Hour gauge

[Mark SW]

Greetings,

I am looking for a gauge that attaches to my saw(Hawk and/or PC) in order to track hours both for pricing  and maintenance. I also use a foot pedal. 

Any suggestions?

Thank you

Mark

 

[Norm Fengstad]

Glad you started this conversation as I have been thinking of adding a clock as well. 

[kmmcrafts]

Well there are several ways to do it I guess.. You can get a electric clock and plug it in to a three way plug like this. https://www.amazon.com/3-Outlet-Grounding-Kasonic-Extender-Heavy-Duty/dp/B075PJYVMG/ref=asc_df_B075PJYVMG/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=216516247812&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13381504231341844747&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9017308&hvtargid=pla-365265968384&psc=1

Plug the three way plug into the foot switch and then the saw and clock into the plug.. saw on = clock on too.  Set the clock to 12 and then when the project is complete will = how many hours it took to saw.. 

What I did was buy this meter https://www.ebay.com/itm/321893404814?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649 and bought a short extension cord and cut the female end off to install the spade ends connecters ( it came with connecters but I used insulated heat shrink ones for a little more safety ) and used that as my wiring to plug into the switch. Works well but you can't reset it like a clock.. There are digital ones too but they are 1/10 digit so you cannot see if the number is in the middle of changing or almost changed.. 1/10 of a hour is 6 minutes so you can be off anywhere un to the 6 minutes.. I have that style on a couple of my saws and don't like it. I like to be able to see where that 1/10 digit is resting at.

I mainly did this just to see how many hours I set at the saw and for maintenance .. You'd be surprised how little of "saw run time" you get in a 40 hour week.. There is a lot of prep, sanding, finishing time in a project that you won't see. Most my work is fretwork so there is down time between blade changes and whatnot. 

This has been brought up a few times and @Rolf has a very nice set up with photos somewhere on here of his hour meter on his saw. 

[Mark SW]

Kevin,

As always you come through. Thank you for the link and information as it looks like something I had in mind.

 

[Mark SW]

Kevin,

As always you come through. Thank you for the link and information as it looks like something I had in mind.

 

Edited October 16, 2021 by Mark SW
sorry for the duplicate

[Mark SW]

Norm

I found this as well 

Showing results for '"hour meter "'. - Scroll Saw Village

 

[Rolf]

Kevin I like your comment "I mainly did this just to see how many hours I set at the saw and for maintenance .. You'd be surprised how little of "saw run time" you get in a 40 hour week.. There is a lot of prep, sanding, finishing time in a project that you won't see. Most my work is fretwork so there is down time between blade changes and whatnot."  so true.

Mark posted the link to a prior discussion on this subject. 

I use two timers one runs keeps track of the accumulated hours for maintenance purposes. 

The other one is resettable that serves two purposes, 1 time on blade. 2 tracks my cutting time on a project, I need to track this when test cutting projects for SSWWC magazine. But as Kevin stated the cutting time is actually a very small part of a projects time, especially doing fretwork. 

For overall project time I use a simple kitchen timer you just have to remember to start and stop it. 

I put the hour meter on my EX in a pvc box I also did that on my Hawk.  The Lab timer is expensive, I picked it up when we shut down a lab at work.  You can use a regular plug in clock it is just not as easy to rest.  

The connection is like Kevin explained Foot switch to a splitter one to the saw one to the clock.  I also have a Festool vac that comes on with the saw.  

[kmmcrafts]

40 minutes ago, Rolf said:

Kevin I like your comment "I mainly did this just to see how many hours I set at the saw and for maintenance .. You'd be surprised how little of "saw run time" you get in a 40 hour week.. There is a lot of prep, sanding, finishing time in a project that you won't see. Most my work is fretwork so there is down time between blade changes and whatnot."  so true.

Mark posted the link to a prior discussion on this subject. 

I use two timers one runs keeps track of the accumulated hours for maintenance purposes. 

The other one is resettable that serves two purposes, 1 time on blade. 2 tracks my cutting time on a project, I need to track this when test cutting projects for SSWWC magazine. But as Kevin stated the cutting time is actually a very small part of a projects time, especially doing fretwork. 

For overall project time I use a simple kitchen timer you just have to remember to start and stop it. 

I put the hour meter on my EX in a pvc box I also did that on my Hawk.  The Lab timer is expensive, I picked it up when we shut down a lab at work.  You can use a regular plug in clock it is just not as easy to rest.  

The connection is like Kevin explained Foot switch to a splitter one to the saw one to the clock.  I also have a Festool vac that comes on with the saw.  

Well as an example.. I am in my shop working at least 50 hours a week.. I do have a lot of time packaging orders and photographing new items and making new listings and customer service etc.. but in a years time running a saw 8 hours a day..  it's a possibility one would get over 2000 hours on the saw if they never stopped, LOL . I get around 400 hours run time a year on a saw if I tally it up on all my saws.. I have 130 hours on my fresh rebuilt EX that I did a year ago.. and I don't run that saw as my main saw really... as I put about 250 on the new BM Hawk in the last year from Oct. last year to this year.  I did run the oldest 220VS Hawk some too but probably only 10 hours or so at best. So as I said.. I get around 400 run time hours a year.. even though I'm in the shop at least 50 hours a week.. Those hours would be greatly affected depending upon the type of work one does.. but I'm betting there is nobody ( single user ) getting more than 500 hours on a saw a year.  

[Mark SW]

Kevin and Rolf

My main cutting style is for pure enjoyment. 

I have been looking at the hour meter for maintenance on the new Hawk I ordered . It was ordered (the Hawk) on September 30th so hopefully in a week or two. 

I cut (to me) a lot of Christmas ornaments ,Shelia  Landry and Sue Mey type patterns. Most of these are for my wife and her friends, daughter-in-law and granddaughters.

If I cut a ornament or just about anything I automatically stack cut for family as well.   

Next year by October my wife would like as many pink ribbons as possible for her work since she is a Mammograph tech.

Any way do I need one? Probably not. For maintenance yes I think so.

Again thank you for the honest insight.

Mark  

 

[FrankEV]

Copied here from a previous post

This post showed up at a very appropriate time. 

I was wanting to know how long pieces took to cut.  Real saw cutting time.  After a lot of research I found what I wanted from Grainger.  I ordered it a few days ago and it came today and it is now installed on my Pegas saw.  It is an L6 series LCD Resetable Hour meter By ENM of Chicago that reads hours and minutes.  Yes it is a litlle bit pricey at $71.42 + S&T, but I wanted the simple push button reset.  Cheaper models did not have a reset capability which would be fine if you just wanted to know how long the machine was operated for maintenance purposes. 

After cutting a hole in the side of the Pegas (just needed to take out a piece between two of the existing oval holes) I mounted the provided plastic frame that the meter slips in to.  After which I simply cut the black and white wires in the plug wire, stripped them back a short didtance,  twisted them together and inserted the black into pin # 1 and the white into Pin #3, tightening down the screws to hold them in place.  I reniforced the plug wire behind the meterwith some electrical tape and slipped the unit into the mounted frame. 

A quick test run produced a one minute indidation to show on the meter. With a push of the button on the front it returned to 0-00.

Here are pics:   

Yes, I did gouge the adjacent metal with the cut off grinder...me bad.

 

This set up only shows saw run time.  Actual saw sit time can be once or more as much, depending on number of holes.  Threading time is oftem more that sawing time.  

[kmmcrafts]

3 hours ago, FrankEV said:

Copied here from a previous post

This post showed up at a very appropriate time. 

I was wanting to know how long pieces took to cut.  Real saw cutting time.  After a lot of research I found what I wanted from Grainger.  I ordered it a few days ago and it came today and it is now installed on my Pegas saw.  It is an L6 series LCD Resetable Hour meter By ENM of Chicago that reads hours and minutes.  Yes it is a litlle bit pricey at $71.42 + S&T, but I wanted the simple push button reset.  Cheaper models did not have a reset capability which would be fine if you just wanted to know how long the machine was operated for maintenance purposes. 

After cutting a hole in the side of the Pegas (just needed to take out a piece between two of the existing oval holes) I mounted the provided plastic frame that the meter slips in to.  After which I simply cut the black and white wires in the plug wire, stripped them back a short didtance,  twisted them together and inserted the black into pin # 1 and the white into Pin #3, tightening down the screws to hold them in place.  I reniforced the plug wire behind the meterwith some electrical tape and slipped the unit into the mounted frame. 

A quick test run produced a one minute indidation to show on the meter. With a push of the button on the front it returned to 0-00.

Here are pics:   

Yes, I did gouge the adjacent metal with the cut off grinder...me bad.

 

This set up only shows saw run time.  Actual saw sit time can be once or more as much, depending on number of holes.  Threading time is oftem more that sawing time.  

Nice that it features the minutes rather than 1/10 hours digit like my digital ones do.. My digital ones do have 2 resettable times and the main counter that cannot be reset. I liked that feature because many times I start a project and a made to order or custom order comes in that I have to drop my current project to do the order. Anyway that way I can keep track of the first project as well as the one that was ordered. 

I no longer "time projects" so I reset the one to 0 when I rebuilt my saw.. this way I can see just how many hours I have on it since the rebuild..  

[crupiea]

I started tracking my time and as soon as i did, alomst all the fun went out of it and it felt stressful like it was a job. 

Stopped tracking it after that.  Obviously not the smartest buisness strategy but works for me. 

[kmmcrafts]

3 hours ago, crupiea said:

I started tracking my time and as soon as i did, alomst all the fun went out of it and it felt stressful like it was a job. 

Stopped tracking it after that.  Obviously not the smartest buisness strategy but works for me. 

It is a job for some of us, LOL.. that said it's very enjoyable one for me anyway.. I also don't get real picky on time.. I just try not to make it so I'm earning very little for my time.. If I come up with a new project and the time takes too long I look for ways to make it worth my time.. which is.. charge more, find a quicker way to make it or use less costly types of materials etc.. IF I can't come up with a solution.. I do not make it again..  

Edited November 7, 2021 by kmmcrafts