Old Joe

I just finished this Mike Williams design, with a few liberties taken. This is my second cutting on my new Pegas saw and the entire project was done with #1 and 2/0 Pegas Spiral blades. I am new to using spirals, but I am now officially sold on them. Folks often ask me “How long did that take you?” and I honestly had never kept track, but I did with this one. From taping and gluing the pattern, to drilling and cutting a ton of holes, to sanding and oiling the cartoon and staining the backboard, cutting a keyhole slot and imbedding a signature coin, and doing the glue up, I had just over 21 hours of actual work time. It is approximately 8” x 11,” a bit smaller than Mike’s suggested 11” x 14.” I have found that making many of the patterns a bit smaller has an allure to many people. Hope you all enjoy!

I never replaced mine, but as soon as I installed a foot switch, I turned the switch to the “on” position and covered it with packing tape and left it in the on position for ever after, as there was no reason to ever turn it off.

Thanks for the tip on adjusting the front/back motion. I didn’t realize that was the issue, and probably wouldn’t have known if Rolf hadn’t mentioned it. I dialed it back a pinch and now I just feel like everything is perfect. My Dewalt is now temporarily serving as an expensive coat rack for my shop apron!

Your Etsy page is very impressive!

.....I come across another piece by scrollsaw goddess Fiona Kingdon on her Facebook page. All done in thick wood, layered, no pattern, she just starts cutting and waits to see what will come about with her single speed Hegner.This one is just stunning. And humbling.

I was screwing around getting the new Pegas setup exactly how I wanted it while cutting this, but as best I can figure I had close to 16-20 total hours in this from start to finish, not all cutting time. Using all flat blades would’ve taken longer. This made me a convert to spirals for many applications. I started using them a bit on my last project on my DW788, a Dearing pattern of Gandalf, but that was a full 1/2” piece of African Rosewood and I broke a bunch of blades, which I did not do on this one. I didn’t break one blade, though I dulled a few.

I wish that the Pegas, Dewalt, Excalibur’s etc. all had a grease fitting on them. I took my DW788 apart last year and greased it with synthetic grease and the difference made was nothing short of incredible. It was never that smooth and quiet even when it was brand new. If I had known how much it would have improved it, I would’ve done it when it was brand new. Why manufacturers don’t use synthetic lube is beyond me.

Well, this was a learning experience. I was getting used to the new saw and using almost all spiral blades. I only used flat blades on the handful of larger cuts. I also messed around with the setup a bit as I went along. Worked on the front to back movement, had to reduce it a pinch. Got everything perfect by the end. Anyway, this is a Charles Dearing pattern of Tom Petty, cut in 1/4” BB, backed by a piece of Poplar. 306 cuts, I think.

I used FD for my first few years, tried Pegas and wasn’t crazy about them in the beginning, especially on the micro sizes. They seemed to get away from me on very close cuts somehow. I also felt that they dulled quicker than FDs, but now I think it was something about that batch. Then I got very adjusted to the MG #3 and never looked back. That is my primary blade now. I very rarely use anything larger. I am pushing myself to use, and get used to, spiral blades. I am quickly gaining confidence in using the Pegas 2/0 in 1/4” Baltic Birch or fine portraits. I never really adjusted to using FD spirals, but I think that was more on me than the blades.

Congrats and enjoy. I just bought the Pegas, and I'm happy, but if I did a lot of production work with solid wood, and money was no object I would get a Hegner. Fiona Kingdon knocks out an incredible amount of product, no plywood, and does it all on a single speed Hegner!

Thanks for the heads up on the speed.I am on a lunch break from the saw. I am working with 2/0 spiral blades which I have only recently started using with any volume of cuts. With the MG scroll reverse blades I don't feel that I am slowing the speed down abnormally, but I do with the spirals. I'm doing another advanced Dearing pattern with lots of head and beard hair and feel very comfortable. I would be hesitant in changing anything at this point, but I do get how to make the adjustment. BTW, I forgot to mention how quiet it is!

Rolf, I haven’t noticed any issue with front/back motion. The saw is shipped with a lot of packing materials, with a #7 blade in the clamps, and is bolted to a piece of thin plywood in the bottom of the box. The plywood was literally broken out on all four corners and the blade was broken. Certainly not the distributor’s fault. I was a bit bummed when I first saw it, but I figured pretty quickly that there wasn’t anything seriously damaged.When I set the head at zero it was off by several degrees, and off center. I had an issue with getting it zeroed in and holding a perfect true with the angle set at zero. I would set it as instructed in the directions, but the blade wasn’t holding perfectly centered. I tracked down a couple of loose Allen nuts, and wallah! problem solved. I think the head may have gotten jarred pretty good in shipping, but it wasn’t damaged per se, just needed a couple tweaks. I’m pretty persnickety and everything seemed fine yesterday. I checked the trueing with a machinist square after cutting yesterday and it was dead on.

I should’ve mentioned that I ended up buying the saw through Denny Knappen’s ArtCrafters thanks to recommendations from several people on SSV. He offered the best price including shipping. Also, as I mentioned above, the saw needed some setup, due primarily to some rough handling by the shipper and Denny has been great nursing me through a couple of minor adjustment issues. I was impressed that it comes with spare parts for the eventual wearing down of the blade clamps, and also a sample pack of assorted Pegas blades. I don’t plan to hook it up to a vacuum, so I removed the hookup attachment, as it reduces the tilt range, and by all accounts it doesn’t work all that great. Incidentally, if anyone has any questions, I would be happy to try to answer them.

OK, bought a new Pegas 21” with stand, and foot control. Stand assembly wasn’t difficult, but they could make it easier if they numbered each part. Assembly sheet was rather vague, but I have put together enough variations of it that it was easy enough. As to the saw itself, let’s just say UPS could’ve handled it a little more carefully and I had some minor setup issues, but things seem to be A-OK now. Today I started cutting out a detailed Charles Dearing portrait pattern on a single layer of 1/4” BB for the maiden voyage, making 70 very fine cuts using mostly Pegas #1 and #2/0 spirals, and Pegas MG#3’s for a few cuts. Honestly, I wish I had done a stack cut of two, but I wanted to get acquainted with it via a single layer. General observations: I am moving up from a DW788. There were a couple of adjustments that I had to make to myself personally using the Pegas. The distance from the blade to the front edge of the table is considerably shorter, but I got used to it pretty quick. At least for now I slowed the speed down a bit, as it just seems to want to cut fast. I am a bottom feeder, and found feeding the blade to be somehow easier even though I had the Pegas clamps on the Dewalt. Then the more automated blade tensioner was a dream! I have not been a big spiral blade guy until recently and everything is much easier with them on the Pegas, especially the tension system. I didn’t bend, break, or “hockey puck” one blade over the 70 cuts. Vibration: There is virtually none. Seriously, none. I can’t articulate clearly enough on how much better than the DW788 the new saw is in that regard, even though the Dewalt is bolted to the floor, and the Pegas is just sitting on its stand, with no need to bolt it down. Appearance: The thing makes my whole studio/shop look better! The red and black looks sharp. Light: Unlike many, I really like the Dewalt light. I put an LED bulb in it a few years ago and it’s still working.I missed it today. I want to find a non-magnifying, tight radius, spot lamp ASAP, preferably a bright, LED, clamp on type. Overall: I figured that I would be happy, but I can’t understate how much better this machine is to cut with! It’s almost like I didn’t know what I was missing. I feel like I have gone from driving an old Datsun pickup to a new Lexus luxury sedan. This thing is a scrollsawer’s dream. Not sure what I will do with the DW788 yet. Though it was a good saw for me, and I have made some serious sawdust with it, I already don’t see any chance that I would go back to it.

Nice!

I am not giving my stuff away (unless I am actually giving it away). I feel like I am putting out a clean, professional piece. I’m not in this to make a ton of dough, but I think good scrollers are underselling themselves. Your Kleenex box is intricate, well done, and the purchaser is buying directly from the craftsman/artist. If it wasn’t for a friend, I would inbed a Steve Good signature coin in the bottom, date it, supply a box of tissues and price it at least enough to cover a bar tab for two with nachos.

Also, I pretty much made this for myself, but I was asked last night if I would be interested in selling it. Man, this has a lot of hours, and though not outrageously expensive for the materials, let’s just say it wasn’t Baltic Birch cheap. If I decide to offer it for sale I will set the price quite high and I’d if it doesn’t fetch what I think it should, so be it. It will go into the Old Joe Collection. LOL

I used primarily Pegas MG #3, MG#1’s, and a few 2/0’s. Also, Pegas Spirals #1 and Spiral 2/0’s. I broke a few of the spirals, some rather quickly due to the thickness of the wood. I found the small Pegas spirals to be very fragile. This was not a nominal 1/2”, but a full 1/2” African Rosewood board. It cut with some difficulty. I probably wouldn’t use it on a complicated portrait again.

I don’t usually break many blades, but I went through a few because of the combination or the thick wood and the tiny cuts.

I really like this!

This Charles Dearing Gandalf pattern took a while. I cut it out of 1/2” African Rosewood, backed in cherry. The Rosewood is all natural color wise, but I did darken the cherry behind the wizard. I also didn’t like all of the space over his staff so I did an Eagle inlay to break it up a little. This will probably be my last major scrolling on my Dewalt 788 as I got my new Pegas in a couple of days ago.

I like the natural Danish Oil. I very rarely use anything other than oil, or clear semi-gloss, or satin lacquer. Fantastic job! Dearing’s patterns can be challenging, but also very satisfying when finished! I am doing one now that is the most difficult portrait that I have ever attempted. I hope to get it finished sometime in the next week.

Pretty cool! Will the red color fade?

Very impressive! I have a request to make a Telecaster. I recently made a couple of acoustic models that I want to make again with some minor changes.

Thanks. I seem to be a masochist sometimes. I shrunk the pattern so as I could cut it on the Cherry I had around. It would’ve been a bit easier to cut from Baltic Birch.