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Really good scrollsaw recommendation

1K views 11 replies 8 participants last post by  rustynails 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Back in the Marquetry fold doing double bevel technique.

So it's 2019 what are some of the better scroll saws out there ?

I am assuming Hegner is still the cats meow ?
RBI hawk not made anymore ?
Excalibur still a good machine
Where does the Dewalt fit in
Any bargain models worth looking at ??

Thanks
Dave
BigKahuna Woodworks
 
#2 · (Edited by Moderator)
It's all an opinion, but I agree on the Hegner, except for bevel you have to slant the table. On the Excalibur "type" saws the head slants, table stays flat. Seems to me that would be better, I have not done but a few bevels so I am no expert. The Excalibur is now made in China, not getting great reviews, not sold through Seyco anymore. There is a King which is made where the Excalibur use to be made, Seyco has their own saw, I have one and I think it is a great saw. Does not have the rack/pinion mechanism to tilt the head, but the head still tilts, not the table and the table is big. Then there is the newest Pegas saw. It is fashioned after the Excalibur, but also has the Pegas clamps that are all the rage now (you can get them for other saws at around $100 a set). then there is the Jet, and yes the Hawk is still made. Still a great saw, but the service is not getting real high marks. Can take a long time to get a saw or parts if they are low on inventory.

I am a scroller, if I were to buy a new saw right now, I would go with the Pegas. Been reading good things about it and it sure is pretty…

Cheaper saw, the little Delta is spoken highly of. It is very similar to the DeWalt around $100 cheaper. The Dewalt is still very popular.

Lots of saws to choose from.
 
#3 ·
Oh, ya, the DeWalt and Delta are a IMHO the beginning of the mid-range saws. The Excalibur style are the higher end of the mid-range and the Hawk and Hegner the top. Some argue the high end are too expensive, but by they wear out and have to repurchase a couple mid-range, they could have bought one of the top ones and saved the frustration. The only down side of the Hegner, is it is bottom feed only. No way to make it top feed. That is probably what stops most people. I can bottom feed and top feed, so no matter to me. I love my Hegner and my Seyco.
 
#4 · (Edited by Moderator)
I have never been a "scroll sawyer" but like many here find there are cuts that only they can do well, so I owned an old Delta. I got caught looking at the DeWalt after going to a woodworking show that they have here in the Dayton area. It's mostly carvers, turners, sawyers, but has examples of all types of woodworking. The year I was looking they had 9 persons there with a scroller doing work. They were from all over the country, and I stopped to talk to them all. A little about their display, but mostly about their saws, they why didja buy stuff.

Of the 9, 7 had the DeWalt, and all of them loved it.. Most of them had owned Hegner, Excaliber, and a few I had never heard of. All of them felt the DeWalt was superior in at least one major way, and a few felt they were in all ways. Blade change, was probably the most frequent yes about the DeWalt, these folks were changing blades often, and really much quicker than I knew a blade could be changed.

After the show I studied the DeWalt much closer at WoodCraft, and was pretty sure I was buying the next time they had a sale. Then a woodworker in Ky who went to a forum across the way found out he liked photography better, and listed all of his tools. Fred and I went down, he bought the guys MM bandsaw, and I bought his DeWalt Scroller, stand, and light for far less than the sale price of just the saw up here.

I found that the saw is much much better than my old Delta, I couldn't compare to another saw, as I only had the 2 to choose between. I also discovered that blades are a much larger part of the equation, than I had earlier believed. I started using Pegas blades, and feel I can do any cut that can be done. Probably just not as quick as a full time scroller.

I couldn't be happier with my DeWalt scroller.

That said there is one change to it I made. It comes with so so wing nut tighteners on the blade clamping mechanism. Cheesy is the best description. I saw reference to a metal knurled knob to replace them, and hunted them down from asking about them at a scroll forum. Very nice Man in Ga, makes them, sends them to you for your approval, then you send payment. I don't remember exactly the amount I paid, it wasn't much, and these are worth triple the price they are so much better than the originals. Actually replace isn't correct, you sand down the nubs of the plastic, and they fit over them. They make for a very snug, easy to hold surface that allows you to tighten in seconds to the proper amount.

If you end up with the DeWalt, and want to swap the knobs that is the link I found.
 
#5 ·
I have been scrolling for 25+ years and have used a Dewalt saw for almost all my scrolling. I think it is a great saw for the money. However, when I am doing marquetry I prefer the Excalibur style saws. I have an older model Excalibur it cuts less aggressive than the Dewalt and I can slow it done more than the dewalt. I also like that the arm tilts and the table stays flat. Much easier to make angle cuts.

If I were to purchase a new saw I would lean toward the Seyco or the Pegus.
 
#6 ·
Had the chance to use one of Shipwrights chevalet and could not imagine a better option, if only I had some extra room in my shop! And if you ask real nice he may even give you a lesson or two? The trip to his shop would make it all worth while!
 
#7 ·
I am at my scroll saw most every day. I make toys and do a lot of double bevel inlays. I have made and sold over 2000 inlaid items over the past twelve years. I use a Hegner Polymax-3 (2008) for this and just for this. I leave the table tilted at just under two degrees and use another, older Hegner multimax-3 (1986) for cutting out toys . Both of these saw motors are single speed but the Polymax-3, I run on it's slowest speed by moving the belt drive on it. I started with a DeWalt but killed it in less than two years cutting thicker woods for toys. DeWalt is a nice cutting saw but nowhere near as durable as a Hegner. If I was to buy a new saw it would be a variable speed Hegner. I have used a friends Excalibur and it is also a nice saw. The table tilt of only two degrees on my Hegner is not at all noticeable while cutting. The downside of the Hegner is that I would not recommend it for fretwork because the blade changing is cumbersome. I have not done any fretwork…..yet.
 
#8 ·
Thank you folks for all the info.
I have a lead on a older Excalibur EX30 saw, made in Canada.
Has a variable speed Dayton motor.
The table tilts.
Has the metal stand.
It's missing the hold down, but other then that the owner said it's in great shape.
He is asking $300.
I'm going to go look at it this weekend.
 
#9 ·
Most people toss the hold down about 3.5 minutes after purchasing a scroll saw. If the rest of the saw is in good shape, it should be a great saw. Bigger than you may need, but than again, someday you may need one that big.
 
#11 ·
Thanks again folks.
I did end up buying the Excalibur. Heavy beast I'll say.
Played with it a couple days, had to turn the speed way down to follow a line.
I ordered the Pegas blade clamps and got them installed last night.
WOW, what a difference. I could actually turn the motor speed up half way and had no trouble following lines.
And it is so much smoother now.
That was with some Olson blades, can't wait to try some double bevel cutting with the Pegas blades I got.

Y'all have a blessed weekend.
Dave
 
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