kmmcrafts

Thanks JT, Yeah cutting that grass is tough to do on the 788 saws.. I do it sometimes but usually depends on the type of wood I cut and the blade I'm cutting with.. On the 788 no matter how slow I turn the speed down.. I always get a burnt end on the tip of the grass. Never does that with the Hawks or the Excalibur.. I think it was easier to do on the Excalibur that any of the other saws I've used.. very doable without burning on the Hawks.. but very seldom can do it without burning on the 788..

Both for me as well.. I sand with 80 - 100 to get any plainer marks out so the board is completely flat.. then 150 then 220.. then my final sanding after cutting I use the 220 then a quick 320

Two different mask that work for me.. First is the Totobobo mask.. and also recently purchased the Eclipes mask. If a mask has the breathable port as JT said.. and you're still getting fogged glasses.. that's a good indication the mask isn't properly fitted.. Worked several years in the auto collision / refinishing industry for about 12 years.. so safety gear is something I don't take lightly.. sanding dust toxic paint spraying etc.. watched many of the older guys that never wore mask while sanding get lung disease.. many had to be put on Oxygen and whatnot.. I didn't wear while sanding for the first few months.. but kept getting sinus infections etc.. Now.. I rarely even mow grass without a mask.. mainly because of bad allergies.. Surprising how dirty the Totobobo mask filter gets just mowing the grass.. I have to change the filter on that thing almost daily.. which is why I bought the Eclipse mask.. much bigger filter surface area and they last about a month or so..

Thanks Ray

Okay now that it was a little warmer out today and I have the EX -21 set up.. tuned the way Hotshot had mentioned to me a long while ago.. I wasn't rushed to get an order out or anything I thought I'd set at the Excalibur for the day... I'm very impressed with the ease of cutting.. fine detail work.. I was cutting out clocks trying to replenish some of my sold out inventory.. Below is a couple pictures of what I was cutting ( NOT THE ACTUAL ONE's ) today.. The ease of cutting out the detail in the grass areas that with my DW788 I always backed in and out to get nice crisp points on the grass.. The Hawk was better than the 788 but not nothing like the ease of cutting this out n the Excalibur.. Another thing.. while I have the blade tuned to go pretty much straight up and down the saw still bites into the wood very good.. unlike the Hawk was for me.. I always felt like I'm forcing the wood through the Hawk.. Not so at all with the Excalibur.. While I don't think it bites away the wood quite as fast as the 788.. with better control the speed of cutting is actually faster I believe..

I don't have any experience with this these people.. however I have read many others over the years mention this place.. ? http://www.flockit.com/index.php/products/suede-tex/mini-flocker-kits.html

Yeah I've seen V nails before.. but never used them before.. I bought some sort of strap clamp that was for gluing angles etc. but it was a pain in the you know what to use.. while I did finally get it set up glued and clamped.. I half wonder if by the time i finally got it clamped f the glue was dry LOL.. The frame turned out ok.. but what a pain that was.. I have a few different methods I've seen to give me some better assembly ideas on youtube.

Well.. This took some time as I was being very precise to stay on the line.. Was a challenge but a really fun one.. Believe I have about 2 hours into this.. as I was taking it slow.. not so much to stay on the line but so I wasn't pushing / flexing the blade.. In most cases.. I don't worry about that too much with cutting art or clocks.. I stack cut 2 from 1/4" bb ply.. I must have done okay at cutting this as I lined the gasket up to it and it's perfect.. We will see how this works.. but that might be some time because the motor is still out of the car and at the machine shop getting some machine work on it... I'll post an update when / If I find anything out..

Wow! You guys make some beautiful frames.. I've been selling them "un-framed.. and back when I did sell in frames. I was just buying low priced frames from Michael's.. I did a small survey and asked if people prefer to pick out their own frame or have it framed already.. Most at that time said they'd rather purchase their own. I just think maybe i'd be nice to showcase them on my site in a frame.. Years ago when I was selling framed I also put in the listing that they could be purchased un-framed.. Now I can set it up to be two prices framed or un-framed.. Thought about making a few frames and giving options of different ones with their portrait if they choose to buy a frame.. But anyway.. I'm just kicking some ideas around as I'd like to do some more portrait type work.. Thanks everyone for your input.. and showing some of your frames.

Hmmm.. what's it doing or not doing? LOL.. How old of a saw are you taking about.. Maybe the wedge is worn out? Did you recently have the saw apart? Put the sleeve back on? LOL Maybe knowing a little history would be helpful. I've had a problem with mine once.. but it was because I had it apart and put it back together.. worked good for the first few cuts but then something slipped or moved and stopped working.. That was a long time ago.. and I don't even remember what it was that I didn't have right.. but at any rate.. Just having it start acting up on it's own seems kind of odd.. I could see if it was worn and may need to adjust the rod or something..

Anyone making their own picture frames to frame their portrait style cutting in? What do you use for glass? Buy cut glass? Plexi Glass? No glass? LOL Wouldn't mind seeing some of the frames you make.. if you have any pictures to share.. What's your favorite material for making frames? I made a frame years ago but bought a routed piece of oak molding and just cut the miters on my miter saw.. Thought I was going to save money making my own.. but the material and time involved proved me to just buy cheep frames.. I had a different outlook back then on prices and quality.. Now looking at it.. a nice solid wood frame isn't cheap to buy like the one I made.. Now I own a palm router and think I could probably route some rabbit edges etc.. Not wanting to make something crazy.. just something basic.. After you pro's give me some tips and advice.. I might just decide to buy the frame,

I almost always cut pushing the wood straight toward the back much like I do with the straight blade.. In the video I posted.. I didn't do that simply because I wanted to show how they can cut any direction.. but like you all said.. I don't usually do much side to side cutting..

I showed this to my brother ( also a woodworker and putz around in scroll work ) He said "hey isn't that cheating" LOL... I said depends on how you look at it.. It's nice not to have to spin the wood around.. especially something large.. but those blades like to take the path of least resistance.. and you find the soft spots in the wood real quick.. I'm not certain if it's really easier or not.. just a different method of cutting.. and I like to mix it up now and then.. helps keep my skills up..

1" thick stack is quite a few.. I do not "like" to cut more than 3/4" thick stacks.. and many times only stack 1/2 -5 /8 BB ply.. That BB ply is some tough stuff to cut through.. and the blades dull pretty fast comparing to cutting solid wood.. Really hard to describe how hard to feed the wood in words, LOL My best advice is.. watch the blade.. you don't want to push so hard that you are flexing the blade back.. Maybe watch it and push until you see a slight flex? then back off just a tad? Maybe someone else will be able to describe it better than I can..

Ray, Might also want to look on Steve Good site, believe he did a video on making your own as well. Since you say you have a arbor already.

JT you must have posted while I was typing, LOL.. Yeah that's the plastic he was talking about..

Well they showed up tonight.. He doesn't want Aluminum and actually prefers plywood.. he plans to coat the wood with something to seal it.. Mentioned high temp paint.. I originally thought they wanted a throttle body spacer.. but he actually wants a intake manifold spacer.. These guys build race cars and motors and have done wood spacers before.. he says they work great. Reason they want wood is the heat doesn't transfer the same as aluminum.. If made from aluminum the spacer would end up being the same temp as the head and intake. I have no clue what he is up to but known him for years.. and has been a well known race motor builder with many tricks up his sleeve. This is an experiment for him at this stage, says he has some air temp modals he will be monitoring to record the intake air.. This build is for a Dodge Neon with a single overhead cam. Guess they have after market spacers for the dual overhead cam motor. Anyway.. he also said if this works like he thinks.. Plan on making several of them.. he knows several people that would be wanting to buy them.. I am personally not sold on the wood going between the intake and the head.. those temps get up around 200F.. He did also say that later if it works.. we might make them out of plastic.. forgot now what he called it.. but it's a high temp plastic..

Yeah, I don't use them very much.. and it's takes me a few cuts to get the hang of it after not doing it for a long time.. This was the first time in like 6-8 months that Id used them.. as you can see.. I did a few practice cuts before I put the camera on it, LOL

I couldn't find the link the other day.. but now I've got it.. They have 80, 180, 400 grit.. I have the 180.. and wish it was a little more aggressive but it works, My next one might be a 80 grit.. they tend to not be as aggressive as you think of for flat sanding paper https://www.harborfreight.com/4-in-180-Grit-Abrasive-Ball-61184.html

The ones I buy from Harbor Freight look much like the one in the middle in the back of this picture.. Believe they have two different grits and cost about $9... I've had mine since mid summer last year and its still doing decent job.. Use it on about every clock and clock base I make to knock off the edges..

Well, the guy is finally supposed to come over tonight.. Will see if it really happens.. Thinking I might try buying one of those cutting boards to cut it on.. Anyway, if he actually shows up and I actually get to make this I'll update on how it goes cutting and also will mention whether it actually works on the car..

I recorded this a few days ago, and uploaded it to instagram.. if you're following me on there then don't bother watching it again LOL .. Just thought I'd put it on my youtube channel.. Nothing special.. just a 57 second cutting out one small section.. Was using a FD - NS #1 stack cutting only 2 pieces of 1/8" BB ply..

Yeah, back in the day if the blade got dull on one side I would turn it upside down.. still sharp on the other end.. You've heard it all now..

Just watched the video.. thank you for telling me about it.. Going to purchase a sample pack of pegas.. before I do a larger order..

I guess I am an experimenter LOL I've tied a lot of blades.. styles of cutting. etc.. I enjoy tinkering around during the slow months.. Maybe it's the challenge.. I've even put blades in upside down, backwards etc etc.. just to see if I can cut like that.. LOL