# Hegner modification



## Chippygeoff (11 Sep 2014)

Thought I would give this a mention for all the Hegner owners out there. My current Hegner is about two years old now and recently the tension rod was coming to the end of it's useful life, I use the saw round about eight hours a day 4-5 days a week. The thread on the tension rod was wearing away where the upper wedge normally sits and when I took it off there was quite a bit of play in it. I got in touch with Hegner at the time and a new tension rod was £48, there was no way I was going to pay that extortionate price. A friend of mine at the craft fair has a neighbour who is an engineer with a huge workshop in the garden. He made me a new one, he put a beautiful knurled knob on the end similar to the quick release clamp knob but in brass. I had noticed that the sharp tops of the wedges had started to dig into the arms so I got the guy to round them over and I was very pleased with the end result.

However, there was one problem I had not foreseen, because the tops of the wedges were rounded over it increased the gap between the top of the wedge and the retaining clip on the top of the arm so when a blade broke the top of the tension rod would pop out. I overcame this by fitting elasticated head bands top and bottom and it's done the trick, it may be a bit heath robinson but it works a treat.


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## boysie39 (11 Sep 2014)

Hi Geoff, good to see how you folk always seem to find a simple way around problems that might cost a fortune with a bit of elastic or a hair pin or something laying around the workshop .Long may it continue . =D> =D> 
It seems unfair that companies like Hegner whose machines seem to have the best reputation feel it is necessary to charge ridicules prices for their spares when they are needed .I suppose it comes with having a monopoly . :roll: :roll: :roll: 
Anyway Geoff , if you folk keep helping each other out ,until I win the euro millions and get all your hard earned expertise together and build the ultimate scroll saw I can sell it to you at 3 times what the top priced machine costs ,and only charge you folk half price for the spares when you need some . . :roll: :roll: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: 

Keep it going me auld friend ,and we may get there someday .

God Bless


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## scrimper (11 Sep 2014)

Any chance of a picture of the mod and rubber bands in use?

Have to agree on the price of Hegner spares the cost of their spare parts is quite ridiculous, I remember my faulty Hegner (simple) on/off rocker switch for which they wanted £24 + p&p, it's just a bog standard item available from many companies the cheapest being less than 75pence!

I understand that manufacturers like to make decent profits on parts but Hegner are just greedy in the extreme.


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## marcros (11 Sep 2014)

scrimper":me7ny54q said:


> Any chance of a picture of the mod and rubber bands in use?
> 
> Have to agree on the price of Hegner spares the cost of their spare parts is quite ridiculous, I remember my faulty Hegner (simple) on/off rocker switch for which they wanted £24 + p&p, it's just a bog standard item available from many companies the cheapest being less than 75pence!
> 
> I understand that manufacturers like to make decent profits on parts but Hegner are just greedy in the extreme.



They are probably not as greedy as they appear. They have probably applied a standard margin to the calculated cost of the component.

The simple rocker switch will have been bought in to Hegner by somebody within a purchasing department, received by goods inwards, probably quality checked/inspected and sat within a warehouse. It wont be sold to anybody wanting a rocker switch- only Hegner users needing a replacement, so is probably bought in smaller quantities than the general switch retailers buy (at greater cost) and may sit on the shelf longer (for which there is an overhead). It may be repackaged with the Hegner part number on it. There is probably somebody within "Technical" to answer questions and help with any questions for spares, there will be the costs of processing an order (you then state P&P on top, so I will ignore that). I dont know how much Hegner actually do now- whether they just design the equipment buy the manufacturing element from a factory and sell them on, or what. 

On the other hand, if you know what you want and have no specific Hegner questions etc, you can just go to the specialist, who buys and sells vast quantities of the component and get it at the stripped back cost of 75 pence.

OEM parts are never cheap, whether it be cars, woodworking machines, washing machines. I dont doubt that they are making a decent profit, but probably not as high as you think.


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## Chippygeoff (11 Sep 2014)

Eugene. Nice to hear from hope. I hope the good Irish air is keeping you fit and healthy along with a drop of the black stuff. If I win the Euro millions Eugene I will put the scroll saw on hold for a while, buy a camper van and tour Ireland and maybe we could chat over a pint. Yes, it would be truly wonderful if some company could produce the perfect scroll saw at an affordable cost. I am sure it would be viable. I would be first in the queue. The new tension rod cost me a bottle of wine.

I shall post some pics on Saturday. I am slaving over a hot scroll saw today getting orders ready for tomorrows craft fair so will be working till about 10pm tonight.


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## gilljc (11 Sep 2014)

Be interested to see your pics, am finding that the tension is starting to slip sometimes on my old and secondhand hegner. Have just ordered some new blade clamps and a clock key, blades are slipping out of the top clamp ( a relatively new quick release one) too often now in spite of trying all the usual tricks to remedy it. Hoping an engineer friend will be able to fashion me a more user friendly key for arthriticky hands, would like something better for tension screw as well - same reason  
Gill


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## Chippygeoff (11 Sep 2014)

Hi Gill. It's unusul for the blades to slip out of the quick release top clamp. I think I may have the answer. In the end of the screw part is a small silver insert, this is to prevent the blade twisting when you tighten the clamp, is yours still there or is it missing.

Gill. I have a present for you, it will be winging it's way to you on Monday via the post office.


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## gilljc (11 Sep 2014)

Oooh!! pressy - I love pressies =D> \/ 

had a look at the screw, the silver bit is still attached, but gave the allen screw at the other side a wee tighten, and think that might have fixed it - fingers crossed  might stop getting blisters trying to tighten it enough.....


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## gilljc (11 Sep 2014)

Just want to repeat how grateful I am for that little tip Geoff, it made me look at the problem in a different way, and as is often the case, something small and simple made a big difference - thank you
Gill


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## Chippygeoff (11 Sep 2014)

Only to pleased to help Gill. Actually I had forgotten to mention the little allen screw opposite and as you found out sometimes this needs a little tightening to help grip the blade better.


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## scrimper (11 Sep 2014)

marcros":1km44bm5 said:


> scrimper":1km44bm5 said:
> 
> 
> > Any chance of a picture of the mod and rubber bands in use?
> ...



We will have to agree to differ then!  I spent the large part of my life in the electrical appliance spares trade and had access to how much the parts cost the manufacturers and yes they made big profits on the items but they are as nothing to Hegner charging £24 for a simple bog standard rocker switch which they would be able to buy in at a few pence, if it was an unusual part that they had to make specially in small quantities I might have some understanding but they do not make this switch and £24 is just crazy!


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## boysie39 (13 Sep 2014)

I think this is how our forum can be so helpful . when I was able to use woodworking machinery if something went wrong or was broken I straight away contacted the supplier and had a replacement sent .Because I had no one to tell me I could buy a piece that would do the same job for half the price I was at the mercy of the suppliers , and believe me I now know that they don't show any mercy .
So as long as these people can get idiots like me they can charge as much as they like plus they don't need to sell as many spares.
I suppose my problem was that I had led a sheltered life for so long . :roll: :roll: #-o #-o :mrgreen: :mrgreen:


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## Claymore (13 Sep 2014)

If i am looking for spares from my vacuumforming machine i just look for a makers name on the component and then find them on internet and tell them i can't get hold of certain parts and 9/10 times they sell them to me direct for pennies  bit cheeky but having paid thousands for the machine i don't think its right charging me £90 for a heating element when i got them online in the same packaging for £14 including postage.


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