Top feeding survey

[dgman]

I'm thinking after the holidays are over and my Mother-Law goes back to Georgia, I will do a video on how I top feed. Not to change minds, but to show how easy it is for those who might want to try. Of course it is dependent on Santa bringing me a movie camera!

[NC Scroller]

On my DW788 I top feed.  I do it all by feel.  It took about 15 - 20 minutes to learn.  I did start off bottom feeding but since I do a lot of larger fret pieces I found it impossible to find the drill holes especially when using the numbered bits.  On my Hawk VS-226 I bottom feed but that is not by choice but because of the saw design.  Needless to say I use the DeWalt more then the Hawk.

[ubgoofy2003]

I have always bottom fed my works. Don't know if my arm raises high enough without bending the blade to insert in hole. When I bottom feed, I just lift the work piece up enough to remove blade from cut & insert it in the next hole without looking at the under side. It seems to work OK for me. Once in a while I will get a stubborn drill hole & the blade doesn't want to come through. No big deal. Just lift it & insert it the regular way.  Good Luck 

[amazingkevin]

Ok now i understand the difference.I'm a BOTTOM FEEDER with the dw788 and all the other almost dozen saws i've had.I don't want to deal with fastening the blade where i  can't see what's going on.Especially with wood keeping the blade from being straight  up and down.

[LarryEA]

I would  be a top feeder if I could solve a problem. Attaching the blade to bottom clamp blind is easy!

Putting the blade thru the drill hole a little harder, I can do that ( teeth point down )

But

Three times I tried top feed and failed!  How do I align hole in wood with hole in table?

How do I align hole in wood with hole in table 500 times?  A 1000, 10,000 and never miss it?

Edited December 29, 2014 by LarryEA

[KurtP]

I have a DW788 and top feed only.

[amazingkevin]

On the dw 788 why do you need the arm to be able to raise way up and out of the way ,except for threading the blade thru the bottom easyaly?

[amazingkevin]

Top feeding should be for arms that don't move up or down like the low priced saws.

[amazingkevin]

If the blade snags going thru use a bigger drill. 99% of the time i use a 1/16th drill bit.

[LarryEA]

If the blade snags going thru use a bigger drill. 99% of the time i use a 1/16th drill bit.

 

Kevin, All that means is 99% of  "your" cutting does not require a smaller drill bit!

[amazingkevin]

oop's!Thanks!