Messages

106

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: New Scroll Saw and Suggestions for next project

« on: February 15, 2020, 07:33:40 pm »

I knew you'd love it.  When I was biting the bullet and buying a good saw I looked at the four they had at the local Woodcraft and the Jet just felt like it was the best fit for me. I blew my 'indulgence' budget for the year but this is exactly why I have an indulgence budget.

Because my hearing damage was caused by dot matrix printers back in the 1980's I have to wear earmuffs when using my Jet because the little bit of noise it makes is right in the same frequencies I already have problems with, but my wife can stand right next to me watching me work with no problems.

Oh - and a tip I picked up somewhere online that I'm really liking - use a pair of cutters and clip the top front corner of the blade off - keeps it from being squished out and makes it easier to get it through a hole.

107

Brag Forum / Re: Just finished

« on: February 15, 2020, 07:27:49 pm »

Very well cut!  And congratulations on the contest win as well.

108

Ask Steve a question. / Re: stacked jewelry trays

« on: February 15, 2020, 07:26:29 pm »

I haven't made it, but I was looking at it and figuring it out.  The part of the pattern where he shows the dowels sticking out 'about 1/8"' is the bottom of a tray.  The holes in the base and in the lids are just a hair larger than the dowel so the tray can swivel and the lid at the top can swing open.  You drive the dowel into the tray and let it stick out the bottom a bit.  If this tray is the top tray then you cut the dowel flush with the top of the lid.  If it's not the top tray cut it at 1/8" longer than the tray so the lid is held by the dowels coming from above and below.  Or, if you don't want the extra layer of a lid between the trays then cut the dowel to be the same length as the tray + bottom and drive it down to be sticking out the bottom 1/8".  That leaves a 1/8" space for the dowel from the next tray up to set into.

109

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: New Scroll Saw and Suggestions for next project

« on: January 26, 2020, 02:42:35 pm »

I recently got the 18" Jet - love it! 

The blade mounting system is great, IMHO.  You take the little lower blade holder (you get three with the saw and can get more on Amazon for about $20 / 3).  I hold it with the knob to the right, slide in my blade with teeth up and knowing it's the bottom holder.  I have my thumb against the bottom of the holder so I just slide the blade in until it hits my thumb.  Snug the knob, then put the flats of the holder into the hole on the side of the saw and tighten it.  If you're having grip problems you can make a little wrench by cutting a small slot into a bit of wood to give you something larger to hold on to.

Pop the blade holder into the lower holder and bring the saw arm down.  Center the top of the blade in the clamps and flip the big lever up.  Your blade is now at exactly the same tension you set earlier.

I have occasionally had the arm (apparently) move a bit when the saw is not in use - you bring it down and the blade seems to be about 1/4" too short.  Just adjust the tension knob to bring the arm down, clamp it, then set your tension and you'll be good for a long time.  This only seems to happen when I haven't used my saw for a few days.

You can easily adjust how aggressively the Jet saws cut - the manual shows you how to do it and it looks pretty easy.

I had one very minor problem - the lower blade guard clattered and fell off.  I called up Jet and they sent me a new one which I easily installed.  It did the same thing so now I know that if I want it there I can do it.  First I have to have one of the broken ones re-welded.  The key appears to be that you don't want it down by the arm (which mine were) but up by the bottom of the table.  As far as I can tell (and the person at Jet agreed) it's just an extra safety bit so if the blade holder manages to come out while you're sawing it will keep it near where it should be.  I use a deadman switch foot pedal so I'm not worried about it.  I have had a blade or two break with no catastrophe.

While the Jet is a bottom feed the arm (on mine) raises up 10" and stays up no problem (if it droops there's a simple adjustment).  If you're having trouble hitting the hole you can pop out the lower holder and feed it up near the front edge of the table and then easily get the lower holder back in place.

One small thing that will probably affect your finely detailed work: I have found that the clamp (at least the way my saw it set) actually clamps so hard that it eventually mashes the end of the blade to a slightly wider shape.  My saw may be set too tight one the clamp.  You can either use a small file to clean up the end or just go to a fresh, unsquished blade when it starts to get too wide.

Looking forward to seeing some the great things you'll do with your new saw!

110

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: Does anyone else...

« on: January 26, 2020, 02:28:06 pm »

I have a storage tub piled with all of the leftovers from my work.  You never know when you might be able to fit a small piece into the leftovers from some other project.

In the same way, your pile of 'almost' pieces are known pieces of wood that looked good enough for a project.  Even if that piece of wood didn't wind up in the original project, parts of it could wind up in future ones.

No sense wasting good wood.

111

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: O Holy Night

« on: January 04, 2020, 07:53:55 pm »

The guy who taught me taught me to always cut the inside pieces first.  That way you have the most to hold on to.  As he put it, you have the bigger 'steering wheel' to guide the saw through the cuts.

112

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: Newbie in Kansas City

« on: January 04, 2020, 07:50:20 pm »

Yeah, I knew the saw I had was a cheapie but it was good enough to get going.  I hoped the Menard's saw was a mid-range that would carry me along for a while.  When it turned out to not work for this kind of use I knew the best thing to do was to go down and get something from the 'good' level.

I was pleased that they had the DeWalt everyone likes in stock to look at, along with a few other choices.  That let me fiddle with them - including seeing how blade changing worked - and make my decision.

Everything I've seen says that blade changing is just about the single most important thing in choosing a saw, or at least in choosing between similar saws.  I'm thinking they are right.

113

General Scroll Saw Talk / Newbie in Kansas City

« on: January 01, 2020, 05:35:41 pm »

Just got my authorization to post - Hi folks! 

Branson, MO is only about 3 hours from KC.  There's a gentleman that goes by Mr. M there who teaches scroll saw.  This year I finally made it down for his class.  Also learned pen turning but that's another thing.  I thought I had a scroll saw - a 16" Ryobi I bought for about $69 at the discount tool place years ago.  Not too bad but not really up to real use.  Wore out on me in the middle of a project.

Went to the nearby Menards and got the best (only) saw they had, the 18" Masterforce for $200.  It's 80% great, 15% "hey, it's a $200 saw", and 5% unusable.  Doesn't really handle pinless blades.  They give you set screws and an allen wrench.  If you have access to a machinist it would be easy to replace their 'clamps' with something better but the arm doesn't lift so....

I really tried to make it work but just couldn't and had to take it back.  Went down to the local Woodcraft and bit the bullet to get a good saw.  Checked out the Dewalt but I just liked the 18" Jet better - https://www.jettools.com/us/en/p/jwss-18b-18-scroll-saw/727300B

Very pleased with it.  It is a bottom feed but the arm lifts 10" and stays up.  The blade holding is slightly odd.  There's a lower blade holder you put the blade in then use a hole on the side of the saw to tighten.  Once you pop the holder into the lower arm the upper clamp is a flip arm that cams in a pair of flats to grab and lift the end.  Set the tension once with the knob on the back and you get the same tension every time.

We looked at the lights at Woodcraft but didn't want to pay their price.  Instead we went to the Joann near our house and looked at the Ott lights there.  They didn't have a good desk mounted swing arm but the ever-indulgent wife spotted a little one made for use on a sewing machine - https://www.joann.com/ottlite-sewing-machine-light/15437528.html#prefn1=brand&srule=best-sellers&prefv1=Ottlite%20Lighting&addShipToHomeConditions=false&start=1
The reviews are very mixed but it's working well for me.  You can use one of those 3M Command strips to attach it to the side of the saw.  The arm is a bit weak but mine is working well so far.  I tried the magnifier head once - it's more likely to droop but also worked well.  Just don't need it most of the time, at least for now.

Having fun, improving my skills.  Probably most just lurk here but you never know.

Enjoy!

KCSteve :->

114

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: looking at this saw, what do you think?

« on: January 01, 2020, 05:23:39 pm »

Just got my authorization to post - Hi folks! 

I learned to scroll this summer and thought I had a scroll saw - a little Ryobi 16" I got at a discount tool place years ago for around $69.  It wasn't bad but trying to do real scrolling wore it out.  Of course it wore out in the middle of a project.  So I went to the nearby Menards and the best (only) saw they had, their Masterforce 18" for $200.  Much better saw, but flawed.  It's 80% great, 15% "hey, it's a $200 saw", and 5% unusable.  Most of the cheapness is that the arm doesn't lift and unusable is the way it handles pinless blades.  They give you two set screws and an allen wrench.  I tried really hard to make it work but just couldn't and had to take it back.  If you do metal machining - or have a friend - you could easily replace their 'clamps' with something better.  Of course the arm still won't lift.

I went down to the local Woodcraft and bit the bullet in getting a good saw.  Looked at the Dewalt but settled on an 18" Jet - https://www.jettools.com/us/en/p/jwss-18b-18-scroll-saw/727300B
The Jet just felt like a better saw for me.  It's a bottom feed saw but the arm lifts 10" so I don't see that as a problem.  The blade holding is slightly weird.  There's a lower blade holder (you get three and can even get more on Amazon).  You put the bottom of the blade in, tighten it by hand and then use a hole in the side of the saw and flats on the holder to get it really tight.  The upper blade clamp is a flip arm.  As it comes back a pair of flats cam in and pull up.   Once you set your blade tension with knob on the back you get the same tension every time.  Very smooth operation and I'm very pleased with my investment.