Newbie Buying Advice Sought

[Ali]

I want to buy a scroll saw, It is all new to me but I want to be able to do intricate inside cuts and I'll basically be using wood and perspex/acrylic.

I did want some advice on what type of scroll saw to buy. I was looking for a variable motor speed saw but finding choice limited.

I am considering a variable motor in case I have difficulties starting off and in case I melt any acrylic. Am I wrong? Should I just bite the bullet?

Is the single speed Hegner suitable for my needs or should I save up (a lot more!) for the variable motor?

It is a shame Delta and some other american models are so hard to find in the UK

Any help will be gratefully appreciated. Love the work on this forum and would love to be a part of it

 

[scrimper]

Ali The Hegners are (IMHO) horrendously expensive but they are really superb and an absolute joy to use, I have a British made Diamond (sadly no longer made) and that is very good but some years after I bought it I decided to get a Hegner as well and I was surprised just how quiet and vibration free it was. I have had the Hegner for some years now and I always find it enjoyable to use.

Personally I much prefer the variable speed saws and both the Diamond and my Hegner are variable speed. Many here will say you don't need variable speed and in fairness it's not essential, however if you are learning it is much easier to turn the speed down and take your time otherwise the saw rushes through the wood so quickly it's tricky keeping up, it's also useful when cutting thin materials.

As I say Hegners are very expensive but they do appear from time to time on ebay and personally I would suggest it's better to get a second hand Hegner than pay the same amount for a new cheaper brand of saw.

One thing to look out for is how easy it is for the blade to be removed from the top clamp when doing inside cuts, with the Hegner quick release lever and clamp it is so quick and easy you could do it with your eyes closed, some other makes I imagine are so awkward they would drive you mad if you had to do a lot of inside cuts.

There are some cheaper Hegner lookalikes on the market but I don't know how good or bad they are.

 

[richard56]

Welcome, I'm new so my help will be limited. I know there is someone here with a single speed Hegner who does intricate work. How it works with acrylics though I don't know.
Sorry I can't be of more help.

Rich

 

[Ali]

Thanks for the advice Scrimper. After doing some research I did see how important it is for blade removal on inside cuts, I was wondering if there are any other models apart from the hegner that are as easy (or at least workable)?

Let's not talk about the price of a brand new hegner with variable speed at this time of the night. it might give me nightmares :roll: :roll:

 

[martinka]

Ali, I made my (relatively) cheap Jet saw acceptable, for me, for piercing cuts, vibration, etc, but I still bought a Hegner, and a single speed one at that. To be honest, the Jet does everything I need as it's just an occasional hobby for me, but the Hegner is so much nicer/better to use in every way.

I haven't cut acrylic but I have cut a bit of ABS plastic successfully. It cut without melting back together but left a burr on the top that came off easily and cleanly. I used a skip tooth blade and I've read about, but not tried, sticking clear tape to the top to act as a lubricant. There's a few videos on Youtube about cutting acrylic.

Martin.

 

[Ali]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I made a bit of an impulse decision and bought the Excalibur Ex21. Only after ordering did I realise the Axminster Hegner Clone seems to be back in stock.

Will give it a try though and put up some pics when I'm up and running

 

[ChrisR]

Hi Ali.
Welcome to the great hobby of scroll sawing, warning it is addictive.

I was going to say, try stretching your budget to a multi speed Hegner, but I see you have already ordered a saw.

When you cut Perspex/Acrylic, if you cover your cut line with clear sticky tape, it will help stop the cut welding back together. The clear tape melts at a lower temperature to the Acrylic, and acts as a lubricant.

Take care, have fun.

Chris R.

 

[Bryan Bennett]

Ali welcome to the best site for advice about the art of scroll sawing.I am quite old :wink: and still learning about different items that we can use in the hobby that we all enjoy doing.


Bryan