Do you really need one

[Bryan Bennett]

Hi All I have seen posts about Foot Switches,do you really need one?.when you buy a Hegner they are not supplied has standard they are an extra.I myself have hardly used mine,I sit at the machine and my feet are well off the floor.It has been very easy to lower my right hand to switch off the machine.Is just us older user that sit at the machine and all the younger ones stand. :roll:

I could be wrong again

Bryan

 

[stevebuk]

i also sit at my machine Bryan, i find it so much more comfortable than standing all day, and as i have arthritus in my left knee its also easier, as for cutting i think its a major plus, you can keep both hands on the work and line things up correctly..

I was fortunate that i had a foot switch with the delta but wasn't sure if it would work with the hegner when it arrived but i just plugged it in and hey presto it worked, have you though of asking any of the members on here if they would like to buy your spare foot switch if you no longer want/need it??

 

[martinka]

Bryan, us young 'uns (whistles nonchalantly) like to sit down too. :mrgreen: I must admit, I started out standing at the saw, but back trouble soon changed that. I also wasn't interested in a footswitch for the first couple of months, but it didn't take much use of one to change my mind and now I wouldn't be without.

Martin.

 

[Chippygeoff]

I bought my Hegner footswitch with the saw and had an amazing deal. My saw can be working 8 hours a day and for me a foot swotch is essential. It is so much easier to work, especially when there are lots of internal cuts. I would think as a habbyist having a foot switch is not so important but I earn a huge chunk of my income from the scroll saw and as they say in the movies, time is money. As martin said, once you start using one you will never want to be without one.

 

[kkartz1]

Bryan, I would be interesting in buying your footswitch if you are thinking of selling it

 

[Bryan Bennett]

kkartz 1 I have sent you a PM.

Bryan

 

[ChrisR]

Bryan.

I to have to sit at the saw, with my feet off the floor plus they don’t move on command, so a foot switch is not an option.
I made up a NVR control of my own, I just have to drop my right hand, straight onto the stop button, the start button is to the side of the saw and shielded, so cannot be pushed accidentally, my dust extraction system is also feed from the same control, so both saw and dust extraction start and stop at the same time.

I think that the small on/off switch as fitted to the Hegner saw, is the one thing that needs improving, but I don’t think many use this switch for very long, before converting to either a foot switch, or NVR control.
I think that the education version of the Hegner comes with NVR. In my opinion they should all come with such a control.

If you are considering fitting a NVR and cannot make up your own, don’t go to Hegner theirs is (far to expensive), in my opinion, look on the Axminster Tools site, they have a number at realistic prices.

A NVR control could be fitted at the most convenient position for your own use, better than that little fiddly little Hegner on/off switch. Just a thought.

Take care.

Chris R.

 

[martinka]

I thought an NVR switch would be redundant if you have a momentary footswitch, but now I always hit it when I am going to change a blade, just in case I put my foot on the footswitch by mistake. I could use the small on/off switch of course, but the big red button is much more convenient.

 

[JimiJimi]

What chairs do people use? I have been standing up to now but I would like to be able to sit down and work. I thought maybe a height-adjustable bar stool might do the trick?

 

[ChrisR]

What chairs do people use? I have been standing up to now but I would like to be able to sit down and work. I thought maybe a height-adjustable bar stool might do the trick?

I use a bar type stool but with a back rest, it has a single chrome swivel stem, there was a single hoop type foot rest for which I cut a piece of ply to the same curve and fastened to the hoop, making a solid platform for my feet.
It is not height adjustable, but it was easy to use temporary blocks of wood to find the correct/comfortable height then just made a platform for it to stand on, out of decking.

That started a trend, I now have the back half of my garage completely covered in decking, keeps me off the cold concrete floor.

I think I obtained the stool from Homebase, but it was several years ago so not sure, but if not, it was one of the big DIY stores, can’t remember how much I paid, but it would not have been a lot, because I am a tight a**. :roll:

Take care.

Chris R.

 

[scrimper]

I stand when doing an odd bit of cutting but tend to sit when doing a lot of delicate work and prolonged fretwork.

I use an old office type chair that has an adjustable 'air' lift operated by a handle under the seat, Being a scrimper I got it for nowt, it was being thrown out cos the seat fabric was all ripped and soiled I just reupholstered it with some leatherette that was also given to me which I stored away in case it found a use (It did).

 

[stevebuk]

i use a bar stool with a back on it, although i never have time to sit back and cut..

 

[Chippygeoff]

Like many others I use a bar stool. I went a long way to a store that sold a variety and selected one with a back rest, a foot support and was adjustable, it is absolutely brilliant and very comfortable, can sit for hours at a time if need be but I do stop every hour to make a cuppa.