Monday, July 8, 2019

M&M's Candy Dispenser Scroll Saw Pattern.



This M&M's candy dispenser is easy to make. I cut it from 1/2" and 1/4" thick Baltic birch plywood. The center section is 1" thick so it is a glue-up of two 1/2" sheets. As designed it dispenses about 13 M&M pieces. Just enough to satisfy your sweet tooth.

There are two critical steps in building this dispenser. The center dial needs to be sanded for easy movement. This means you need to sand about 1/16" off the thickness. Sand the diameter so it turns smoothly. Test and re-test before glue-up.

The second critical step is lining up the dial dowel rod as you glue and screw the pieces together. Constantly check for smooth rotation before you drill for the front holes. Be accurate.


I did slightly modify the pattern after I made this prototype. I made the tray larger and opened up the hole in the acrylic front higher. This just makes it easier to get the candy out of the tray.




Scroll Saw Upper Arm Adjustment:

Click Image to enlarge.

I have had this question come up a few times lately. I thought I would point out an adjustment. This adjustment pertains to the Excalibur class of scroll saws. This includes the Excalibur, Seyco, Pegas, Jet, King and a couple others.

When you move the upper arm up it should move easily and stay up when released. Some people will find that from the factory the upper arm is difficult to raise. That is more common than the arm not staying up.

There is a simple adjustment to set the friction just right for easy movement and still say up. On the back left side of all of these saws are a locking nut and slotted bolt. Use a wrench to slightly loosen the nut. Use a flat blade screwdriver to turn the bolt. Counter-clockwise will loosen the arm. 

Turn the bolt just a fraction at a time. It does not take much to change the friction. Once it feels just right, lock the nut back down. 

I have seen this adjustment change after several hours of saw use. Just adjust as needed. 



Click Image to enlarge. 

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