New Hegner User

[DannyEssex]

Hi all

I have been on the look out for a cheap scroll saw to have a try for quite a while now and this one popped up on a local Facebook group. The guy wanted £100 for it and it also included quite a number of blades.

I'm guessing its an older model going by the blower hose, but it works a treat and will do for me. I read that many people recommend getting the quick release clamp, but an old radiator key fit perfectly on the square bolt and makes changing the blade much easier.

I had my first play with it today and its great fun, I printed some of my children's names off and set about cutting them out on some ply and also on some pine. I'm going to be watching as many videos and reading up as much as I can to try and get my head around the uses of different blades, techniques and the do's an don'ts. I found the spiral blades very hard to work with so will leave them alone for now :lol:

Are there any YouTube channels or books you guys would recommend?

TIA
Danny (hammer)

 

[Claymore]

Nice one Danny you got a real bargain there!
check out this site for scrolling goodies http://www.stevedgood.com/community/index.php

Cheers
Brian
ps I hate the spiral blades too lol

 

[NazNomad]

+1 for Steve Good's site, some great advice and patterns on there.

Spiral blades are scroller's Marmite :-D

 

[whatknot]

I am not having that !

I like Marmite ;-)

+1 for Steve Good's site, some great advice and patterns on there.

Spiral blades are scroller's Marmite :-D

 

[linkshouse]

I am not having that !

I like Marmite ;-)

+1 for Steve Good's site, some great advice and patterns on there.

Spiral blades are scroller's Marmite :-D

Exactly. You either love em, or hate em, there's no in between.

Phill

 

[linkshouse]

Another +1 for Steve Good website.

I rather suspect it is where we all started from.

Phill

 

[whatknot]

Its not but it was a great find early on and have used it ever since

A wealth of information on his site plus a very useful stencil printer and various other useful utilities

Another +1 for Steve Good website.

I rather suspect it is where we all started from.

Phill

 

[whatknot]

That was indeed my point also ;-)

I like Marmite but hate spirals, I find no enjoyment in using them

I prefer to scroll saw rather than spend most of the time changing snapped blades and sanding afterwards

Not to mention the cost of them (ie at least 4 spirals to one flat blade)

I am not having that !

I like Marmite ;-)

+1 for Steve Good's site, some great advice and patterns on there.

Spiral blades are scroller's Marmite :-D

Exactly. You either love em, or hate em, there's no in between.

Phill

 

[scrimper]

Hi Danny, I have hesitated in posting a link to my videos as it does seem a bit vulgar promoting ones own Youtube efforts.

However I have done a few videos on fret-working and scroll-sawing and within them you may find some useful hints and tips on using your Hegner saw.

I have been using a Hegner since 1999 and a fret-worker all my life.

my Youtube channel is https://www.youtube.com/user/scrimperuk/videos

There are videos on several subjects but about 14 are connected to scroll-sawing and Hegner.

(Hope folk don't mind me promoting my videos here?)

John

 

[scrimper]

On the subject of spiral blades! they are basically just a normal blade that has been twisted.

They are the spawn of the devil!

Just don't go there if you want to remain sane.

 

[scrimper]

Danny, if you are new to the scroll-saw I would recommend you get a copy of Patrick Spielman's book, The Scroll Saw Handbook or the newer New scroll saw handbook, you can buy them second hand for around £5 and they are worth every penny.

I had been a scroll-sawer for 30 years when I bought my copy of the original book and it opened my eyes to better ways of doing things and resulted in me buying my first power scroll saw.

IMHO the book is the 'bible' of scroll-sawing.

Here is a link to the book on Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Scroll-Saw-Han ... w+Handbook

 

[DannyEssex]

Thanks for the links and advice guys (hammer)

 

[AES]

+1 for both Mike's web site and Spielmann book.

But also, just start up Youtube and search "scroll saw" and you'll get a squillion hits, many of which are worth watching as you start out.

AES

 

[BenCviolin]

That's a great bargain ! I have the same machine and stand, they're superb.
So far I find scroll sawing quite a nervous activity, or perhaps I'm just scared of making a mistake.
Is there a specific tension you have to use for the blades ? I mean....how tight ?

 

[AES]

@BenCviolin:

I shouldn't worry about making mistakes as you start out. It's called "practice makes perfect"! You WILL develop better accuracy as you make more cuts, and anyway, there are "millions" of patterns where the odd off-the-line-a-bit cut won't ever notice once you've removed the pattern and (perhaps) sanded a bit. Honestly even you yourself won't often find them.

Re tension, some people talk about a musical middle C note (I think it is) and unlike me, you'll probably be able to recognise that note if your Forum name is at all suggestive! But all I do is aim for a "bright ping" sound, AND make sure that there's no more than an eight inch (absolute max) back & forward and side to side movement with a new blade installed and tensioned as I grab the blade in the middle (saw OFF needless to say)!

Also, with a new blade installed and cutting a piece of about half inch to inch softwood, the blade should not be moving backwards very much at all as you push your wood GENTLY into the blade while cutting (use a bit of scrap, take your eye off the cut itself, and look at the job from one side or the other - move your head over if necessary, hence the use of a bit of scrap)!

Don't worry, if I can do it OK (at least once in a while) then anyone can

HTH

AES

 

[Droogs]

AES wrote:
make sure that there's no more than an eight inch (absolute max) back & forward and side to side movement

I think he meant AN EIGHTH OF AN INCH #-o

just saying :-"

 

[AES]

Yes, that's EXACTLY what he meant!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry for lazy lousy typing!

AES

 

[linkshouse]

Just blame auto-correct, it is usually the culprit.

I think you'd be hard-pressed to get 8" of deflection in the middle of a 5" blade.

Phill

P.S. Before anyone jumps on me I know that it is completely impossible, even string could only yield 2.5"

 

[AES]

Yeah, thanks phill, Autocorrect is always a convenient scapegoat, but in this case, I can't tell a lie, "It was I, Chief!"

BTW, re deflection on a piece of string, OK 5 inch free length won't give an eight inch deflection, but otherwise, doesn't it depend on the thickness and make up of the string?

AES

 

[linkshouse]

Yeah, thanks phill, Autocorrect is always a convenient scapegoat, but in this case, I can't tell a lie, "It was I, Chief!"

BTW, re deflection on a piece of string, OK 5 inch free length won't give an eight inch deflection, but otherwise, doesn't it depend on the thickness and make up of the string?

AES

Well, yes. I was talking maximum theoretical deflection which would, of course, be half of the overall length.

Sorry to op, we're straying well and truly off topic with a little light-hearted nonsense.

Phill