Hello new to scrollsawing not new to woodworking

[Allen levine]

I live on Long Island and have been doing all sorts of woodworking including furniture and decided I wanted to try scroll sawing and get into intarsia eventually

 

i purchased a hegner 18 and just received it so I started making wooden figures of people and animals from a book I purchased 

I've been using my bandsaw but it creates a lot of burning and blades are expensive and don't last that long

its an adjustment getting used to the machine dictating the speed of cut and following lines and curves are a learning experience  

 

I do have a question to start

what is the best blade out there for cutting 3/4 inch poplar and Spanish cedar and what blade is best for harder woods at 3/4 inch like oak or sapele or cherry or maple 

here's some figures I got started in yesterday and today 

I'm making them for someone who needed 12 sets

i used a Flying Dutchman psr blade and it worked ok with little blade drift but I think blade drift is my fault since I'm still learning and waiting on a stand to keep the saw more steady with less vibration

[Wichman]

Welcome to the village.

There's at least one opinion per scroll sawer.

The drift is caused by the manufacturing process of stamped blades.

My advice to you would be to get sample packs from several blade companies and choose the types that work best for you and your cutting style.

My go to blade is the Flying Dutchman polar #1 for anything from 1/8 plywood to 1 1/2 hardwood. I'll go up in size when I have long gentle curves to cut.

[Scrappile]

Hi AL.  Glad you decided to give this forum a try.  I think you learn and teach us a lot.  You caught on to the Hegner quickly.  Took me a while.  Hope you enjoy it here.   There are very nice people.  

[Blaughn]

Hi Allen:

Welcome to the village.

As Wichman said, the blade drift is caused the the stamping operation.  This process raises a small wired edge and this is the culprit behind the drift.  If you are cutting extreme hard wood, like Jatoba, the wired edge will wear away and the drift gradually changes.  That puzzled me for awhile.

Bruce

[Bill WIlson]

Here is a link to a blade chart.  Learning the basics of blade configuration, sizes, TPI count will help you decide when/where to apply that understanding.  

This is for Olson brand blades, I believe other manufacturers have similar charts that could readily be Googled.  While the specifics will differ, the same general concepts will apply.

https://www.olsonsaw.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/2020-scroll-chart-WEB.pdf

 

[Allen levine]

35 minutes ago, Scrappile said:

Hi AL.  Glad you decided to give this forum a try.  I think you learn and teach us a lot.  You caught on to the Hegner quickly.  Took me a while.  Hope you enjoy it here.   There are very nice people.  

I purchased a used dremel for 50 bucks years ago

i had so much trouble with blades so I gave up

recently I purchased a new Excalibur from Amazon but what I received was a boat anchor

the unit came in a shredded box

no pieces included

no speed adjustment knob a cracked body and speed control didn't work as machine kept stopping

so instead of playing around everyone said get a hegner

 

[Scrappile]

That is the best decision you could have made.  This is Paul Douglass from Family Woodworking.  I hope you enjoy it here. There is lots of info, so check out the site. Check resources to find suppliers of parts, blades, patterns, etc. There are hundreds of Patterns free in the pattern section, and things to learn in the University section.  And go ahead and make fun of me anytime you want. All the rest do!   I deserve it.

[Allen levine]

I realized over the past 15 years all the scraps I tossed could have lasted 20 years with scroll sawing

even with all the turning i did I still had boxes of scraps I finally had to dispose of a few months too soon

[Scrappile]

That is the best decision you could have made.  This is Paul Douglass from Family Woodworking.  I hope you enjoy it here. There is lots of info, so check out the site. Check resources to find suppliers of parts, blades, patterns, etc. There are hundreds of Patterns free in the pattern section, and things to learn in the University section.  And go ahead and make fun of me anytime you want. All the rest do!   I deserve it.

[Scrappile]

Also, look into intarsia. A scroll saw discipline.  Get into that, and you will never even throw a used toothpick away!

[Dak0ta52]

Welcome to the Village from North Carolina. I must say you're jumping into a very addictive hobby.

[jerry walters]

Hi Allen, welcome to the Village from Colorado.  Many knowledgeable people here and all are willing to help.  While you are new here take some time to navigate the system and to read past posts.  You will learn a lot from these old posts.  Learning is a continuing  process, so continue to learn from the folks here.

Jerry

[Ctutor]

blade drift as noted can cause problems.  Are you certain though you are not adding to or causing the drift.  When you note a drift relax take a deep breath and above all relax your hand that is guiding the piece.  You may see the working piece move on its own a shade back o center.  Ones hand pressure tenda to build up unnoticed and relaxing helps.  Check Pegus blades sold by Dennie this site. might like the blade.

[daveww1]

welcome to the village, very nice work

[JJB]

Good looking stuff there! Welcome!

[Denny Knappen]

Welcome to the Village forum from Tennessee.  As a Pegas dealer, I may be able to help with blade questions.  Message me.

[BadBob]

I have found blade charts useless except for the ones that list the blade dimensions or drill bit sizes to use for internal cuts. There are too many variables to include blade selection in a chart. Get a sample pack from @Denny Knappen and try each of the blades on similar projects using the same wood.

For me, Pagas blades are the best. They cut straighter, faster, and last longer than anything I have used. I would use a Pegas #3 MGT for the projects in your photos. I cut a lot of 3/4-inch and thicker wood, usually poplar or pine.

[Dan]

Welcome to the Village, Allen.

I prefer Pegas blades also. They seem to track better and stay sharp longer. You should get a sample of the different brands and blade sizes to see what works best for you.

Cheers!

[Allen levine]

Thanx for all the advice 

I read it all and take notes

i straightened out the shop and my scrollsaw found it's new home

that entire back wall of the garage used to house a jet 1642 lathe

i also took back a lot of the scraps I tossed to save for future projects

i have one question

i have a foot pedal from an Excalibur saw

not sure if I'll use a foot pedal but I need to find an adaptor to plug the hegner cord into the foot pedal plug

there is a picture of it here

 

 

 

 

[Allen levine]

tomorrow Ill try installing the quick release knob and try cutting out letters that happy halloween. I know i can p;urchase those letters for 1 buck each for the 2 inches I need but it will be much more fun, frustrating and keep me busy to get my own cut. simple letters, took them off office or word document, cut them out of 1/4 inch hardwood to install on a decoration I made. I will leave all the blade changing letters till the end. due to the high height of the hegner stand I purchased a new stool with back so I can work comfortably..

 

i wont play around too much with it, Ill start some simple intarsia as soon as I find a place that sells th ekits with wood included....once I get my feet wet, Ill use my own wood, and maybe purchase a few other items I might need

 

im apologizing in advance as over the next years I will be here alot asking questions about tecnique and procedure.

only a fool wouldnt take advantage of the millions of hours of craftsmanship offering up advice for free on this board.

 

I intend to teach myself like I did woodworking by experimenting and asking the experts questions.

[Allen levine]

I currently have a sample pack of 5 dozen dutchman blades and a pack of sample blades from an internet company. somoene on familywoodworking sent me his blades as he sold his scroll saw. so Im flush with blades to start. 

my next blade purchase will be pegus, as it seems to be the choice of many here.

[rafairchild2]

For me I like the Flying Dutchman Ultra Reverse Blades, they are not super aggressive but the finish on the cut edge is so smooth no need to sand.  Pegas is more aggressive but lasts longer I have to sand the edges after.

I always cut (95%) with the waste wood to the right of the blade, this way I account for the drift the same way.  I am very accurate in my line cuts as I preach the philosophy, practice does not make perfect.  Perfect practice makes perfect.

Everything I do I try and make repeatable.

I will say... go... slow... do not rush your cuts like some of the videos you see on YT.  Either they have been doing it a long time, or their cuts suck and they depend on sanding to the finish line.  I try to make my cuts look like it was laser cut regarding accuracy. 

I do have YT videos you can see. Check the link in my sig.  I try to do live shows on Sundays, bu have been inconsistent lately during the summer. 

Edited September 20 by rafairchild2

[Allen levine]

I figured instead of just practicing and playing I'll just cut letters for practice since I need for a Halloween project I made

well one hour 20 minutes to cut these letters

i switched out blades until I found the blade that felt best

one was super aggressive and I couldn't control the small tight curves

they are far far from perfect 

i traced them from  font I found on internet

It's like iM learning woodworking all over again

i used the quick change out knob supplied with rhe hegner

what a beautiful thing it was

changing out blades was why I gave up on scrolling years ago with the dremel

this was quick and easy

letters are painted and will be attached to piece of wood and hung on my lawn ornament

 

gotta learn to walk before I can run

 

i understand this is baby stuff to most here but it was my first time using the saw for something besides wooden figures where accuracy isn't as important

Edited September 20 by Allen levine

[Allen levine]

Here's my grandaughter taking her first steps ever 

we were lucky to have it filmed 

 

sort of the way I felt today like I accomplished something 

[Wichman]

Allen, one of the things I really like about the Hegner is the ability to have multiple blades ready to go, and they can be different sizes and types. I have an index card next to the saw with the type and size of the blades installed on the bottom clamps.