Axminster EX21 Pros/Cons

[brianhabby]

Hello all,

I am seriously interested in the Axminster EX21. I currently have a 23+ years old Hegner Multicut 2S and would like to upgrade. I have read reviews online, both on Axminster's own site and elsewhere that the paint finish on the table wears off pretty quickly. How much of an issue is this really? Plus, those members who own this saw, would you recommend it?

I am going to Harrogate at the weekend and am likely to be tempted, especially if they have the usual show discounts available.

Hope someone can help,

regards

Brian

 

[Droogs]

I have a EX30 and love it. the paint does marke and wear off but not a problem really other than looks. I'm at Horragate too so maybe bump in at the stand

 

[AES]

Agree 100% with Droogs, it's an excellent machine in all respects (mine is an Exc 21, not the Axi version, but apart from the NVR, it's exactly the same from what I can see). now coming up 4 years old and no troubles at all, on the contrary, I use it for all sorts of jobs it wasn't really meant for.

Yes, the paint does wear off pretty quickly which personally I find a bit annoying, and shouldn't happen on a machine of that price and quality. OTOH it doesn't really matter (it doesn't affect the function in any way, just looks a bit unsightly) but is easily fixable. I (eventually) used a 5 mm thick piece of sheet as a sub table - don't go much thicker than that otherwise if you use reverse tooth blades you may well run out of "backwards teeth". I originally used a piece of self adhesive plastic sheet (like used for books, shelves, etc) but it didn't last all that well - it started wearing away around the DE holes in the table.

When I bought this machine I was choosing between Hegner and Excalibur and chose Excali. I'll go look for the detailed "report" I made comparing the 2 machines in a minute and then come back and post a link to it in a mo.

At that time several members said they were very happy with that machine. I don't recall anyone being unhappy.

HTH

Here you go Brian:

post1248803.html#p1248803

(The above is from a short while ago. If/when you get to the end of that little lot you'll find the link to the 4 year old "report" I was talking about above).

 

[brianhabby]

Thank you both for your replies.

Droogs. I will be at the Harrogate show on Saturday, you will recognise me because I will be the most handsome bloke in the building

AES. Thanks for the plentiful information and the links to very useful reviews.

I think I have decided to buy the saw but still a little concerned about the paint issue. I remember some time back watching a video from Steve Good on installing an acrylic top on the table of his Jet saw. The stuff he used was .22" (just under 6mm) but I can get Plexiglas that is only 2mm thick which should definitely solve any potential issues with reverse tooth blades. Do you guys think that would work?

regards

Brian

 

[AES]

I guess so, not sure but don't see why not (if it does work, let me know)!!!!!

 

[brianhabby]

Well, I ordered the EX21 from Axminster yesterday while at Harrogate but they were not offering any show discounts. When I asked, the bloke just shrugged his shoulders and said "We don't need to". I guess I can understand that as there were plenty of people on the stand & most looked very interested in one thing or another. I did ask if the stand was included in the price and was initially told no but after a bit of barter I managed to get the salesman to throw in the stand, which is about a 10% discount so not too bad after all.

AES. I have also ordered a piece of Plexiglas from an eBay seller and will keep you advised as to how it goes.

regards

Brian

 

[aramco]

hi I have the ex 30, and the coating started to wear off almost immediately, I put a piece of 1 mm clear plastic sheet I had laying around, and sellotaped it down not ideal but it has worked, I do plan to change this maybe in the new year with a slightly thicker piece of plastic, and double sided tape to keep it in position, it does sort of upset me having paid £800 qiud to have to do on this this machine, I would have thought someone at Axminster would have come up with a solution as it is a common problem not just a one off.

take care
John

 

[AES]

Agree 100% John. Every youtube clip I've seen about the Excali series saws shows the same problem, and that includes my own. As said before, it does not affect the functioning of the machine in any way, but I find it annoying and it certainly should NOT happen on such a high quality/high price machine.

My 1st solution was self-adhesive clear plastic film (like used for shelves & book covers) but that didn't work very well (started to go tatty around the DE holes pretty quickly). So I now have a sheet of thin "board" (not sure if it's hardboard or MDF-type stuff). I gave that several coats of clear water-based varnish. That's "OK" but someone else here suggested a sheet of hard Perspex which MAY be OK. I dunno.

Problem is that I sometimes use my machine for cutting thin sheet metal and it's already starting to scratch the "board" around the blade and DE holes. And I'm not sure that Perspex would be much better in that respect either.

Anyway, you're right, it annoys me and it shouldn't happen with a machine at this price.

I GUESS the table is some sort of casting (it's certainly magnetic) so one day I MAY take it off and get it sand-blasted to remove the paint completely. It would not be any harder to keep bare metal tidy than it is with that annoying paint on it now.

 

[aramco]

is the base metal ?? I have never checked , the 1 mm plastic I have put on is ok its the sellotape I put across that's causing me problems .

take care
John

 

[brianhabby]

John. Yes, the base is metal, to quote from Axminster's website it is a "7mm heavy gauge steel table".

EAS. I have put the 2mm Plexiglas on the table but haven't used the saw since as been doing other stuff. I have put some lugs around the edge so I can hold it in place with some turn-buttons but plan to also put some D/S tape around the DE holes as well. I will take some photos to see if I they will explain it more clearly but it might not be until the weekend.

As for cutting metal and it scratching the sub-table, I am sure it would scratch the stuff I used as it doesn't appear to be a particularly hard wearing surface. I wonder what it would look like after sandblasting (also, I wonder if Axminster would pay for it to be done).

regards

Brian

 

[brianhabby]

As promised, here are some pics showing how I fastened the Plexiglas to the tabletop. I did it this way in case I have to remove it at some future time.

 

[AES]

Brian,

That looks a very neat solution. When you spoke about Perspex I had some reservations because as said, I cut thin sheet metal sometimes. But your turnbuckles idea (look good) would at least allow me to replace that table (with what I'm not sure) for metal cutting. I wonder how long your Perspex will remain scratch-free with normal wood cutting?

I must give it some more thought, but so far neither of my own "solutions" (self-adhesive transparent plastic for book covers, etc, and now "hardboard") have been the definitive answer. So thanks for your post, good idea, but I must think some more (I'm still favouring the idea of just getting all the paint sand blasted off - perhaps). And that's a definite maybe!

 

[brianhabby]

I'm not sure if it will remain completely scratch free, probably not, but at least it should stop the paint from wearing off and that was my main reason for doing it. I can start cutting with it now. I am just about to start John Nelson's Macaw pattern so we'll see how it copes.

regards

Brian

 

[aramco]

hi Brian like the looks of this solution, with a frame work added the bed could be widened so a larger piece if Plexiglas could be fitted aka Charles Dearing set up,then the size of the pieces you do can be larger, something I will be going into later on maybe next year all things being equal.

take care
John

 

[brianhabby]

Just a quick update guys about this topic. The plastic I used is holding up well and I am pleased with it. However, I have just watched a video by Steve Good with another possible option to avoid cutting directly on the table. He used magnetic sign making material as a method of creating a zero clearance table and I thought it might be of interest to those following this post.

The video is only a few minutes and can be watched on YouTube

regards

Brian

 

[AES]

Thanks for that Brian. Interesting. My "hardboard" sub table is doing OK "so far so good" (!), but noted for the future.