Got lucky and got a good one - Works great with modifications

My wife has been interested in woodworking for awhile, but didn’t want to mess with the “big machines,” but was interested in scroll sawing. The DeWalt and Hawk units were too expensive for a “trial” period, so we looked for a moderately-priced unit. Reading the great reviews on LJ led us to take a chance on the P-C PCB370SS.

Fortunately, we were lucky and got a good one. It does a great job with a little vibration and I agree the dust removal and attached light aren’t that functional, but otherwise we are pleased. I’ve been using the unit to cut out small parts for a rocking horse project I’m working on for the Woodworkers Fighting Cancer Charity Build. It’s done a great job cutting out the parts – and I’ve yet to break the original blade.

I wanted to share a couple of modifications I made to this unit. One was to bolt the stand to a frame made from a scrap of 2×6 I had in the shop (no waste – Norm would be so proud!). I bolted 2” casters (swivel locking on front, stationary on the back) I had laying around to the bottom, and created a rolling, mobile unit for the saw. I plan to add at least one shelf on the frame supports. Besides being handy to move around a small area, the stand added enough height that we can stand at the saw comfortably.

I found a great, cost-effective light at my local home center (Menards). It’s called the hang-on work light by Sentry Industries. It has 27 LED lights and runs on 3 “AAA” batteries (included). It has a magnet on the back, but also has a really nice swivel hook that allows you to mount it virtually everywhere. For $5 it was a great deal. I can see using this light (or buying more) to light other items in the shop or home.

-- Making sawdust and memories through woodworking. http://woodworkguy.blogspot.com/