Is it my saw?

[JustBen]

Hi people,

I'm in need of some advice.

I've recently got a cheap powercraft scroll saw.

I've converted it to use plain end blades with an adaptor.

It's/I'm struggling to cut thick hardwood.

I've tried cutting 1" thick oak and it goes through but really struggles. I've tried with 7R, 9R and 10

I've also been cutting some 15mm cherry with the above blades. They all go through but seem to struggle and sometimes leave a small burn mark.

Is it my saw or am I just expecting too much from both the blades and saw.

On the cherry it cuts at about 2-3mm per second and on the oak it's even slower.

All my blades are new sealed Pegas blades.

I've tried moving the reverse blade up and down so more or less teeth at the bottom are rising above the base but doesn't seem to make a difference.

Ideas?

Many thanks in advance.

 

[stevebuk]

when cutting wood of that thickness you need a real slow feed rate, i dont know about pegas blades as i have never used them, i use mikes FD blades and have even cut 1" thick beech with a #5 blade before now, try cutting it again and dont worry about trying to cut it quick, it wont happen..

 

[martinka]

I have a couple of stool seats, light coloured wood, hard, and about 25mm thick. Pegas and a couple of the Flying Dutchman blades that Steve sent me will cut it very slowly. Ordinary Olson blades won't touch it, but Olson PGT blades are possibly a bit faster. The F/D Penguin blades cut it fastest, but it's still slow enough that I have dumped it in the corner out of the way.
If you are comparing to anyone you have seen scrolling on Youtube or similar, forget it, I reckon it's done with mirrors. :mrgreen:

 

[Chippygeoff]

You have to take on board that the saw you have is at the lower end of the scale and that it is not going to perform like a Hegner for example. Cutting 1 inch thick oak is asking a lot from a scroll saw. You need to cover the wood with clear packing tape, this will help lubricate the blade and reduce friction and it will enable you to cut that little bit faster without experiencing burn marks. As Steve said, its a slow process. You will find cutting across the grain will be a lot fater than cutting along the grain.

 

[JustBen]

Thanks for the comments.

So other than the fact that my saw vibrates massively, is slow to change blades and has only 1 speed etc, it will still cut as quick as a hegner etc?

Are pegas blades good. I've heard about the Flying Dutchman blades but thought they were USA blades. Are thy the best you can get?

I'm slowly learning that the extra cost in buying better equipment is worth the pain in my wallet.

Would coating the blade in a ptfe dry spray help?

I've only just got into scroll sawing and I'm so used to flying through wood with a bandsaw/tablesaw etc that maybe I'm just expecting too much of it,

Now I know that I like scrolling and that i have a genuine need/use for it, maybe a hegner/Excalibur would be a worthwhile investment.

 

[Chippygeoff]

All scroll saws will vibrate unless they are firmly bolted down onto a solid bench or stand. I have tried most blades and for me the Flying Dutchman are the best, especially the ultra reverse. Don't coat the blade with anything, its just not done, you willprobably stain the wood and regardless of what you coat the blade with you wont achieve anything. You need a lot of patience with a scroll saw as it is a slow and time consuming business. Don't even think about getting an excalibur. Its the worst saw I ever had made from cheap materials and with several design faults and for the price it is a rip off.

 

[martinka]

So other than the fact that my saw vibrates massively, is slow to change blades and has only 1 speed etc, it will still cut as quick as a hegner etc?

That sounds EXACTLY like my Hegner until I made a better job of bolting it to the table and buying the quick clamp for quicker blade changes. It only has one speed.

Geoff, I've been converted to the F/D blades at last, thanks to SteveB sending me some to try. Unfortunately I am back to breaking blades again.

Martin.

 

[JustBen]

Don't even think about getting an excalibur. Its the worst saw I ever had made from cheap materials and with several design faults and for the price it is a rip off.

What saw would you suggest?

I've bolted my saw to the workbench with a few layers of neoprene sheet between to two. I've still got some vibration.

It doesn't help with the face the saw table is pressed steel rather than cast iron.

There are lots of little bits about it that I don't like. I've modified it a bit so far to improve it though.

 

[stevebuk]

So other than the fact that my saw vibrates massively, is slow to change blades and has only 1 speed etc, it will still cut as quick as a hegner etc?

That sounds EXACTLY like my Hegner until I made a better job of bolting it to the table and buying the quick clamp for quicker blade changes. It only has one speed.

Geoff, I've been converted to the F/D blades at last, thanks to SteveB sending me some to try. Unfortunately I am back to breaking blades again.

Martin.

Really pleased you like them martin, once you get the blade breaking situation cleared up you can experience a whole different ball game..

 

[Chippygeoff]

Benjimano. It is the nature of the saw you have, the pressed steel tables are not really any good for serious scroll saw work, they don;t absord the vibration like a cast iron table does. It sounds as if you have done all you can to get the best from it but there is only so much you can do. Most people start off the way you do with a cheap saw and some give up while others invest in a better saw. Scroll sawing is a wonderful hobby and with the right saw and other equipment the world is your oyster, you can design your own patterns as I do and for me thats half the fun. As I said, the Hegner is probably the best saw in the world but you can look for secondhand saws like the Delta, Diamond etc.

Martin. Glad to hear you have been converted to FD blades and I hope the breakages stop soon. I had that problem when I got my Hegner. I don't break hardly any now, its just a matter of tightening the clamps just enough to hold the blade. I will give you a tip, when you have the lower clamp in the holder on the table for changing the blade put the newblade in till it hits the bottom and then bring it back a tad and then tighten it up making sure its in perfect alignment with the point of the clamp.

 

[Naxie]

Its the worst saw I ever had made from cheap materials and with several design faults and for the price it is a rip off.

I have an Excalibur, 21" throat and find it a great saw. It gets used all the time from house signs, signs for children's bedroom doors, decorations and parts for all sorts of things, infact I'm always finding uses for it.

I have recently moved it from the main part of my garage come workshop where it was bolted to a sturdy workbench to a separate partitioned off part so that my other half can use it without the dust and noise from my other tools effecting her so much. There it is only bolted to an old 18mm chipboard desk and although there now is some vibration, it is only in the last 5 - 10% of the speed range (which never gets used anyhow).

We cut anything from 6mm ply through a range of hardwoods, been cutting a few bits of 50mm english oak at the weekend as part of a raised platform for my lathe with no problems.

The blade changing is quick and easy even for my hands (a bit shakie and pretty numb) as is adjusting the tension if needed.

Dust extraction? I just attach an extractor pipe to the supplied port.

Compounds and angled cuts, the whole blade assembly moves from side to side easily and accurately leaving the table flat and hence the workpiece is as easily controlled as a normal cut.

As I mentioned we have a 21" throat with a working surface that is like an ice rink with a monthly coating of machine wax.

Just speaking to the other half, to our knowledge neither of us have ever broken a blade. I do agree on the blade choice though, having tried a few types nothing has beaten Mikes blades. Don't be put off that they have to be ordered from the states, they arrive probably quicker than most things ordered from this country and the delivery charge is pennys, again less than most things from this country!

Each to their own opinion though and I respect Geoff's as I hope he respects mine.

Sorry to semi hijack the thread Benjimano, but I thought I'd share my experiences with you.

Kind regards
Ed

(Edited to add photo, I know you all like photos :lol: )

 

[boysie39]

Naxie , thanks for your thoughts on the EX 21. Always good to have another opinion on something . Your review is very good on all aspects of the saw ,somewhat similar to what the US owners are saying .

I suppose that there are good and not so good in scroll saws as in everything else and someone is bound to be unlucky .Thanks ED, for taking the time to post .

 

[JustBen]

Thanks for all the comments.

My saw is currently it of action for a couple of day whilst I wait for new bolts for the blade clamp.

The 4 cheap Chinese ones that came with the Axminster clamp have all stripped so have ordered some high tensile ones.

I will move onto other projects in the mean time.