Top feeding

[TAIrving]

OK, guys and gals, you started this on the other thread.  But it deserves its own thread.

True confession: I think of myself as a top-feeder, but I feel like I am cheating.

Question: How do you do it?  This question is for other top-feeders only. Bottom-feeders kindly observe respectfully.

Background: I started scrolling with a non-moveable arm machine (Porter-Cable).  For fretwork I developed the technique of removing the blade at both ends, inserting it through the workpiece, reattaching the blade at both ends and then resetting the tension.  I seriously bent some blades before developing this technique.  Frustration quickly set in and, after reading up on machines here on this forum, I purchased a Pegas with the intention of doing top-feeding.  I love my Pegas scroll saw, but...

The problem:  The arm raises up and stays up and it is easy to lower it to the hole in the workpiece.  The problem is how to get the blade through the hole in the table. I have no problem clamping the blade by feel in the lower clamp.  

How I do it:  I tried everything I could think of and none of them worked.  So, I now raise the arm to full height, raise the workpiece to the blade and feed the blade through and, taking a clue from our friends the bottom-feeders, bending over to see what I am doing, lower the workpiece and arm and visually guide the blade through the hole in the table.  That’s when I feel like I am cheating.  A true top-feeder should not have to bend over to look, that should be for bottom-feeders only.

Previous attempts: At first, I tried carefully positioning the hole in the workpiece over the hole in the table but never was able to make that work consistently.  Then I bought a laser pointer to point at the table feed-hole, suggested by Steve Good, but could not find a place to mount it.  My best previous technique was to lift the workpiece and guide the blade by feeling both the blade and the table feed-hole, but never felt like this was the final answer. 

Question rephrased: How do you do top-feeding without bending over and looking? 

[Dan]

Hi. My name is Dan. I'm a top-feeder. OK, now that that's out of the way, Does the Pegas have a table insert? If so, how large is the hole? I made my hole larger and have no trouble feeding the blade without even looking. You could have two inserts, one with a large hole (used for larger projects) and one with a smaller hole for pieces you don't want to fall through the hole. I've had only a few time when a cutoff piece would block the hole. It is worth it to me to continues as a top-feeder. I tried bottom-feeding and gave up, too much work.

[WayneMahler]

I am a top feeder. Seems to get work done faster and less strain on my back from bending down to see. I try to get the blade into the hole and at perpendicular tp the clamp on both sides. After a while you will learn muscle memory and things just move along just like setting the bottom clamp with out looking. If you can see the hole in the table and can look through it to get to the opening it becomes much easier. 

[Roberta Moreton]

Sometimes it lines up, sometimes there is enough open cuts near to see, sometimes I put my other hand under the table and sometimes that works, sometimes I put my other hand under the work so I can touch the blade and the hole. Mostly, nothing is perfect. 

[Denny Knappen]

I have always been a top feeder.  I site the hole on the table and place the wood over the hole.  Works most of the time, but when it doesn’t, finger under the table.

[Dave Monk]

On my Pegas I like top feeding the best. I have the top of my table scratched up a bit around the hole from moving my work around to find the hole. After I line up the first hole the next one is pretty easy. The only real problem I have is that the bottom of the blade ends up like a hockey stick so I end up bottom feeding. If any of you can suggest a fix for this please speak up. 

[jollyred]

I have tried top feeding using a blunt pin with a wood bead on one end.  I put this in the hole I am going to cut, then slide the piece around till the pin falls into the table hole.  The bead stops it from falling through.  This got the hole lined up, but I have trouble controlling the arm of my DeWalt from suddenly going down fast.  This always ended up bending the blade, so I gave up on it and went back to bottom feeding.  Should work all right if you can control the descent of the upper arm.   If you try this, let us know how it works for you.

Tom

[Norm Fengstad]

I was a bottom feeder with my fixed arm dremal it was easy to switch to top feeding once I got a saw with raised arm capabilities. just took time , practice and patience. 

[Denny Knappen]

15 hours ago, Dave Monk said:

On my Pegas I like top feeding the best. I have the top of my table scratched up a bit around the hole from moving my work around to find the hole. After I line up the first hole the next one is pretty easy. The only real problem I have is that the bottom of the blade ends up like a hockey stick so I end up bottom feeding. If any of you can suggest a fix for this please speak up. 

Hi Dave.  The "hockey stick" on a blade is usually an indication of the thumb screw with swivel where the swivel is not working.  Check the swivel and make sure it works.  The thumb screw with swivel is replaceable.  You should have received one with the new Pegas Scroll Saw.

[scrollerpete]

21 hours ago, Dave Monk said:

On my Pegas I like top feeding the best. I have the top of my table scratched up a bit around the hole from moving my work around to find the hole. After I line up the first hole the next one is pretty easy. The only real problem I have is that the bottom of the blade ends up like a hockey stick so I end up bottom feeding. If any of you can suggest a fix for this please speak up. 

Check the screw adjustments, it sounds like the screw is not even with the brackets where your blades slide in, therefore you are bending the blade in the screw hole when you tighten the blade.

[Dave Monk]

7 hours ago, Denny Knappen said:

Hi Dave.  The "hockey stick" on a blade is usually an indication of the thumb screw with swivel where the swivel is not working.  Check the swivel and make sure it works.  The thumb screw with swivel is replaceable.  You should have received one with the new Pegas Scroll Saw.

Seams to be working fine. I did replace it.

[OCtoolguy]

After reading all the posts from those of you who swear by top feeding, I think I'll stick to what I've been doing for the last 7 years. Bottom feeder I am, I am.

[Gonzo]

I have to wholeheartedly agree with Ray, bottom feeder also. I tried top feeding and just couldn’t get the hang of it. I ruined a whole lot of blades trying. 
But…. I swing a golf club right handed and shoot left handed playing hockey. Maybe that explains why I can’t top feed. Haha!

[preprius]

Does top feeding work differently at 45 deg with tilting table?

 

[OCtoolguy]

37 minutes ago, Gonzo said:

I have to wholeheartedly agree with Ray, bottom feeder also. I tried top feeding and just couldn’t get the hang of it. I ruined a whole lot of blades trying. 
But…. I swing a golf club right handed and shoot left handed playing hockey. Maybe that explains why I can’t top feed. Haha!

Gonzo, I'm the same way. Not ambidextrous but able to use both sides for different tasks. I bat righthanded and bowl lefty. I was a champion pistol shooter lefty. Pour coffee righty. 

[hotshot]

Personally, i hate bending over and trying to see under the workpiece, however, if I'm working in a tight place, and have to drill holes that are barely bigger than the blade, it is easier to feed the blades up where I'm not fighting the cutting direction of the teeth.  If I have the room for larger entry holes, I'll always top feed.

And on the Hegner, the arm doesn't go up far enough to use the approach I use on my EX.  I usually do the puzzle boxes and thicker stuff on the Hegner, so I'm not doing fretwork for sure.

Edited March 8, 2022 by hotshot

[TAIrving]

12 hours ago, OCtoolguy said:

Gonzo, I'm the same way. Not ambidextrous but able to use both sides for different tasks. I bat righthanded and bowl lefty. I was a champion pistol shooter lefty. Pour coffee righty. 

Are we equating pistol shooting with pouring coffee?  Might be relevant when pouring the wife her first cup in the morning.  

[trackman]

Getting back to original question lol. I top feed an have no problem going thru the table on my EX 21.  Usually the next hole to cut is next to the last one cut.  But even if it isn’t when you lower the arm you can tell if you are hitting the table top.  If touching the table just move the board.  When I started scrolling I seen a guy bottom feeding.  I thought that is stupid trying to see a hole looking under the board when the hole is right in front of you.