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I like making crosses, usually with geometric ornaments, but this time I made a little scene - Cross with shroud and Bible Video of making Cross and Bible Cross and Bible pattern

Finished this on Monday. Jeff Zaffino pattern, double stack 1/8 inch BB ply. Cut with #1 Niqua spiral 16 X 20. 1302 cuts with 772 just in the grass. Well worth the effort. Jeff

I can understand why people love their Excalibur, Pegas saws and similar saws. The tilting head rather than a tilting table plus top loading makes them very desirable. If I were 20 years younger I would spring for a Pegas or Seyco. Right now I no longer have the strength or energy to mess with rebuilding a saw. That is why I loved the Hawks I've had and adore the two Hegners I have. The Hegners are worth every dollar invested. They are pretty much indestructible and the amount of maintenance is negligible.

I needed to see if I could cut anything other than a puzzle or a wall hanger, so I stack cut one of my favorite Steve Good patterns... They're not finished or framed yet and I'll update once I get them done 1/8 BB x 4, with a very, very dull and bent Pegas #3 MFG blade LOL (another test). I had 4 frames in the shop, from where I have no idea so figured I would use them instead of making 4 new ones which I prefer to do but time is no longer on my side Frame is top right obviously Thanks as always in advance, I'll update the thread once I get them stained, poly'd and framed I'm going to offer them as Outward bound and the other as returning but can be purchased separately. Thanks as always in advance for reading

You got that right, I've worked the crap out of that new Hawk I bought a few years ago.. Actually serviced it today with it's few drops of oil in the recommended spots and that is why I was running the Excalibur today.. I like the oil to set on the saw for a few hours before running it, otherwise it flings oil all over the place, LOL so I let it set for a few hours and then wipe off any excess oil before running it. Waxed the table etc.. good to go for another 25 hours or so before needing oiled again.. no signs of any wear on that saw yet.

Sorry to hear this Kevin. I think you can replace just the bearing an sleeve but pressing it in and out of the aluminum would be a little tricky. I can understand you not wanting to put any more money in it. Best of luck with what ever you decide to do.

Found a small fret box pattern I liked. Bubinga wood. Too small for hinges on the top so did a drop in top. Could not stack cut sides because they are too small. Shellac and lacquer finish.

I've haven't been around any forums, but I have been at the saw. Some of my recent. Hope everyone is doing well.

I have another maintenance question. The manual I got with the saw was for 226vs Ultra, but printed by Bushton. It tells you to oil the pivot bearings on the saw for routine maintenance. I just watched an RBI instruction video dated 1994 on the 216, 220vs Ultra, and the 226vs Ultra in which they instructed the new owner to oil the 216 because it has bushings, but that the Ultras didn't require oil because they had sealed ball bearings on the pivots. Which is correct? In my experience, when a tool has sealed bearings, you're instructed NOT to oil them, but I see folks here on the forum talking about oiling them. Are those folks talking about maintaining bushed saws, or bearinged saws? Help me clear up this issue. Do I oil my bearings or not? Thanks again for all the help. Jim

My 1998 Ultra doesn't have sealed bearings either as I've had it apart. Well they might be considered sealed but they are actually cage bearings. All metal and they are down recessed in so it'd be hard for dust to get in them.. so maybe that is why they are called sealed? Anyway I took mine out.. dry as a bone.. Not sure it was the right thing to do but I put a high end synthetic grease on them. There should be a couple drops of oil placed on the wedge at the back of the saw.. and there should be a small hole on the top of the upper arm to put a drop of oil in that lubes up the tension cam and lever. The older saws don't have the access hole for oiling the tension cam.. Also a good idea to adjust the tension cam set screw if needed at every 25 hours of use during the oiling maintenance. The tension lever ( without a blade in it ) should have some resistance when flipping it back to the tensioning position before it reaches to where it would touch the arm.. That should start getting some resistance about 1/8 - 1/4 inch above where the lever would meet the arm.. Hope that makes sense.. If not I'll do a short video to show it and where the set screw is.. Real small screw on the underside of the upper arm.. should be almost under where the lever goes into the arm.. If that isn't adjusted to have some resistance then it can make you break blades or loose tension. The wedge at the back of the saw should have a fairly sharp point to it where it rest on the arm as well, If that gets rounded over it will also make the tension flex and can cause blade breakage issues.

The bearings in my 1996 Ultra aren't sealed so I put a drop of oil on them whenever I think of it and on the back wedge too. Just a drop is all thats needed.

Mine an Ultra. It does have the square clamps. Jim

They look terrific. Marg

Yes it's the new China made one.. However late last summer I bought all new everything inside the saw from Seyco ( the original EX parts ) short of the motor and electronics all mechanical parts was changed to the older EX parts..

It's the larger needle bearing with the sleeve. I haven't taken it completely down to see what is really worn. I just pulled the covers off and seen a lot of slop in that one pivot point, I'll likely pull it apart and check out the sleeve.. can't get just the sleeve as that is the one I needed the last time.. well all of them was worn but that one was shot.. the others could have went a few more hours. Anyway yeah if it's just the bearing I'll replace just the bearing.

Kevin,,, is this the "New" Excalibur or the older ones? I have not heard of this problem in the older version... but the new ones are not the same as the older one,,, in relationship to where built and by whom.....

don't be to quick to agree with me... I rarely know what the heck I am talking about.. But this time I have been following the discussion on another none scroll saw forum and my neighbor who is building an addition to his house and what he has experienced with lumber costs...

Kevin, is it the sealed bearing or the big one with the sleeve? If it's the one that's sealed, it should be cheap to replace and if it's the one with the sleeve, you should be able to replace just the bearing as long as the sleeve isn't bad. Either way, it should be a cheap fix. And you might even be able to use Dewalt parts either way. The sleeves are what is expensive. I'd figure out a way to fix that thing and off it.

Thanks Kevin. Now I know what's being refered to when "hollow" is mentioned. The new style looks like what they should have begun with. I beams are stiff but light. Jim

I have to agree!

Kevin: Just for your info, I have a 1995 226vs, serial number 3756. It is an Ultra. Has the T shaped lower clamp, and the black front lever tensioner. It has a Leeson 1.3a, 90v DC motor. Buston's manual says it should be a 2.1a motor, but it isn't. The Pro series (at least some of them) look to have had the 1.3a DC motors. If I'm properly informed, the Fasco motors were AC, right? I also have a question, and I'm sure you know the answer. When a Hawk is said to have the "hollow" upper arm, what exactly does that mean? Were certain size machines the only ones with "hollow" arms? I've seen photos of different Hawks, and there appears to have been several different upper arm designs. Thanks for your wisdom. Jim

Sorry to hear about your troubles, I just a few day ago took my Delta apart for a good cleaning and oiling and greasing. So Far So Good

I'll find a way to communicate with SSV no matter where I end up.

Good dad!

Very impressive! I can hear an old western song in the background.

I was going to say the same but Paul beat me to it.

Very well done. From the title I was expecting a portrait of the Musical Group!

Very nice work. Where did you get the Jeff Zaffino pattern? He disappeared from the design scene many years ago.

fantastic job

Cracking cutting Jeff

A beautiful scene Jeff. You’ve done a fantastic job on this.

He’ll appreciate that. Well done.

HOLY MOLY!!! Awesome job

Wow, time well spent, very impressive work Jeff, well done. Marg

Nice cutting but I don't understand the math part.

Gorgeous pattern and you did a magnificent job of cutting. I also count the number of holes. I drill 10 at a time. I also have a clock on the saw to keep track of saw time just to satisfy my curiosity.

Looks like me most of the time! I'm a dozer. Great job.

Yep, well worth the effort.... Great cutting!

Here is a Crokinole games and pieces I made for my son.

I've been wanting to do a Paul Simon for my shop and while browsing some images last night I ran across this concert poster from 1968 which had an almost ready to scroll image. I've got a snapshot memory of being in a pool in Panama City, Florida 50ish years ago and hearing Cecilia for the first time. I picked up some 1X5" X 18" quarter sawn white oak at an estate sale for $1 a board. I edge glued it for this and the Bob Marley portrait. Love me some cheap hardwood!

Hi my friend and myself were discussing this very topic last week and what we do is to use a drill press that has a tilting table. we set the table to the required degree and then drill to our hearts content no problems all the holes are the same angle.

A couple of Steve's patterns.. I Love doing the layered pattern's. I haven't been able to get out to the Flea Markets yet. Soon I hope. The Dice Roll Tower I added a few more Dice on, still have to put in some felt or some type of material. Almost have his Battleship done.

I ran across a laser pattern and decided to give it a try. This is the prototype. Many lessons learned. The next one will be better. I used 5/16" b/bb that I had. Not the best stuff. Anyway, here it is.

It is cool design and turn out beautiful

Well, running the saw today and it started knocking pretty good.. Took it apart and the big main bearing in the rocker assembly at the back.. Seems like it should have lasted longer than it did.. I just rebuilt it late last summer.. Though I did have nearing 250 hours on it.. maybe that's the life expectancy of these. I kinda suspect a poor made bearing from the start as the other bearings are nice and tight still.. Ray at Seyco mentioned to me on the phone years ago that those bearing assemblies are sort of hit & miss for good bearing quality.. Either case.. I'm not repairing it again.. It's kind of a shame that one cannot buy the oddball sized bearing sleeves and bearings from a good source with quality bearings.. I did that with my old DeWalt I had and that saw ran for a lot of hours after that without issue..

Last week my local Lowes store was asking $8.17 for a 2x4x92 5/8 precut pine stud that weren't that great quality. Found them at the locally owned yard for $6.95. 8 precuts and 12 2x4x10 treated was 210.00 and change.

FAILED attempt #1. Clamp drill motor to upper arm. Use upper arm to act like plunging mechanism. That is just push arm down to drill. Failure was my clamp structure was not 90deg. drill won't go straight even it I did have 90deg. Next attempt will be to use the fixed bar (on the other side) and add plunging mechanism. Change drilling motor to smaller device.