Gs

"Gramps' shop"

01/09/2013 7:10 PM

Scroll saw, Part II

Thanks for the input on my earlier post. I'm going to look at this one tomorrow:

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/tls/4038313621.html

It's a Craftsman, vintage 1940s. Owner says it weighs about 100 pounds and is almost vibration free.

I'll run some 6/4 walnut through it and see how it behaves. Anything else I should be looking for?

Larry


This topic has 19 replies

UC

Unquestionably Confused

in reply to "Gramps' shop" on 01/09/2013 7:10 PM

01/09/2013 10:23 PM

On 9/1/2013 9:10 PM, Gramps' shop wrote:
> Thanks for the input on my earlier post. I'm going to look at this one tomorrow:
>
> http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/tls/4038313621.html
>
> It's a Craftsman, vintage 1940s. Owner says it weighs about 100 pounds and is almost vibration free.
>
> I'll run some 6/4 walnut through it and see how it behaves. Anything else I should be looking for?

Check this one out, Larry.

VS Delta with foot control for $200 or go whole hog with the Hegner 22V
for $800!

https://racine.craigslist.org/tls/3958698096.html

That's a good price on the Hegner with the variable speed. From the
picture I see that it had the quick release/tensioner. Makes it a snap
to change out the blades.




gn

geoff

in reply to "Gramps' shop" on 01/09/2013 7:10 PM

02/09/2013 12:08 AM

I had one, used sections of broken bandsaw blades as blades. It'll do
what you're looking for it to do. It is a heavy sucker and bolted down
it doesn't vibrate, the deep throat is nice too.



On 9/2/2013 12:03 AM, Gramps' shop wrote:
> I guess I should have noted that my main interest is in cutting concentric beveled circles for glueing up bowls for turning. Stock will range to 6/4. This will just be an occasional endeavor, so I want to limit the investment.
>

Cc

Casper

in reply to "Gramps' shop" on 01/09/2013 7:10 PM

02/09/2013 8:40 AM

Since the Hengers go for about $1400 now, that's not a bad deal if it
is in real good shape. Never used one but know people who have them
and swear by them. Bear in mind, they do lots of art scroll work.

>Check this one out, Larry.
>
>VS Delta with foot control for $200 or go whole hog with the Hegner 22V
>for $800!
>
>https://racine.craigslist.org/tls/3958698096.html
>
>That's a good price on the Hegner with the variable speed. From the
>picture I see that it had the quick release/tensioner. Makes it a snap
>to change out the blades.

Gs

"Gramps' shop"

in reply to "Gramps' shop" on 01/09/2013 7:10 PM

01/09/2013 9:03 PM

I guess I should have noted that my main interest is in cutting concentric beveled circles for glueing up bowls for turning. Stock will range to 6/4. This will just be an occasional endeavor, so I want to limit the investment.

Gs

"Gramps' shop"

in reply to "Gramps' shop" on 01/09/2013 7:10 PM

02/09/2013 7:34 AM

Ray ....

That is beautiful work -- and exactly the purpose to which I will put the scroll saw. Thanks for sharing the pix and the tips!

Larry


On Monday, September 2, 2013 8:28:54 AM UTC-5, Ray wrote:
> I have a Delta 40-540 that I use for both fret work and cut 8/4 maple
>
> for rings for bowls. I works OK. It is 15 years old. It is going to
>
> be replaced with an Excalibur 16 when they are back in stock. The
>
> Excalibur is a tilting blade rather than a tilting table.
>
>
>
> A hint: if you are going to make compound cuts (beveled rings) use
>
> spiral blades. Normal blades want to twist and bow because the top
>
> and bottom of the blade are at different geometries. Pictures of some
>
> of my concentric rings are at:
>
>
>
> http://ray80538.home.comcast.net/~ray80538/SegmentedBowl/segbowl.html
>
>
>
>
>
> On Sun, 1 Sep 2013 21:03:04 -0700 (PDT), "Gramps' shop"
>
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>
> >I guess I should have noted that my main interest is in cutting concentric beveled circles for glueing up bowls for turning. Stock will range to 6/4. This will just be an occasional endeavor, so I want to limit the investment.

Cc

Casper

in reply to "Gramps' shop" on 01/09/2013 7:10 PM

02/09/2013 8:43 AM

Be sure you can get parts for that thing, including blades.

My father-in-law picted up one similar to that Craftsman. A Delta that
I was planning to pry away from him and restore. That is until I found
it impossible to get any parts. And those things are seriously heavy.

>Thanks for the input on my earlier post. I'm going to look at this one tomorrow:
>http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/tls/4038313621.html
>It's a Craftsman, vintage 1940s. Owner says it weighs about 100 pounds and is almost vibration free.
>I'll run some 6/4 walnut through it and see how it behaves. Anything else I should be looking for?
>Larry

wn

woodchucker

in reply to "Gramps' shop" on 01/09/2013 7:10 PM

01/09/2013 10:51 PM

On 9/1/2013 10:27 PM, basilisk wrote:
> On Sun, 01 Sep 2013 19:10:33 -0700, Gramps' shop wrote:
>
>> Thanks for the input on my earlier post. I'm going to look at this one
>> tomorrow:
>>
>> http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/tls/4038313621.html
>>
>> It's a Craftsman, vintage 1940s. Owner says it weighs about 100 pounds
>> and is almost vibration free.
>>
>> I'll run some 6/4 walnut through it and see how it behaves. Anything
>> else I should be looking for?
>>
>> Larry
>
> I have one of those as well, it was given to me by an uncle many years
> ago. I have not used it in 25 years or so.
> I could never get it to run with small blades, the top is spring loaded
> at the front making the range of adjustment very small, it ran fine with
> 1/8" blades. It was not suitable for fine blades.
> It only used pinned blades.
>
> Larry, if you have aspirations of doing fretwork or using the saw much at
> all, spring for a better quality, modern saw.
>
> basilisk
>
Agreed

--
Jeff

GR

"G. Ross"

in reply to "Gramps' shop" on 01/09/2013 7:10 PM

02/09/2013 6:11 AM

Gramps' shop wrote:
> Thanks for the input on my earlier post. I'm going to look at this one tomorrow:
>
> http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/tls/4038313621.html
>
> It's a Craftsman, vintage 1940s. Owner says it weighs about 100 pounds and is almost vibration free.
>
> I'll run some 6/4 walnut through it and see how it behaves. Anything else I should be looking for?
>
> Larry

Don't forget you wanted one that would tilt more than 45 degrees.
Although I can't imagine accurately cutting anything on a a scroll saw
at even 40 degrees.

--
 GW Ross 

 Weird enough for all practical 
 purposes. 





Sc

Sonny

in reply to "Gramps' shop" on 01/09/2013 7:10 PM

02/09/2013 4:15 AM

On Sunday, September 1, 2013 9:10:33 PM UTC-5, Gramps' shop wrote:
> Thanks for the input on my earlier post. I'm going to look at this one to=
morrow: http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/tls/4038313621.html It's a Craftsma=
n, vintage 1940s. Owner says it weighs about 100 pounds and is almost vibra=
tion free. I'll run some 6/4 walnut through it and see how it behaves. Anyt=
hing else I should be looking for? Larry

$80 is not a lot of investment. I say go for it. If it works reasonably =
well, it'll probably satisfy most of your needs, so you won't be loosing mu=
ch. For your specific needs, any lack of performance will teach you what t=
o look for with any subsequent upgrade, if/when need be.

On your thicker stocks, especially the 6/4, cut really slow or you'll be br=
eaking blades, repeatedly. =20

Sonny

bb

basilisk

in reply to "Gramps' shop" on 01/09/2013 7:10 PM

02/09/2013 6:39 AM

On Mon, 2 Sep 2013 07:08:09 -0400, Mike Marlow wrote:

> Gramps' shop wrote:
>> I guess I should have noted that my main interest is in cutting
>> concentric beveled circles for glueing up bowls for turning. Stock
>> will range to 6/4. This will just be an occasional endeavor, so I
>> want to limit the investment.
>
> As well - Jeff mentioned that guys will stack stock in order to mass produce
> cuts. Never gave that a thought will a saw like this, though it does make
> sense. I didn't realize you could cut through wood that thick with a scroll
> saw.

6/4 is still a lot for a scroll saw, I'll stack several layers of ply
sometimes and it will cut ok. 6/4's of solid wood is a different beast,
it will cut but progress is painfully slow, especially when cutting with
the grain.
I lack the patience to work this way, it's subjective and rate of
progress may be acceptable for some.

basilisk

ME

Martin Eastburn

in reply to "Gramps' shop" on 01/09/2013 7:10 PM

01/09/2013 11:22 PM

The red one naturally. Up/down motion for a good cut while many
do diagonal drag that chatters and spinsters the wood.

Martin

On 9/1/2013 10:23 PM, Unquestionably Confused wrote:
> On 9/1/2013 9:10 PM, Gramps' shop wrote:
>> Thanks for the input on my earlier post. I'm going to look at this
>> one tomorrow:
>>
>> http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/tls/4038313621.html
>>
>> It's a Craftsman, vintage 1940s. Owner says it weighs about 100
>> pounds and is almost vibration free.
>>
>> I'll run some 6/4 walnut through it and see how it behaves. Anything
>> else I should be looking for?
>
> Check this one out, Larry.
>
> VS Delta with foot control for $200 or go whole hog with the Hegner 22V
> for $800!
>
> https://racine.craigslist.org/tls/3958698096.html
>
> That's a good price on the Hegner with the variable speed. From the
> picture I see that it had the quick release/tensioner. Makes it a snap
> to change out the blades.
>
>
>
>
>

MM

"Mike Marlow"

in reply to "Gramps' shop" on 01/09/2013 7:10 PM

01/09/2013 10:34 PM

Gramps' shop wrote:
> Thanks for the input on my earlier post. I'm going to look at this
> one tomorrow:
>
> http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/tls/4038313621.html
>
> It's a Craftsman, vintage 1940s. Owner says it weighs about 100
> pounds and is almost vibration free.
>
> I'll run some 6/4 walnut through it and see how it behaves. Anything
> else I should be looking for?
>

Hey Larry - I'm not a scroll saw user, but I have to ask - is this the kind
of stock that you plan to run through this saw in normal use? Is 6/4 even a
realistic expectation for a scroll saw? I was under the impression they
were more for thinner woods like 1/4". Maybe I'm wrong...

All I'm saying is that your idea simply struck me as a bit of an overkill
sort of test - one that may not be appropriate for the tool. Overkill is
quite favorably looked upon here, by almost all of us, but overkill seldom
really serves the purpose we think it will.

--

-Mike-
[email protected]

MM

"Mike Marlow"

in reply to "Gramps' shop" on 01/09/2013 7:10 PM

02/09/2013 7:05 AM

woodchucker wrote:
> On 9/1/2013 10:34 PM, Mike Marlow wrote:

>> Hey Larry - I'm not a scroll saw user, but I have to ask - is this
>> the kind of stock that you plan to run through this saw in normal
>> use? Is 6/4 even a realistic expectation for a scroll saw? I was
>> under the impression they were more for thinner woods like 1/4". Maybe
>> I'm wrong... All I'm saying is that your idea simply struck me as a bit
>> of an
>> overkill sort of test - one that may not be appropriate for the
>> tool. Overkill is quite favorably looked upon here, by almost all
>> of us, but overkill seldom really serves the purpose we think it
>> will.
>
> It is overkill, but many guys doing this stack that much in ply so
> they can make one set of cuts and sell 10 or more.

Makes sense. I guess it wouldn't be so much overkill in that case.

--

-Mike-
[email protected]

MM

"Mike Marlow"

in reply to "Gramps' shop" on 01/09/2013 7:10 PM

02/09/2013 7:08 AM

Gramps' shop wrote:
> I guess I should have noted that my main interest is in cutting
> concentric beveled circles for glueing up bowls for turning. Stock
> will range to 6/4. This will just be an occasional endeavor, so I
> want to limit the investment.

As well - Jeff mentioned that guys will stack stock in order to mass produce
cuts. Never gave that a thought will a saw like this, though it does make
sense. I didn't realize you could cut through wood that thick with a scroll
saw.

--

-Mike-
[email protected]

MM

"Mike Marlow"

in reply to "Gramps' shop" on 01/09/2013 7:10 PM

02/09/2013 7:54 AM

basilisk wrote:
> On Mon, 2 Sep 2013 07:08:09 -0400, Mike Marlow wrote:
>
>> Gramps' shop wrote:
>>> I guess I should have noted that my main interest is in cutting
>>> concentric beveled circles for glueing up bowls for turning. Stock
>>> will range to 6/4. This will just be an occasional endeavor, so I
>>> want to limit the investment.
>>
>> As well - Jeff mentioned that guys will stack stock in order to mass
>> produce cuts. Never gave that a thought will a saw like this,
>> though it does make sense. I didn't realize you could cut through
>> wood that thick with a scroll saw.
>
> 6/4 is still a lot for a scroll saw, I'll stack several layers of ply
> sometimes and it will cut ok. 6/4's of solid wood is a different
> beast, it will cut but progress is painfully slow, especially when
> cutting with the grain.
> I lack the patience to work this way, it's subjective and rate of
> progress may be acceptable for some.
>

I watched a couple of YouTube videos this morning of guys cutting through
pretty thick stock with their scroll saws. It appears these were pretty
high end saws - in the neighborhood of $800 and up, as best as I can tell.
These guys most certainly have more patience than me - drilling holes,
threading the blade up through the hole, reattaching it and then nibbling
away to make some pretty intricate cuts. I'd have had my fill of that after
about the second time, and I'd have been reaching for my cutting torches...

--

-Mike-
[email protected]

n

in reply to "Gramps' shop" on 01/09/2013 7:10 PM

02/09/2013 10:05 AM

On Mon, 02 Sep 2013 07:28:54 -0600, Ray <[email protected]> wrote:
>A hint: if you are going to make compound cuts (beveled rings) use
>spiral blades. Normal blades want to twist and bow because the top
>and bottom of the blade are at different geometries. Pictures of some
>of my concentric rings are at:
>http://ray80538.home.comcast.net/~ray80538/SegmentedBowl/segbowl.html

Excellent! With those exceptional examples of your work, I'd say that
your opinion on scroll saws is to be taken very seriously.

RR

Ray

in reply to "Gramps' shop" on 01/09/2013 7:10 PM

02/09/2013 7:28 AM

I have a Delta 40-540 that I use for both fret work and cut 8/4 maple
for rings for bowls. I works OK. It is 15 years old. It is going to
be replaced with an Excalibur 16 when they are back in stock. The
Excalibur is a tilting blade rather than a tilting table.

A hint: if you are going to make compound cuts (beveled rings) use
spiral blades. Normal blades want to twist and bow because the top
and bottom of the blade are at different geometries. Pictures of some
of my concentric rings are at:

http://ray80538.home.comcast.net/~ray80538/SegmentedBowl/segbowl.html


On Sun, 1 Sep 2013 21:03:04 -0700 (PDT), "Gramps' shop"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>I guess I should have noted that my main interest is in cutting concentric beveled circles for glueing up bowls for turning. Stock will range to 6/4. This will just be an occasional endeavor, so I want to limit the investment.

bb

basilisk

in reply to "Gramps' shop" on 01/09/2013 7:10 PM

02/09/2013 2:27 AM

On Sun, 01 Sep 2013 19:10:33 -0700, Gramps' shop wrote:

> Thanks for the input on my earlier post. I'm going to look at this one
> tomorrow:
>
> http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/tls/4038313621.html
>
> It's a Craftsman, vintage 1940s. Owner says it weighs about 100 pounds
> and is almost vibration free.
>
> I'll run some 6/4 walnut through it and see how it behaves. Anything
> else I should be looking for?
>
> Larry

I have one of those as well, it was given to me by an uncle many years
ago. I have not used it in 25 years or so.
I could never get it to run with small blades, the top is spring loaded
at the front making the range of adjustment very small, it ran fine with
1/8" blades. It was not suitable for fine blades.
It only used pinned blades.

Larry, if you have aspirations of doing fretwork or using the saw much at
all, spring for a better quality, modern saw.

basilisk

wn

woodchucker

in reply to "Gramps' shop" on 01/09/2013 7:10 PM

01/09/2013 10:55 PM

On 9/1/2013 10:34 PM, Mike Marlow wrote:
> Gramps' shop wrote:
>> Thanks for the input on my earlier post. I'm going to look at this
>> one tomorrow:
>>
>> http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/tls/4038313621.html
>>
>> It's a Craftsman, vintage 1940s. Owner says it weighs about 100
>> pounds and is almost vibration free.
>>
>> I'll run some 6/4 walnut through it and see how it behaves. Anything
>> else I should be looking for?
>>
>
> Hey Larry - I'm not a scroll saw user, but I have to ask - is this the kind
> of stock that you plan to run through this saw in normal use? Is 6/4 even a
> realistic expectation for a scroll saw? I was under the impression they
> were more for thinner woods like 1/4". Maybe I'm wrong...
>
> All I'm saying is that your idea simply struck me as a bit of an overkill
> sort of test - one that may not be appropriate for the tool. Overkill is
> quite favorably looked upon here, by almost all of us, but overkill seldom
> really serves the purpose we think it will.
>

It is overkill, but many guys doing this stack that much in ply so they
can make one set of cuts and sell 10 or more.
--
Jeff


You’ve reached the end of replies