Identify strange scroll saw Please

[Greg R Bradley]

Can anyone identify this and give me any input?
scrollsaw.JPG

[Rick Potter]

Greg,

It is an RBI (now Hawk). It is considered one of the best saws. I have two if you want to check one out. Check out the Hawk website, parts are available, and good information. Built like a tank.

Rick P

[Charles Lent]

I agree, but the usual table on the saw is kind of key hole shaped and not square. A previous owner likely made this modification.

Charley

[Greg R Bradley]

Thanks guys.

It is part of the inventory of a company that I was going to buy. Company had gone too far downhill to be worth buying and the heirs are going to auction equipment. So it sounds like this is worthwhile for a couple hundred dollars? The auctioneers appear clueless and it was bizarre that they would have a lot that was worth that small amount of money.

[Peter Christensen]

I agree, but the usual table on the saw is kind of key hole shaped and not square. A previous owner likely made this modification.

Charley

Then unscrew the top from the mounting trunnion and put one on with a shape you like. I've never owned one but I believe it was made from a sheet of aluminium. Look for "cast aluminium tooling plate" to replace it with because it is machined flat although it costs a little more than the normal rolled stock. You can find it on eBay. Get it anodized after you drill and shape it to prevent the aluminium from blackening your work.

[Charles Lent]

If it's the variable speed version, here is a link with photos, so you can see what the table should look like. If you are going to bid on it, try hard to find this table and let them know that it belongs with the saw, but it may actually be under that square plate.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/RBI-Hawk-Pr...4AAOSweZJaRs8p

Charley

[Mike Henderson]

I have an RBI Hawk that looks a lot like that one. Measure the distance from the back upright to the blade to get the throat size. The longer the throat, the more expensive. I bought a 26" (I think that's the size I have) used for about $400. Just make sure it all works, especially the variable speed. If it all works, anything under $400 is probably a good deal.

On the one I bought, the guy selling it said that his wife was interested in doing scroll sawing so he bought the saw for around $1,000. But after a very short while she lost interest and the saw had been sitting for about a year, so he decided to sell it.

Used scroll saws don't sell well around here because there's a limited number of people who want them.

Mike

[If you buy it, get a foot control for it. You want to turn it off and on with your foot while you use your two hands to control the work.]

[Rick Potter]

Looks to me like it simply has a piece of plywood laying on the table to act as a zero clearance temp table. You can see the cut line starting at the back.