A moan about my saw....

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Cozzer

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I bought this.....thing.....a few months ago because I fancied having a go at pad marquetry as opposed to the scalpel/window method I've used for years.
I understood that scrolling - as all things - needs practice, and that the required skill wouldn't come overnight. That much I expected and accepted.
However, what I didn't expect was to spend more time setting the damn thing up than actually cutting the veneers!

It's a Minicraft job from way back when, mainly due to its footprint, but also cost. These things were "prized" because of their size, loved by model makers etc.
Finally got round to giving it a whirl, and armed with a selection of ridiculously-sized blades, thought I'd start off with a random free-style shape through 3 or 4 veneers.
First, figure out how to attach the saw blade....and what a farce that is.
See the tiny L shaped bit in the photo? I lost one of the two within minutes, and had to fashion another out of a scrap of aluminium I had knocking about. Their purpose - I assume - is to act as a clamp once the grub screws are tightened. Bear in mind the size of these damn things - and that you have to wield an allen key to tighten them - it gets really stupid. Don't forget that I'm also messing with 4/0 blades, which also appear to have minds of their own, and can twist around as you tighten...

minicraft.jpg


Much huffing, puffing and swearing, the bottom clamp is fitted in the machine's recess, and then you've got the whole thing to go through again at the top.
That's when you remember that you should've inserted the blade through the veneer first, so you have to undo the top clamp.

For good or bad, you cut your first piece. It's a mile off your line, but never mind....it's practice.
Then you have to undo the top bracket again.... and risk dropping the three elements - grub screw, L bit, the holder - on the floor, potentially never to be seen again.
About 3 minutes to cut, and well above 20 minutes to set up.
Ridiculous.

Are there any other users, outside of an asylum? Am I doing something wrong?
 
Umm, if you are doing pierced work is that not obvious? !! - appreciate the clamping system does look a bit heath-robinson but am sure with some practice you will get the hang of it!
At my local men's shed there is an older guy who is a master of the scrollsaw and whilst I have used bandsaws for ~30y+ I have had a few goes at it and I am useless. Whilst I could easily nibble an intricate shape in some timber with a bandsaw doing the same with a scrollsaw defeats me - I think it is because the blades being so much smaller and narrow depth + kerf you can turn them on the wood on the spot to change direction so moving the work-piece smoothly and knowing which direction it is cutting is key! ...
 
Is what not obvious?!
It wouldn't be as bad if it boasted wingnutted (is there such a word?!) bolts instead of the ludicrous grub screws!
 
If you know the thread then replace them with something more suitable.

Yup...M4 by my reckoning.
Unfortunately, room round the bottom clamp is a bit tight for butterfly wingnuts, but the top might be OK.
It's tightening the bloody things, that's the problem - holding the allen key, the blade steady and that cursed minute L-shaped piece all at the same time....
 
You don't want wingnuts on the top - fingers get in the way.
I sometimes have issues getting the blade fixed in the top when doing pierced work.
Both machines are Hegners.
 
You don't want wingnuts on the top - fingers get in the way.
I sometimes have issues getting the blade fixed in the top when doing pierced work.
Both machines are Hegners.

Out of "devilment" (Ha!) I tried to fit a 6/0 blade last night.
There's absolutely no way I could actually use one - I had enough trouble figuring out which side was toothed, let alone fitting it!
There's 45 minutes of my life I'll not get back...

Understanding that these saws were much-loved by model makers back in the day, I'm amazed at the so-called design of the blade holding system.
As Imageel wrote above, it's a right old Heath Robinson job...
 
Some design engineers need a good talking to...

The head of a design department I worked for used to threaten us that if a user complained about a jig or fixture we designed and he agreed we would be seconded to the department in question to use said item until we learned our lesson - he meant it, only saw it happen once.
 
Cozzer, not sure of the type of saw you have but I have these which are similar. 1 is a Shapercraft and the other is a Scie Magnetal. The clamps on them look a lot easier to use than yours.
 

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Cozzer, not sure of the type of saw you have but I have these which are similar. 1 is a Shapercraft and the other is a Scie Magnetal. The clamps on them look a lot easier to use than yours.

No, mate! We've been here before!
I used to have one like the Magnetal vibro job, in bright orange. We had a "conversation" about it some months ago, when I was trying to find out why the electromagnet didn't work properly. I'd had it for years, but eventually gave it up as a bad job and scrapped it!

Since then I bought a Minicraft job. There's one on eBay as I type - "Minicraft Fret Saw MB 490 Hobby Saw".
 
Out of "devilment" (Ha!) I tried to fit a 6/0 blade last night.
There's absolutely no way I could actually use one - I had enough trouble figuring out which side was toothed, let alone fitting it!
There's 45 minutes of my life I'll not get back...

Understanding that these saws were much-loved by model makers back in the day, I'm amazed at the so-called design of the blade holding system.
As Imageel wrote above, it's a right old Heath Robinson job...
Just a thought but would it help if some of the parts were magnetic, then at least they might hold themselves in place to an extent while you are doing them up.
That is of course assuming they are steel.
These little gadgets are quite good, and about £7-8 typically
 

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Out of "devilment" (Ha!) I tried to fit a 6/0 blade last night.
There's absolutely no way I could actually use one - I had enough trouble figuring out which side was toothed, let alone fitting it!
There's 45 minutes of my life I'll not get back...

Just rub the back of your finger up and down the blade.
The blood will indicate which side is toothed and in which direction :ROFLMAO:
 
Some design engineers need a good talking to...

The head of a design department I worked for used to threaten us that if a user complained about a jig or fixture we designed and he agreed we would be seconded to the department in question to use said item until we learned our lesson - he meant it, only saw it happen once.
Couldn't agree more.
Lost count of the times I have wished I could find the daft pipper who designed some bit of kit and say, "right Mr clever clogs, you designed this, now you try taking it to bits". So many things now, particularly on cars, are designed for ease of manufacture on a production line. Often very little thought seems to have gone into how to actually get at it once it's in situ.
 
Couldn't agree more.
Lost count of the times I have wished I could find the daft pipper who designed some bit of kit and say, "right Mr clever clogs, you designed this, now you try taking it to bits". So many things now, particularly on cars, are designed for ease of manufacture on a production line. Often very little thought seems to have gone into how to actually get at it once it's in situ.

Ain't that the truth.
There are certain brands of guitar that have the truss rod adjustment at the body end of the neck/fretboard as opposed to the headstock.
To adjust, you have to invariably separate the two parts, before re-attaching and checking again. If still wrong/worse, repeat the whole operation.
Do that half a dozen times or more, and start watching your swear jar fill... :)
 
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