rob342

i'm very much a beginner. my expertise is signs and picking materials/finishes that look good. i'm "as beginner as they come" with scroll saws. the extent of my blade knowledge is reading the 3 or 4 packages at my local hardware store. i love the scroll saw. for putting a 3d logo on a wall, the only options for me are either use the scroll saw or order them from geminisignproducts.com luckiily i'm pretty good at slapping vinyl on stuff and cutting it out. if i was as good at picking blades it would save me hours on filing edges and when i cut polycarbonate maybe it won't melt back together. based on your 30,000 post count i can only assume your being sarcastic. i wasn't trying to come off as arrogant when i joined. i'm here to learn and i thought showing of my work would maybe inspire people to try a few new materials.

does anyone own one of the PS wood machine saws? i see the review here, but the info on the website seems to disagree with a couple points in the review. namely the blade change. it says "Everything about changing our blade is done above the table. Our newest Quick Change is fast and easy. After getting accustomed to your new saw, blade change can be done in approximately 15 seconds. " or better yet, has anyone used this saw and the hawk? i kind of like that this saw has the speed change done by moving the belt to a different pulley. i would think this means less electronic parts. could also be an option for me because it seems similar to the hawk, is also made in usa, and costs a few hundred dollars less. i wanted to post the question on the review thread but it seems there is no 'reply' option present. http://www.pswood.com/scroll-saws/

the chart helps immensely.. now when i read a blade number i can see what they mean. thanks guys. i definitely don't mean to start a "which oil for my car" kind of thread. the blade numbering sytem just wasn't clicking i'll check out the flying dutchmen stuff as well. any brands known to be horrible? for example, i previously noticed the ryobi blades at the big orange store look very pretty due to their heat treating, but are best when left in the package, and even better when left on the store shelf.

is there a blade info thread here somewhere? like a chart, or in depth recommended read? i try to search and not ask too many dumb questions, but i'm confused. i see #5 seem common, some like 2-0, etc. this may as well be in another language to me as i'm used to shopping in store by eye. ____________ most commonly i use these three types depending on the project.

i think i'll keep my eye open for a hawk. two days ago i never heard of hawk. i was reading, and i do search. it's great to have a forum for stuff like this. when you look in store you see cheap saws, when i look online it's all brands i've never heard of so i just get scared it's all china stuff. thank you everybody.

i actually just fixed it.. for now. the repairs are getting more and more outside of my comfort zone. this is the pin that should be perfectly straight: this is another piece wearing due to the pin rattling around. i filed the burr off. i built the pin up a little with two little dots from the mig welder and then threw it in cold water. then i ground the weld down a few times the anglegrinder and pounded the pin in.. gently then i flipped it over to weld and grind the back of the pin so it won't move. i thought it would be uglier since the pin is steel and the other part is aluminum. :D. i made a before/after video. it's very exciting(haha). the blade doesn't wiggle up and down AT ALL anymore. the rodknock is gone and the saw is much quieter, but it's hard to in the movie

http://stream.livingwd.org/ the letters i cut for the church can be seen live here for the next hour or so. may ask for an email to watch, but there is no sign up. good music (:

thank you EVERYBODY for the warm welcome. i am currently using a 1947 craftsman scroll saw. i thought with proper maintenance, this would last a lifetime. i'm learning i was wrong though. i tried. i even found the manual for it online so i could see which oil to use: http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/222/869.pdf the developing issue is just wear from age and use. -the bottom blade holder goes up and down appx 1/8", and the top blade holder wiggles from the 12 o'clock position to the 11 o'clock position. the play in the bottom is caused by a steel peg pressed into aluminum. it fits loose. the loose pin is causing other internal parts to be misaligned and causing other things to wear. -the wear at the top of the saw is caused by the spring in the cup, specifically the twisting motion created as a side effect of the spring compressing each stroke. if they had a bearing in there like a FWD car strut does, i bet the wear up there would have never occurred. I'd like to fix and hang onto this saw as a backup, and yes i am seeking advice and opinions on which saw manufacturers and model to look for. i know i do not want a dewalt. i'm sure it's a great saw, but it's yellow, and plastic, and i don't want to sit in front of it. i'd prefer american, german, swiss, etc.. something i can be proud to cut with.

I've used it as a tool since i was a kid... you know to cut aluminum to make a bracket, or to cut carbon fiber to make an RC car chassis.. the lettering/logos... work use, started about 5 years ago. it seems to be picking up steam. thank you everybody for the kind words and shared memories! this is something i wrapped up about a week ago. after cutting i painted the letters with "slow set gold size", waited 12 hours for it to get sticky, covered them with copper leaf, and then clearcoated so it doesn't tarnish. i think the word "Center" was the most difficult thing i've cut, as it's all on piece. it's 36" long but the saw only has a 12" throat.

this job made me want a better saw. 192 little letters because this is applied to both ends of the display. the oval was too long for my saw so i twisted the blade 45° with a needle nose. the maps actually go quick. the little letters are punishing though

this is all a material called "maxmetal" or "alupanel". it's an 0.005" aluminum sheet with a plastic core. looks great and comes in a bunch of colors. great stuff to work with. cuts easy and with a little practice requires no sanding that ampersand took 3 hours, which probably doesn't seem long looking at some of the intricate stuff i see on this forum. seemed like forever to me, and required quite a bit of thought to reach all those curves with a 12" deep saw. part of it was cut with the blades teeth pointing away from me

this is 1/4" plastic "sintra" with brushed gold vinyl on top. this is in a TV production studio

i have other cool materials to show off, including the one i use most often. kinda feel like i'm talking to myself though. since i'm new it keeps telling me my post count is 0 and my posts require approval. i'll come back when i can. hope someone enjoys this kinda junk. -robert

these are all made with pink panther (affordable foam insulation from home depot). sometimes we paint it, sometimes not. the gold letters are real 23kt gold leaf like we use on glass or firetrucks.

this is more sign foam. here's a before, during, and on TV. when i saw it on TV next to Bishop Tudor Bismark i really smiled. the lighting crew did great and made it kinda look like it was 3D

these are made with sign foam, also called precision board, hdu, etc. cuts and sands super easy, lasts well over a decade outdoor, and costs a bit more than everything else i use, like $400 for a 4 x 8 sheet. the small letters under VSC are 1/8" plastic called "sintra"

these are made with 3/16" foam board. you get a fuzze edge sometimes but it literally wipes off with 180g sandpaper

just a fore-word.. EVERYTHING in this thread was made on a 1947 craftsman scroll saw. sometimes i take it apart to clean it, tighten things, change the oil, etc.. has never let me down though! i love it. the only real modification is i made the throat 1" deeper with my angle grinder, and i've upgraded the flathead screws that retain the blade to allen heads. still has the original belt. kinda flaps as it goes around, but it makes me smile. i've made a bit of money with this 'ol saw. here's a pic of the saw, and a screenshot from quickbooks. i'm not bragging. far from it. i sat in front of the thing for so many hours i go crosseyed.. i'm sure many of you can relate. it's not about the money. i like seeing the work i do around town.. i like it to be stuff i make, not stuff i order. as long as i can pay my bills and have a little fun sometimes, i'm happy. that in mind, the saw has become 12.4% of our company income.. by "our company" i mean my mother and I. she opened a sign shop in 1976 and is slowing towards retirement. she hand paints with a brush, i airbrush and play with the saw. our business was turning towards people just wanting cheap crap. vinyl lettering on plastic, paper signs, "whatever's cheapest".. it was sucking the fun out of it and the life out of us. scroll sawing my way around town kinda made work fun again. i've scrolled my way to $32,000 with a $10 saw... i think i'm about ready to upgrade though. i've tried to hire friends in a pinch - nobody else seems to be able to use this saw, or the letters turn out like the yellow 'S' here..

Hi. New guy here from Illinois. i'm trying to learn about saws, blades, etc.. my mom opened a sign shop in 1976. a few years ago i decided i should be making lettering and logos in house, as it's a pain to order, it takes too long, and it's giving away money we could should be making instead of a big factory somewhere. it's pretty neat to walk around town seeing stuff i made by hand. i really like the saw i have because i like old american tools, it belonged to my friends cranky ol father... when he passed away his mother sold me the saw. unfortunately the saw i have has developed rod knock that i don't think i can fix. I use it to cut lettering and logos for my sign business. i cut a plethotra of materials that will likely seem strange and interesting to most of you. some i cover with paint, some look good bare, some i cover with 23kt gold, copper leaf, etc. -robert these are cut from pink panther insulation, have gold painted edges, and the faces gilded with real 23kt gold leaf.. cut on a late 1940's Craftsman 12"