kmmcrafts

I started with a 2 speed Delta.. my father bought it new back around 1988-89.. the model is 40-560 type 2.. think the type 2 just had the upgraded quickset ll upper blade clamp.. My dad wore the saw out and rebuilt it once.. then it wore again so he replaced it with about the same saw but a variable speed.. he let me borrow this old worn one but I never used it until after he had passed on.. I ended up rebuilding it.. and using it for a year or two.. still have it but don't really use it at all.. Thanks for posting this... brings back some memories..

I did these from Sheila Landy pattern sets from 1/8" BB ply.. cut them with a #3 Pegas MG blade.. Some of them I cut stacks of 4 while others I did only two.. I almost always stack at least two.. but have used single 1/8" before as well.. and on single ones I use a #1 blade.. and it's about the only time I ever take my saw speed down to around 1/2 way on the dial.. I personally do not like the look of the signs when made from thicker wood.. so I'd stack at least 2 of them.. and if they both turn out I'm sure someone would like one as a gift someday, LOL .. Anyway.. spiral blades work well too for them.. if I do use spirals I use a 2/0 FD New spiral.. some of these I did cut with spirals or at least opened up the lettering where it is quite a narrow area.. These are a bit of a challenge in some areas.. but I think you'd do fine just slowing the saw down to a more comfortable speed.. for someone like you that may be intimidated.. on the particular pattern you're speaking of.. I'd cut from 1/4 ( if you like the look okay in 1/4 otherwise stack cut it) and then I'd probably use a spiral for the words "For The" in the cutting IF you're comfortable with spirals.. if not.. then just use the same blade.. on a side note.. when I get a area that I'm concerned with if my saw is aggressive... or too fast for me I'll cut with the new blade a bit on some of the other bigger areas that I'm more comfy doing to sort of dull a new blade a bit before going to the intricate stuff.. sometimes that helps take the fast cutting sharp blade and slow it a bit.. but you also don't want to cut it with a real dull blade either.. I do this quite often to make that real sharp aggressive blade down to a little less aggressivenes.... Take it slow.. they really aren't too bad as long as you just take your time with it.. I'd use a #1 or #3 blade for the rest of the lettering..

If I don't like it I might take you up on that..

You did an awesome job on those Ray!!! They are really beautiful..

i think those Delta saws are probably a very nice saw.. and I have read reviews on them.. as i almost bought one as a back-up saw for my DeWalt then those Hawks popped up on CL and I went that route instead.. Biggest thing with them back at that time anyway was resale values wasn't very good if I wanted to sell.. I think Dewalts hold the best resale value of any saw high or low end.. You get a new Hawk and have a hard time getting half the money you pay even if it's only a month old..

Yeah it's sad because when you're actually looking for something it doesn't show up... when you're broke and or not really looking they come up for sale at a next door place LOL.. This is how I got some awesome deals in the past was just to put up with my old junk saws for a while longer and wait it out.. those deals are there.. if you have the patients to wait it out..

Some people don't know good stuff when they see it, including myself... my brother in law loves to come here and look through my scrap piles.. He has taken things that I was going to burn or throw out.. he made some real nice coasters one year off of scraps from a box I had made.. then he took a piece of scrap last time he was here and added some more pieces to it and made a real nice lazy susan out of it.. I need to re-evaluate my scraps better....

My preference order would be.... 1 being the first choice and 4 being my last choice.. That could flip opposite though if Jet resolved the table height issue. as I think the new clamping system would be awesome.. ( many do not like this new clamp system though.. and I do not have any experience with that saw..so.. that is just an uneducated opinion LOL) 1) Ex or King.. If the smaller size will fit the projects you plan to make.... I thought only the 21" Ex was moved to another plant and the one to be concerned about? Maybe someone else could explain that better? 2) DeWalt... Mainly because it is a well known saw and holds its reselling value better than the others if you decide the saw isn't for you in a year or two.. after the return policy had expired.. 3) Delta basically the DeWalt.. but not sure how well it holds value after a couple ears to resell it if wanted.. 4) Jet I like the clamping system they have.. not sure if they redesigned the 18" saw but the 22" one had problems with the reverse teeth blades not being effective because the table was set up higher.. maybe Jet has resolved this issue now that they've been on the market for a while.. but do know they had some issues with this.. That all said... probably "for me" I'd first search for a quality used saw... unless you are dead set on just buying new... as I do that at times and just did so a few weeks ago by getting a brand new Hawk..

Totally understand that... and yes when a order comes in you do the happy dance that someone liked my item so much they bought it.. and then when they leave a awesome review about their purchase is very cool too.. or when they send more customers.. so yeah.. I really understand what you're saying.. which is why I have a hard time letting things go for nothing or giving to goodwill etc..on a side note though.. when I do that.. my website link is for sure on that piece somewhere, LOL.. never know.. that person might be my next customer for something else.. and.. I write it off on taxes as advertisements so ideally... I do get something out of it... plus I clean up the storage space... but much harder to do something like that if you're not in business..

Might contact the local schools.. I've donated many items to my kids school for fund raisers to go on school trips etc... I did this because my kids were the ones raising money and the class was doing fund raising etc.. but I'm betting the school would be thrilled to get some free fund raiser items to auction off etc.. this way you help a child get the opportunity to go that otherwise may not be able to afford it.... Just a thought..

Could always make things for those less fortunate? Not sure where you'd go to donate the stuff.. but i'm sure there has to be a charity type thing where you could give your work to and let them sell it to raise money for those that may be in need.. I sell ( or at least try too ) everything I make.. I do have some things that I've never sold since back in the beginning of my scrolling days back around 2006.. I'm not one to "lower prices" just to get rid of stuff.. I'd rather send it to the local goodwill that to lower the price... but this is due to the fact that.. a lower price isn't the issue with these things.. its more about getting it out in the view of the person that would like it.. is been more my experience with selling the stuff..

The people at Lesley's patterns are great people, they are a very small business that both husband and wife work regular full time jobs.. which is why it's hard to get through to anyone by phone.. I've always gotten through by email. While i use to order from them quite a lot, I lost respect for them when I ordered some Pegas that was back ordered. They was suppose to mail out once they got their shipment of back ordered blades. I totally forgot until about 4-6 weeks later and sent an email. They said they still hadn't got the blades and that they'd call the company to see when the blades might be in.. never heard back from them but my blades came in the mail and was postmarked the same day I emailed them.. I lost respect because everyone makes errors... just own up to it.. but making up fake excuses etc turns me way off... I respect they are a small company and that they are trying to make it.. slow at getting things in the mail.... but running on lies just don't fly with me. and after reading many others having issues with them it seems they make a lot of mistakes and make a lot of excuses for those mistakes.. Too bad too... because the excuses and lies is probably what will run them out of business..

This is the first item I made for 2019.. made it because I sold it off the website on the 30th of Dec. as it was a made to order item I had listed.. so that is the first thing I made and why I made it... Lame story I know.. Oh.. my first sale of 2019 would be this ornament too.. but it was already made.. Started off my new year making some new clocks ( cut but not finished yet ) so those pictures will be later.. maybe the end of the month.. Also been cutting ornaments that I had sold out of in Dec. to start rebuilding that inventory for next year..

Some are only slightly off while others may be 1/8 too long or more.. That notch is 1/4 - 3/8 or better down from the end or where the end should be so cutting it off that low would make a awful short blade. If this is a new thing, I'll be going back to FD blades.. but my understanding is they know of some sort of issue... so I'm thinking it's going to be resolved. But guessing it could be some time before all these bad blades trickle through the system..

I'd thought about that.. but one.. I want to keep the stand.. and I'd hate to sell it to someone that expecting a smooth operating system.. When I bought it it was in a warehouse that had no power.. had I been able to try it. I'd have not bought it. Stand was well worth it though.. Heaviest stand I've ever seen..

Yeah I love mine other than the bent shaft which makes the thing vibrate bad.. I even have the heavy duty stand for it.. but it still would like to walk across the floor.. runs good other than the bent shaft.. That is why I was looking to get a new one.. thought maybe it would work better than the one I have.. I gave $75 for it with the stand, and used it now for about 4 years like it is. Figured I got my moneys worth from it and like to get a smoother running one. LOL

WEN has been coming out with some real knock-offs lately I think. I was searching for the Ridgid oscillating spindle / belt sanders thinking of getting a new one as mine I got used and it has a bent shaft for the motor and just doesn't work very well. Could see it being a nice tool. Anyway WEN has one of those that looks quite similar... not sure that it's a exact copy.

I think I was the one that started a topic about these WEN tools.. and did research to find that Steve Good did a review on it too.. Believe Ray bought one.. I still have not took the plunge to buy one yet.. Not expensive and should do it.. LOL.. Then I could leave my drill press set up with the Forestner bit..

It still could be bushings.. many manufactures will call bushings bearings.. they are a type of bearing in some cases.. they are made from self lubing brass and require no lube.. I don't know whether they are.. just saying..

Maybe a good time to make a video Ray LOL

DnD had contacted the manufacture and there is a known issue with the blades... something happen with one of the machines set up.. They are supposedly fixing the error and the blades will go back to what they were.. At least this is what I've heard.. meanwhile other dealers must not know of the issue.. since BW sent me out 2 gross of them. .. I guess I'd have thought Pegas would have let the dealers know.. so they didn't sell them but.. then.. they may have no idea or means of contacting all the people that are selling the blades.. so who knows.. anyway... Pegas knows and is supposedly fixing the problem.. wonder how many blades got past quality control... then.. this day and age.. QC is about useless anyway.. places I've worked in the past was more worried about getting the numbers on paper for their shift even though they knew very well they was running 8 hours production of scrap.. and many companies operate on this numbers thing rather than quality... never understood that logic myself but..

It's amazing how much smoother my saw ran when doing this... and I thought it was pretty smooth before doing it.. When I first did mine it was more of a pre-maintenance.. but I did find some bearings / bushings starting to get some wear that I replaced.. Good high quality synthetic grease has kept it running smooth for several years of production cutting.. but it's got some wear issues going on again as it's getting some slight noise.. I bought all the stuff to rebuild the complete saw with new bearings and sleeves a year ago.. still haven't done it.. but I no longer use the saw much now either, LOL

Hawk wasn't the best about updating their manuals I don't think... I also think there is some mis understanding about the saw maintenance of the saw.. The book says one thing and they say another.. I don't know when they changed the style of bearings they use.. it's been a little while since I took my newer saw apart to look at the bearings in the arms.. but if I remember correctly the Ultra has caged bearings and the way this is set up I do not really see how a few drops if oil will even get to the bearing.. The older Hawk has a total different set up... and yes.. I can see needing to oil that one periodically.. From what I've read about the new BM series.. they also use the same cage type bearing as the Ultra does.. When I took my Ultra apart there was no oil grease or any other type of lube in these bearings that I could see.. Not sure how these cage bearings work.. but I packed the bearing with synthetic grease and put it back together.. Maybe they don't need the grease for as little movement these arms do.. but I figured it can't hurt. I believe the folks at Hawk says these do not need oiled.. I can't remember if they told me this or if it was in the videos.. I think it was the videos on their site that mentioned it. Yet the manual say to oil the bearings, LOL ... I think the only oil spots now are the back wedge.. and then a dry graphite for the tension cam mechanism at the front of the saws upper arm.. Guess I'll find out when I get me new saw..

Well there is a little more to it than just the length.. They also have a notch cutout in the ( most times ) top of the blade.. about anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 inch down from the top.. this notch gets hung up in the pilot holes.. so it takes some fiddling around to get the blades through the hole.. then about 1/3 of the time while fiddling with getting this notch through the hole since the notch makes the blade thinner in that spot.. it also bends easy in that spot.. If I can keep from bending them.. the blades are decent.. but once I bend it in this thin spot.. more times than not. it breaks during the cutout in that spot... Some blades.. I never even get to use because they'll snap before I get them fed through the hole.. seem to be brittle in that spot.. The blades are weaker in that area.. have to cut both ends of every blade.. this isn't something I should Have To put up with for 3 gross of blades that I have.. Yes.. I can cut them but there is still the issue of that notch.. plus.. should a customer ( me ) have to deal with a companies defective product? Pay decent money for 3 gross of bad blades.. Zoom in on the picture.. Blade on left is defective... right side is what it should be... I've figured out the correct length is just cutting this tip off the Top and Bottom as both have that little extra nub which was giving me too long a blade.. not a big deal to snip it off really with some side cutters.. That notch gets caught in the hole of my stack and almost every time i bend the blade there and it will break in that spot.. The notch doesn't seem to bother when cutting solid wood ( clocks ) but dang.. using 3 gross of bad blades only for cutting clocks... going to be a long year with these things if I keep using them. LOL.. I wouldn't complain about it if I was just hobby cutting.. and if it was just a few dozen blades.. Kinda like buying a loaf of bread that is moldy on the crust.. you can peel the crust off and still use it.. feed it to the birds.. put it to use somehow.. but why? You paid for it to eat yourself.. and the initial reason you bought it was to eat.. do you just deal with the loaf of bread or take it back.. at a discounted price you'd be happy to give it to the creatures but you're still out a loaf of bread.. I can use the blades.. but should I fight with them and try to use them.. or do I try to send them back.. I seem to break about 3 -5 out of every dozen.. is it worth the full price I paid and the frustration.. Not bad now that my holiday rush is over.. I can use them still.. just not sure that I should..since some are breaking... some don't break until they are getting dull anyway..but it's a toss up.. Also the issue if I send them back... how long before I get some good ones in stock.. maybe dealing with a few bad blades is better than not having any blades at all..

Plastic piece that goes on the lower arm to keep your blade holder from falling on the floor when there is no tension on the blade... or if you break the blade the blade holder stays put so you don't loose it... I think I've read of other saws that if the blade breaks sometimes the lower blade chuck comes up missing, LOL..