Dave Monk

Super job Dan!

Very nice work. I agree...........you sure have been busy.

Great patterns and cuttings.

Super job Ralph! That came out great.

Congrats on your show!

That is a beautiful job!

Congrats Edward!

I agrees D&D woods has outstanding service. The MG blades are my go to blades most of the time. I almost always stack cut so they work perfect.

That came out super!

Great job on the pattern and cutting!

This is a response I got back today. You picked right up on my thought. Hi again Dave, Yes - your blade situation seems normal! I should have told you that, but also certainly would have mentioned it if I had any concerns. As to why we don't give customers clamp position adjustment options: 1) There is no need: there are too few situations where there would even be an incremental benefit in some performance category, and none where there would be a significant one, even if the blade angle could be changed. And that small "benefit" would always come at the expense of a different, likely more meaningful desirable feature. One of our long-time competitors did this with their saws many, many years ago (before they went bankrupt!), basically a gimmick they tried to use to differentiate themselves from us. Not only did it fail to help their sales - it tended to cause more confusion than anything else. 2) The complexity of analyzing when to possibly make which adjustment is such that it would be well beyond the interest and/or capacities of the typical user to adequately understand. And none of this would change the blade MOTION anyway, because that is a function of arm pivot point location. Bottom line: this feature wouldn't make our saw a better product. The ONLY truly meaningful blade motion adjustment is to the aggressiveness of the stroke vs. control over the blade, i.e. a reduction in total forward/back excursion, which is a function of stroke length. And unlike on any other saw I know, this CAN be done on most HEGNER High-Performance Precision Saws, including yours. And of course, if you REALLY want to change your blade angle anyway, all you have to do is change the blade location in the blade clamps! Instructions for changing (shortening) stroke length are in our online manual, and it takes maybe 4-5 minutes to do (once you've done it and get a feel for the process). You shorten the vertical movement by about 40%, which in turn reduces the lateral movement by a roughly similar percentage, although the impact in terms of "feel" is far greater. But remember, this is not desirable for cuts in materials more than perhaps 3/8" or so thick, unless you are sawing something particularly light, such as balsa or styrofoam. Dave, I hope my answers make sense. If you need anything else, you now how to reach me! Best regards, Hanns

Jim, That is over the top. How about if I come over and you show me how you did that one. I love it.

This is the email I received back. Hi Dave, Thanks both for your business and for sharing your concerns. I am happy to explain. The blade must be (and is unless the machine is damaged) perfectly perpendicular throughout its entire vertical stroke when viewed from the FRONT. This a condition which depends entirely on the machine - operator input or actions do not affect it. Your concern is the view from the SIDE - an entirely different matter. Two items are in play here: the first is the static position of the blade, which is determined by where you place it in the blade clamps. Per factory guidelines, the blade should be centered in the clamps. However, you can either deliberately or inadvertently position the blade either a bit forward or rearward in either or both clamps, and this necessarily affects the static blade position accordingly. Use of the HQK (Quickclamp) also affects this, since the blade is not centered but pushed all the way back in this optional alternate clamp, and its proximity to dead center therefore becomes a function of blade width. The static position is NOT necessarily required to be vertical at all points throughout the stroke (see next paragraph), and in fact in most scroll saws it is not, including on your machine. However, HEGNER saw geometry produces blade position closer to constantly plumb position than any other brand of constant-tension saw - we are talking about fractions of a millimeter. The second component of the blade's position is its motion, i.e., the movement the blade makes as it cycles up and down. This is another non-adjustable function (other than by stroke length adjustment, which can reduce the amplitude of any lateral excursion), and in fact the motion geometry varies slightly among different HEGNER models based on other design requirements. The blade motion is the consequence of the arm pivot span compared to the span of the blade assembly. Each arm moves through a small arc as it pivots, and how these arcs match up dictates blade position at any point in the stroke. In the 18 and 22 models, the bottom end of the blade moves slightly backwards on the upstroke, and is then draw forward into a vertical position at the bottom of the stroke, thereby achieving the vertical cuts for which HEGNER saws are known. This bladee action also tends to reduce blade friction on the upstroke (less lifting - more comfortable sawing), as well as finishing the sawn edges so that they require a minimum of, if any, sanding. As to changing the position of the top arm stop, I can understand your desire to lift the arm further out of the way - a noble goal indeed. However, this is precluded since lowering the stop would sacrifice the (in our view far more important) safety feature of instant upper arm stoppage on blade breakage. With the stop lower, the spring would not have enough pull to secure the arm against the stop. Why not a stronger spring? The upper arm then becomes too stiff to comfortably pull down to reinstall the blade in the upper arm. Plus the arm travel would be too great for those with average hand size to comfortably reach for efficient blade reattachment. Trust me - I know anything can be somehow improved, but HEGNER saws are overengineered with a focus on balanced performance, with emphasis on the characteristics that are of greatest everyday and long-term value to the broadest palette of users, to a level that simply puts all other saws to shame. This is why after four decades on the world marketplace, HEGNER is the ONLY scroll saw specialty brand still made by the same manufacturer, and sold by the same company in North America, as when it was first introduced. I am confident you will continue to enjoy your HEGNER ever more as you use it more, and encourage to contact us anytime you have more questions or concerns. Sincerely,. Hanns Derke - Customer Service Advanced Machinery/SharpToolsUSA POB 430 New Castle, DE 19720 USA (302) 322-2226

No difference at all. I don't understand why they don't slot the holes of the blade clamp holder.

Didn't seem to make a difference on mine.

This youtube explains my method pretty good.

You bet your sweet bippy you can.

Since we live in Texas in the winters my project theme changes. These are made of cedar and aspen.

Great projects! I especially love the cribbage board.

That is way too cute Kevin.

Rick, That is totally gorgeous.

I agree.............The grain is awesome.

Came out great!

That came out very nice Jim. Your customer must have been pleased if they ordered more.

Looks to me like you are a good team.