Scruffydog

You are not a wimp. I can relate to those struggles. I can stay upstairs with my wife, cozy by the pellet stove, or go down into the cold, stinky basement. Hmmmm... decisions, decisions.... I have adapted some by putting my scroll saw stand on a rug. That helps with the cold concrete. Plus I have rubber mats for that in the main workshop room. Gloves? Sometimes I just have to. Hot tea helps my hands. But wait...NCIS is on! Drat!

Every shop I have had since I started woodworking has been below ground. Some have been warmer than others. In my current shop, which is the size of a 2 1/2 car garage, contains the ejector pump to our septic system. When it gets really cold, like it will be this coming 2 weeks, then it stinks. Normal temp is around 55 deg F. A sweatshirt is enough to stay warm most of the time, but some days a heater would be nice. I might borrow the one from the bathroom this weekend. Sometimes when we are not home one of the dogs leaves me a little present on the floor. One time it was right in front of a project I was working on. I figured it was her commentary on my abilities. She was probably right. I have always dreamed of having a garage size shop above ground with a little wood stove in the corner. My grandfather used to have a shed way back of the house, next to the alley. I think it housed horses at one time. He had a wood stove and just a few tools, some of which he made. I remember his home made disk sander. Worked great. He was a retired tool & die maker and I grew up to be a tool & die designer. I like to think I inherited some of his love for tools and wood. I think he would have liked scrolling. Anyway... just a trip down memory lane.

I sure hope so! I wouldn't say my time spent on the Craftsman was wasted, because I learned a lot. It will go on the shelf as a backup, just in case. The Menard's saw was very nice, except for the blade holders. I like the light and the blower, the table size and the minimal vibration. It's just the inability to hold pin-less blades that was a deal breaker for me. Have you ever had to lube the bearings on your machine, as some have had to do? My saw is on track to get here tomorrow. I have off so that is good.

I chose Scrollsaw Woodworking and Crafts by Fox Chapel. Since I haven't been scrolling that long I still enjoy it. And since I enjoy jogging my memory with back issues, I often bring up a stack to browse thru in the evening after work. Store them in a wall cabinet in my shop. Just renewed for 2 more years. I also browse the magazine rack at the local thrift store. They had a good selection of old magazines which were a treat to look thru. Bought quite a few and enjoy them. But then again I like nostalgia.

Update: I just ordered the Delta 40-694 After comparing the Delta with the Dewalt I chose to save the 100$. The return policy is 90 days, so if there are any problems I can take it back to the store. I read the reviews / problems / issues here and elsewhere, so I pulled the trigger. It was next on my list anyway. Trying to save some $$ on this venture so there is no harm to try the less expensive saws if I can just take them back anyway. Plus, I am angling for a certain saw, but later this coming summer. I hope to see one in action at the Midwest Show in Dubuque Iowa in August. The Delta should be here by 1/25 via Free Fedex Shipping to our home. Sorry if this saga is boring to some. Thanks to all for the help.

And the saga continues; the saw is going back to be returned. Tried a pinless blade last night. Blade holder is garbage. There are two or three threads at best for the bottom set screw in the bottom holder, about 3mm of stock for a 5mm screw, and the hole was drilled & tapped at about a 10 degree angle. Not a good aspect ratio. There is also no positive stop for the blade, so position is difficult to judge. No matter what I tried, I could not get the blade to stay in the holders. So this machine would be pin type only. Edit: The design of the blade holders is garbage. There is no way to adjust the angle of the blade, left to right, because there is only the milled slot and the set screw holding the blade. They basically use a left and right hand version of the same holder for the top & bottom, and they are not symmetrical. So a pin-less blade is basically at an angle from the git go, with no way to adjust. So you have a blade at a 1-3 mm angle traveling in a straight line, binding as you try to cut. The pinned blades on this saw are straight, but are barely held on by shallow groves in the holders. The holders are held on with roll pins instead of solid pins or bolts. So why didn't I see this in the store? They never have any out on display, they are just boxed up so you have to rely on pictures. Thought about modifying the Craftsman holders & swapping but I'm not Rube Goldberg and that's too risky. So back it goes and on to the next saw.

My technique is to let the saw reach speed and then ease into the cut. I usually set the speed to about 50%. On the old saw, cutting pine was a problem. However, there was a huge hole in the table for the blade to pass thru, with no insert, and that always gave me the willies. I took the hold down off of the old saw and would have to press down fairly hard to keep the saw from jumping. Vibration was quite high, with quite a range, as measured by by vibration app on my phone. The new saw so far is completely different. The vibration is much lower and in a narrow band. I believe I have it mounted correctly with ample foam under it. I wish I could remember what blade I used. It was an Olson blade, I think. Hence the need for a notebook to write down the particulars of what I try. When I cut my first project on the new saw, using the cheap blade that came with it, (unknown # of teeth, pattern, thickness, etc) I approached the cutting in the same manner, with a bit of trepidation, expecting it to jump all over the place. That never happened so I was pleased. With a quality blade I think it should do much better. Should have some time to check it out again this weekend with a better blade on a better project. Will report results here.

Thanks for the many helpful ideas. I have now switched to the new saw (see buying a new saw thread) so we shall see how it goes from here. I have a variety of Olson blades along with FD assortment. However, I am by no means an expert and am still in the experimental stages. PS Wood blades are also on the way. Cut something out on the new saw last weekend with no jumps. This weekend's project is a toy car. We'll see how I do on that. No football, below zero temps, Friday off, new saw, fresh enthusiasm thanks to y'all.... Should be fun! I'm thinking that a notebook to record project, wood type, thickness, blade choice, speed, and results might be a good idea for my feeble mind....

Couldn't agree more. The appeal of hand made wood items at a booth has to be the desire to have something that is not mass produced, foreign, or aquired via technology. Your baskets are beautiful. And I'll bet people like buying from the person who makes them rather than a faceless internet company. Walking and talking to vendors at craft fairs is a treat for me anyway. Give me a flea market or fair anyday over etsy or ebay. For those that can do it fine. But I hope there is always room for those who can't or just don't want that experience.

My basement shop is 55 deg year round. Thinking about a heater cause it just seems colder in the winter. -18 is a bit much...

Mounted to the stand with 2 rubber pads, rubber feet on saw, & 2 more rubber pads under lag screw washers. Vibration is in a narrow range throughout the speed dial. The work lite is nice, the blower inadequate. Weighs about 50 pounds. Carry handle. Table tilts 45 each way. Just used the blade that came with it to cut out my wifes name. First "project" of 2019. Thinking about donating the craftsman to the thrift store after I get it put back together. Will use this saw while I do more research and wait for the one I want. So I'll have a cheap saw and a good saw eventually.

So this happened today: Masterforce (Menards brand) 18 " saw. Got 11% off. Looked at it last night and slept on it. Got it this morning. Nice size table. Nice insert. Takes both styles of blade. Took off the ridiculous plastic guard before I even had it bolted down, lol.

Q: Why does wood jump while cutting? I have the blade in correctly. The feed rate is slow. The motor speed? Bad wood? Bad blade? What have you learned about scrolling to help you overcome this? Sometimes I feel like I have to hold down the wood so hard my already arthritic hands get so sore. It cant just be my lousy saw.... Can it?

Yes, its always vibrated

East central Wisconsin. Sheboygan County. Update: Took most of the sheet metal off of the saw and added the foam pad. Also removed all of the plastic on top. Still vibrates, but not as bad. I'm still trying to make a silk purse out of a sows ear tho. Going to putz with it again today. I have a small project for my wife to get done, so...

Thanks for that tip! I think that would work on a lot of saws. As an alternative to screws, a longer piece of wood and 2 clamps, if there is room, would also work. I think I'm going to try this on my craftsman saw.

Actually, I am taking the opportunity to try, one last time, to get the vibration out of the current saw. I found some nice dense 1/4" foam in the trash at work yesterday, and will be putting it under the saw, sandwiched between that and the wood table slab, to see what that does. I'm also going to make some washers for the mounting bolts to isolate the nut and washer from the body. I figure every little bit helps. If I am successful, then I can afford to wait for a better deal.

Update: Just got a message from HD that the saw arrived broken. So I had to cancel the order. Now I am re-evaluating my options. Deep breath, taking my time....

I put my saw on a slab of wood hinged in the front with a moveable block to adjust the angle. I suggest a u shaped front so you can get in there straight on. Then a single leg toward the back, making a three legged stand. The Hawk stand would be a good model. My "legs" are actually heavy panels forming a "vee". Yours could be spread apart in the back wide enough to fit your chair. As long as the front was wider than the back you have a stable platform. I can draw a sketch if you want. My 2 cents...

After further consideration, and reading old posts about breakdowns & such, I am putting my current saw on the shelf as a backup in case the new one goes down in the middle of a project. Cheap insurance I figure. Latest update is that the saw will be here no later than the 23rd.

Well, just looked on ereplacementparts.com and a new motor assy is $315 US! Yikes! Mmtoolparts.com has it for $249.

Yeah, that sounds like a ripoff. 320 for a motor and some tweaking? 550 Canadian for a new saw? There has to be another way. Can't you just buy a motor for these saws?

Wow! That's terrible! I am so sorry you are going thru that

That is beautiful

Yeah, no matter what my next saw will be larger cause i want to end up with 2 saws anyway. Hoping to try the jet some day. I'd like to hear more about yours.