follow up on the ex21 saw

[Tomlock]

I forgot to mention yesterday I have an opportunity to purchase a ex30 for the price of $1,085 in the box from my local woodworkers store. This includes the stand and the foot peddle. My question is this, It is recommended by Seyco that the upper arm lift be installed at the factory before shipment, is it real difficult to install by myself. I would like to have this feature because I do mostly fretwork. Has anyone installed one of these on their own saw? Also, how much do you like your excalibur.
Thanks
Tomlock

[Jediscroller]

Originally Posted by Tomlock

I forgot to mention yesterday I have an opportunity to purchase a ex30 for the price of $1,085 in the box from my local woodworkers store. This includes the stand and the foot peddle. My question is this, It is recommended by Seyco that the upper arm lift be installed at the factory before shipment, is it real difficult to install by myself. I would like to have this feature because I do mostly fretwork. Has anyone installed one of these on their own saw? Also, how much do you like your excalibur.
Thanks
Tomlock

I use an EX-30. I see no need whatsoever for the armlift. If you really want to hold the arm up, use a block of a 2 X4. 99% of my cuttings are intricate fretwork and never once have I said, "gee, I wish I had an armlift."
My advise, use the money toward wood.

Kevin

[Gill]

Ah - it's funny you should mention the armlift . I was talking to Doug Woodward last week and he said that a number of people liked his Diamond saw because of the way the upper arm rises out of the way. Apparently, he was demonstrating the Diamond saw at a show in Canada in 1994(?) when some marquetarians were trying to scroll cut a large marquetry panel. They tried to cut this panel with an Excalibur but found they couldn't make the piercing cuts because the blade couldn't be inserted into the panel. The Diamond didn't have this problem.

A couple of months later, Excalibur responded to the Diamond by introducing their armlift.

The upshot of this is that the armlift will be very useful if you're going to be cutting large thick panels, especially if you're going to be cutting at an angle such as when you make relief cuts or cut marquetry.

Gill

[Jediscroller]

The original post mentioned that they would be doing mostly fretwork, which is what I do, and as I use an Excalibur for doing that I still see absolutely no need for the armlift. I've cut up to 2" thick pieces and I've cut pieces up to 28" long (without spiral blades btw, hehe), I just use my left hand to lift and right hand to feed the blade through. I've cut on angles the same way, still never once saw the need. Of course, 1994 is a long time ago, so perhaps the saw has changed since then, mine is only a year old.
I take anything a mfg's rep or a mfg. says with a grain of salt anyways. I'm sure any rep would have a story about how his saw did something that the competitions's saw didn't. I'm still trying to figure out how they couldn't feed the blade on the EX, the story just doesn't make sense.


Kevin

[Gill]

Kevin

I've never used an Excalibur myself and I made it clear in my post that I was simply reporting an anecdote told to me. I was not purporting to have any direct experience. If you'd like to take the matter up with Mr Woodward yourself, I'm sure he'd be only too happy to explain in greater detail. After all, Mr Woodward is used to dealing with customers who regularly work on panels that are several feet wide and more than 2" thick.

I know Tomlock intends to undertake fretwork; nevertheless, he did ask about the armlift and I had some information which I thought might help him decide if he needs it.

I wasn't contradicting anything you posted and I really don't appreciate being patronised .

Gill

[Jediscroller]

Originally Posted by Gill

Kevin


I wasn't contradicting anything you posted and I really don't appreciate being patronised .

Gill

Oops, hit the wrong button.
Didn't mean to give you that impression Gill.
I'd love to see the 4" thick panels though, that sounds neat, and this is definately one thing that the Diamond can do that no other scroll saw can. I looked at their gallery but didn't see any. I'd love to see a picture of how a several foot panel could be handled, it's got to be a bear. I struggled with 12" X 28" when I was cutting it. Maybe I could pick up a tip or 2 to make my life easier.

Kevin

[lucky788scroller]

is the armlift piece really that expensive, that if one purchased it, then found they didnt need it, would put them in poverty? I love the jim dandys on my saw, even though I have pretty much worn one of them out, and need to contact jim D about a replacement, and I consider it $20 well spent. dale

[Gill]

Thank you, Kevin; it takes a generous soul to make a post like your last one . It's good to know that we're all friends again .

I don't know exactly how big the largest panel was that I cut on my Diamond, but the 24" throat could barely cope with it even across its narrowest point. At one stage, I actually had the board resting on roller stands and I was rotating the blade to make the cuts instead of moving the workpiece! Never again...

Gill

[Jediscroller]

Originally Posted by lucky788scroller

is the armlift piece really that expensive, that if one purchased it, then found they didnt need it, would put them in poverty? I love the jim dandys on my saw, even though I have pretty much worn one of them out, and need to contact jim D about a replacement, and I consider it $20 well spent. dale

Hehehe, for some reason I had a lot higher dollar amount in my head for the EZ-lift for the EX-30. If it's only $20, I guess you could give it a whack (or buy about 5 bd. ft of oak, or 2 sheets of BB ply ). I do recall reading somewhere from someone that they had damaged the arm on their saw with the lift, but don't ask me where or when (gotta luv senility). I think it was on the purple one, that could be why the recommendation for factory installation.
The bottom line though, that sounds like a good price and you will definately be more than happy with it. I love mine, I use it between 20 and 30 hours a week and have not had any problems cutting anything that I've thrown at it(that were the saw's fault anyways).
Dale, I like your idea of the wedge doohickey (I wonder how that's spelled). Seems like it might work nicely for inlay given the right dimensions.

Kevin