just bought a new saw, bloody record - finally sorted

[big soft moose]

My trusty schepach died a few months back (which was my own fault for trying to use it like a bandsaw to cut out turning blanks while the bandsaw was hors de combat )

so on wednesday i tootled down to yandles (swimbo came with to keep me from buying the whole flipping shop) and bought one of these

http://www.yandles.co.uk/product.php/se ... n/RPOSS16V

I was seriously impressed with the value as it is usually £120 but yandles are doing a special offer to £99 , then as i was umming and ahhing between this and the axminster variable speed they price matched to the axy which is £89 -result

I haven't used the saw in anger yet as i only got round to setting it up tonight but it will go into action tommorow as i need to make my sisters birthday present (a clock based on a pile of rats)

I'm also well impressed with the yandles offcut bin where i got an A4 sized piece of 3/4" thick kiln dried oak (to make said clock) for the princly sum of 30p (plus another bigger bit which will "come in useful" for £1)

 

[JAYJAY]

why do bargains always feel so good???
looks like a nice little bargain and machine let us know how it performs...hope it serves you well!!

 

[Gill]

It sounds like you got a bargain . There are times when I wish I lived closer to the south west. It's some consolation that a new Axminster branch is scheduled to open in the West Midlands in October.

A clock based on a pile of rats? Really? Please show us a picture - I'm intrigued.

Gill

 

[big soft moose]

A clock based on a pile of rats? Really? Please show us a picture - I'm intrigued.

Gill

well i havent made it yet - but the basic plan is to draw a pile of rats , trace that onto the wood, cut round the edge of said drawing with the scrollsaw (though i may use the bandsaw to remove the bulk of offcut first), dremel out the interior lines and black wax them, then wax finish the rest

then drill a hole and insert a clock mech from behind with hands in front

my sister is heavily into fancy rats so we thought that this would be a nice b/day present without breaking the bank.

I'll post a picture when i'm done.

We're making most of our birthday and xmas presents this year - next up after the rat clock is a model sleigh for the parents in law which we intend to fill with chocolates and spirit minatures

then following on to that are two skeleton clocks (though they are turning rather than scrollsaw work ) one for my mother and one also for the parents in law.

 

[Gill]

Skeletons and rats? Scroll your sister a rat skeleton with an hourglass and give it to her with a copy of Terry Pratchett's Soul Music. Tell her it's the Grim Squeaker!

Gill

 

[StevieB]

Our Terry seems to have a soft spot for rats - your sister might also like 'Maurice and his educated rodents' which is Terry Pratchetts version of the Pied Piper of Hamlyn. Very good it is too!

The Death of Rats is a common character in the Death books, originating in the book 'Reaper Man' and then playing a role in most books after that which feature Death or his Daughter Susan as a central character. Soul Music is one, Thief of Time another. From memory the Grim squeaker is NOT in Hogfather or Mort though, which are a bit earlier in the series.

Steve.

 

[big soft moose]

Hmm - i'm now somewhat less impressed with my new saw - ive done the rat outline so all well there but periodically the drive seems to jump , more noticeable on slower speeds , and also the variable speed control isnt working properly everytime

i'll be calling yandles in the morning assuming they work sundays and this one will be going back for replacement

btw i didnt mean that sort of skeleton - a skeleton clock is one where the mechanism is on display , like this http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Skel ... 463014.htm

 

[Gill]

a skeleton clock is one where the mechanism is on display

Well I never. You learn something new every day.





But I still think it would be cool to scroll the Grim Squeaker with an hourglass .

 

[pixy]

Hi guys I recently bought a record scroll saw, brand new condition , attached to a stand.I bought the saw after doing some research on the net and calling Record technical staff.I was told that about 8 years ago it was made from a USA design and sold for £350-00.It looks as if it's just come out of the box. The only thing I'm not keen on is you have to feed the blade through from underneath the table, I bought it for £51-00, now that's what I call a bargain .Mal

 

[Gill]

Where did you buy it, Mal? The retailer might have more bargains.

 

[pixy]

Hi Gill I bought it in e .bay from a place in Surrey. I just happened to be visiting my son when I saw it. Have you any experience with saws where you have to fit the blade in under the table instead of the removerble disc in the top side of the table.I just can't see an easy way of entering the plate for inside cuts.Any suggestions.Mal

 

[Gill]

Hi Mal

I have used a DeWalt 788 which allows blades to be either top fed or bottom fed. Neither procedure has presented difficulties and I am having difficulty trying to visualise your problem.

Gill

 

[pixy]

Hi Gill
With my Axminster You fit the blade in it's holder then slot the blade through the drill hole, then drop the blade holder through the circular hole conect the bottom holder then attach the top holder and fit the slotted disc. With the bottom loader you fix the bottom holder in position and then try to get the blade through the hole in the wood, which I find very difficult Mal

 

[big soft moose]

I guess yours is a different model to mine pixy - as mine is only 120 notes list (though i paid 89) - my blade feeds in from the top as far as i know.

update on my situation went back to yandles today and after some discussion they swapped it for another saw (the till moron initially wanted me to accept a repair but i made it clear that i'd driven down there on the promise of an exchange so I damn well wanted an exchange - got bossman lee out of the office and it turned out he already had an exchange put aside for me , me thinks till moron may be in for some "retraining" )

I also got back into the offcut bins and got a whole load of bits (8 A4 size bits of 3/4 inch oak, a bigger plank of 1" chestnut and a whole load of 2 and 3 " thick turning offcuts) all for the princely sum of £9

all the thinner bits are destined to become clocks , boxes and other scrollsaw projects while the thicker stuff will go on the lathe to become baubles, keyrings, tea light holders etc

On my return home I did 60 odd quid with stiles and bates for amongst other things 2 skeleton clock inserts and 48 quid with www.clockparts.co.uk for 10 pendelum movements and 10 quiet sweep movements

all in all a productive day

 

[stevebuk]

well done pete, glad you got satisfaction in the end. Wish you many happy hours of scroll sawing.

 

[big soft moose]

well the ongoing saga of my damn saw - unpacked the replacement saw tonight and its only bloody damaged - the box has clearly been dropped (though not obvious until its opened) and the blade holders are knackered , blade itself is bent like a banana , there is a crack in the casing of the upper arm and the table mounting brackets are shot

so not happy - I'm calling yandles in the morning and if they have a replacement in stock then i'm going to swap it again but this time i want to see the replacement working in the shop - if theres not one in stock I want a full refund so i can go to axminster like i probably should have done in the first place

to be fair to yandles the problem is probably with record but frankly i'm not to bothered about whose ultimately to blame - with the xmas craft fair season on the horizon i want a working saw and i want it now !!!

 

[big soft moose]

just a quick update , spoke to lee from yandles and he says that if i bring it back on monday (or at my convenience) they will swap it again and they will prep up the new saw to ensure it is in working order.

he also said they would give me some wood to say sorry (swimbo is "overjoyed" at the prospect of more wood

so thumbs up to yandles for customer service but thumbs down to the quality control at record power

 

[devonwoody]

I doubt that any manufacturer has any quality control system on goods leaving their factories these days, they wait for a customer to complain, it saves wages on a whole department of staff on quality watching. :wink:

 

[big soft moose]

all finally sorted - i went back to yandles on monday and jeff set the replacement saw up and ran it to make sure it was all working before we swapped again - they also gave me a load of free wood to make up for the inconvenience - so like i said i'm happy with yandles , but not so impressed with record power.

 

[Gill]

I'm pleased it's all worked out in the end. No doubt your tribulations will encourage you to make the best possible use of your new saw now.