Im so excited

[zena]

I am so excited, It has arrived, Ryobi now goes into the cupboard lol. I just had my brand new Carbatec 2 arm Scroll Saw arrive. Now for a lot of learning ahead of me.

Not really sure were to start as now I can use so many different blade types. But that is so confusing to me what ones to use for on what type of woods and diff thickness of woods. I want to learn how to do fret work eventually as I havnt been scrolling for that long. Lots of different number blades its like going through the alphabet lol 

Can anyone help me with this or give me a bit of a idea on were to start and what sort of thing to start on with trying to learn to do fret work or any type of detailed work eg portraits, 3D Shadow light boxes. What would be the best thing for me to start doing?

[Rockytime]

Congratulations on your new saw! Unless my eyes deceive me your saw appears similar to the Hegner. Looks like a robust machine. Ver nice!

[zena]

4 minutes ago, Rockytime said:

Congratulations on your new saw! Unless my eyes deceive me your saw appears similar to the Hegner. Looks like a robust machine. Ver nice!

Thank you yes I think it is either a Hegner or Excalibur, but over here in Western Australia they had to change the name and do couple of alterations like change the power plug to Australian and change the colour and they chose blue and 2 arm machine. I think they had to do these alterations so it can be sold in Australia and made over here so it is ready and available to us.

[stoney]

Your saw definitely is the Hegner design.   Just curious as to what your scroll saw cost if you don't mind. 

[WayneMahler]

Congrats on the new saw. Mighty impressive looking. As for choosing blades etc. Here is a link to Olson's web site. They have a Blade Chart you can download for free. Check out the pattern section here, you may find something that will appeal to you. Best of luck with you new saw and remember to keep it fun.

[zena]

1 hour ago, stoney said:

Your saw definitely is the Hegner design.   Just curious as to what your scroll saw cost if you don't mind. 

Hi Stoney

Thats what I thought also, it cost me $1000.00 AU $

[Bill WIlson]

Nice!  Congratulations on the new saw.

As for blades, don't let all the choices overwhelm you.  Most blade suppliers offer basic descriptions of the types of material and thicknesses the blade is best suited for.  That will help give you a general understanding, but the truth of the matter is that there is a lot of overlap. 

A few basic rules of thumb;

The smaller the blade the thinner the stock it is best suited to cut.  Smaller blades have a lot more teeth per inch (TPI), which means it won't cut as fast or aggressively.  This means that the smaller the blade, the more control you have, so you can cut finer detail more easily.

The larger the blade, the more aggressively it will cut.  Large blades are best suited for thick, hard material and faster cutting.  

For fretwork, most scrollers use a reverse tooth blade.  This blade has teeth that point up as well as down, so that tear out on the back side of the wood is minimized.  The actual number and configuration of the reverse teeth will vary by manufacturer.  For that matter, size will vary as well.  For example, a #3 reverse tooth blade from one manufacturer may not be exactly the same size and TPI count as a #3 reverse tooth blade from a different manufacturer.

Spiral blades are a bit of a different animal.  They are very well suited for certain kinds of projects, but not necessarily the best for all types of fretwork.  They are designed to be able to cut in any direction.  Many new and veteran scrollers have difficulty mastering them, but there is really nothing mystical about them.  They may just take a little more practice.

I know it all sounds confusing at first, but most suppliers offer a variety pack of blades that will give you a good selection to start with.  After you get a little experience, you will settle on which blades you prefer.

Good luck and have fun making sawdust!

[zena]

25 minutes ago, Bill WIlson said:

Nice!  Congratulations on the new saw.

As for blades, don't let all the choices overwhelm you.  Most blade suppliers offer basic descriptions of the types of material and thicknesses the blade is best suited for.  That will help give you a general understanding, but the truth of the matter is that there is a lot of overlap. 

A few basic rules of thumb;

The smaller the blade the thinner the stock it is best suited to cut.  Smaller blades have a lot more teeth per inch (TPI), which means it won't cut as fast or aggressively.  This means that the smaller the blade, the more control you have, so you can cut finer detail more easily.

The larger the blade, the more aggressively it will cut.  Large blades are best suited for thick, hard material and faster cutting.  

For fretwork, most scrollers use a reverse tooth blade.  This blade has teeth that point up as well as down, so that tear out on the back side of the wood is minimized.  The actual number and configuration of the reverse teeth will vary by manufacturer.  For that matter, size will vary as well.  For example, a #3 reverse tooth blade from one manufacturer may not be exactly the same size and TPI count as a #3 reverse tooth blade from a different manufacturer.

Spiral blades are a bit of a different animal.  They are very well suited for certain kinds of projects, but not necessarily the best for all types of fretwork.  They are designed to be able to cut in any direction.  Many new and veteran scrollers have difficulty mastering them, but there is really nothing mystical about them.  They may just take a little more practice.

I know it all sounds confusing at first, but most suppliers offer a variety pack of blades that will give you a good selection to start with.  After you get a little experience, you will settle on which blades you prefer.

Good luck and have fun making sawdust!

Hi Bill 

Thank you so much for all your information it is much appreciated. I do have a mixed pkt of Pegas blades on the way. They should be here either tomorrow or Monday as we dont get weekend post here in Western Australia. Im not sure if the blades that are comming in post are the right ones as they forgot to put them in the box with my saw. Here is a pic of the blades they are sending me. Hopefully these will get me started. There is a 18 pkt of 3 diff blade types very thin ones that came with saw 18t x 0.35 x 1.4 x 130,       12.5t x 0.4 x 0.95 x 130 and     9.5t 0.6 x 1.62 x 130     I dont know if those are any good for cutting thin wood 1/4 inch or thinner. I do know about the 18t, 12.5t and 9.5t but no idea what all those x numbers are hahahaha thats confusing maybe you might be able to explain this to me or maybe its just a Aussie thing lol

Looking forward to making heaps of sawdust over the weekend

 

[Scrappile]

I'm surprised at the pictures of you saw... It is what I thought a carbatec saw looks like but I went to the carbatec site yesterday and saw a blue saw that looked exactly like a Pegas/Excalibur type saw (in blue).  Congrats on your new saw and Let us know how you like it after you get some use on it.  You will figure the blades out, takes some time and practice... there is on right or wrong,,, it is personal preference, so do not hesitate to try different types/sizes on your projects...

[zena]

17 minutes ago, Scrappile said:

I'm surprised at the pictures of you saw... It is what I thought a carbatec saw looks like but I went to the carbatec site yesterday and saw a blue saw that looked exactly like a Pegas/Excalibur type saw (in blue).  Congrats on your new saw and Let us know how you like it after you get some use on it.  You will figure the blades out, takes some time and practice... there is on right or wrong,,, it is personal preference, so do not hesitate to try different types/sizes on your projects...

Thank you so much i looking forward to having a good play withit this weekend. Some say Pegas/excalibur and some say hegner. might contact them and ask then will be able to let people know the facts what oneit is lol

[zena]

7 minutes ago, zena said:

Thank you so much i looking forward to having a good play withit this weekend. Some say Pegas/excalibur and some say hegner. might contact them and ask then will be able to let people know the facts what oneit is lol

 

26 minutes ago, Scrappile said:

I'm surprised at the pictures of you saw... It is what I thought a carbatec saw looks like but I went to the carbatec site yesterday and saw a blue saw that looked exactly like a Pegas/Excalibur type saw (in blue).  Congrats on your new saw and Let us know how you like it after you get some use on it.  You will figure the blades out, takes some time and practice... there is on right or wrong,,, it is personal preference, so do not hesitate to try different types/sizes on your projects...

I just found this information and yes you are right Carbatec is excalibur saw

The high quality and performance of Excaliburhas double parallel link drive design have been taken to new heights by the addition of the superb engineering and quality control skills of General International, the new owners of the Excalibur line.

[zena]

3 hours ago, stoney said:

Your saw definitely is the Hegner design.   Just curious as to what your scroll saw cost if you don't mind. 

Hi there I have just found out this information on the Carbatec scroll saw 

The high quality and performance of Excaliburhas double parallel link drive design have been taken to new heights by the addition of the superb engineering and quality control skills of General International, the new owners of the Excalibur line.

[zena]

2 hours ago, WayneMahler said:

Congrats on the new saw. Mighty impressive looking. As for choosing blades etc. Here is a link to Olson's web site. They have a Blade Chart you can download for free. Check out the pattern section here, you may find something that will appeal to you. Best of luck with you new saw and remember to keep it fun.

Hi Wayne

Thank you so muchfor the infomation I will go get the chart

[Bill WIlson]

3 hours ago, zena said:

Hi Bill 

Thank you so much for all your information it is much appreciated. I do have a mixed pkt of Pegas blades on the way. They should be here either tomorrow or Monday as we dont get weekend post here in Western Australia. Im not sure if the blades that are comming in post are the right ones as they forgot to put them in the box with my saw. Here is a pic of the blades they are sending me. Hopefully these will get me started. There is a 18 pkt of 3 diff blade types very thin ones that came with saw 18t x 0.35 x 1.4 x 130,       12.5t x 0.4 x 0.95 x 130 and     9.5t 0.6 x 1.62 x 130     I dont know if those are any good for cutting thin wood 1/4 inch or thinner. I do know about the 18t, 12.5t and 9.5t but no idea what all those x numbers are hahahaha thats confusing maybe you might be able to explain this to me or maybe its just a Aussie thing lol

Looking forward to making heaps of sawdust over the weekend

 

Generally speaking the numbers that probably matter most are the blade size classification.  The No. 1, No. 3, No. 5, etc. are mostly for quick and easy reference. The smaller the number, the smaller the blade and higher the number of teeth per inch of blade length.  The other numbers are the actual specifications for the blade.  18t would be 18 teeth per inch.  The other numbers are physical dimensions of the blade, length, thickness and width.  I don't often pay much attention to those, unless I'm comparing blades or trying to determine the size hole to drill for blade entry.

For 1/4" thick wood, I would probably start with the smallest blade in the package.  See how it works.  Then, just for your reference, try the others out and compare how they cut.  You will find that the smaller blades will cut 1/4" material well and be easier to control than the largest blade.  The smallest blade will also cut 1" thick hardwood, just much more slowly than the largest blade and it will get dull faster and could be more prone to breaking.

[zena]

7 hours ago, Bill WIlson said:

Generally speaking the numbers that probably matter most are the blade size classification.  The No. 1, No. 3, No. 5, etc. are mostly for quick and easy reference. The smaller the number, the smaller the blade and higher the number of teeth per inch of blade length.  The other numbers are the actual specifications for the blade.  18t would be 18 teeth per inch.  The other numbers are physical dimensions of the blade, length, thickness and width.  I don't often pay much attention to those, unless I'm comparing blades or trying to determine the size hole to drill for blade entry.

For 1/4" thick wood, I would probably start with the smallest blade in the package.  See how it works.  Then, just for your reference, try the others out and compare how they cut.  You will find that the smaller blades will cut 1/4" material well and be easier to control than the largest blade.  The smallest blade will also cut 1" thick hardwood, just much more slowly than the largest blade and it will get dull faster and could be more prone to breaking.

Good morning Bill

Thank you so much for explaining all that to me, hopefully my blades will arrive today  so I can play. All you help is much appreciated.

Wishing you a wonderfull safe weekend 

Susan

[stoney]

22 hours ago, zena said:

Hi there I have just found out this information on the Carbatec scroll saw 

The high quality and performance of Excaliburhas double parallel link drive design have been taken to new heights by the addition of the superb engineering and quality control skills of General International, the new owners of the Excalibur line.

Hi Susan,   I was a little confused about your description you stated as it describes a different model Carbatec saw than what you have.   Your model SS-450P is designed like a Hegner  they also have two other saws on their website that are of the Excaliber or Pegas design. 

[zena]

7 minutes ago, stoney said:

Hi Susan,   I was a little confused about your description you stated as it describes a different model Carbatec saw than what you have.   Your model SS-450P is designed like a Hegner  they also have two other saws on their website that are of the Excaliber or Pegas design. 

Hi Stoney

yes it is very confusing what is what lol I do know that mine takes the Hegner parts 

[Rockytime]

4 hours ago, zena said:

Hi Stoney

yes it is very confusing what is what lol I do know that mine takes the Hegner parts 

Therefor you have a fantastic saw that will serve you for a lifetime. 

[merlin]

Hi Zena you have just purchased a beautiful saw, I have had one of these Carbatec saws now for bout 10 years.

all good no major problems, and all the Hegner parts are interchangeable with this saw.

I call mine a Hegner Look-A-Like

Merlin...

[OCtoolguy]

Congrats on your new saw. You will be amazed at the difference between it and what you have been using. Best of luck and be sure to show us some of what you turn out.

 

[zena]

7 hours ago, merlin said:

Hi Zena you have just purchased a beautiful saw, I have had one of these Carbatec saws now for bout 10 years.

all good no major problems, and all the Hegner parts are interchangeable with this saw.

I call mine a Hegner Look-A-Like

Merlin...

Hi Merlin

Thank you very much

Im looking forward toman years of scrolling im only a beginner so I have lot to learn but I will get there. I read that hegner parts are interchangeable with the carbatec

Mine needs a name yet lol

Susan

[zena]

4 hours ago, octoolguy said:

Congrats on your new saw. You will be amazed at the difference between it and what you have been using. Best of luck and be sure to show us some of what you turn out.

 

Hi Thank you very much  im looking forward to many years to come

[don watson]

Welcome to our club. You are doing good work so just take it easy and not rush too quickly. I have a couple of PDF's that may help.

take care and stay safe

Don W

 

No_Fail_Blade_Chart_206122387.pdf Niqua_Katalog_Holzlaubsaegen.pdf Pegas Scroll Blades Wood Rev etc Blades.pdf Pegas Multi Scroll Blades.pdf

[LRW in VIC]

Just checking to see how this saw is going for you after, what, 3 years now.  I also have the Carbatec SS450 and it’s been pretty solid… use the Pegas Blades from Carbatec and have been enjoying it. Put the Hegner quick release blade holder on and it’s great. Over here in VIC.  Cheers.

[Scrappile]

3 hours ago, LRW in VIC said:

Just checking to see how this saw is going for you after, what, 3 years now.  I also have the Carbatec SS450 and it’s been pretty solid… use the Pegas Blades from Carbatec and have been enjoying it. Put the Hegner quick release blade holder on and it’s great. Over here in VIC.  Cheers.

I just checked her profile.  She last visited on 11/30/2021..  Hope she is okay.