advice please

[doddy555]

hi advice please, i havent ordered my saw yet, i am thinking of doing numbers and letters, hopefully i will be able to do it, then in time maybe more, so i was thinking of getting Axminster Saws (the AWVFS). comments please
thanks
tracey

 

[Chippygeoff]

Hi Tracey.The AWFS is a good saw. I presume you have looked at everything available. It is a sad fact that there is not much available in the way of scroll saws unless you are prepared to pay a huge amount of money. The excalibur is over £500 now and you wont get any change out of £1000 for a Hegner. The other alternative is to import the new Delta from America which is exactly the same as the old Dewalt 788, which I have along with an ecalibur. So what is left to choose from. Looking at scroll saws it would appear that the choice is vast but most are made in the far east and come with a shed full of problems, they are mass produced and in my book not worth a carrot.

With the AWFS it is a clone of the Hegner. The things you are looking for in a scroll saw is variable speed and decent quick change blade clamps. You will have to do a couple of modifications when you get it, mainly getting hold of quick change blade clamp levers as this will save stacks of time undoing allen screws every time you change the blade or do pierced work as you will do with numbers and letters. Only use pinless blades and ideally from Mikes workshop. At the end of the day you are getting the best mid-range saw and the other bonus is that the after sales service from Axminster is the best I have come across and if you should have a problem they will sort it out for you. I wish you well. If yu have any problems come back as there is a great bunch of people here that will help you.

Geoff.

 

[Gill]

Decent scroll saws seem to have shot up in price lately. I wish I had bought some a few years ago because their increase in value would have out-performed the stock market by a long chalk.

Whatever saw you decide upon, I suggest you start with projects other than letters. People can spot an irregularity in the cutting of a letter very easily because we are so familiar with perfectly formed letters in our daily lives. Most beginners find it very difficult to cut a straight line with a scroll saw and it can take quite a bit of practice to master this technique. I suggest you start with projects that have irregular, unfamiliar shapes (such as trees) and progress to cutting letters when you are happy that you can cut straight lines accurately.

 

[hawkinob]

Hi,
Just to say that the Axminster AWVFS is not a Hegner clone (lookalike). Axminster do sell a Hegner lookalike the Axminster AWFS18.
Bob H.

 

[Blister]

The Rolls Royce of saws

starts at £375 for single speed

http://www.hegner.co.uk/Hegner_Multicut_1

and £525 for variable speed

Hegners web site for saws

http://www.hegner.co.uk/Scrollsaws

:wink:

 

[doddy555]

aww thankyou so much for all your advice, i think i may stick with the Axminster Saws (the AWVFS).then if i can do it may move on to a better one , thanks guys
tracey

 

[TRUSTINGGIBBSIE]

Hello........I am in Australia so can't give a lot of advice about saws but I do have a Trupro saw which is the same, I believe, as your Axminster FS18" - the so called Hegner clone. I have had it now for about 4 years and regard myself as a heavy user. The only problem with it was 2 small bearings which I replaced from the local auto shop. I have used many different saws over the years, including the EX 21, and I have to say that I have never used a better saw than the Trupro. It is extremely smooth running and very quiet. Actually, I do not have it bolted to the bench and I usually have it running at about 2/3 speed. A nice feature of it is that it has 2 stroke lengths. The saws are reasonably popular here and I personally know of several owners and none of them are sorry they bought it. I don't know what the price of the AX's in the UK, but they started off pretty cheap here but quickly grew in price.

Noel

 

[artanddecco]

I use the Scheppach 405, which is variable speed. No problem on upper blade clamp, but I need plenty of light to see the lower clamp in order to insert the blade. Its the only Scroll Saw I have used, so can't compare, but I am pleased with it and find its reasonably priced and sturdily built. There nothing wrong with machines just because they are built in the far East. Some can be very good and others rubbish. Scheppach seem to have a good reputation on woodwork machines generally.
John