Excalibur Scrollsaws

[AES]

Excellent review Malcolm (Alexam), thanks.

I like your idea of the sliver of wood in the lower blade clamp, very good idea. When changing blades I still miss that stop sometimes (but now only occaisonally), so will incorporate your mod - "why didn't I think of that?"

Thanks.

=D>

AES

 

[Alexam]

The thing is Andy, if the first stop is missed, the the blade would automatically be sloping backwards, so best to try and get it virtical from the start. The top clamp is much easier, so I must remember to load from the lower clamp always.

Malcolm

 

[AES]

You're exactly correct Malcolm, I have done that several times - although in my case anyway, I mostly got the blade so low down that it would hardly enter the upper holder!

Although I do that very seldom now (I guess it's just a question of getting used to it), I think your mod is both simple and effective, so as above, I'll be doing just that myself (when I "getta roundtoit")!

Thanks.

AES

 

[scrimper]

Induction motors by design are far more reliable, quiet and smooth running. But I don't think the vibration in a scroll saw comes from the motor itself.

IMHO if you have any metal machine that is equipped with a harsh noisy motor vibration will be transmitted to other parts of the machine, understandably due to the design of a scroll saw they are prone to vibration but as many of will attest it is possible to make a scroll saw that does not vibrate excessively and the use of an induction motor plays quite an important part in this.

Sure scrimper, your statement is correct in general, it just doesn't apply for scroll saws, even the cheapest ones does not have harsh noisy motors. Induction motors are superior and last forever, but they do not reduce vibration. Just take any heavily vibrating scroll saw, disconnect the arm and remove the balancer\excentic wheel and you will see no vibrations and quiet motor. Except in cases where the motor is damaged.

Think we will have to agree to disagree on this then. All the machines I have that are equipped with brush motors are harsh and noisy and not particularity pleasant to use, whereas those with induction motors are smooth and quiet generally, just one example I have a old Dewalt Radial arm saw which is very powerful has a induction motor and is a pleasure to use whereas my sliding mitre chop saw with brush motor is noisy harsh and I hate using the damn thing, (only use is as a portable saw).

 

[Alexam]

A little bit of a Hickup I think? This is not a complaint, just something that needs correcting. I love the machine.

Continuing with the investigation of the new toy, it seems that the tilting of the machine to 40 degrees canot be done both sides. Obviously someone has not checked this because the large turning knob gets to the dust extractor outlet at about 30 degrees and cannot move further. Even with the knob removed and turning the spindle, it still reaches the outlet, but that is just about 40degrees, so even a smaller knob will not work. It really needs a new design on the outlet pipe, which in any case could be smaller. What they have done with the dust extraction is really excellent and having hooked up the vac, it works extreemly well.

I have let Axminster know about the problem as well as the difficulty cutting 2" work unless the blade is 'exactly' at maximum without removal of the hold down foot.

I wanted to remove the lower blade protection under the table, but this will require removal of the table to get at the screws. Even tilting the table will not allow access to that fitting. A small point, but it could have been fitted differently. I know it is for schools protection, which is a good thing, but I find it a little awkward when fitting the blade.

Malcolm

 

[scrimper]

To be honest personally I would not find lack of tilt both sides much of a problem as I don't often do bevel cutting and most saws are limited in tilting both ways.
However the AXI ad does state

Arm tilts 45° left and right

yet in the specification it says

Arm Tilt -35° to + 45°

 

[Alexam]

I'm not bothered either. Just reporting the fact and that it is a fault. Doubt I would ever need that amount of tilt.

 

[Valld]

Hi Malcolm, I hope you are happy scrolling with the new toy . I have a few questions:

1. Is there any vibrating in the saw on particular speeds, or it is smooth running throughout the whole range?
2. Can you bypass/remove the big safety switch on the back side easy and most important, if you remove it, can the saw be operated with a simple on/of (momentary) foot switch?

 

[Alexam]

BE VERY CAREFUL.............................if you start making changes to anything, you may invalidate the guarantee.

I have asked one of the managers at Axminster to look at the foot switch question and also I commented on the way the wiring of the NVR switch has been done and if it was done that way to facilitate a foot switch?. He will come back to me on this, but suggest that you wait a while to see what does come back and don't try and jump the gun.

Regards vibration, I have now bolted the Ex16 to the bench on a stiff sponge mat and mostly there is very little vibration. However, if you turn the speed variation knob around, at certain revolutions, there is a slight increase in vibration at some speeds. However, I am pleasantly surprised how little vibration there is and how quiet it is compared to the last bandsaw I had.

Malcolm

 

[scrimper]

Regards vibration, I have now bolted the Ex16 to the bench on a stiff sponge mat and mostly there is very little vibration. However, if you turn the speed variation knob around, at certain revolutions, there is a slight increase in vibration at some speeds. However, I am pleasantly surprised how little vibration there is and how quiet it is compared to the last bandsaw I had.

Malcolm

Interesting about the mat as a 'damper' did you try it first without the mat? Only reason I ask is that when I bought my Diamond saw from the person who designed them (the late Doug Woodward) I mentioned about using rubber bushes under it when mounting and he advised against and said it was best bolted down directly to the bench and the bench should be bolted to the floor!

 

[CHJ]

From purely an engineering point just be aware that if you dampen whole machine vibration by clamping the main structure then whatever the out of balance component is causing it is going to be restrained to its full force potential at the axis of the support of that component.*
Not a problem if bearings, links etc. are robust and can take the 'hammering' but a plastic or soft metal bearing or component for instance will be subject to heavier loads because the inertia can't be traded off by machine movement.

Best if the vibration can be reduced if not totally illuminated, often it only takes a small weight in the right place to balance a crank or similar, tack on with hot glue to test, possibly fix with CA or epoxy for permanent fix.

Having said that I suppose something like a well made (robust) scroll saw may take years to wear a bush or cause a component to fail, but something to be considered with cheaper and possibly more prone to problem machines.

*Think of what happens if you don't balance a car tyre/wheel, the whole suspension and steering chain has to handle the vibration load, clamp the steering wheel rigidly and it's universal knuckle or gearbox takes the termination load instead of your flexible hands and arm..

 

[martinka]

Interesting about the mat as a 'damper' did you try it first without the mat? Only reason I ask is that when I bought my Diamond saw from the person who designed them (the late Doug Woodward) I mentioned about using rubber bushes under it when mounting and he advised against and said it was best bolted down directly to the bench and the bench should be bolted to the floor!

Hah! When I bought my Diamond, I did exactly as you suggested and the vibration was reduced. Mind you, the real reason I put the bushes underneath was because at the fastest speed, the spindryer belt was hitting the bench.

 

[Alexam]

In fact, when I was setting it up, it was just on ther bench and it was very quiet and not much vibration at all. I then put it on a hard, pressed foam mat, which seemed better, but when bolted down to the bench, was a 'tad' noisier and with moderate vibtation. I have since loostened the bolts so that it is simply 'in place' but not solidly bolted down and it's better.

Malcolm

 

[Lons]

Hmm interesting :-k

I've just today bolted my new Hegner to a ply baseboard so it's moveable but can be clamped to a bench and I've cut and fitted some 6mm solid rubber packing washers. There's almost no vibration.

Bob

 

[scrimper]

Hmm interesting :-k

I've just today bolted my new Hegner to a ply baseboard so it's moveable but can be clamped to a bench and I've cut and fitted some 6mm solid rubber packing washers. There's almost no vibration.

Bob

In Fairness the Hegner generates hardly any vibration especially at the lower speeds.

 

[Alexam]

Here's a funny one, I was scrolling today and when adjusting the speed, the telescopic arm of an ariel attached to an old radio on the bench was vibrating. At certain speeds it was almost stationary and the table almost without vibration, but at other speeds, the ariel wobbled a lot and that indicated more vibration on the table. Perhaps scrollsaws should have a telescopic ariel fitted for spoeed adjustment. Silly, but it helped to watch this new discovery today.

 

[AES]

Casting my mind back to apprenticeship studies (a LONG time ago I admit) it's something to do with the aerial "rod" reaching resonant frequency (or one of the harmonics thereof).

In my earlier aeromodelling days you could get a rev counter for model engines (before modern, cheap, digital electronics) which consisted of different lengths of stiff piano wire "tuned" by length & thickness to different rev bands. You just held the tool against, for example, the cylinder head and the length of wire which vibrated told you the rpm of the motor when running. Good for testing on different props. A bit Heath Robinson but worked fairly well and accurate to within about 1,000 rpm as I remember.

AES

 

[Claymore]

.........

 

[Alexam]

Interesting though guys, the last few days having switched off with the front switch and not turned power off the mains, next time into the workshop and the same switch starts it. The NVR has not cut in ????? Couls be something to do with the Sat Nav I suppose?

 

[Aggrajag]

I thought NVR only cut in when mains was cut? Using the front switch all the time would work as expected like a saw without NVR?