Scroll Saw Timer

[Rockytime]

I guess I'm directing this to Kevin. I would like to know out of curiosity how much time I spend cutting certain patterns. You have put timers on your saws and I'm wondering what those timers are and can they be moved from one saw to another easily? Where did you get them and what do you call them?

[dgman]

It’s called a watch. 

[Tomanydogs]

Hi Les, Brenda also asked this question in Scrollers Q&A on July 20. Under the heading “Measuring time?”  There might be some helpful hints in there for you. 
Wish I could just put the link here for you but I don’t know how to do that on my iPad. 

[Foxfold]

I found a 'stopwatch' on my phone. It worked brilliantly.  Just push go and when you stop just push stop. It's continuous in that it doesn't reset to zero. I found it an immense help when I used it.  Hope this helps. there were other suggestions on that thread

 

[kmmcrafts]

Steve Good did a write up quite some time ago about this.. http://scrollsawworkshop.blogspot.com/2017/04/i-received-and-email-from-john-fiorani.html

 

I bought two of these and installed on two of my saws.. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Hour-Meter-Generator-or-any-120-Volts-AC-60-hz-ProG713/321893404814?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649 then I also bought two of those that Steve Good used of the digital type..I just bought extension cords and cut the end off to put the connectors onto for plugging into the hour meter.. 

That said.. the hour meters are only a "close" timer because they are every 1/10 hour.. so each 1/10th  digit is 6 minutes..  I like the analog meter better because you can see where that 1/10 digit is somewhat.. The digital one you could be 1 second away from the next change of the 1/10 but it's not going to change that digit until the time is up for it to change.. being that it's 6 minutes between changes you could be off you time by up to 6 minutes.. 

I didn't really get the meters for timing my work... I was more curious about saw maintenance and life.. plus I was curious how much the saw really runs..  I was amazed that you can work in the shop 40 hours a week but struggle to get 15 - 20 hours on the saw.. There is a lot of time doing prep work sanding and finishing etc etc.. Not to mention taking a break to see what other fellow Villagers are up too, LOL..

If you're just wanting to time you projects.. I recall you worked on clocks? You could wire up a electric clock in the same manor.. Set the clock time at noon and saw your project then see what time it took you.. this could be reset for each project or each saw etc..  

 

[amazingkevin]

I used to connect a clock to the foot pedal circuit, but that only gives the cutting time which i think is about half of the real time spent on a project start to finish

[Rockytime]

I have 2 digital timers with a magnetic base on each saw. My problem is remembering to turn them on or off. I'm just curious about how long the saw is in operation. It's not a need to know,  just a curiosity. 

[Rockytime]

Steve Good's article is good. Pun intended. 

[OzarkSawdust]

I'm with Les... try to remember to turn it on and off! I've used the timer on my iPhone and just trying to see what time I start and finish.

But I get distracted, I like the cut, I don't like the cut, I need a beer, I need to pee, change the music, the shop cat's clawing at my leg wanting fed or attention....etc.  You get the idea. I remember to start it...sometimes I remember to stop it...the next day. 

In my case I'm trying to get an idea of what to price a piece at. How do y'all price stuff?

[jerry1939]

Had one on the saw I gave to a son when I quit.  Bought it from Grainger Co.  Hard wired it into the foot switch.  No way to reset it, had to write down the Start & Finish time.  It was interesting, but that's all it was for me.

jerry

[kmmcrafts]

32 minutes ago, OzarkSawdust said:

I'm with Les... try to remember to turn it on and off! I've used the timer on my iPhone and just trying to see what time I start and finish.

But I get distracted, I like the cut, I don't like the cut, I need a beer, I need to pee, change the music, the shop cat's clawing at my leg wanting fed or attention....etc.  You get the idea. I remember to start it...sometimes I remember to stop it...the next day. 

In my case I'm trying to get an idea of what to price a piece at. How do y'all price stuff?

Been there done that... it's way too easy to forget to turn on or off.. but after awhile I got a pretty good idea of time on projects.. or at least I thought I did.. Most times I'm fairly close..  I think if one is just looking to time a project then a electric clock is maybe the best option.. as it's more precise than the hour meters like I have.. 

[trackman]

My wife just got this timer from amazon. Has a magnet an a belt clip. Very easy to read. She got it for her stain glass business. 

[ben2008]

I really don't want to know how long it takes. Once I found out I'm working for about 50 cents an hour it would take all the fun out of it. All my woodworking is just for fun anyway. I guess if you wanted to make money you would need to know.

Edited August 21, 2020 by ben2008

[redwine]

I am with Kevin, I found an old electric clock at a thrift store and connected to the foot pedal so that it starts and stops with the saw. Mostly about the only items that I will record the cutting time on are the larger patterns with many, many pilot holes drilled to start the cutting! There are always many customers that want to know how long it took to cut out the items! It's true, that just gives the cutting time and not the full amount of time from selecting the pattern to the final finish and bagging for storing but than who counts time! lol.

Erv

[Rockytime]

One reason I don't cut all the holes at once is, one time I did that I pulled off the pattern and I found a few holes i had not cut. Happened on a pattern with tiny cuts to make. No one without looking for them would see them. But every time I looked at the thing those little holes would poke me in the eye. Haha!

[Woodmaster1]

I am glad not to have to worry about time spent. I am sure it helps with pricing your work. I spend quite a lot of time in the shop messing around and tell my wife it is planning time.

[ike]

I just start a job and when I finish it I am done. time don't matter much when this is a hobby.I am retired 81 years old and my time isn't worth anything. I just charge what the end product is worth and sell at that proce. If i get out of it more than the cost I am happy.

IKE

[kmmcrafts]

14 minutes ago, ike said:

I just start a job and when I finish it I am done. time don't matter much when this is a hobby.I am retired 81 years old and my time isn't worth anything. I just charge what the end product is worth and sell at that proce. If i get out of it more than the cost I am happy.

IKE

But how does one know what it's worth? Everyone values things differently.. I've seen people diving into dumpsters to fetch something out that had value to them but no value to the person that tossed it into the dumpster.. Time has more value to some people where as not so much to others.. That new mother would give anything for just a 30 minute nap instead of cleaning up after dinner, but the father says he doesn't have time because he needs to go sit on the porch and drink a beer and unwind after a long day of work  . So they hire a maid to come help out... That maid values the money for her time.. and the mother and father value their time and willing to pay money for it.. Vicious cycle of value of time that means the world to some and means very little to others..   

There is also leaders and followers of value.. many folks will go to etsy to see what people are selling similar items for.. Issue with that is.. everyone is following everyone else and there really is no leadership for the price or the actual value of time and money spent on a item.. Not to mention the cost of doing business is different from one business to the next and one town to the next.. 

So the bottom line is.. value your items based on what YOU need for it to make you happy.. and don't worry about what John Doe says about your prices.. whether they are too high for him or too low.. I look at some things at crafts shows or on etsy and think to myself... How do they make money at that price... or How can he sell those at THAT price! LOL 

I know what you're saying.. I'm just making a stupid point about value that many people just overlook.. because you mention your time isn't worth anything.. and I'm a believer that time is the ultimate price we all pay.. because time passes whether we want it to or not..  

[Rolf]

I have posted this before I don't remember where. I put a dedicated timer on both my Hawk and now my EX. First reason I wanted an idea of the hours for maintenance purposes. On the EX I put an hour meter in line with the power cord. They are cheap enough that I have one on each saw. 

I am a gadget junkie so I play a lot.  Since I do a lot of test cutting for SSWWC I need to track all of  my time not just the saw time, for that I use an ordinary kitchen timer. 

Lastly I have an old photography process timer that runs when my saw runs, it is real easy to reset to 0. I use it to track my blade life, especially early on when I first started to scroll. Now I am more sensitive to how the blade is cutting and toss it just before I know it will break. 

 

[Roberta Moreton]

On 8/20/2020 at 9:06 AM, amazingkevin said:

I used to connect a clock to the foot pedal circuit, but that only gives the cutting time which i think is about half of the real time spent on a project start to finish

I really have to agree with this. Some fretwork takes around 400 holes, sometimes more. Then fuzzies, more sanding, fiddling, finishing...

[lawson56]

I have never thought about hooking a clock or timer to my saw,now days when I,m able to get down to my shop I draw out my pattern,drill my holes and start having fun.

[Rolf]

14 hours ago, lawson56 said:

I have never thought about hooking a clock or timer to my saw,now days when I,m able to get down to my shop I draw out my pattern,drill my holes and start having fun.

The main reason for the run time is for maintenance intervals, especially when you only use the saw intermittently. 

Edited August 24, 2020 by Rolf

[Blaughn]

Hi Rocky:

I installed a Grimes meter on my ex.  I love it since it automatically activates when you push the pedal of the saw.  I posted it several years ago here:  

God Bless