JimErn

Xray - If you are using FD blades, they seem to come with an oil or lacquer coating, fold sandpaper in half around the ends and drag them through the sandpaper a couple of times before you insert the blade. I had the same problem and that fixed my issue. Jim

Hard on blades is an understatement. I have a stack of laminate left over from a kitchen redo, so I went to cut it long ago figuring hey hey finally figured out what to use if for. It just wears the teeth right off the blade - never again. Saw dust - well let's call it that - is powdery, almost like talc Jim

What blade, size and type, do y'all recommend for cutting fairly brittle plastic, and for vinyl (records that kind of thing) TIA Jim

I don't remember the box either, but what would be a more interesting story, is how you know a pole dancer in Brazil. :-)

I can't see the benefits of a scroll saw club, unless it was helping the school shop class is in some way. Sounds more of a social, gabfest kind of thing. I've met three scrollers living fairly close, each has his own "specialty" and seems unable or unwilling to even talk about another aspect. And as you can tell by my post count, I am not a garrulous type, I prefer to sit back and watch and listen. Partly because my sense of humor does not translate well to text, and takes some getting used to in person.

Very nice

Rolf I did knock off the sharp edge, though looking at the pic it doesn't look like it. Round over bit is an idea, I'll have to play with doing that, thanks. Thanks to all for your kind words. Jim

I was asked if I could make a Unity Cross for a young couple getting married, I drew this up. I tried to make it like the ones that you use in the ceremony but the 1/4" poplar is just too fragile, and I did not want to take the chance of it breaking during the wedding (would be a very awkward moment) so I just wrote it up a little differently for the couple. The base is a slice of my pecan firewood, or maybe oak, not real sure. EDIT: I'm still new at this craft, so please criticisms and suggestions are really appreciated - only way I can get better.

All great work, but I especially like the simplicity of train, just makes a bigger impact on me than ones with more fretwork - beautiful.

Dgman Whether a built in light is a necessity or not, adn whether you add a third party light to the mix, I agree that is a personal choice. Realizing that you can buy an LED light and power supply from amazon or ebay for $4 shipped from China if you are willing to wait, the cost of it whole sale in bulk is certainly below $1. Not a major increase in cost, for any saw, and in my opinion should be there so the user has an option. Instead, Seyco sells their own branded magnetic base add on light for $24.95

Well I know I am going to be in minority, and I am probably committing heresy or something, but the new Seyco saw does not impress me much at all. With the caveat that I am a bottom feeder ... I put some contact paper on mine with those lines replicated - I find them to be distracting and useless. That magnetic layer should be an option, lines for top feeders and plain for simple folks like me. Larger table is nice, but required for all? And it pushes you back from the blade some. Table size could have been an upgrade option. The angle gauge I have no desire for, I do not do angled cuts presently, (I might someday) but it should be an option. Having to go through the zero the gage routine and then adjust just seems tiresome. One scroller I met at a trade fair, he stopped by and talked while his wife shopped the other vendors, does do angled cuts regularly. He created a reference block with his angles cut, when he needs to set an angle, he just tips his saw head until the blade lines up with the desired pre-cut angle. Much like the tip about cutting a slot and reversing the block to see if the blade slides in easily (90 degrees). And for those who do angled cuts - only one direction goes to 45 degrees. He was concerned about that. No integral LED light - come on! A $99 Porter Cable has a built in light, and a $900+ saw does not? And the blade clamp is still the same as the Ex - I do not understand using a clamp system that can be: 1. spread if the user tightens too much too often - damage is going to be so minimal each time that you will get used to it, until one day - oops. 2. needs a counter set screw to push against when clamping the blade, which is to be set proud in relation to the mount but there is no way to insure the upper and lower set screws are set proud to the same amount. I mentioned here some time ago that a buddy stopped by and for $20 and a beer I got a really old Delta saw. I cleaned it up and cut some on it just to see. No problems, cuts fine. But what really impressed me was the blade clamp. Two pieces of steel that press on the blade, no screw pressing on the blade at all, no possibility of making hockey sticks, or of having a left to right vertical alignment problem. Simple, mechanically sound, design.

Beautiful work, very nicely done. Curious though, do you think it was mostly the change in wood or the blade that made the difference?

Very very nice.

If you had the option of both, that would get my vote. I like them both. If you are making this to sell, I would do a couple of each, if it is a gift, only you know the person well enough to know what they should like the most.

I made the mistake of trying to use laminate flooring for a cutting. It actually wore the teeth off the blade after a while. Conundrum, I want to finish it, but I didn't want to burn through a bunch of blades. I found putting a scrap piece under the piece to be cut, wore a totally different section of the teeth out - still used too many blades to get done but not as many as I might have.

In my experience any hobby site is filled with very experienced helpful folks, this one ranks right up there. But reality is that in in any large group, there is going to be someone that irks you, or that you irk. For some reason my writing style and off beat outlook and sense of humor irks a lot of people initially, if it continues I just ignore their posts - after all it is not like they are at your home, drinking your beer, eating your BBQ, and you have put up with it cause your wife likes theirs. Just one of those things

Thanks for the links, and especially for the process post, I must have missed it. you were right it did answer my questions. Jim

Ahh Iggy you did it now, opened the flood gates so to speak. Your work, outstanding by the way, made me curious so I found a pattern on the net and cut it using an FDUR 2/0 blade. Pretty interesting, I was getting tired of fretwork all the time, and needed a diversion. If I decide to continue with this aspect I'll get the puzzle blade and compare the difference. Shrink wrap - actual shrink wrap? or something like Saran wrap and a heat gun? Your picture with the 1/4 inch wire, I assume that is a drying rack and you are dipping the puzzles. If so do you dip the complete puzzle assembled as the picture shows, or each piece and put the puzzle together later? What wood are you cutting and dipping in what? I started doing a monthly craft show here, minimal charge, not much in sales, but surprisingly I get emails for custom work from those who take my business card, maybe 20% of the cards that go missing each show. So I consider the show as advertising. Small town, but if this show perks my interest I may check other towns around me. My first puzzle attached Jim

Quite a display, very nice, and the new venue sounds like a match made in heaven. But inquiring minds want to know how in the world do you transport those puzzles without them falling apart and mixing the pieces? I expect you have more than one in stock of the breed names, same question - what keeps them together? Jim

beautiful, and a great design

Nice that it comes that way, I do it first thing to all my blades when installing a new one, wrap a piece of fine wet dry crocus cloth, run the saw and let it do the work.

Thanks for all the replies, and comparing Iggy's chart references made it easier for me to understand, so thanks for that bonus.

What is the difference between a regular blade and a puzzle blade? If a puzzle blade is so much better, why is the puzzle blade only used by puzzle makers? Why not use it all the time? Jim

Very nice work, I love kreg joints, they make things so easy and secure.

Is the blower as anemic as the one on the Ex? My starter saw, porter cable, has a good blower, it doesn't require the nozzle to be as close to the blade as my Ex does. Are the blade clamps the same as the Ex? No integral light !! I would bet there is a higher percentage of folks who want a light rather than a tilt meter.