kmmcrafts

Thank you for taking the time to go into the depth that you did to explain this.. I've read in the past that Danish oil was basically the same as the 50/50 mix with BLO / mineral spirits.. I do remember early in my scroll sawing days when they discontinued Danish oil for a short time.. and then they mentioned the changes and many people saying the "new" oil wasn't as good.. that was when I started learning of the self made mixtures.. though I never actually tried until a month or so ago, LOL I sand my work down to 320 grit papers.. never tried lacquer on wood projects.. painted several cars with it years ago ( maybe different lacquers though ).. Typically never use a blade larger than a #5 and many times my go to blade is actually a #3 depending upon the saw I use and how aggressive the cutting is.. Again, Thank you.. I'll probably just stick to the Danish oil that I've been using of the years.. think i'll try a can of lacquer to see how that goes.. but I can say for sure that I don't like the poly on my clocks.. I do use it for sealing up thin fretwork such as portraits.. which I don't do a lot of..

Okay, I've heard many times about mixing up 50/50 BLO and Mineral Spirits... I just did that for my first time a month or so back.. even though I've read it over and over for years.. Other day I seen a youtube video where they mixed BLO/Wipe On Poly/Mineral Spirits .. Anyone ever mixed in the poly like that? I'm not a chemist and the way my luck goes I'd mix an explosion, .. I've also read where that was basically what Danish oil is? I do like the look that Danish oil and the 50/50 mix look but I also find the Danish oil looks dried out and looses its warm glow so to speak once dried a good few weeks.. haven't had this mix of BLO long enough to see how that looks longer term.. I like the idea of having some sort of sealer of sorts in the mix.. Anyway, just looking for thoughts on certain dipping type finishes.. Not looking to dip and then top coat with a spray poly.. done that once and really wasn't impressed with my outcome.. maybe I'm too particular with spray finishes because of my autobody spraying background.. I have never once seen a fretwork piece with a spray finish mine or others from craft shows that I thought was acceptable... many people do it.. and say they get good results.. I haven't personally seen that yet.. any fretwork sprayed finish I've seen has not had even good coverage in the fret cutouts.. in the nooks and crannies..

I also put used blades in a large can.. Scrap metal prices are up right now in my area last I checked was about $175 a ton.. Not sure how many blades will equal a ton.. but I'm workin at it.. and figure by the time I get to that ton... those blades should be worth more than I paid for them

Congrats to the new shop member, lol.. I think you’ll be very happy with the Excalibur, they are an awesome saw. My favorite saw in the shop is the one that works, I have used a lot of different saws from about every low end saw to the Hawk. I can find things I like about each one and things I dislike about each one. At the end of the day.. if the blade stays in and the motor turns I can make my projects I want with whatever saw is put in front of me. Some have even gave me some exercise chasing them around the shop as I use them

Just for clarification.. someone mentioned seals? My saw doesn't have any seals.. maybe some did but I'm doubting it.. My saw is built just like the DeWalt.. Mechanics of the saw is pretty close to that of the DeWalt..with some added features of coarse.. I don't want people to take me wrong.. if the right buy came along I'd buy it again.. but if I were looking for a brand new saw.. unless I was doing angle cutting.. I 'd save some money and buy a DeWalt.. that's just me though.. The EX definitely has better features as in adjusting the blade stroke movement etc... That all said.. The saw you put pictures of on this post... hard to see the table real well with the sun glare on it.. but from what I can see... I don't think it was used very much.. I'm betting that saw will vibrate pretty good the way it's mounted to that stand? My saw didn't come with a stand.. and I mounted to to a cheap light weight stand.. and it vibrated pretty bad.. Once I mounted it to an actual EX stand.. it runs real smooth.. so if you try it out.. just keep that in mind.. stand mounting and stand balance to the floor can make most any saw vibrate bad..

The saw tilts.. I believe all the EX saws have the tilting saw and the table stays flat.. Unless one is going to be doing a lot of angle cutting.. I really see very little advantage of the EX over the DeWalt.. But for me I do see some negatives on the EX that the DeWalt has.. (ie blade much closer to end of table ( which is my biggest complaint with that saw).. table not as wide.. top speed is 1500spm vrs. 1750 ) these things aren't going to affect but a small percentage of people.. maybe only me cause I'm different and weird like that But personally I prefer my DeWalt over my Excalibur.. but that is only with my DeWalt having the Jim Dandy easy lift so the upper arm goes up and stays until I lower it.. I suppose a lot has to do with the fact that I've run my DeWalt A LOT! for 12 years.. and maybe I'm just accustom to it more than any other saw.. I will say... I haven't touched my DeWalt yet this year... mostly cutting with my old Hawk 220VS.. and the more I use it.. the less I like any of the other saws.. including the newer Hawk 226 Ultra..Maybe just because it's the only saw I've been using since the new year.. other than I did cut about 25 puzzles with the EX.. and I did touch my DeWalt last week and cut on it for a whole two minutes.. then switched over to that old Hawk

I don't know for sure... but I want to say the black anniversary edition came out around 2010-2012 ish.. then they just went to the solid black without the fancy gold anniversary badges.. and the green was run for quite a few years.. I think they started as purple? then black.. then green, then the anniversary black / gold.. then just black again.. Somewhere... Travis posted a timeline / history of the EX and then how they evolved into the new brands of recent and how the "NEW" Ex 21's are actually made in another factory or something like that? It gave the dates of the old purple saw then black then green etc etc etc.. I tried to search real quick in the reviews section and couldn't find it.. not sure what section that was posted in but it was posted a few months back..

Well, most all my work is just one sheet.. I do have a printer that prints 11 x 17 papers.. and what little I do with the larger stuff I do use the 3M spray for those.. but it's only about 2-4 times a year..so for the most part just the full sheet labels work for me.. and I spray that nasty stuff outside of the shop.. that over spray gets stuck to anything it lands on.. Maybe because I use the 3M 77 stuff.. just because it's also used on the auto-body industry for many things from gluing sandpapers to the sanding pads to holding emblems and moldings on the cars.. But I try my best not to use it..

You're right.. I was just in a hurry and said steel

I only have limited experience with my Excalibur.. My guess would be to look at the tension lever for wear ? not sure how much or quick they wear out... They are made much like the DeWalt and you have one of those.. so I would say look for things you would look for on a DeWalt.. The table tops on the Ex's I believe are painted and that paint wears off fairly quick.. I might have around 20 hours on my saw and the top looks like it would have 300 hours on it.. compared to a Hawk or DeWalt with the steel unpainted tables..

I don't use either spray or glue sticks so I have no idea.. I use full sheet self adhesive shipping labels.. I buy in bulk for a great price.. can't imagine how many cans of spray or how many glue sticks it'd take to glue 2000 sheets of paper.. but I'm betting more than $50 -75 worth that I get the labels for.. plus.. no mess.. no fuss just print, peel and stick..

My oldest moved out on his own just a month ago.. while I still have two at home.. I still feel sort of empty nested.. and he is only a couple hour drive away.. He is coming down today but just isn't the same with him gone..

Hoping all the fathers have a wonderful Fathers Day..

So if I understand correctly... you're putting several different styles and sizes of blades in a single tube? I suppose that would work for some folks.. I buy my blades by the gross and the whole gross won't fit into a tube.. so I typically put 3-4 dozen blades in at a time.. If this was even possible for me the only advantage I see is not having to have 30 tubes.. but then.. all 30 tubes are usually packed full of 3-4 dozen blades so it still wouldn't work.. Maybe a great idea for others.. just wouldn't work well for me I peel the sticker off the blade package that they come in and place it on my tubes, and or if no sticker and just plain paper I roll the paper up so the size etc. can be seen and stuff inside the tube...

That’s how I took it.

Yeah, I've done that one several years ago when I did a inlay cut.. then just moved the table back to 0 on the dial without checking to see if it was actually square to the table.. made a couple ornamental firewood pieces before I realized what was going on.. LOL

Yeah, they are not cheap.. I am fortunate that the older Hawk with the barrel clamps came with about 5-6 of them and then I kept breaking blades and thought maybe it was something with the clamps so I bought two more, and found it wasn't nothing to do with the clamps. Then when I bought the newer Hawk.. I was pleasantly surprised when unboxing it that the person who originally ordered the saw had ordered 10 extra clamps.. not sure how many they came with from the factory back in 98... must have been about 5.. as I have 15 of them for that saw, LOL..

That's one nice thing about the Hawk scroll saws.. I must have about 10 blade clamps.. I engraved the most popular blade size on the clamp.. This way I can have several styles of used blades already loaded in the clamp. only use a #3 for a few minutes but my next project takes a #5.. no big deal.. take the loaded #3 out and set it on my tool tray.. insert the #5 blade.. next time I need that #3 it's loaded in the clamp in my side tray.. when it gets worn out.. replace it.. I never have to fool around with what to do with those partly used blades..

I’m not sure why because I turnes it all the way up and that’s where it’s always been. Not sure about electric stuff but I know people have bypassed the speed control on other tools by direct wiring them. I’d thought about that being an option. Maybe I should ask the guy from the motor shop if he could do that.

You are right.. I'm friends with many Nurses and Doctors.. they claim more people come in injured from routers than they do table saws.. I'm not to worried about fingers in the table saw.. but those kick backs... is what scared me.. though it's never happen to me personally.. just really freaked me out having that 2x4 wiz past my head back in middle school, LOL

I've thought about one of those actually.. I've never used one.. actually I think I have one in some tools that my grandfather used to use that my father left for me.. Guessing its probably 70-80 years old.. don't know anything about them..

I don't mind paying the insurance premiums.. it's the deductibles that gets us.. My wife has crohns disease so with her 12,000 every 8 weeks for meds we pay out the full amount on any of the plans usually within the first couple of months of the year.. many of the plans deductibles are 10,000 15,000 -20,000 so we pay that every year on top of the actual insurance cost.. then even after that many of them are 80/20 etc.. These companies need to make money and I realize that.. but they keep raising prices and creating higher deductibles and paying out less.. or is seems that way.. a lot of those plans are great for any healthy person... but those that have chronic illness.. not so much.. As for the jointer.. I'm watching the local ads, craigslist and other places for a used one.. maybe some garage sales.. Now that I know the Porter Cable is the same unit I may end up buying a new one.. I have a couple sets of new knives etc and for $250 I'd have many parts from this old Delta if something was to go wrong with it before I find that perfect deal.. I don't really have a router capable for doing much of anything heavy.. and not much for bits etc.. so at the end of the day the jointer is probably the lowest cost for my budget at this time.. I hate using tables saws and avoid using it if at all possible.. While I've never had an issue using it personally.. way back in middle school some kid wasn't watching what he was doing or something and that thing flung a big ol block of 2x4 across the woodshop and bounced around and off all sorts of stuff before coming to a rest.. lucky and I don't know how.. but it never hit anyone.. but went inches from my head so those things scare the tar out of me to be around or use still to this day.. even though I've been around a lot of saws and heavy equipment..working at the sawmill.. etc I still hate using a table saw.. I go to my band saw for most needs.. sometimes I can't do what I need unless I fire up the table saw.. and won't run it unless there is someone at home..

Ray, that come up with the same thing, same part number and everything and just takes me to the same sites etc. Tried eBay as sometimes you get lucky and find someone that has a new old stock one they just want to get rid of. But no luck there either.

Okay, so.. I looked up the parts on ereplacementparts and the circuit board shows obsolete.. copied the part number and did a google search for delta #1345927 and found several of them available.. I've dealt with mikestools on obsolete Delta parts in the past and had very good experience with them.. but the kicker is... the price of this little circuit board is $150 from Mikestools... some other places have it as low as $136.. probably both places charge shipping.. I didn't look into it that far as I wasn't sure I wanted to spend that on this old piece of equipment.. After looking at the parts diagram and list.. I realize that the new Porter Cable machine is the same thing.. Thought they looked very close to the same other than stickers... Might just go that route and save my old Delta as a parts unit.. Though I'll investigate this circuit board some more.. maybe I'll find a cheap one somewhere..

When I went to pick up the jointer from the motor shop today he told me the motor is fine.. it's the variable speed circuit board chip.. and he tried to locate something and couldn't find anything.. There use to be another guy that worked at this shop but he seems to be not working there anymore.. he would go the extra mile and find a way.. if nothing more than wiring it up direct and making a single speed out of it.. Sad because I always bragged this place up... this guy now just looks up the parts from manufacture and if obsolete the he goes no further with it.. Maybe he doesn't know how to go beyond the manufacture.. but that other guy sure did and knew his stuff..