Wichman

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.

welcome to the village

welcome to the village

I had an older couple stop by the booth a couple of weeks ago. They had a special mat cut for their grand-kids pictures, eight in all, with a cute saying in the middle. The "mat" was a piece of 1/8 oak plywood with the name of the grand kids laser cut, with and opening for the photo. Surprise, surprise, surprise, along comes grand-kid number nine. So there is a space in the center where #9's picture can go. So I found a font that was close and drew in lines to get it closer to the original font. After cutting it out with the Hegner, I used a wood burning pen to simulate a laser cut. They were very happy with the result, I was not so I didn't take any pictures. Still; weird.

Wood magazine has a similar pattern in Issue #198 July 2010, page 72. https://www.woodmagazine.com/project-plans/gifts-decorations/clocks/dancing-clock-downloadable-plan

One additional note. If you are trying to true up a circle without a center hole, create a blank circle with a hole, then attach the blank without a hole on top with double stick tape or adhesive, sand and remove.

Here is a link to a YouTube video about maintenance on this saw, the video does not address the motor being loose but it does show how to disassemble the saw to get the the motor mounting bolts. Tom the brand and model are in the title of the post.

What blades are you using? When I started scrolling in '85 I had a Sears hobby saw; 13" , used 3" pin end blades. The saw used spring tension and was not adjustable. When cutting knotty pine the blade would bow in the cut if the pattern was near a knot. The blades would actually take a set and would be bowed when I removed them from the saw. I currently use Flying Dutchman Polar blades, for me they are less likely to bend inside the cut, I've cut 1/2" thick stacks with a 0/2 blade and 1 1/2" with a #1. I would suggest that you try a number of different blades and test for yourself which ones work best for you. Most of the shops selling blades have sample pack to make this easier for you the costumer.

Outstanding! This pattern can be found in the book; Classic Fretwork Scroll Saw Patterns Paperback – June 30, 1991 by Patrick Spielman (Author), James Reidle (Author) pages 16 and 17.

For what it's worth. I just completed cutting two sets of the dragonfly ornaments; 1/8 inch hardwood, stack of four (total of 1/2"), FD Polar blade 2/0, pilot hole #71 drill bit (.025"). One layer took 40 minutes, 4 took 55 minutes. I've cut sliding dovetails in 1 1/2 purple heart ( lid for a box ) using FD Polar #1 blades ( pilot hole #65, .035" ) . I routinely cut 3/4" poplar with a FD Polar #1 blade to make the name with a rose pieces. The biggest problem I've had is finding a small drill bit with the length needed to go all the way through ( that 1/2" thick for the dragonflies is about the limit for the drill bit ). Your other concern will be for a drill bit that won't deflect when it hits a piece of dense wood ( knot, or pin knot ). My preference there is a cobalt alloy bit, available as a special order from the Home Depot. These bits have the least sideways deflection and you would have to heat them to 1000 degrees to lose the temper. I set my drill press to the highest speed ( 3500 ) when drilling the tiny holes, it helps keep a clean exit hole. Here are some fairly detailed ornaments, stack cut, 3 1/4 inch poplar boards, FD Polar #!, #65 drill bit ( .035" )