Which saw?

[Honest John]

Well I ended up buying the Axi EX21 as I thought I would. After a few adjustments following the procedures listed in the hand book, I’m very impressed with it. Clearly the smaller one I tried out at Axminster was not “fettled” and that would explain my initial disappointment with this when I tried it a few weeks ago. The lack of a foot peddle that my Peugeot has (still for sale incidentally in the for sale section), is taking a bit of getting used to but I’m getting there. Lots of people manage without a peddle so it must be possible. I find the tiny rocker switch on the front really fiddly for my pork sausage fingers toopperate so I expect I may engineer and install a foot peddle at some time in the future. It doesn’t look to be beyond the wit of man.im undoing the blade from the top clamp and feeding the blade through internal cuts from the bottom of the workpiece as I have always done. Undoing the bottom clamp and feeding the blade through the top of the workpiece from above seems an attractive option, but I am still finding that locating the blade in the bottom clamp is fiddly and time consuming. Is this just a skill thing that will get better with practice ? Do many of you feed the blade from the top ?

 

[AES]

Glad you like the Ex 21. Personally I wouldn't be without a foot pedal and fitted one to mine (it's SO much more convenient, especially if you've already had one before) but mine is not a UK version so doesn't have a NVR (No Volts Release). However fitting such devices to other machines (not necessarily scroll saws) with a NVR has been done and has been discussed on UKW before, so I suggest you do a search. Should come up OK, but I can't remember where, sorry.

Re blade feeding, personally I find that because the arm stays up when you lift it, it's a lot easier to feed the cut out in the job on to the blade from on top (i.e. blade remains fixed in the bottom clamp), but p'raps that just me. I only ever use the bottom blade clamp when changing blades.

Enjoy your machine, v good choice IMO.

 

[aramco]

glad you like your new scroll saw ,and in answer to your question I also feed the blade up through the work leaving the bottom blade closed until blade change, I have never used a foot pedal as I have no feeling in either foot so would probably end up losing a finger, so I also will have to put up with the fiddly switch. Most people who have axminster saws have problems with the table scratching up very quickly and looking hideous, I personally have put a sheet of 1 mm plastic over the top to stop this from happening, other people have resorted to other methods to protect the table, it appears to be common fault and I wonder why axminster have not remedied the problem.

take care
John