oldhudson Posted July 28, 2015 Report Share Posted July 28, 2015 (edited) I know there are lots of posts about different saws. There is even a thread especially for saws, but my question isn't covered. (In another post I've described the problem I have and assuming I can't fix it I want to start thinking about a replacement. ) My shop is pretty small at 175 square feet and I have lots of equipment. I need a saw that doesn't require it's own stand and can be moved easily. I bolt my Delta to a workbench when in use and if I'm working on a non-scroll project I unbolt it and move it to a shelf in a closet until I need it again - gaining access to the whole bench. Even my router table gets taken apart and stored on a wall when not in use. So I'm looking for recommendations for scroll saws that can be moved. And this may be my last scroll saw so I'm hoping to get a good one. Thanks for reading and your suggestions. Edited July 28, 2015 by oldhudson amazingkevin 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerry1939 Posted July 28, 2015 Report Share Posted July 28, 2015 Would a table top work that you could flip over, with one tool mounted upright and the other up-side-down? Or possibly hinge a table top on the wall and swing it up for use? Hope this starts some type of thinking direction to take. GOOD LUCK !! jerry Scrolling Steve 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ctutor Posted July 28, 2015 Report Share Posted July 28, 2015 The Dw788 is heafty but not overly so. It is a good piece of equipment. If you have the footprint space I would push you in that direction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetalScroll Posted July 28, 2015 Report Share Posted July 28, 2015 Right now I'm using the harbor freight scroll saw on a tilted stand I made it's pretty good but I will graduate too a dewalt before long. vykus 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrolling Steve Posted July 28, 2015 Report Share Posted July 28, 2015 I have been involved in this hobby for a little over a year and i jumped into the deep of the pool from day one.........I have an EX21 and love it....Do not think i will ever use any other saw....just my two cents!.......I also have a small shop....everything is on casters! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrylee Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 I also have a "SMALL SHOP " and I also have a EX21 and I'M sure you could come up with a way to make it where you could move it around the shop.Like put casters on the stand of the saw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldhudson Posted July 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 Would a table top work that you could flip over, with one tool mounted upright and the other up-side-down? Or possibly hinge a table top on the wall and swing it up for use? Hope this starts some type of thinking direction to take. GOOD LUCK !! jerry I made and have used one of these for several years with a chop saw on one side and planer on the other. It's a great space saver. I wish I had the floor space for another. There is some talk in the family about me taking a closet from an adjacent room for the shop - we'll see.... MetalScroll, Sparkey and oneleggimp 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldhudson Posted July 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 Does anyone know the dimensions and weight on the EX 21? and doesn't Excalibur make a smaller machine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WayneMahler Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 The DeWalk and Excalber EX-21 are both great saws. I've seen the set up with 2 tools on a flipable top and it works pretty good and saves space. I have also seen setups where the tools are mounted on a board you slide in and out of a receiving cabinet as needed. Plans for both are all over the place. You could evenn make the slide in/out one so it fits under your current workbench and clamp it down when in use, and stow it away when not. Both of these saws weigh about the same, ni the 60 pound range so nt very hard to move. Just a few thughts that may help you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WayneMahler Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 Does anyone know the dimensions and weight on the EX 21? and doesn't Excalibur make a smaller machine? Excalber also make an EX-16. Those specs may be listed here in that forum or should be availible at thier site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgman Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 I teach scroll saw at the Woodcraft store in Ventura, Ca. They have five DeWalt saws. One is on the DeWalt stand and the others are mounted on plywood basee and stored on the bottom shelf of a storage cabinet. When needed, we just pull them off the shelf and clamp the base to a work bench. Easy enough! oldhudson 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amazingkevin Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 I know there are lots of posts about different saws. There is even a thread especially for saws, but my question isn't covered. (In another post I've described the problem I have and assuming I can't fix it I want to start thinking about a replacement. ) My shop is pretty small at 175 square feet and I have lots of equipment. I need a saw that doesn't require it's own stand and can be moved easily. I bolt my Delta to a workbench when in use and if I'm working on a non-scroll project I unbolt it and move it to a shelf in a closet until I need it again - gaining access to the whole bench. Even my router table gets taken apart and stored on a wall when not in use. So I'm looking for recommendations for scroll saws that can be moved. And this may be my last scroll saw so I'm hoping to get a good one. Thanks for reading and your suggestions. good scroll saws are not light 76 pounds and up.i myself would not want to lift one anymore than i had too if ever.I need to make a table saw and planer combo table .I see from your it needs to be counter weighted baddly.The planer weighs three times what a chop saw weights Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky2 Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 Oldhudson, I own an EX21, and I think that it would be just to heavy and large to be moving it around all of the time. Personally, I think that you should look into the EX16", they are a lot smaller than the EX21 and lighter also. The reason for suggesting the EX16", is that you stated that you wanted a good saw, and, that this will probably be your last scroll saw purchase. With the quality that the EX's have built into them, you should get years of use out of one. Like I stated earlier, I own an EX21 and am as pleased as puch with it, but, I've also used a EX16" and it was every bit as nice to use as mine is. The only difference I could find, was the difference in size from a 21" to a 16". If you can live with a saw that only cuts to this size, then I think that it would be a very safe buy. Len Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heppnerguy Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 I use my DeWalt the most and I just have it sitting on my workbench where I do all my cutting. I do not have it bolted down to the table or anything else. I did recently put a 14 inch long 4 x4 board under back of the base of my saw and gave it a tilt. Still trying to understand if I like it that way or flat on the bench. When I am cleaning off my bench or just want more surface to work on when I am not cutting anything, I just slide my saw off to one side or the other. It seemed to work out just fine for me. Dick heppnerguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC Scroller Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 What about mounting it to a permanent stand with locking casters on it? Then just step on the locks and you just move it when you need to. MetalScroll 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetalScroll Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 What about mounting it to a permanent stand with locking casters on it? Then just step on the locks and you just move it when you need to.i need to do this with mine, make cleaning up a lot easier, also need to do it to my table saw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldhudson Posted July 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 What about mounting it to a permanent stand with locking casters on it? Then just step on the locks and you just move it when you need to. I don't think I have the floor space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerJay Posted July 29, 2015 Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 Maybe consider making a lazy susan type tool stand that holds multiple bench top tools. I've used on for decades that holds 3 pieces of equipment on a much smaller footprint than needed if I had to find space for each one to stand alone. Currently it holds my bench top drill press, jointer and router table. It wouldn't accommodate the large square footprint of an Excalibur but perhaps might work with one of the ones that are narrower and more triangular in shape. If it wouldn't be feasible for a scrollsaw it might provide you with new choices for other bench top equipment thus freeing up space for your scrollsaw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldhudson Posted July 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2015 Maybe consider making a lazy susan type tool stand that holds multiple bench top tools. I've used on for decades that holds 3 pieces of equipment on a much smaller footprint than needed if I had to find space for each one to stand alone. Currently it holds my bench top drill press, jointer and router table. It wouldn't accommodate the large square footprint of an Excalibur but perhaps might work with one of the ones that are narrower and more triangular in shape. If it wouldn't be feasible for a scrollsaw it might provide you with new choices for other bench top equipment thus freeing up space for your scrollsaw. Please post a picture or two of that set-up. Sounds interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerJay Posted July 30, 2015 Report Share Posted July 30, 2015 Please post a picture or two of that set-up. Sounds interesting. Here's a couple pictures. Currently set-up to use the drill press. Turning the table top clockwise 1/3 turn will bring the jointer to the front or counter-clockwise 1/3 turn will bring the router table to the front. I think I originally got the design for this from an old Popular Mechanics magazine - some 30 years ago ...... Jay Sparkey 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryEA Posted July 30, 2015 Report Share Posted July 30, 2015 Best one for moving where you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkey Posted July 30, 2015 Report Share Posted July 30, 2015 Very clever Jay, I like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldhudson Posted July 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2015 Here's a couple pictures. Currently set-up to use the drill press. Turning the table top clockwise 1/3 turn will bring the jointer to the front or counter-clockwise 1/3 turn will bring the router table to the front. I think I originally got the design for this from an old Popular Mechanics magazine - some 30 years ago ...... Jay How do you prevent the turntable from rotating when it's in the correct position? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerJay Posted July 30, 2015 Report Share Posted July 30, 2015 How do you prevent the turntable from rotating when it's in the correct position? This is a pretty basic piece of rough carpentry. The top (plywood on 2X6's) sits directly on top of a second circular piece of plywood that ties in the top of the legs. Pivot point is a spike - I did not use a lazy susan bearing. There is enough friction from the weight of the tools that there is no unwanted rotation. I did include stop holes with the idea of inserting a second spike to prevent unwanted rotation but have never felt the need to use them. When I need to rotate the table I lift slightly at two adjacent 2X6's and simply shift the table top 1/3 a turn in whatever direction I need. My version of this table was definitely built with function, not form, in mind - if I recall correctly the original plans had quite a bit more finesse about them ..... I took a couple extra pictures to show the underside. Jay oldhudson 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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