RBI HAwk model 214

[zimmerstutzen]

I just spent 45 minutes and three blades trying to get one into my "new to me" saw.  This system was invented by a cruel person.   The manual says to mount the blade in the lower blade holder and then put it in the notch of the lower arm and pull the blade up through the slot in the arm.  How is that possible without bending the blade?   I tried putting the blade through the slot first but then can't put the blade holder in the lower arm notch. There is not enough clearance between the lower arm and the blade holder clip to slip it in the front of the lower arm.  There has got to be something simple the manual is keeping a secret

Is there a way to just use pinned blades?   I wanted to do a 5 minute job and now have over an hour, no work done and two badly bent blades.

 

Thanks

.

 

 

[James E. Welch]

I have no experience with the hawk saws. I will say however that there was quite a learning curve with the hegner and I'd been scrolling for years with other saws. I'm assuming this is true of the hawk as well. 

[zimmerstutzen]

Nother half hour of fiddling with it and another ruined saw blade, and finally got one on and was able to cut my intended project.  smoother and nicer cut, less vibration than my old now dead craftsman, but geesh what a battle to get a blade on.  I'll give it a chance, but I might want to see if I can convert it to pinned blades, just for ease of use. 

[jollyred]

Do they have an instruction video on their website?  If not, contact their service department to see if they can talk you through it.  Sounds like they need to update their instruction manual.

Tom

Edited September 26, 2023 by jollyred

[preprius]

I got my hawk 3 years ago.  I had to get used to the feel of inserting the blade holder in the front position of the lower arm.  The back position is a bit too agressive for me. 

Sometimes I still have to look under to see if I have it to far back. 

I don't think there is a way to attach pinned blades to the top. If there is a way, there is not a good selection of pinned blades.

Me.

Matk Eason

[kmmcrafts]

Right about the 11 minute mark is where it shows how to change blades on a 216 Hawk... the 214 would be the same way.. the larger saws have a little different system..

Or watch the whole video.. might educate you on the saws and inspire you to buy a easier model to use... 

 

[OCtoolguy]

I think you might be reading the instructions wrong. When I had my Hawk, I'd mount the blade in the clamp, put it under the table and feed the blade tip up through the table. Once in that position it's just a matter of pulling down a bit on the holder retaining spring and moving the blade clamp into it's position. Then go to the top and insert it into the upper clamp. The Hegners are almost exactly the same but have a slot in the table. There are many videos on youtube.

[preprius]

great video.   !!!

[zimmerstutzen]

9 hours ago, preprius said:

I don't think there is a way to attach pinned blades to the top. If there is a way, there is not a good selection of pinned blades.

 

 I don't cut any fancy fret work.  Mostly just cutting outside edges of pieces.  Plus I never used up the six dozen blades that came with the old Craftsman.     Got along fine with a pinned blade saw for 8 yrs.    I'll give this a try.  I have two packs of assorted pin less blades to try.   

[Scrappile]

My Hegner does not take 2 tools to put the blade in the top clamp.  That setup on the that Hawk is almost as bad as the old craftsman I started with.  Took two tools on both upper and lower clamps to install a blade. Do the new Hawks require tools to install blades?  Hegner requires a special wrench to do the bottom, but it is straight forward and easy.

Edited September 26, 2023 by Scrappile

[Greatgrandpawrichard]

14 minutes ago, Scrappile said:

My Hegner does not take 2 tools to put the blade in the top clamp.  That setup on the that Hawk is almost as bad as the old craftsman I started with.  Took two tools on both upper and lower clamps to install a blade. Do the new Hawks require tools to install blades?  Hegner requires a special wrench to do the bottom, but it is straight forward and easy.

The new Hawks Do Not Require any tools to change the blade. It's a simple process of just putting the blade down through the table, insert the blade into the lower clamp, then insert the blade into the top clamp. It can be done in seconds!
My old RBI used the barrel clamps, it took a few extra seconds to load the barrel and insert up through the table but it was super easy to do.
I absolutely love my new Bushton Hawk! Especially due to the much larger table. The Lady that I gave my old saw to loves it and she learned quickly on it.

Dick

[kmmcrafts]

The real old Hawk 212, 214, 216 and even some of the 220's had to have tools like this.. these saws are from the early 1980's.. Over the years they improved them and I would say they are more like how you would do on the Hegner where you remove the lower clamp and insert it into the holder to loosen and tighten the thumb screw ( well Hegner has that clock type wrench instead of the thumb screw that Hawk "upgraded to " LOL ) They ran with this set up for most of the Hawk years until around 2004-5 when they came out with the G426 and the newest BM series... They require no tools.. while the blade holders ( both top and bottom ) are removable and just held in with spring metal clips much like the lower on the Hegner.. They still have a spot on the saw where "if you want / need too " remove the holders to change a blade you can still use the slot to hold the blade holder while you loosen the thumb screw.. however it isn't really necessary on the new BM series saws.. In fact you can top or bottom feed on the new saw models... The new models also have adjustable lower blade head where you can adjust how aggressive of a cut you like.. The Hawk Ultras also have adjustable lower blade but it's only 2 positions where as the new saws are variable adjustable by just turning the screw moves the head forward or back.. so you can really hone in to the perfect positions for said projects.. Too bad Hegner hasn't come up with something like that.. as it's wonderful to get a perfect up / down stroke for that real thin stuff.. that would be a bit aggressive on the Hegner.. 

[OCtoolguy]

21 hours ago, zimmerstutzen said:

I just spent 45 minutes and three blades trying to get one into my "new to me" saw.  This system was invented by a cruel person.   The manual says to mount the blade in the lower blade holder and then put it in the notch of the lower arm and pull the blade up through the slot in the arm.  How is that possible without bending the blade?   I tried putting the blade through the slot first but then can't put the blade holder in the lower arm notch. There is not enough clearance between the lower arm and the blade holder clip to slip it in the front of the lower arm.  There has got to be something simple the manual is keeping a secret

Is there a way to just use pinned blades?   I wanted to do a 5 minute job and now have over an hour, no work done and two badly bent blades.

 

Thanks

.

 

 

You didn't mention the age of your 214. Are they even still made? It might help if we knew what you have.

 

[kmmcrafts]

1 hour ago, OCtoolguy said:

You didn't mention the age of your 214. Are they even still made? It might help if we knew what you have.

 

They haven't made anything but 220's and 226's since around 1995 I believe.. They did make a "very few" BM16's but they had vibration issue or some kind of issue and they've never really pushed to find a cure for the issue.. Not too many folks these days really seek out to buy those small saws anyway. They likely couldn't compete in the market since Henger has the 18" and EX has the 16" and I don't really think too many are sold either..  Seems like the 20" is what most folks go after anyway. They also discontinued the 12 and 14" saws well before the 16" too so those smaller ones are likely from the 1980's

[zimmerstutzen]

15 hours ago, OCtoolguy said:

You didn't mention the age of your 214. Are they even still made? It might help if we knew what you have.

 

the 214 was not even mentioned in the video posted above, which I believe was from 1992. From second hand information, I found on line, it seems the 214 was made in the 1980's and discontinued about 1989.       I got it for $30.00 and had to replace the cord. 

I don't need anything fancy.  The sawing I do is very simplistic and never has had inside holes to be cut out.  mostly just silhouette shapes from thin bass wood or spruce.  

 One thing I use a scroll saw for is to cut precision lengths of small dowels.  I clamp a board to the table as a makeshift fence and then cut 1/4 inch dowels into 2.25 inch lengths.  or 4 inch lengths of 7/16 inch dowels.  A scroll saw doesn't splinter the dowels and they come out very uniform in length.

I am building several (9)  music boxes as holiday gifts and only need to cut a few simple component parts.  The cases themselves are turned from solid pieces of wood,  as are the figures on top the cases.   (Last year I made one with a Christmas tree, a wheel of cheese under the tree and two mice snuggling together, it plays "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas".  The sound board was a round cut from very thin 2mm plywood and the mouse ears were tiny little dowels cut and sanded at an angle and glued into the head to look like upright ears.)

Edited September 27, 2023 by zimmerstutzen

[TAIrving]

2 hours ago, zimmerstutzen said:

One thing I use a scroll saw for is to cut precision lengths of small dowels.  I clamp a board to the table as a makeshift fence and then cut 1/4 inch dowels into 2.25 inch lengths.  or 4 inch lengths of 7/16 inch dowels.  A scroll saw doesn't splinter the dowels and they come out very uniform in length.

I am building several (9)  music boxes as holiday gifts and only need to cut a few simple component parts.  The cases themselves are turned from solid pieces of wood,  as are the figures on top the cases.   (Last year I made one with a Christmas tree, a wheel of cheese under the tree and two mice snuggling together, it plays "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas".  The sound board was a round cut from very thin 2mm plywood and the mouse ears were tiny little dowels cut and sanded at an angle and glued into the head to look like upright ears.)

Post pictures please.  We would love to see these.

Regrets I use a different type of scroll saw and cannot advise regarding the Hawk 214.  

[zimmerstutzen]

When I cut the small dowels to uniform length, I am making little antique fishing line ornaments  I use bamboo BBQ skewers for the cross pieces, braided cotton string for the line and I turn the little bobbers.  Basically I turn a oblong bead and glue a dowel through it.  I have a temporary foot switch hooked up to a corded variable speed drill to chuck up and paint the bobbers.  the fishing line frames are first given a coat of wipe on poly and then dipped in paint.    The 4 inch pieces of 7/16 dowel are to make full size versions of the same.  For those, I use 1/4 dowels as the cross pieces.  

 

[zimmerstutzen]

the full size version: unpainted (the first I made)  and a full size vintage bobber that I turned. 

[OCtoolguy]

I think you might be reading the instructions wrong. When I had my Hawk, I'd mount the blade in the clamp, put it under the table and feed the blade tip up through the table. Once in that position it's just a matter of pulling down a bit on the holder retaining spring and moving the blade clamp into it's position. Then go to the top and insert it into the upper clamp. The Hegners are almost exactly the same but have a slot in the table. There are many videos on youtube.

 

 

Beautiful work. Very unique.

[zimmerstutzen]

7 hours ago, OCtoolguy said:

I think you might be reading the instructions wrong. When I had my Hawk, I'd mount the blade in the clamp, put it under the table and feed the blade tip up through the table. Once in that position it's just a matter of pulling down a bit on the holder retaining spring and moving the blade clamp into it's position. Then go to the top and insert it into the upper clamp. The Hegners are almost exactly the same but have a slot in the table. There are many videos on youtube.

 

 

Beautiful work. Very unique.

I think I got fouled up with that lower retaining spring.  mine is steel, not plastic as shown on the parts diagram  and it takes quite a bit of effort to push the thing in.   Like about 15 pounds of pressure.    I got three small items cut and broke the blade.    I did find a used Skil scroll saw for $10 that takes pinned blades.  I mounted a blade in that and cut the rest of my pieces with out a problem.    The cut was not as nice as the Hawk, but it was far easier to mount a blade.   I will keep trying the hawk.  I think maybe the pinless blades I have are just too fine for what I do.