I take it to all my shows. Built to govt standards.If a piece fits within the cavity it is a choking hazard.

I just purchased a used Hawk RBI scroll saw. Serial # 33405. Looks brand new and little used. Except for the hole in the table where goes through. Looks like some amateur cut out the hole. Seller had bought it used and had no manual. Any idea how old it is? It was set up on a wooden floor over the seller's garage. I cranked it up full speed and it started dancing all over the floor; bad vibration. Then I toned it down to 3/4 speed and the vibration stopped; After tinkering with the tension levers both front and back and checking the blade angle, I was then able to cut a puzzle out of soft maple with success. So I bought it for $100 figuring it would be a good back up when my DeWalt craps out and goes in the shop. I'm contacting the hawk folks tomorrow to see if I can get a manual and parts list. Looks like there might be some external lubrication points. Don't know how often the blade tighteners would need to be replaced or their cost. I would appreciate any advice from Hawk owners on this saw. Thanks, bb

I might have to look into square to see if their customer service is any better than paypal. I had my first chargeback in 8 years! Responding with details via the internet was impossible so I had to call paypal. They give you a phone number and code to enter. Waited 6 minutes for them to answer. It went smoothly after that. The reason for the chargeback was that the individual did not recognize the charge on his statement from GA on the statement. The craft fair was in AL. I was able to contact him only because the charge was made by a Dr. So I googled the Doc and found his telephone # and called him. Very apologetic and said he would put a check in the mail - which he did. I'm wondering if it worthwhile capturing a telephone number on all charges now? otherwise no way to contact individuals.

The toilet paper tube is an old fashioned myth since there are different sizes of tubes.

I put a warning label on all my puzzles that have choking pieces. There are govt guidelines on what constitutes a choking hazard. Just google for the guidelines on dimensions. I used those dimensions to build a gizmo with those dimensions which I take to craft shows to show folks choking and no-choking pieces.

Same drill here Thanksgiving weekend. 3 stitches. They were out in 10 days and I was back at the saw. My planer backfired. A small piece got stuck in the planer so I took a stick 12" long x 1/2" x 1/2" to push the piece through. Backfired on me. Pushed that stick back into the palm of my hand. learned later to never put anything less that 12" in length through the planer to begin with. Same with a jointer. Too bad the crosses will be delayed. They are beautiful on the base.