Woodworker's Journal 1985-9-6, страница 76

Big Cuts for Low Bucks: How About Those Taiwanese Imports?

Thumbing ihrougti my catalogs. 1 noticed that several importers of Taiwanese machinery were offering large-capacity scroll saws (23 to 26 in.) at attractive prices ($250-5350). While this article has largely focused on the 18-in. to 20-m "high end" saws, I was curious to see il these Taiwanese giants might he a viable alternative to their Sl.200-plus counterparts (for budget-minded woodworkers who need a big-capacity saw; S 1.200 is about the minimum price you'd en peel lo pay for non-Taiwanese saws in this size i I called in two: the 23-in. AMT 4671 and the 26-in. Reliant DD26.

Like most Taiwanese woodworking

WIT 4671

Reliant I>1)26

machines, these two saws boast heavy dhough somewhat rough) cast-iron construction. While the cutting action on both saws isn't as smooth us that of the Sears (or the pricier saws in this article), they're a good siep above the "under $200" Taiwanese saws tested in my last review, t hey make a reasonably smooth cut. but with more vibration than you'd get with a high-end saw. On both, the tables tilt 45 degrees lo the left only. The AMT doesn't come with a stand, nor is there one available for it. To minimize vibration, you'll want to make sure the saw is mounted on a sturdy benchtop. The 3-legged stand supplied with the Reliant is similar to the one on the Delta, and provides good support.

Both saws have hold-down foot pivots to match the table lilt. While the Reliant offers 3 inches more ihroai depth and a leg stand, the AMT has a 2-speed switch and runs slightly more smoothly. The motors themselves look identical.

Delta does get an A+ for sw itch location; the front-mounted PULL-ON/PUSH -OFF speed control knob is much more visible and accessible from the normal operating position than those on the Excaliber. llegner. RBI, and Shopsmith saws. The Sears has a similar switch setup to the Delta, sans LED readout.

Table Talk

When it comes lo tables, you'll want to look at several things. While the table shape is largely a mailer of personal preference, shape and size in tandem determine how well the table supports the stock. Try to visualize if the shape and size of the table will provide adequate support for the type of work you do. The tables on the Delta. RBI 220VS and Shopsmith provide more support in front of ihe blade than those on the Hegner and Excaliber saws. The table on the Hegner is also much smaller than those on the other saws. The tables on all saws except the Hegner and Delta lilt 45 degrees left and right. Due lo ihe position of the motor and front table-mounting bracket on the Hegner. ils table nits only 38 degrees left and 15 degrees right. The Delta tills 30 degrees left and 45 degrees right. (The Delta table can also be rotated 90 degrees to tilt 15 degrees up and 30 degrees down). Not having a full 45-degree till in both 76

directions isn't a major problem unless you do work that requires it.

More important is how smoothly and easily the lablc lilts, and how accurate the settings are The Delta and Hegner tables had the smoothest tilt action, followed by ihe RBI and Excaliber. All locked firmly in place and the scales were accurate, llie Shopsmith table was difficult to tilt because, in addition lo the from table lock, you need to loosen an Allen screw at the back of the table to tilt it. The operation of the till was somewhat sloppy and the table tended to hang up when lilting, due to a small hold-down pin that clamps the back of the (able to the rear trunnion.

Photo 12: Delta speed control and LED readout are readily accessible {and visible) from normal operating position.

Stands

Unless you can mount the saw to a rock-solid workbench, all of the saws tested operate with less vibration when mounted on their respective factory stands. The Excaliber. RBI. and Shopsmith come with four-legged stands; the Delta and Hegner have three-legged (tripod) stands. While three-legged stands usually don't require leveling on uneven floors, the one on the Hegner seemed to make the saw a bit tipsy, even though it provided rigid support. Conversely, the Delia stand seemed to be the most substantia!, tollowed by Shopsmith, Excaliber and RBI. I'll give Hegner credit for a couple of things about their stand—it comes completely assembled in the box. which meant 1 was able to sel up the saw in about 15 minutes.

Hold-Downs

The material hold-downs on all the saws worked equally well at what they're supposed to do—hold thinner stock securely against the table to prevent material lifting or chattering. To some extent, the hold-downs also serve as a finger guard. When culling stock Vc in. or thicker, once you learn how to apply the correct downward pressure on the stock as you move it through the blade, you'll find the hold-downs are usually The Woodworker's Journal