Scrollsaw cutting

[Gill]

Keep an eye on eBay, Sean. There's nothing worth having there right now that I can see, but good second-hand Hegners do pop up from time to time. (I got a barely used Multicut Quick plus stand for a couple of hundred quid ) Try to get a Hegner with a tension release lever on the upper arm, though - the old models don't have this and it is an improvement which does make life easier.

If you ever buy a Hegner, there's an accessory called a 'Quick Release Clamp' which is very helpful for pierced work and when changing blades. It will also fit the Axminster AWFS18, I believe, although there are AWFS18 owners on the forum who will no doubt soon be along to tell you all about their saw.

Gill

 

[chrispuzzle]

The Axminster AWFS18 doesn't have a quick release mechanism but as Gill says, it will take Hegner quick release clamps (which have a thumbwheel) as it is basically a Hegner clone less some frills and finish.

The Hegner quick release clamps are not the fastest change in the world, but they are a lot quicker than laying the clamps in a jig at the side of the machine and using allen keys.

Quick release is worth worrying about if you make a lot of interior cuts as you will when doing portraits and other intricate patterns with hollow areas, as each interior cut requires taking the blade out and then putting it back in again, threading it through a new starter hole in the workpiece. This may be dozens of times with a single piece of work and so it makes a big difference.

It is of no great importance if you are cutting jigsaw puzzles or other work where most of the cuts start and end at the outside of the workpiece and you can keep the blade in the clamps until the blade itself becomes too blunt to use.

 

[Blacklabradorman]

Sorry more questions:-

I've read in other posts about a Diamond machine but I can't seem to find anything about them. Can anyone tell me if they have ceased trading or been taken over?

Thanks again

Sean

 

[Gill]

Diamond saws were manufactured by Doug Woodward. Sadly, he died recently and as a result Diamond saws are no longer manufactured.

Gill