# Is this a Hobbies fret saw?



## Jaz (17 Jan 2021)

Hi. I have a fret saw which I believe to be a Hobbies but there is no name or markings on the saw. Could anyone tell me if it is a Hobbies and if so are drive belts still available to buy for this model. 
I have attached photos
Many


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## Dee J (17 Jan 2021)

Looks like a hobbies one. We've got one on a treadle base and run a round poly belt with a link joiner(much longer belt run). Weld joint versions available too.


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## loftyhermes (17 Jan 2021)

All Hobbies fret saws were treadle powered, this looks like a Gem that's been electrified. If you need a new belt then you'll have to take the old one and get one that's the same.


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## Stanleymonkey (17 Jan 2021)

I've got one of those. Those flat belt drives seem a little harder to come by but the belt is much less prone to stretching and slippage.

I'll check mine for any model numbers tomorrow.


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## scrimper (19 Jan 2021)

loftyhermes said:


> All Hobbies fret saws were treadle powered, this looks like a Gem that's been electrified. If you need a new belt then you'll have to take the old one and get one that's the same.


Sorry to correct you but Hobbies did make and sell Powered fretsaws, in fact long before anyone else did, in 1931 they made a bench fretsaw that was powered by a small electric motor and was supplied with a BC adaptor to plug into a light socket. A little later they produced the Anchor Fretsaw also motor powered and a very good machine it was too, it offered a true vertical stroke and was available right up until 1942. In fact over the years they made several powered fret-saws. all of which are listed on my soon to be published Fretworker website.


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## scrimper (19 Jan 2021)

Jaz said:


> Hi. I have a fret saw which I believe to be a Hobbies but there is no name or markings on the saw. Could anyone tell me if it is a Hobbies and if so are drive belts still available to buy for this model.
> I have attached photos
> Many
> View attachment 101226
> View attachment 101227


The original Hobbies company never made this saw, they ceased to trade in 1968, however a new company was formed by an ex employee under the name Hobby trends, he later bought the original Hobbies name and became Hobbies again. This saw was not made by Hobbies but was offered for sale by them in the 1980's. In 1983 it was being sold for £79.75. But as someone else said it was based on the old Hobbies Gem machine with a motor and stand attached.


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## loftyhermes (20 Jan 2021)

scrimper said:


> Sorry to correct you but Hobbies did make and sell Powered fretsaws, in fact long before anyone else did, in 1931 they made a bench fretsaw that was powered by a small electric motor and was supplied with a BC adaptor to plug into a light socket. A little later they produced the Anchor Fretsaw also motor powered and a very good machine it was too, it offered a true vertical stroke and was available right up until 1942. In fact over the years they made several powered fret-saws. all of which are listed on my soon to be published Fretworker website.View attachment 101380


Scrimper, thanks for that information, I stand corrected and bow to your superior knowledge. Pleases let us know when the Fretworker site is up and running.


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## scrimper (20 Jan 2021)

loftyhermes said:


> Scrimper, thanks for that information, I stand corrected and bow to your superior knowledge. Pleases let us know when the Fretworker site is up and running.


Have to honest, I don't have superior knowledge, in fact my old brain forgets stuff very quickly but I have always been a fan of the Hobbies company and I have spent a huge amount of time searching through old hobbies weekly magazines to find stuff for my web site and I was surprised to find Hobbies power fretsaws that I did not know they made, Well I only knew of a few.

I started doing the web site in 2018 and had done quite a lot then I lost my motivation thinking no one would be interested, but I would like to do it as the old Hobbies company is not well documented. The picture shows a little of the power machines page.


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## Jaz (20 Jan 2021)

scrimper said:


> Sorry to correct you but Hobbies did make and sell Powered fretsaws, in fact long before anyone else did, in 1931 they made a bench fretsaw that was powered by a small electric motor and was supplied with a BC adaptor to plug into a light socket. A little later they produced the Anchor Fretsaw also motor powered and a very good machine it was too, it offered a true vertical stroke and was available right up until 1942. In fact over the years they made several powered fret-saws. all of which are listed on my soon to be published Fretworker website.View attachment 101380


Hi. Many thanks for swift repl
ies. Very interesting


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## xy mosian (22 Jan 2021)

scrimper said:


> ... A little later they produced the Anchor Fretsaw also motor powered and a very good machine it was too, it offered a true vertical stroke and was available right up until 1942. ...



Scrimper, I am fascinated by the 'vertical stroke'. Could you point me in the direction of any documentation please, specifically how it was achieved?
TIA, xy


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## scrimper (30 Jan 2021)

xy mosian said:


> Scrimper, I am fascinated by the 'vertical stroke'. Could you point me in the direction of any documentation please, specifically how it was achieved?
> TIA, xy


Sorry for delay only just noticed your query, The image below from my website might explain it more. Hope this helps. John


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## xy mosian (31 Jan 2021)

scrimper said:


> Sorry for delay only just noticed your query, The image below from my website might explain it more. Hope this helps. JohnView attachment 102245


Scrimper, no worries on the delay. I like the look of some of the earlier american machines with vertical blade movement, although I believe that some of the treadle machines have that too. I keep coming back to the thought that a vertical cut would mean greater cutting depth, possibly approaching that of a hand frame.
I made a machine to take fretsaw blades maybe ten years ago, wooden arms as seen in some Hobbies machines. I recall having to work out why it wouldn't cut, then I figured out that it had to be set to have the blade moving forwards, in it's arc on the down stroke.
Fretsaw work does not feature massively in my life so it all remains merely interesting.
Thanks again for your efforts and reply.
xy


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## powertools (31 Jan 2021)

I think that the first true vertical cut fretsaw was the Royal Hobbies and they were granted a patent for it in the late 1800s.
I have one in my collection and the whole frame moves in a dovetail slide.
I also have a Victory model but not with a motor and I can tell you that it is very hard work on the old legs.


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## xy mosian (31 Jan 2021)

powertools said:


> I think that the first true vertical cut fretsaw was the Royal Hobbies and they were granted a patent for it in the late 1800s.
> I have one in my collection and the whole frame moves in a dovetail slide.
> I also have a Victory model but not with a motor and I can tell you that it is very hard work on the old legs.


Well the question is, just how well does the Royal Hobbies work?
Thanks for the input, as I said I am no fretsawer, but fascinated by the machines.
Is it safe for me to assume that the drive to the Royal frame is towards the slide at the back? Anyway I'm off to see if I can find the patent.
Thanks again.
xy


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## xy mosian (31 Jan 2021)

Well that din't take long, almost as if I was intended to find it:-





Espacenet – search results


Espacenet: free access to millions of patent documents. Find out if your invention is unique or if other inventors have filed patent applications that are considered to be prior art.




worldwide.espacenet.com




Try the linked pages for other images and descriptions.

The first thing I notice is that my assumption about the drive was completely wrong. Plenty of information here for anyone else interested.
xy


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## powertools (31 Jan 2021)

Another link.



Hobbies, Ltd. - History | VintageMachinery.org


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## scrimper (31 Jan 2021)

xy mosian said:


> Well that din't take long, almost as if I was intended to find it:-
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Here is an image of the Royal showing the 'motion'.


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## xy mosian (1 Feb 2021)

powertools said:


> Another link.
> 
> 
> 
> Hobbies, Ltd. - History | VintageMachinery.org


Thanks powertools, I had overloked that one.




scrimper said:


> Here is an image of the Royal showing the 'motion'.View attachment 102414


Scrimper that's great, thanks. I am really tickled by the 'effective blower'. The drive of the bellows may be annoying, noisey and sometimes damaging, but what a great piece of basic engineering nouse.

Again thank you both.
xy


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