91
Brag Forum / Re: Finally built myself a cart - HUGE improvement!
« on: April 30, 2020, 09:27:12 am »
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92
Brag Forum / Re: Finally built myself a cart - HUGE improvement!
« on: April 30, 2020, 09:26:49 am »
Second side:
93
Brag Forum / Re: Finally built myself a cart - HUGE improvement!
« on: April 30, 2020, 09:26:17 am »
First side:
94
Brag Forum / Finally built myself a cart - HUGE improvement!
« on: April 30, 2020, 09:25:46 am »
I had my saw mounted on a cheap stand from Harbor Freight. It worked, but it was bit flimsy and hard to move. I could only use certain speeds on my saw because others would resonate the stand and cause way too much vibration. I got tired of it and made myself a cart very loosely based on the one Steve recently posted a video about. That gentleman sells plans for his but his is for a Dewalt and I have a Jet. I did use 3/4" plywood and drywall screws, and it sits on 3 lockable casters so the basic idea is there. Three casters is better than four - three points will always sit nice and stable on a surface while four may not. Two in front for stability and one in the back. I colored the 'on' ends of the locks red to make them easier to see.
One of the first things I did after taking these pictures was upgrade my 'hunk O' 2x4' blade storage rack to the one Steve posted here:
http://scrollsawworkshop.blogspot.com/2017/01/scroll-saw-blade-holder-pattern.html
At some speeds there's just enough vibration that things on the bottom shelf can walk. The cup holder was added after my drink walked off during a long cut. I put some shelf paper under my blade rack to hold it in place. Other minor tweaks may come over time.
As you can see, I don't have a lot of space to work in. I don't have a workshop, I have 'some' space in the garage (sometimes I move my car out to the driveway). The nice thing about scrolling is that it doesn't take a lot of space.
The cart is just a rectangular base with supports front and back for the top. The back cross piece goes all the way down to form the back of the storage area. The front one only goes half way so I can get at the storage area from the front. I used some scrap boards to make a few compartments. The one in the front is for stuff I use all the time. The one at the back bottom is for stuff I want with the saw (like the manual and such) but don't need that often. The ever-indulgent wife bought me both the Scroller's drill and Seyco's small dust collection system. The compartment at the back on top holds the little vacuum (that thing is scary powerful!). There's a hole for the hose (another one you can't see gets it through the center support). The system is designed to mount to their stand but it only took a little work to adapt it to my setup. There is no sawdust, other than what comes off the top of the board (which is why my drink is on the left side).
The cart is so nice and solid it's actually an upgrade to my already great saw. And, as the weather gets warmer I have the option of moving outside and giving the neighbors something new to talk about.
Due to attachment restrictions I'll just put one/post
One of the first things I did after taking these pictures was upgrade my 'hunk O' 2x4' blade storage rack to the one Steve posted here:
http://scrollsawworkshop.blogspot.com/2017/01/scroll-saw-blade-holder-pattern.html
At some speeds there's just enough vibration that things on the bottom shelf can walk. The cup holder was added after my drink walked off during a long cut. I put some shelf paper under my blade rack to hold it in place. Other minor tweaks may come over time.
As you can see, I don't have a lot of space to work in. I don't have a workshop, I have 'some' space in the garage (sometimes I move my car out to the driveway). The nice thing about scrolling is that it doesn't take a lot of space.
The cart is just a rectangular base with supports front and back for the top. The back cross piece goes all the way down to form the back of the storage area. The front one only goes half way so I can get at the storage area from the front. I used some scrap boards to make a few compartments. The one in the front is for stuff I use all the time. The one at the back bottom is for stuff I want with the saw (like the manual and such) but don't need that often. The ever-indulgent wife bought me both the Scroller's drill and Seyco's small dust collection system. The compartment at the back on top holds the little vacuum (that thing is scary powerful!). There's a hole for the hose (another one you can't see gets it through the center support). The system is designed to mount to their stand but it only took a little work to adapt it to my setup. There is no sawdust, other than what comes off the top of the board (which is why my drink is on the left side).
The cart is so nice and solid it's actually an upgrade to my already great saw. And, as the weather gets warmer I have the option of moving outside and giving the neighbors something new to talk about.
Due to attachment restrictions I'll just put one/post
95
Ask Steve a question. / Re: New Jet Scroll Saw Set up
« on: April 26, 2020, 05:59:57 pm »
If you're like me and actually read the whole manual they do mention that. Of course, that only helps those folks who are the sort who read the whole manual so.... 
96
General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: re considering the excalibur and comparing to jet with Blade Comparisons
« on: April 23, 2020, 06:45:35 pm »
Now that is a good idea!
Be a bit tricky if allow both to tilt at the same time, but I'll bet they could do it so one or the other can be tilted.
I really like the tilting arm for everything except sharp corners.
Be a bit tricky if allow both to tilt at the same time, but I'll bet they could do it so one or the other can be tilted.
I really like the tilting arm for everything except sharp corners.
97
Tutorials, Techniques and Tips / Re: Cutting Direction
« on: April 16, 2020, 08:46:35 am »
I'm still fairly new at this but my logic is that the blade tends to drift to the right of the cut so I cut in whichever direction puts the waste wood on that side.
If I'm cutting out the inside of a piece then I cut counter-clockwise so if the blade drifts it should go into the scrap.
If I'm cutting around the outside then I cut clockwise so any drift should go out away from the project.
The fun part is when you're cutting between pieces and can't afford drift in either direction. Then I just go whichever way seems convenient.
If I'm cutting out the inside of a piece then I cut counter-clockwise so if the blade drifts it should go into the scrap.
If I'm cutting around the outside then I cut clockwise so any drift should go out away from the project.
The fun part is when you're cutting between pieces and can't afford drift in either direction. Then I just go whichever way seems convenient.
98
General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: re considering the excalibur and comparing to jet with Blade Comparisons
« on: April 09, 2020, 07:16:29 pm »
Well then for things like bowls you'll either want to drill sharp corners or do a lot of practice so you can hit that sweet spot of the rotation without the help of the drilled space.
99
Introduce Yourself. / Re: New from Virginia Beach, VA
« on: April 02, 2020, 12:39:35 pm »
Welcome!
I think a whole lot of us have been 'social distancing' down to our shops these days.
I think a whole lot of us have been 'social distancing' down to our shops these days.
100
General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: re considering the excalibur and comparing to jet with Blade Comparisons
« on: April 02, 2020, 12:38:25 pm »
I've been doing a lot of bowls lately and I've found one small disadvantage to the Jet.
If you're doing angled cuts it's better to have a tilting-table saw like the Excalibur than a tilting-arm saw like the Jet. When you cut a sharp corner you just pin the blade and spin around it. But if you're cutting at an angle on a tilting-arm saw you can't do that. Because the blade is tilted if you rotate around the top of the blade the bottom of the blade is going to move in an arc - the more tilt the larger. So you have to tilt at just the right point down inside the wood which is very hard to figure out. With a tilting table saw the axis of rotation is still lined up with the blade so you just make your corner as normal. I find that for sharp turns it's best to drill a through hole at your proper angle. Then you just cut to the hole and turn gently. The blade sits in its little pocket and you wind up spinning around the magic spot. But then you have that stupid drill hole to clean up later.
It's a small thing, but important to know about.
If you're doing angled cuts it's better to have a tilting-table saw like the Excalibur than a tilting-arm saw like the Jet. When you cut a sharp corner you just pin the blade and spin around it. But if you're cutting at an angle on a tilting-arm saw you can't do that. Because the blade is tilted if you rotate around the top of the blade the bottom of the blade is going to move in an arc - the more tilt the larger. So you have to tilt at just the right point down inside the wood which is very hard to figure out. With a tilting table saw the axis of rotation is still lined up with the blade so you just make your corner as normal. I find that for sharp turns it's best to drill a through hole at your proper angle. Then you just cut to the hole and turn gently. The blade sits in its little pocket and you wind up spinning around the magic spot. But then you have that stupid drill hole to clean up later.
It's a small thing, but important to know about.
101
Brag Forum / Re: Embroidery work on a scroll saw
« on: March 24, 2020, 05:52:31 pm »
Well that is just insanely cool!
And the lights make it even better!
And the lights make it even better!
102
The Coffee Shop / Re: How is Corona effecting your life?
« on: March 24, 2020, 05:50:42 pm »
Because I follow some smart folks on Twitter we saw this coming back in January. One of the main ones for good info is Mr. Hans G. Schantz (@Aetherczar)
I was doing Uber but we decided that I should take time off from that starting March 1st. On the 12th someone in her building at work was presumed positive (and later confirmed by test) so she's been working from home since the 13th.
We had already supplemented our normal stocks of things by just a bit so the hoarders haven't been a real problem for us.
Having been a Software Engineer (programmer) for over 30 years before I got caught in the 2010 layoffs I've had various routines well worked out to keep us from getting infected, down to using some cheap food service gloves to get the mail and paper in where they get sprayed with disinfectant. Those cheap food service gloves from the wholesale store are great, btw. They're so cheap you don't care about burning through piles of them. And when things settle down they'll go back to their real purpose - keeping me from getting epoxy all over myself when I'm turning pens.
One thing we've been doing for years is looking more and more like it's a great idea: Elderberry concentrate and Zicam. Elderberries contain an anti-viral. TamiFlu is that anti-viral isolated and made in the lab. If you have a shot of Elderberry concentrate every day you're getting some of the anti-viral. How much? No way to tell but at least it's some. Haven't had a real cold or flu in years. If we think we're starting to get something we hit the Zicam (zinc). Turns out the main way the malaria drug works is by helping your cells take up zinc. Can't say for sure that these two things are keeping us safe since neither one of us wants to be the control to see if we get sick if we stop, but so far so good.
I'm hoping that most of us are just getting a little more un-interrupted time to spend at our saws.
See you on the other side!
I was doing Uber but we decided that I should take time off from that starting March 1st. On the 12th someone in her building at work was presumed positive (and later confirmed by test) so she's been working from home since the 13th.
We had already supplemented our normal stocks of things by just a bit so the hoarders haven't been a real problem for us.
Having been a Software Engineer (programmer) for over 30 years before I got caught in the 2010 layoffs I've had various routines well worked out to keep us from getting infected, down to using some cheap food service gloves to get the mail and paper in where they get sprayed with disinfectant. Those cheap food service gloves from the wholesale store are great, btw. They're so cheap you don't care about burning through piles of them. And when things settle down they'll go back to their real purpose - keeping me from getting epoxy all over myself when I'm turning pens.
One thing we've been doing for years is looking more and more like it's a great idea: Elderberry concentrate and Zicam. Elderberries contain an anti-viral. TamiFlu is that anti-viral isolated and made in the lab. If you have a shot of Elderberry concentrate every day you're getting some of the anti-viral. How much? No way to tell but at least it's some. Haven't had a real cold or flu in years. If we think we're starting to get something we hit the Zicam (zinc). Turns out the main way the malaria drug works is by helping your cells take up zinc. Can't say for sure that these two things are keeping us safe since neither one of us wants to be the control to see if we get sick if we stop, but so far so good.
I'm hoping that most of us are just getting a little more un-interrupted time to spend at our saws.
See you on the other side!
103
General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: Steve's Email patterns
« on: March 24, 2020, 05:40:52 pm »
I'm with GLC - check your spam folder. Because Steve's emails go out to a large list your new computer's email may think that it's spam.
104
General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: Pegas #2R blades
« on: March 24, 2020, 05:37:25 pm »
I'm might be better off if the 2/0's I have were breaking. I'm trying to learn to cut puzzles but when it comes to the 2/0 blades I have absolutely no control over the darn things. The blade wanders off to the left or right, starts drifting off at weird angles.
It's like one of us is drunk and since I don't drink...
My tension is high - on some tests insanely high with no effect.
The only thing I've found that helps at all is setting my saw's speed down as low as it can go. The blade cuts through the wood only a little slower than at a normal speed but at least it's sorta kinda maybe under some sort of control.
Hope your problem gets resolved soon.
It's like one of us is drunk and since I don't drink...
My tension is high - on some tests insanely high with no effect.
The only thing I've found that helps at all is setting my saw's speed down as low as it can go. The blade cuts through the wood only a little slower than at a normal speed but at least it's sorta kinda maybe under some sort of control.
Hope your problem gets resolved soon.
105
General Scroll Saw Talk / Seems like a good time to fire up our saws
« on: March 13, 2020, 05:07:20 pm »
With the current virus situation it sounds like it's a good time to fire up our scroll saws.
There are no sports to watch, can't go out to any events, and we're supposed to be trying to stay six feet away from most folks.
Plus, a lot of us are in, or near, the higher-risk group making these things even more important.
As long as we've got a pile of wood to work with it sounds to me like we're supposed to be heading to the shop. Heck, a lot of folks are even wearing masks, just to be safe.
In all seriousness, I hope everyone - and their loved ones - make it through this thing ok.
There are no sports to watch, can't go out to any events, and we're supposed to be trying to stay six feet away from most folks.
Plus, a lot of us are in, or near, the higher-risk group making these things even more important.
As long as we've got a pile of wood to work with it sounds to me like we're supposed to be heading to the shop. Heck, a lot of folks are even wearing masks, just to be safe.
In all seriousness, I hope everyone - and their loved ones - make it through this thing ok.
