Wichman

I've just completed cutting a couple of pieces from the Elm tree that was in my front yard. I found the Elm to be comparable with the other hardwoods ( Oak, walnut, cherry ) that I have cut. The one thing that stands out is the hardness tends to vary, doesn't bother me too much as I cut slow, but if you're a speedster it might be problematic.

I have a drill press that has the older style round table with slots cut into the table. I wanted a better way to attach jigs and such. The original table attaches to the DP with a round piece that is clamped on the table support. I removed the table and found that the round piece is slightly smaller than a standard plumping size. I bought several floor flanges of the appropriate size along with plumbing nipples to match, I used my 1 x 30 belt sander with an 80 grit belt ( heavy leather gloves are a must ) to reduce the diameter of the nipple so that it fits the DP's clamp. I sanded the top of the flanges to make a shoulder that rests on the table support clamp, to ensure the alignment is maintained I now have: 1. the original table 2. the plywood table ( backing surface for drilling fretwork, I also use this for positioning jigs for repeatable holes ) 3. a cross slide vice permanently mounted to it's own table ( I use this to accurately drill holes for the hinge pins in the double lidded fretwork basket that I make, 1/8" hole in 5/16 thick piece, just no room for error ). 4. A HF drill press table on it's own support.

Bob, I discovered how to make auxiliary tables for my drill press ( I'll explain in a new thread ) , so I have one that is a piece of scrap 3/4 plywood, when I've worn out the current hole I just move the table a mite to get a fresh surface.

Here is a composite pattern; the wolf profile is by Grampa, I added the name. This is for a friend and will not be added to my commercial side as I do not have permission. 5/16" Elm ( from the yard ), ( first project out of the Elm ), #2/0, #1 polar FD blades, one coat BLO ( so far ).

I use a cordless Dremel attached to the plunge router attachment, it has the torque and the speed to drill through 3/4 hardwood. To reduce the chance of burning I drill the depth in quarters. Same thing with the drill press, if you ramp up the speed to get a clean exit, there is a tendency to burn, so drill a 1/4" pull up, and so on.

I have two of the mini chucks, got the second one when the first had too much wobble, then I saw a post, could have been here, that stated you could rotate the faces to eliminate the wobble. Tried it and viola one of the three faces has no wobble, this is with a #72 drill bit ( .025" ) , next is too mark the drill press chuck and the mini chuck with the correct alignment.

The distance from the center of the chuck to the column is the "throat" The "swing" is the "throat" x 2 Other important specifications are spindle travel or work stroke; how thick a piece you can drill through "without additional setup" max distance from table to chuck or spindle table tilt some are limited to 45 degrees (if you want to drill holes in the ends of long pieces you need at least 90 degrees) type of table type of table mount ( this can be important if you want auxiliary tables )

Other tips on folding patterns.I If you are folding longer patterns ( Wands ), a HF 18" sheet metal brake works very well. Stumpy Nubs has a recent video about a shop made jig to make it even easier to use ( this will be a winter project ). I tried a pair of sheet metal locking pliers ( wide jaws ) but the edges are mismatched, another winter project. When using a ruler, a "bone folder" will allow you to crease the paper without cutting the paper fibers.

Another option to consider: The Seyco scrollers drill: https://www.seyco.com/scrollers-drill/ And it does have an adjustable angle.

As to going beyond the typical drill press throat depth, think outside the box ( and upside down ). I want to do large live edge panels that are way beyond the throat depth of my current drill press ( 7 1/2" ). I have a dremel plung router ( too much slop ) and the reviews on the drill guides are iffy at best. So I thought that I could beef up the rafts and mount a drill press upside down above a workbench, remove the head from the column and reinstall the head, what would now be right side down. But most drill presses will not allow this, but there are some. Here is one example: https://www.grooves.land/bosch-tischbohrmaschine-pbd-bosch-hardware-electronic-pZZa1-2097583520.html?language=en&currency=USD&_z=us&srsltid=AYJSbAd-dcHA4dK5-N-c6ABb6X-Jvf0254o1vej3oStdj7F6thsvPn61w14. I have not done this myself, yet. Just thinking outside the box.

Hegner ( I have the 22" saw) or Hawk for light industrial use. The Hegner Polymax 3 for commercial, 40 hrs a week, cutting. In my ( not so humble ) opinion, any saw with the motor in the back of the saw, is only in the "serious hobbyist" category. The motor in the back puts more pressure on the motor and it's connection points ( leverage, force on the blade while cutting multiplied by the length of the arm ). In my opinion, this will lead to a shorter lifespan.

1/8" basswood, 2/0 FD Polar blades. Getting ready to dip in BLO (50/50 BLO/MS).

Some ornaments for the black Friday craft show:

Remember the candle carousels? Did someone burn down their house using one? The current pattern listing in one catalogue stated "research item only".

Hawk, I was speaking in general; it would be nice if the pattern makers, big multi part designs, would give some idea about how much material will be required ( before we buy plans and parts ) . I don't want them to give a price tag, because obviously that will change with time.

My question is how many sq ft of material do these plans call for? I think it would suck to get the plans and then find out I couldn't afford the wood.

Yes. I used some 2 x 2 redwood to make a couple of wands. I really didn't like the wood; the difference in hardness between grain lines was quite striking, and the sawdust was "stick", the blower couldn't move it.

Welcome to the Village

You DO realize I was asking about scroll saw fads, right?

I couldn't remember why my Id didn't go through last time, so I tried again. The want my full SS#. My Id has been compromised so many times, that a line I won't cross.

A recent post brought up a subject, Fads, that I thought to expand upon here. I made one of the napkin holders that seemed to be a great idea, but it has sat on the selling table for 2 years with only a passing interest. What are some of the "fads" that you have seen?

Here's a napkin holder I made.

This is the gentleman who wrote "BigPrint", my go to printing program.

Things to check Blade correctly installed in blade clamps Blade not slipping in blade clamps rear tension adjuster not stripped and last (because you have to open up the saw) open the saw and check to see if the triangular nuts on the tension rod are properly seated. If the bolted have slipped off the the holders then you will not be able to get any tension.

I've tried all the clamp ideas and they just don't work, for me. The one thing that really helped me was leaving a little "meat" around the pattern and using a smaller blade cut the the entire outside line in one continuous pass. If the pattern is a long one ( wands ) when I get to the end of one side I will tape the starting end and the middle with scotch tape.