- Think of it as a beefed-up dewalt 788. It is a little larger (21″ vs 20″), and uses the same type of mechanism. I liked this type on the 788, so that was the reason I selected the EX-21.
- Unlike the 788, the arm will stay up with no additional support. This is nice for sweeping the table, putting new blade on, etc. It comes down rather easily, so I wouldn’t leave it up unattended (although I have…). If it does come down by itself with blade attached, the blade will hit the table and bend it.
- It is built heavier than the 788. Another reason to select the EX-21 over another 788. Is made from 1/8″ plate steel bolted together. So far no bolts have loosened and everything is still tight.
- The motor has the same specs listed on it as my Canadian 788 and appears to be the same motor. Not sure what the Taiwanese 788’s use.
- Does not appear to have any more (or less) cutting power than the 788.
- Have not had it long enough to see how more (or less) reliable the electronics are than the 788. My 788’s speed control still works, but the power switch had to be shorted. I will be upset if the EX-21 doesn’t last longer, preferably not breaking at all.
- Blade motion at slow-medium speeds is better than the 788. My 788 had a lot of side-to-side movement. The EX-21 has a little (can only see it through the magnifying light), but not enough to miss the line. I’d say it is less than 1/2 the amount of a #1 blade thickness. However, at high speed there is considerable side-to-side movement. This is due to vibration in the upper arm–verified this by pressing the side of the arm with my hand; the vibration goes away. I sent Jerry an email about this and he thinks it’s the stand he was recommending. From other reports he’s determined the stand is not hefty enough for the saw. He is in the process of getting some welded stands. I don’t know anything about the stand from Seyco either pro or con.
– The vibration does NOT make the saw unusable at this speed. Rather, it makes it harder to start the entry cut from free air or cut close to another kerf line without breaking it. I can still guide the saw without much more effort, there is just a bit more pressure on the sides than there should be. I do not notice any more problems with beveled cuts than normal.
– I’ll post more on this issue, especially if I do replace the stand with Jerry’s or Seyco’s or another stand altogether. One thing to note is that my saw is over the basement on a Ryan house (a 30 year house, though decent size, was not built to high standards. The house has enough give to creak in 40 MPH winds–like the EX-21, not the house!).
- I have not used tilting-head feature on the saw. Just haven’t had a reason to do so, as I don’t do that type of cutting. The blade is easy to square to the table (I use a 2″ machinist square), and stays square rather well. The knob, although it does adjust the table easily, is a pretty corse adjustment. I’d prefer a finer touch, but it is very usable and I’m picking nits here.
- The speed knob works well, however, I keep moving it when I tighten the blade. I wonder why the blade is going slower and slower after each hole… 
. Just a nit here, and probably related to the way I grab the lever. There are no numbers/markings on the speed control, so this makes it difficult to quickly dial a speed like on the 788. You do get a feel for the speed based on the sound frequency.
Bottom Line: Is it worth $800? If you’re just going to do some occassional cutting (hobby), I’d stick with the dewalt 788. It is cheaper & has a good track record. Lots of folks use them. If you’re going to be cutting a lot, though, I’d give the EX-21 some thought. Right now, knowing what I do now, I’d still get the EX-21.
If you have any questions about the saw & my experience with it, feel free to leave a comment or send an message to t3 at this website (scrollsaw.blog) or the same address at tuliptreecrafts.com & I’ll try to give an answer.
- 20 Nov 2007: At Artistry in Wood 2007 I had someone come up to me that had purchased one of the new General EX-21s. He had had a few issues with it–I don’t remember exactly what, but it was related to the linkages. Note that this is a data point of just one; every manufacturer will have some problems units that get through quality control, so you should not use this as a criterion; only if you have heard others who have also had the same issue. I have *not* had any issue with the linkage at all on mine.
- 10 Aug 2008: After a stint on my old DeWalt 788 I really appreciate the EX-21! The motor on the EX-21 is a little more powerful, and the cutting is much, much faster than the 788 on the same piece of wood. The tension handle feels much better on the Ex-21; the 788’s, being shorter, just doesn’t have a solid feel to it.As to the reliability, I still haven’t had any issues with the EX-21. I’ve carted it to a few shows now, and the main problem is the weight–that saw is heavy! Once it gets upstairs in the new place in Indiana, I doubt if it will leave for a while.
- 30 Sep 2008: I’ve had some knocking start to come from the linkage. I oiled the rear linkages, and the noise has gone away. It was just noise, never had any problems with the cutting. Details are at this link here.
- 21 Jun 2009: Bad news–the EX-21 threw a rod. Actually broke a rod; the rear rocker arm in the back of the saw. Below is a picture of the saw looking in where the plate comes off–the opposite side of the saw from the motor. The actual break is highlighted (hence the funny colors of the rest of the picture).This saw has seen some heavy usage, but I’ll have to say I’m a little disappointed that it would break. I’ve ordered a new saw from Seyco down in Texas. I discussed the problem with him, and he says he’s seen about 3 of these happen in the original “purple” saws. Supposedly General (the new manufacturer of the design) has changed the allow and Ray from Seyco has not seen this happen in any of these. The 3 that did break were in saws that also saw heavy usage. I tend to run my saw with full tension on the blade, and that may have added to the stress on the part.So, what does this mean? Well, I’m happy enough with the design to get a new EX-21. However, if you use the purple saw quite a bit, you may want to be aware of this potential problem. My saw was one of the first ones made; Excalibur may have fixed this in newer runs after mine, but I don’t know this either way and have not heard any rumors either way. The only thing I can think of doing is lessen the tension and make sure there isn’t tension on the blade when the saw is not-in-use.
Broken linkage on EX-21
- 1 July 2009: The new EX-21 (made by General) arrived a couple of days ago, and I’ve had a few cuts on the saw. Here are my initial impressions:- The blade holders have changed from the original. The original looked more like the deWalt 788 saw, with a horizontal crank to adjust the tension on the blade. This saw has a white plastic lever that flips over the blade. There’s also a tension knob in the back that the manual says can adjust the level of the blade, potentially allowing more wear on the blade before it wears out. My first thought was “How can you adjust the amount of tension, since the adjustment is either full on (lever to rear) or full off (lever to front)?” So far I have not had any problems, at least using Pegas #5 and Pegas #3 blades. Still not sure how this will work with a smaller blade, say a #000 puzzle blade. The manual claims the lever should provide the correct amount of tension; so far it has.- With the new blade holder’s profile, I had to relearn a few things. I’m used to replacing blades by feel. The blade fits slightly different in the new holders. Once I learned where the blade goes, it’s not any harder than the old holders. Also, since the profile of the holder is a little bigger, the line-of-sight to where the cutting takes place is also different. I normally stand up while cutting, and the blade holder obstructs the view to the cutting point. I thought this was going to be a real problem, maybe forcing me to sit down, but with a little change of stance I was able to see the cutting point. I don’t notice this anymore.
- The saw seems to cut slower than the old EX-21. This is just a feeling, not backed up by any measurement. Being a brand new saw, there may be a breaking-in period where the mechanical parts rub the mating surfaces smooth. I vaugely remember something like this happening with the original EX-21. Also wood is a variable product: the sassafras I used could have been a little harder than normal. The jury is out on the cutting speed at this point in time.
- I don’t like the way the motor slowly speeds up to cutting speed. The original EX-21 would get up to full speed immediately. With this saw there’s a small hesitation between switch (I use a foot pedal) and full speed. When doing quick, short cuts this is very noticeable. This is the major drawback I see at this time.
- Vibration has not been an issue on my saw, even though it’s sitting over a basement. I haven’t moved the saw around to see what it’s like in various places over the floor joists. The original saw (and the deWalt before it) was very sensitive to where the legs where in relation to the floor joists. If you didn’t have the saw right on the joist, it would vibrate loudly. The original EX-21 was very good on a concrete floor; haven’t tried the new one on concrete yet. A few folks have noticed vibration issues with the General EX-21. Right now I’m not seeing this with my saw. Could be I’m lucky, though. Or it could be General has worked through some quality control issues with the Taiwan factory. I don’t have enough knowledge to say either way.
Some other notes:
- Get you a 12mm socket wrench for assembly. The stand uses 12mm carriage bolts, and the saw is also bolted to the stand using 12mm bolts. An SAE wrench “almost” fits, but you risk rounding off the bolts.
- The manual’s description of the saw states there’s holes for test tubes that are not supplied. My saw came with the tubes; not sure if they came from General or from Seyco (where I bought my saw from). I really don’t use them. I started to on the old saw, but it was a pain opening up the tube, fishing out a blade, replacing the tube. I just throw a rare-earth magnet on the saw and use it to hold the blades right there. Another magnet holds the square, and another pair holds a sharpening tool to round the back of the blade.
- My table was lightly scratched when it arrived. When scroll saws are shipped there’s a blade installed just to keep the upper arm from flopping around. The blade came loose from the bottom holder, flopped up on the table, and caused some scratches. This won’t affect the use of the saw. The table will get scratched from normal use; I just prefer to make my own scratches.
So far I’m happy with the new saw. I’ve cut several animal puzzles and small butterfly barretes with out any issues other than the motor-speed issue noted above. I’ll update this page later as I notice things.
- 16 Dec 09: I had someone ask a question about front-to-back movement on the blade. His was around 1/8″. I didn’t measure mine, but eyeballing it, it seems to be more like 1/16″. One thing I noticed that if the blade is not grounded to the back of the blade holders I can get a much larger movement. This was on the new EX-21; the purple model has different blade holders.
66 responses so far ↓
1 Glenn Stuart // Apr 13, 2008 at 2:21 pm
I own the EX-21 and compared to the others, well the EX - 21 in my opinion is far more superior ( Owned RBI, Hegner and Craftman ). The first time cutting with this saw has been nothing but a pleasurable experience and NO Burn marks on my wood projects, plus I have yet to break a blade! Another thing is that the cut is so smooth and with the tilting head instead of table that basket project will be a breeze. The EX - 21 has renewed my confidence and I’m looking forward to taking on much harder detailed projects.
2 kofte // Apr 13, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Glenn, do you have the original (”Purple”) EX-21, or the new one (”Green”) put out by General?
3 Glenn Stuart // Apr 14, 2008 at 7:18 am
I have the new green from General.
4 kofte // Apr 14, 2008 at 3:41 pm
Thanks! Glenn (or anyone else), if you’d like to send any more experiences you have on the new EX-21 (or the re-designed EX-30), feel free to send them in.
5 geno // Apr 20, 2008 at 4:28 pm
I purchased a Ex-21 last November. I had some issues with the saw now being able to tighten the blade. I returned it to the place I purchased it and got a new one that works fine. I spend about 15-20 hours a week just goofing off with it. The new ones are made in Tawain not in Canada as mos tfolks think. I hope the quality does not diminish as with most other companies.
6 kofte // Apr 20, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Geno,
That’s why I’m a little concerned about the “General” ones. I’ve heard there was quite a quality-drop when the Dewalt 788 went to Taiwan. My EX-21 is one of the first (and last) Canadian models, and they did make a few changes when they went to Taiwan. One is a different finish on the table. Mine is smooth, while the General version is textured. There may be others as well.
Geno, feel free to report any other feelings as you get some time on the machine.
7 Luis Inzunza // Jul 1, 2008 at 1:19 pm
i got an ex-21 about a month ago, and at first it was wonderfull, the fisrts two weeks it workes like i was in heave, but after that, it started making some noise, and vibrating, but i have a big problem, i live in mexico, so i had it sent viia fedex, but i can nos send it back, becouse if every repair is going to be 400 dollars for shipping, it iis not ging to be good for bussines.
if anybody has some kind of adjustment manual i would be gratefull to get it.
i wrote to ray in sayco, and he told me i have to talk to the ones i bought it from, and thhen he could take kare of that. so i wrote to woodcraft, and hthey are being nice up to the moment. but i think seyco should pay more attention to the quality control. ii think my problem is on the linkage sistem.
8 kofte // Jul 1, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Luis, General Tool is the new manufacturer of the EX-21; you may want to go straight to them if Woodcraft can’t help.
9 Hank // Aug 18, 2008 at 8:35 pm
I found your comments very helpful and interesting. I am trying to decide between the 788, ex21 and Hegner. I do a lot of scrolling and have just about worn out my Delta. I don’t do shows nor do I do it for a business but I enjoy the hobby and want something that will last and I will be happy with. Any feedback will be appreciated. Thanks, Hank
10 kofte // Aug 18, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Hank, if you wore out the Delta, you’ll probably wear out the DeWalt 788 as well. Between the EX-21 and the Hegner you won’t go wrong either way for durability. The Hegner will probably last longer, but it also costs twice as much. Also, the I preferred the feeding on the EX-21 to the Hegner–this gets into “religious wars” though.
If you’re not doing it for a business, I’d probably pick the EX-21 because of price alone ($800 vs $1400). The EX-21 will likely last many years. Of course, these are my opinions, and to be honest, all three are decent saws.
11 dave keller // Sep 8, 2008 at 1:51 am
After reading the early reviews of the 788, I thought I’d found the perfect addition to my shop. Then I read the more recent reviews, the ones about the Asian version and got cold feet. The current Seyco pricing on the EX-21 has really impressed me, but I do have a major question…are they still made in Canada, or have they been farmed out, too? I’m getting anxious to make a decision, but everytime I turn around there’s anothe story, and I want to get the best equipment for the money. This won’t be for a business (at least not yet), but for a serious hobby. Help, anyone?
12 kofte // Sep 8, 2008 at 8:26 am
Dave, the General bought out Excalibur, and they are no longer made in Canada (Taiwan, I believe). I myself don’t have any experience on the General versions, but I haven’t heard about any quality issues like what hit DeWalt when they moved the production to China.
There have been a few minor modifications to the saw; the table has a different finish to the top, and the blade clamps are a little different. There’s also another adjustment in the back–I heard it’s something about adjusting the arms, and it’s not something you mess with everyday. These type of mods are normal in any new design, so I wouldn’t hold that against them.
They had a General saw at the SAW Expo 2008 in Wilmington, and I didn’t see any obvious quality issues there. If you get a chance, I’d try it out and see how it “fits”.
13 dave keller // Sep 14, 2008 at 12:29 am
I had the opportunity to speak with Ray, the pres of Seyco the other day. He assured me the quality has actually gone up since the move offshore. Also, Seyco is responsible for service, apparently nation-wide. At any rate, my conversation with him decided me on going with the Excalibur viz a viz the DeWalt. I’m going to place my order Monday and should probably have it by the end of the week or the beginning of the next. With Ray’s personal assurance of a complete satisfaction guarantee no matter what, I have no qualms whatsoever in purchasing the saw. I guess I’m an old fashioned guy, I’ve been in the business world for over 50 years, but when the owner of the company tells me something, I believe it. I’ll get back to the blog when I have some results to report. Happy Sawyering!!
14 kofte // Sep 14, 2008 at 1:26 am
I hope you’re right. Just because a machine is made offshore doesn’t necessarily mean it will be poor quality. I’ve heard a lot depends on which factory you chose. I hope General did pick a good one–I’m very happy with my EX-21 and hope I could buy another one if needed. I look forward to hearing how it works for you!
15 spiffy // Sep 21, 2008 at 7:15 am
I purchased a DeWalt two years ago and it has already cratered on me. I have ordered the Excalibur 21 and I am anxiously awaiting to receive it. I am told I will be satisfied with it, I certainly hope so.
16 dave // Oct 2, 2008 at 1:32 am
Well, I got my EX-21 last week, unpacked and set it up Sunday. I got the stand with it - heavy. Also the magnetic magnifier light - I’m not impressed with the lamp. The saw box was delivered by UPS in a beat-up condition. A note enclosed explained that each saw is unpacked and inspected by Seyco before shipping to the customer. Mine was done by “Luis”. I haven’t communicated with Ray yet, but the saw was not re-bolted to the plywood base. The work table was chipped slightly on the edge and the work surface. The saw runs very smoothly until just about half speed, then a vibration sets in. It becomes increasingly noticable as the speed is increased. I’m wondering if it might help to re-mount the saw to the stand with thick rubber washers. Do you think that might dampen the vibration? Or is there some sort of adjustment that should be made to the EX-21 itself? I’m anxious to get started with it, but I want everything running correctly before I start.
Dave
17 kofte // Oct 2, 2008 at 9:20 am
Dave, I have noticed that the saw can vibrate when it’s not on good surfaces. If you can put it on a solid concrete slab, that might give you an idea if there is a problem with the saw. I bolted mine straight to an oak board on a stand without rubber washers. I’d try both ways.
18 kofte // Oct 2, 2008 at 11:44 am
Another thought–there is a lever under the table that is supposed to lock the saw when you’ve set the angle. The saw is sensitive to how tight this knob is turned (the locking knob/lever, NOT the knob that changes the bevel angle). You may also try playing with that.
19 dave // Oct 3, 2008 at 4:58 pm
I went out and tried that; it didn’t seem to make a difference which way I turned it, didn’t want to get it too loose. Darned near impossible to find thick rubber washers (unless I want to buy 100 of them), and I can’t find 2X4’s in oak. But another thought occured to me. In one of Speilman’s or Duginski’s books, I remember a box filled with sand that you bolted your whatever to. The vibrations from the tool would eventually pack down the sand and provide a dampener for the offending tool. What do you think?
Mr. Seymore hasn’t bothered to reply to my e-mail yet. It may be because of the method Seyco uses for contact - a Word document. Never have felt comfortable with those; can’t tell if it goes through or not.
Dave
20 kofte // Oct 3, 2008 at 8:58 pm
Don’t know about the sand, never tried it. I’ve heard of putting a concrete block on/under the stand–just to add mass. I’d be curious as to how it works. I think I’d start with putting the saw directly on a slab to see if the vibration is with the saw or with the stand.
Another source of saw vibration is the arm–I was playing with the bolt that controls how loose the arm is (when you raise it to switch fret holes), and got it a little tight. The arm wasn’t coming all the way down and I didn’t notice it–it vibrated some times (when I didn’t get it down) and not others (when I did). BTW, if a blade does break/come loose, it vibrates bad but doesn’t go wild like the deWalt saw did.
21 dave // Oct 3, 2008 at 10:57 pm
The arm on mine is reasonably “loose”. There’s no impediment to it’s vertical movement. I’d love to try it on a slab, but my “workshop” is an 8 X 12 storage shed, and I don’t get all the space! The floor is waferboard over 2
x 4 joists, so I imagine that’s the source of my problem. I’m reluctant to try the “sandbox” idea, but it might be the only answer. Sawing at slower speeds is no problem, but I’d like to work at normal speeds on larger cuts. Haven’t had a blade break yet. The blade I started with, an Olson #5 skip tooth, is starting to wear out, at least I think so. I’ll let you know how the box idea works out. It may take me a couple of days to get it constructed and installed as I have no one to help me lift the saw. Have to go slow and easy so I don’t break anything.
Dave
22 dave // Nov 1, 2008 at 3:50 pm
I’ve been using the EX-21 for several weeks now. I have, somewhat, resolved the vibration; it’s not cured by any means. I obtaind(scrounged) a pieco of rubber 4″ X 24″ X 3/4″. Out of a small part I made four square washer and mounted them between the saw and the stand; some smll reduction in vibration. Mynew source of irratation is the workpiece holddown. I am constantly stopping the saw to re-adjust it, as it works loose and raises itself every few minutes. It’s not a matter of tightening the knob; I get it more than finger tight to no avail. I’m looking for, possibly, some spring loaded type of foot I can substitute. I’ll report back with any progress, and would appreciate any suggestions.
thanks,
Dave
23 kofte // Nov 1, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Dave, I’ve never used the holddown on my saw–don’t think I even took it out of the box. Since I’m at risk mostly for a paper-cut type injury, I don’t worry about the safety, though I do let the fingernails get long so they catch the blade before the fingertips. For the work I do I can’t use the holddown anyway.
Of course, we all have to work with our own level of risk, so don’t take that as a put-down–I use long push sticks on the tablesaw, and don’t let my hands get anywhere near the blade despite others using a push-stick with the hand directly over the blade. I cringe when I see that!
24 dave // Nov 12, 2008 at 7:32 pm
I find I use the holddown on thicker work, using a skip tooth blade. Otherwise there is some up-lift of the workpiece. I’ve ordered the components of the RBI holddown to experiment with, as it is made of a flexible plastic that conforms somewhat to variations in thickness (i.e. cupping). I’ll report about that when I have something useful.
Meanwhile I’ve been working on thinner material with a lot of success; hand saw scenes & etc. Also ornate frames and some Celtic crosses and medallions. If you or any of your corespondents has patterns for hand saw scenes, I’d appreciate knowing where to obtain them.
Thanks for letting me cry on your shoulder, it’s been a boon. This forum has been most useful to me, and I’ll continue to contribute when I have something worth while.
Dave
25 Pat // Jan 4, 2009 at 4:17 pm
Just a note for those considering Ex21 it is not fused unlike the Dewalt that has a 3 amp fuse. The motors in both units are the same but the controllers are different. The Ex21 performs better but for good hobby machine I recommend the Dewalt. If your a pro then I would recommend the EX21 made in Canada. The units with purple bodies I believe are made in Canada. Also I had read that the DeWalt 788 at one time was made by General International the same makers of the Ex21. The designs of the earlier EX models compared to the Dewalt are very similar.
26 kofte // Jan 4, 2009 at 6:31 pm
For the record, the one I have is the Canadian (”purple”) version, made in Canada before they were bought out by General. The 788 was also made by the same company before deWalt moved it offshore. The Canadian 788’s seem to have a better track record (from the folks I’ve talked to) then the off-shore versions–a lot of table problems. My 788 is also the Canadian version, and I do like the table on it better than the newer ones. However, mine started to wear out (power switch, knocking). On the purple EX-21, the motor, although rated the same amps as the 788, is a bit bigger (same mount, only about an inch longer). I can’t say if they kept the same motor when General moved it off shore or not. It does seem to have more power (cuts much quicker than my 788), but the motor is only one piece of the assembly.
If there are other EX-21 folks out there, especially “green model” ones, please feel free to add your experiences.
27 Sue // Jan 17, 2009 at 10:23 am
I have been using the EX-21 since the tilt head first came out. The green model for About 2-3 years now. We have a small business, scrolling and turning. So, this gets tons and tons of use. I purchased it from Seyco and Ray has been absolutely excellent. I had my saw for maybe 6-9 months and had a really bad problem so it was sent back and he sent me a new one. But before that was done we spent hours on the phone with him walking us through trying to correct the problem. If my memory serves right it was the linkage system.
This saw gets used much more than most I am sure. A minimum of 4-5 hours per day. I have had 4 other Dewalts prior to this and have worn them out. Even took to get rebuilt and cost as much for that as to buy a new one. I still love my DeWalt but the tilt on the Excalibur is awesome and I use it for my artwork. No comparision with DeWalt. Not having to juggle to hold the wood when the table is tilted is heaven. I do lots of fretwork and all other types of cutting. The best is the round blade clamps that are available at Seyco. I little pricy but well worth it. I am getting ready to sell this saw (as used) and to replace it with a new one. This one would be excellent for someone who does not give it as much hard use. I have not had any problems with my stand that I also got from Seyco however my shop is in our garage with a cement floor. I do live in florida and when it gets really hot (as garages do and we have air-conditioning when we are in the sh0p) you must remember to blow out the dust from the clamps etc or the humidity will make it stick. Good luck with all everyones sawing.
28 barry fuller // Feb 7, 2009 at 2:56 am
On my advice our local woodworking club purchased a new EX21 for $1200.It has done about 2 hours work .It has now started to knock and vibrate so badly that we have returned it to the dealer .We are really angry about this as it represents a major purchase for a small club if we cannot get it rectified.
29 William D. Guigue // Feb 7, 2009 at 1:59 pm
I appreciate the forum - lots of good conversations.
I’ve had my EX-21 (green) for two and a half years now.
My only complaints have been with a linkage problem that Excalibur addressed in a very timely manner.
I use the saw very much around the holidays.
I would like to ask the forum if anyone knows why the EX-21 tensioning and blade clamp was retooled?
I have the earlier version with the tension arm at the front and the black knob to clamp the blade.
The newer versions have the tension arm at the back and a flip blade clamp.
My main reason for asking this is that every now and then I need to retention the blade (that is the tension arm comes forward and I need to push it back to retention it). I thought this may be me and my memory but now I’m wondering if there’s a mechanical issue.
Any input/comments on this issue would be appreciated.
Thanks
Bill Guigue
30 kofte // Feb 8, 2009 at 12:05 am
I’m afraid I don’t have any experience on the “Green” one, but if anyone else has any input, please feel free.
(Oh, by the way, I checked out your site–nice work!)
31 Pat // Mar 15, 2009 at 8:30 am
Ex21 is nice machine when it works the ones from Taiwan like mine is crap 2 weeks after the warranty the motor and or controller went - 400 bucks to replace with shipping - no thanks - went back to my reliable dewalt 788. The ex21 sits till I can find a cheap used one for parts or decide to dump it when I get sick at looking at it.
32 milesap // Jun 4, 2009 at 7:56 pm
I have had the EX21 over two years and the motor and or controler has died. The cost of the motor and motor control (since no one around here can fix it) is prohibitive to ship and get fixed. I can safely say that the dewalt I have is five years old and still purrs with no problems. So unfortunately I spent 800 bucks for a dud. Yes the EX21 when it works is better than the Dewalt but not for the price of repairs. If your only concern is the swing arm feature can buy an attachment from Woodcraft for $20 bucks have mine on order.
33 barry fuller // Jun 19, 2009 at 11:03 pm
i have just returned the 6 months old EX 21 to the dealer for the third time because of vibration problems .more later .
34 Fran // Jun 23, 2009 at 12:21 am
oh, no, not a broken part. You couldn’t find the part to replace it? Would hate to think us purple owners can not get parts. Mine will be four years old in Nov. Warrenty is good for five years.
35 kofte // Jun 23, 2009 at 9:04 am
According to Ray from Seyco, pretty much all the parts from the green are the same as the purple. The blade clamps are different, and there is a blade-raiser at the rear. He’s going to throw in the broken part replacement with the new saw. Stay tuned for how that goes–It looks tricky getting the old part out/new part in.
My warranty is gone, since it’s used in a commercial enterprise. Really need two saws anyway, just for reasons like this. Also, having a dedicated “road saw” will save wear-and-tear on the stay-at-home saw.
36 Ray Seymore // Jun 23, 2009 at 8:27 pm
Just a quick note to say thanks for providing a spot for EX-21 owners to post their comments. Also would like to offer Seyco’s unequalled 25 plus years of Excalibur experience to anyone having any kind of problems with their Excalibur scroll saw. We cannot erase unpleasant experiences with other dealers but we stand behind our products. Seyco stocks parts for all Excalibur scroll saws except the EX-24 that has been out of production for over 15 years. All the bearings in the EX-24 are standard and can be purchased at any reputable bearing supply company. Thanks for the space.
37 Dave Keller // Jun 26, 2009 at 1:35 am
I’ve had my EX-21 for a while now, and Ray has been a real help walking me through my early (beginner) problems. I still experience vibration at higher speeds but I’m sure it’s due to the type of floor it’s standing on. My only real problem has been side-to-side movement, even at slower speeds, especially when using a 2/0 blade to start intricate interior cuts. I just take a deep breath and try to be patient; it usually helps. I haven’t used a hold down for so long I can’t remember when. I’m thinking of adding a thin, slick piece of that white plastic (whatever it’s called) to the table top to enable better movement of the workpiece. Even waxing the metal surface doesn’t seen to eliminate the catching I sometimes experience.
38 kofte // Jun 27, 2009 at 7:51 am
Dave, did you try playing with the knob that tightens the table (to keep the arm-tilt from moving)? That seems to play a role in the side-to-side movement.
That plastic (Teflon/PTFE?) sounds like a good idea.
39 Dave Keller // Jul 7, 2009 at 12:51 am
I haven’t tried that knob, but I certainly will. The plastic is UHMW - Ultra High Molecular Weight, a mouthful to say the least. Not particularly cheap - 12″ X 24″ X1/4″ ran me just over $30, but I think it’s worth it. It’s also available as 1/8″ thick with an adhesive backing, but runs even more. Shop around, prices vary wildly. It works very well, and you can drill a smaller hole for the blade to prevent small pieces from falling through. I used cloth backed double face tape to apply it to the table.
Spent some time (and wood) lately learning how to cut thick (1″ - 1 1/4″) hardwood for a couple of projects. Up the speed, slow the feed and use a heavier blade. I’ve had good results with a #7 precision ground double tooth with reverse on the bottom. Also got some Pegas blades and am quite pleased with the results.
A final note: That lady artist from South Africa (sorry, I can’t recall her name) suggested using masking tape on the workpiece and then applying the cutting pattern. It works like a dream - no more scraping or soaking off the pattern once you’re done cutting.
40 Pam // Jul 9, 2009 at 6:19 pm
I’ve had my green Excalibur-21 for almost a year. Sad to say I have been no more impressed with it than I was my DeWalt 788. I’ve been having trouble with the blade and side-t0-side movement, and I don’t see a really good solution on this blog. Now the plastic/nylon lever has started releasing in the middle of cuts. The saw hasn’t been moved, and there is no more vibration than usual.
41 Dave Keller // Jul 16, 2009 at 5:46 pm
Talked to Ray yesterday about the white plastic lever problem. He recommended adjusting the white nylon set-screw just in front of it. Didn’t work for me. Also recommended putting on a rubber band to hold it in position. That worked.
42 kofte // Jul 16, 2009 at 9:26 pm
Thanks for the info, Dave. Mine is new, so I don’t have that problem (yet). If it happens, I’ll know what to do.
43 Steinar // Jul 28, 2009 at 10:08 am
Hi
I got my first EX21 about 1 year ago. I never could get rid of the vibration nomatter what I did. The in March the up/down arm from the engine broke in two pieces. I got a new one from my local dealer here in Norway!
Then I got my new one and after a few test and adjustments it seems resonably good. The sideway movement was not ok. But slowing down it worked ok.
Then yesterday the upper move arm broke in two pieces.
It broke where the front arm is connected to the arme with the white plastic and behinde the plase the arm is locked. I am now very frustrated as the new EX-21 hadonly been in use for about 6-7 hours. Is there a main problem now with the EX-21 or am I just unlucky?
The sideway movement is worse the more speed. Specially rounding corneres etc. it is not ok. The back forth movement is also too much and Igot it down a bit by turning the engine. I have the green EX-21
Steinar
44 kofte // Jul 28, 2009 at 10:44 am
Steinar, I haven’t had my “green” EX-21 that long. I did have the back linkage break on me recently; this was on the Canadian-built purple EX-21. When I talked about this with Ray Seyco (who I purchased my “green”, Taiwanese-built saw), he hadn’t heard of it breaking there. There was another place that high-usage saws broke, but I don’t remember where it was. Supposedly the part was re-designed slightly to take care of that problem.
Even with a poor design the linkage shouldn’t break that quickly–I’m thinking you likely got a defective piece. That happens, unfortunately. Hopefully it’s still under warranty.
As to the side-to-side, I had that happen to my purple saw; adjusting the tension on the table-clamp (the knob that locks the tilting head after you adjust it) helped tremendously. I had to adjust the tension on it when I changed the speed of the motor. Thankfully I run my saw full-open except for extremely delicate areas so the tension adjusting wasn’t that much of a pain.
I don’t have any experience with front/back movement on the blade. There’s always going to be some in just about all scrollsaws (The “eclipse” being the exception), but it shouldn’t be too much. Don’t have any answer for you there.
45 Dave Keller // Aug 12, 2009 at 2:14 am
Something that I just came up with the other day. I was having one heck of a time getting blades into the bottom holder. In frustration I finally got a flashlight and gave it a careful look. There is an Allen screw on the left side of the holder in direct opposition to the blade knob on the right (viola!). In my case it was extending most of the way across and preventing the blade from entering the slot. I backed it out to flush inside with it’s side of the holder. Beautiful. I then re-aligned the Allen screw in the top holder to conform with bottom holder. The blade is now perfectly vertical and on the the bottom it is so much easier to insert the blade. I’m amazed it took me this long to check it, as it’s been a major pain since day one.
I hope my experience will help someone else.
As to the side-to-side motion, I’ve adjusted the table clamp knob, tightened it and tried everything I could think of, all to no avail. Guess I’ll just have to live with it until some other soultion comes along.
Happy sawdust making!
46 kofte // Aug 12, 2009 at 10:14 am
Just pure speculation, but maybe the allen screw you were playing with might be an adjustment that could affect the side-to-side motion… Might be worth a shot.
47 Dave Keller // Aug 13, 2009 at 2:14 am
The allen screw just holds the blade against the knobed screw used to tighten the blade in the holder, although if mis-aligned it could have some effect on the lateral movement. Good thought! My saw is now perfectly aligned, but I haven’t used it since, so I’ll check it out tomorrow.
48 Steinar // Aug 24, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Hi
Sincec last appearence I have discover a lot of things about the saw then before!
After changing the both arms (as they was replaced as a kit). I put all together again and was very careful making all parts the best I could think of. The saw was completely as new. Not tight movement side-to-side and also vibration. After it got the upper arm tighten more the vibration stopped! Then I thought of all the skrews holding the blade. I thighted all 10 skrews tight. Then I loosen them up about 1/4 turn and restarted. The whole saw stand was almost no wibration.
Ok, started on my last project and now and then it seemed to me that the blade jumped over a turn or so on the enging. Strange as when obsevating this over an hour or so I thought it had something about the arm I could loosen up or tight more. This is inside the upper arm when you remove the top plastic. I tried both - tighten and loosen. The same occour.
OK, I then made a small hole from the top just back of the bigger hole and made a piece of hard wood tight together with a skrew. This idea was that the arm would not bend up when it was moving. I had to make the wood higher and that was not easy to put in. I insted entered a piece of hard plastic and glued it to the wood. Then the saw got better but still the blade was jumping. So I did the same under the upper arm and putit together again.
The upper arm now have enough space to move but the idea was that I forced it not to go up or down. I then started the saw and after adjusting the engine the blad are just perfect both ways. I put some grease on the hard plastic just to be sure and started to saw.
The saw is now excatly quiet and the arm is not making noise and the cutting is steady and very accurate. My 90 degree is now as a dream and I can’t understand why the company has not seen this before.
The first breakdown was because the arm moved up or down (this is diffucult to see). The bending caused the screw to break as it is tight to the arm. When the arm is overdoing the movement up or down the skrew has to break. And the arm was moving to far up and down.
My education about all my problems is that the factory is not making a good job esambly the saw together as you don’t see this with all the plastic and iron around. As the saw is to me one of the best this small thing is hard to belive is causing so many breakdown.
If someone want to know more I could make some pictures and share my knowledge about this breaking if interest about it occour.
This is just my opinion about the problem on the Excalibur.
Steinar
49 Steinar // Aug 24, 2009 at 3:51 pm
Please excause my mistakes in the writing.
Steinar
50 kofte // Aug 24, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Steinar, thanks for your info. I’d appreciate any pictures/info you’re willing to share. If you had the problem, I’m sure others do as well. If you do, let me know. I can format the pictures/text to fit the blog page. Glad your saw is doing better.
51 kofte // Aug 24, 2009 at 3:55 pm
Your English is much, much better than my Norwegian
52 Dave Keller // Aug 25, 2009 at 12:53 am
Sounds great, Steinar. Some diagrams, drawings or pictures would be a blessing. Thank you.
53 Steinar // Aug 25, 2009 at 6:07 am
Hi Kofte
I will be making a few pictures. Just let me know where to send them and then I’ll write some info to them.
Steinar
54 kofte // Aug 25, 2009 at 7:12 am
Steinar, I’ll set up a mail address you can send them to–It will have either a @tuliptreecrafts.com or a @scrollsawblog.com address. When I get it set up, I’ll send it to the email address you gave in this post (I’m not mentioning it here to keep you from getting put on the spam lists).
Thanks–I’m sure there’s several folks who would be interested.
55 Steinar // Sep 15, 2009 at 6:16 am
Hi.
I have not written before or send my pictures. I have been involved with the shop and tried to understand why I have this on the Excalibur. They have sold 100 machines but never had this problem. So I am in a wonder - should I change the Excalibur for the Hegner? It is a dillema I have to work out fast as the shop want to do this. Is there any out here that can tell me if a Hegnar compare to the Excalibur has movment in the blade when sawing? I can’t make the front to back movement to almost 0 (cero). Moving the motot just cause the blade to move the 0 point up or down. This cause me to move the enging cuttin 1/8 compare to 2″. It is unursually to get a clean 90 degrees cut on a 2″ block for a 3D figure. Is this right?
The Hegner I looked at had no movement back/forth and no movement from the front view.
Do the Excalibur always has this - could any of you out there tell me how your blades work when you saw?
Thanks in advance
Steinar, NORWAY
56 kofte // Sep 15, 2009 at 10:49 pm
If you’ve got the money, and you have to have no front/back movement, you may want to try the Eclipse. It’s designed differently than other scrollsaws so that the blade is perfectly vertical at all time. Cutting a 2″ block may be pushing the EX-21; maybe most other saws as well.
57 Dean // Dec 15, 2009 at 5:10 pm
I own an Excalibur EX-21 scroll saw and am experiencing vibration and notice that there is about an 1/8″ front to back movement of the blade. At its lowest point I place a piece of paper just touching the back of the blade. When I move the blade up to its highest point, there is about an 1/8″ gap between the paper and the blade. Is this the same for other EX-21 owners? Does anyone know if there’s a way to adjust this or is this how the saw is supposed to be?
58 kofte // Dec 15, 2009 at 8:03 pm
I’ll have to go check on mine, but that does seem excessive… I’ll put what I find on mine up here later.
59 Dean // Dec 16, 2009 at 1:38 pm
Thanks kofte. I’m interested to see what you find.
60 kofte // Dec 16, 2009 at 10:47 pm
Dean, mine seems to be around 1/16″ of an inch. I did notice that if the blade is not clamped all the way to the back of the blade holders you can get a bit more travel. I notice that if I don’t watch out and put the blade too high, the blade will interfere with the spring in the upper blade holder. This could result in the blade being too much toward the front of the machine. That’s one thing you might want to check.
The only adjustment I’m aware of that might affect things is the knob in back. That raises the whole blade assembly; adjusting that knob might help you out as well. Note this is on the General version (green), not the original (purple) EX-21. Good Luck!
61 Martin // Mar 21, 2010 at 10:05 pm
Bought my EX21 two weeks ago and guess what? Not working anymore
I have to call where I bought it tomorrow, don’t what will be my options… I’m really not happy, I bought a scroll saw of that price to get more for my money, but in the end, got less.
Few days ago, I noticed motor was loosing speed and suddenly completely stopped.
I’ll ask for a refund… I’ll let you know what they’ll say.
62 kofte // Mar 21, 2010 at 10:18 pm
Sorry to hear that–sounds like the motor control circuitry died on you. It’s bad when a $900 machine dies on you. At least it should be under warranty. Let us know how things work out for you.
63 Martin // Mar 23, 2010 at 10:42 am
Went to the store with my ex21. On the phone they said they would refund but once I got there (1 hour drive) they said no, we dont refund anymore. They asked me to bring it to reparation. 10 min later I was at General International and they did replace the motor. So far still working, we’ll see… makes me think: “I should’ve gone with the Dewalt”
64 Don Walters // Mar 28, 2010 at 7:25 pm
I had a problem develop with my EX-21 with vibration. It was strong enough that it was not fun scrolling anymore. I googled “Excalibur Scroll Saw Vibration” and got this site. After reading the entries, I came across one with the same problem - vibration. This person lubricated the supposedly permanently lubricated bearing and pivot points and viola - the vibration went away! I figured - what the heck, might work for me. It did. It took a couple of drops of General purpose oil and no more vibration. Scrolling is fun again!
65 Brian E. // Apr 19, 2010 at 9:37 pm
Hey neat site here! I just stumbled across it. Three years ago, I decided to get rid of my DeWalt because I didn’t like the “play” in the table it had. I bought an EX-21 (Green) from Ray at a show in Wisconsin. Had it for about two months and the thing stopped working. Called Ray from Seyco and he stated that it was the wiring harness to the on/off switch. He sent me one and I figured out how to rewire it. I bought a foot pedal so that I wouldn’t have to use the on/off switch all the time. Turned out it was the petentiometer (sp?). Anywho, three years later and NO problems at all. No vibrations at all (I do have it on a concrete floor). I use a magnetic surface on the table and everything I cut slides nice and smoothly. I’m very pleased!
66 kofte // Apr 22, 2010 at 11:31 pm
Thanks! We’ve moved, though–the blog is now on a new machine with a slightly different address* (just type http://www.scrollsawblog.com & you should go right to it). I’m leaving this site up to keep links from breaking, but please make any comments that you’d like to stay over on the new site. Thanks!
* The new machine is on the standard http port 80; this one is on 8085. Same IP address, just different port .
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