Noisy Hawk 220 (1986)

[Dennisy59]

I I recently bought a used Hawk 220.  It looks in good condition but seems noisy to me. 
Any suggestions from Hawk owners ?  

[SCROLLSAW703]

howdy & welcome to the forum, neighbor!:) Where does it sound like the noise is comin' from? there are some things to check on a 220. Wiggle your bottom arm to check for any excess movement. Have you checked to make sure everything is aligned?

[tuner]

Check your tension rod "v" blocks they tend to round out and make noise

[Dennisy59]

Thanks for the welcome.   Hard to tell where the noise is coming from. The manual shows how to fiddle with the counter weights in the gear box BUT  not sure I want to fuss with that as the instructions are not that clear. Should a coin stand on edge on table while the motor is running ?

[Dennisy59]

I will check the tension v blocks in the a.m.  thanks

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

If you do not know where the noise is coming from then it is impossible to help you. Will tell you this that sometimes the dust blower tube gets moved when changing blades and it will hit the clamp. Then at times the tension lever in the back will sometimes slide against the arm in the back and it will make a clunking noise when the saw goes up and down. Other than that I have had mine for 15 years+ and no noises that can not be fixed and they were what I explained. Love my RBI and would buy another. In my opinion best saw on the market.

[stevan]

8 hours ago, Dennisy59 said:

Thanks for the welcome.   Hard to tell where the noise is coming from. The manual shows how to fiddle with the counter weights in the gear box BUT  not sure I want to fuss with that as the instructions are not that clear. Should a coin stand on edge on table while the motor is running ?

My Hawk is about the same age as yours and I cannot get a coin to stand up when it's running at full speed.  And there are some "harmonic" vibrations about mid way up the speed dial where I don't think anything could stand on it.

[Rolf]

First off Welcome!

Noisy is a tough ? It will sound different from all other saws, but they are not whisper quiet. there should be no knocking sounds, but it has a significant bellows so it wheezes huffs and puffs like a geriatric.  So we do need a bit more clarity on what type of noise. It would be really helpful if you can find another Hawk owner nearby so that you can make a comparison.

My 12 year old G4 was sounding different to me and I carefully went through it looking for parts that had movement where they shouldn't. I found a tiny bit of play in the upper pitman arm bushing. I replaced the pitman arm and the saw is like new. It had a oilite bushing that I don't think I ever lubricated, hard to get at. My bad.

 First we need more information. Look up your serial number on the Hawk web site.  http://www.hawkwoodworkingtools.com/WebsitePages/Scroll-Saw-Manuals.html

We can then have a look at the manual for your saw.  

With the blade installed and properly tensioned, a nice "C" ping , does it still make noise through the full speed range.

If you have a small blade and your tension is too low it may have a bit of a knock. Tension a bit more.

 

[Dennisy59]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Triangle blocks look fine and the bottom arm is solid.   So far I am not impressed with my Hawk.  Not sure I will keep it. I had a Hitachi that was smoother. I could  balance a nickel on the running saw.

3506 is the serial # for this Hawk. Only two speed with pulley change and longer belt.  I only run on high speed.  I may have the tension too loose and will try more but I was just expecting a saw that was a bit quieter than this one.

[rjweb]

Well the saw is over 30 years old, like all things my bones make some noise now with age, RJ

Edited August 21, 2017 by rjweb

[kmmcrafts]

The first thing one should do in getting a new or used saw is loosen the stand and make it settle into the spot you plan to use it at..

I bought my first Hawk last Oct.. and it was real noisy and vibrated across the floor.. at one time the saw had been bolted to plywood and the bottom of the stand legs was bent some... by loosening the saw stand and letting it settle in and re-tightening the legs back up helped a lot.. but I still had a issue because of the bottom of the legs was bent some.. I ended up with having to buy some adjustable legs to bolt onto the bottom of the legs... 

This could be somewhat the same issue you have with your saw.. You never know how someone has set up a saw before you.. so whenever I get a used saw.. first thing I do is go through the saw and tune everything up as if it was a new saw...

Kevin

[Dennisy59]

On closer listening the loudest sound seems to come from where the bottom arm connects to the arm coming from the motor.  I can't wiggle anything but perhaps there is wear in the pivot point.  I think I'm going to get brave and open the gear box and see what if anything is going on in there.  Supposed to be a way to set the counter weights, if they are out of wack.  I feel this is my best chance to quiet the beast at least a little.

[Dennisy59]

Possible, repeat, possible area where noise is coming from.

[kmmcrafts]

13 minutes ago, Dennisy59 said:

Possible, repeat, possible area where noise is coming from.

That is exactly where mine sounded bad... was uneven legs on the stand that took care of most of it.. not sure about your saw though.. as you have a few years older than mine.. ( mines a 1993 220VS ).. I don't have any gearbox.. as it is direct drive to the motor.... But anyway.. I'd start with making sure the stand is settled onto the ground firmly.. as that is probably the most over looked.. and many times the culprit.. rule out the simple stuff first.. noise travels through that steel in weird ways.. On mine.. I thought that connecting rod that comes through and hooks to the lower arm was hitting on the frame where it goes through.. like I said.. adjusting the stand took care of about 90% of the noise and vibration.. then I moved onto other things to get it smoothed out..    

[Rolf]

The image posted by Dennisy59 points to where my Hawk had a slight bit of play, enough to make slight noise. 

Dennisy59 Hicksville? do you know about our Long Island scrollsaw club? we meet in Smith town on the 3rd Thursday of the month 7pm in the Brush barn. We will start again in August.

 

Several years ago I was asked to take a look at a very Old Hawk 16" saw for a local carver. It was making one heck of a racket.  It did have a counterweight with a set screw to a flat on the shaft. It was very loose allowing the whole assembly to move around.. I went through the entire saw and tweaked it. It ran reasonably well after that, but had it been my first and only contact with the Hawk brand I probably would not have one. The newer ones are very different machines. I have yet to use a better saw than my G4 (2005)

Edited August 22, 2017 by Rolf

[Dennisy59]

Thanks rolf.   Interesting.

[amazingkevin]

Love this shop talk!

On 8/20/2017 at 4:43 PM, Dennisy59 said:

I I recently bought a used Hawk 220.  It looks in good condition but seems noisy to me. 
Any suggestions from Hawk owners ?  

Love this shop talk!

[Dennisy59]

A band of band scroll saw sawers...