kmmcrafts

Got a possible order for 30 of these. I’v been quite busy and haven’t posted many photos and was just posting for a minute so thought I’d share this one I’m working on today plus the cab over semi that cut this morning picture of that one in the pattern request forum. The gulfstream is a pattern I did.

Grizzly has the 788 on sale.. not saying it's a great deal but lower cost than normal.. probably never beat the deal they gave me on mine.. but then.. that was 8-9 years ago. Believe I gave $350 with stand and light back then.. they've went up in price quite a lot since then.. I think they was about $409 or so back then.. I've seen them not long ago on sale I think on Grizzly for $399 with stand and light.. it was cheaper with stand etc than by itself, LOL

I've been busy all day packing orders for the mail.. just now sat down to snoop out what kind of deals are out there.. Woodcraft has a nice deal on the Jet saws.. they also are offering free shipping on orders over $35.. Grizzly also has some good deals on woodworking equipment etc.. I'm sure you all have checked out anything that you might be looking for.. I sure don't need to buy any more saws or much of anything really, LOL but anyway.. there is some nice deals.. Had I not got the good deal on my Excalibur I'd probably be putting in an order for some sort of saw.. I was really checking to see if woodcraft had the King saw on sale.. but doesn't look like it.. Anyway.. guess I'd better get back out to the shop to make the rest of my orders before I get too backed up..

I don't know the answer about poplar.. but most real wood counter tops I've seen are made from Maple.. both are a lighter colored wood.. Personally I would use Maple.. preferably Hard Maple...

Happy Thanksgiving everyone

I had read several post over the last year or so about DnD so I placed my first order with DnD recently and just wanted to say the experience was a good one.. I don't know who all has posted about them on here but Thank You to those who have.. I had been ordering blades from Lesleys Patterns ever since Mike sold the business.. Mainly due to the fact that no body was taking PayPal and that was always where my money was, LOL .. while I've never had any major issue with Lesleys.. I've never had a Wow Great Service moment with them.. a few times the blades I ordered was so called back ordered.. and took forever to get to me.. and in fact I should have payed closer attention because the last time I ordered.. I'm not certain I received "All" my blades.. they sent me a few that they had.. and was supposed to send more.. I don't remember getting more and I ran through that supposed gross of blades awful fast.. but I'm not positive.. I've seen others post some not so good reviews of them either.. I don't typically like to give out a bad review to a small business and many times will give them the benefit of doubt on a order.. but.. this place the last 3 orders I had placed with them.. they had forgot part of an order.. then the last two times they blades ordered was back ordered and took at least a month to come in.. and in one case.. I think they forgot.. because when I messaged them there story to me was they was still back ordered and they was going to call the company to see what was going on.. yet..2 days later my blades came.. postmarked the same day I emailed them, LOL Anyway.. My experience was a good one with my DnD order.. I can't believe how fast they came.. kinda reminds me of how Mikes was / is.. Lesleys is only a in the neighboring state.. and takes way longer to come in the mail..

Yeah.. that's what they told me when I bought my 1993 220VS.. I felt it was worth the chance at $100 bucks though.. as I was only looking to try a Hawk out.. and didn't figure I'd get any cheaper chance too do so.. So far mine has been a pleasure to use with no issues.. though I don't think it had much use before I got it either..

Yeah I cut quite a lot of Red Oak and Cherry.. White oak is tough but I still haven't had too much trouble with it.. though I haven't cut a lot of white oak.. Now.. Jatoba I think is the name also known as Brazilian Cherry.. I think rocks would cut better than that stuff, LOL I've cut some zebra wood and purple heart that is also some dense wood.. but nothing even close to that Brazilian Cherry LOL

Yeah, I don't intend to use it again until I get it mounted better and kind of go through it checking everything over..

I do not run my DW788 at full speed very often.. but.. I do my older Hawk.. but.. these two saws top speed at 1500 SPM ( strokes per minute ) and the DW788 run 1750 SPM at full speed.. I'm guessing I run my 788 right about 1500 - 1550 ish and sometimes a little less depending on what i'm cutting.. but my normal cutting speed is usually on the higher end of 1400 -1600 SPM.. I typically am stack cutting ornaments from BB plywood.. stacks are typically around 3/4" thick material.. Most everything I cut is 1/2" + either hardwoods or BB plys.. and some regular plys too at times... I find that with the faster saw speed I have easier and better control of the wood..especially on my DW788... Like I've said many times.. I like to cut fast... I find that at slow speeds I tend to push the wood through rather than just letting the blade do the work... I used to go slow but gradually trained myself to cut a little faster.. Typically cut about 12 - 25 ornaments per hour depending on complexity of the ornament..

I still haven't made any changes to the Ex-21.. straight out of the box and today I stack cut 3 different ornaments.. sort of getting used to running the saw.. when time allows I'll start doing some adjusting on it.. Really wanted to use my DW788 for today's cutting however I have it set up with an angle for a certain project that's only half done and didn't really want to disturb my angle until my project is done.. but needed to get these ornaments out in the mail today.. Anyhow.. even though I'm still learning to use the new saw I think I cut about as fast as I would on the DW788.. Kind of getting used to that upper blade clamp now.. but that upper arm would be nice if it went up on it's own like the Hawks and my DW788 with the easylift attachment. Those of you that have a Ex-21.. How smooth does it do at full speed? Mine has a couple spots that it vibrates pretty bad one of which is at the lower end of the speed dial and the other starts in just slightly before full speed and stays that way at full speed.. I've been running it just below the spot at the full speed where it's just starting to hit that bad spot.. then I back it off just a hair.. would like to run it slightly faster.. but not horrible where it's at.. I'm sure some of this and maybe all of it is the way i have it mounted on the small stand with the big sheet of plywood.. I mounted it off to the side so it's not centered on the stand or the plywood.. I did that because I was hoping for a little shelf space to put my blade caddy off to the one side of it.. Think I'm going to have to rethink the way I have it..

Interesting.. I wonder how many of these sold over the years.. My 1993 220VS serial number is 23XXX.. It's on the low side of that 23XXX

You need the serial number and call Bushton to know what year it is. Can get a ball park idea by what style lower clamp it has. Round barrel looking clamp would be earlier one... guessing 1996 ish is when they went to a different clamp. Maybe earlier than that not sure but I’m pretty sure the 96 year had the newer clamp.

It'd be real nice if there was a sample pack of each size and brand of blade.. then one could just play and decide what blade they like best for their machine and their style of cutting.. Honestly there probably isn't a style and size blade I probably haven't tried.. on my DeWalt.. sort of the Pegas spirals... then I got used to my "go to blade" then I got a Hawk.. totally different game player for what blade is my go to blade.. Now I just got the Excalibur set up.. I'm sure it's going to be another new learning curve.. So with that said.. all those post about.. "What Blade" just my opinion here.. but there are as many answers to that question as there are to what saw to get, what car to buy, what dishwasher to get etc etc etc... and at the end of the day.. my best suggestion to them is to get sample packs of each blade and brand.. cut some projects and find what blade works best for your comfort level..

Yeah, Aluminum would be ideal material.. I think what he is doing is just more of an experiment and if all goes well he'll have a "more permanent" aluminum one made.. Not too sure maybe one could cut that thick of aluminum on a scroll saw.. probably be real slow going and use many blades, LOL

If I put the blade clear to the back of the clamp the thumb screw misses the blade.. Maybe I'm doing something wrong. I do need to go through the manual as I could be doing it wrong or have something set up wrong.. Plus.. in taking the saw out of the box.. there was a blade in it.. but in putting my own blade in.. the blade seemed like it was too short.. I raised the upper arm and lowered it again just to be sure it was all the way down.. which it was.. so then I turned the knob at the back of the saw just enough to make it reach the blade.. I'm guessing that was what I was supposed to do.. but I need to read through the manual before I mess up some of the settings.. plus I can then know a little about the saw LOL.. even though I did read a manual online a couple years back when I was thinking about buying one.. but I can't remember what it said now, LOL

That was what I was thinking of, but like you I don’t know what it’s called. Lol

Thank you

Well I just came in from cutting a stack of 4 B.B. plywood 1/8” ornaments. Initial impression is it’s a nice cutting saw right out of the box so far. Two things that at the moment I don’t like ( sure it’s just a learning curve ) . I may be spoiled in my Hawks and withe the easy lift on my 788.. but I am used to the upper arm to just go up on its own so that was a little annoying to me at first. Near the end of cutting the stack I was already getting used to it some. The other thing is I keep trying to put the blade clear to the back of the upper clamp. It seems as though you have to sort of figure out where the center of the set screw and the thumb screw is as the blade can go back behind it and trick me into thinking it’s in and tight until I hit the tension lever, lol. Both Hawks and DeWalt you can put it back to the back of the clamp. I’m sure I will adjust to it though.

I like all the types of blades I’ve used from the Pegas brand ( haven’t tried the spirals yet, almost ordered some my last order) For me it depends on the saw I’m using as to the size blade I use. On my DeWalt I typically use a 3 MG Pegas where I’d normally use a 5 in a FD UR. But on the Hawks I use the 5 MG Pegas.

Oops double posted for some reason

So a friend of mine does circle track racing. Contacted me today to see about making him a throddle body spacer for the race car. He has the gasket and said I just need to copy the gasket. He’s wanting 1/4” thick. My question is if anyone might know. What wood would be best for this? As it would be on the engine and heating up and cool down. I’m actually thinking some sort of plastic would be better than wood. But also thought bb plywood would be the most stable wood probably? Maybe paint it with temp paint? Anyone have any suggestions or tips? Never took on a project like that before, though my son and I was going to make a throddle body spacer for a build we are doing. We was just going to build as a mock up and a test to see what would work best for our build before having one machines to our specs.

That is a pretty good weekend. Congratulations!! No get busy so you can sell out at the next one lol

Well since my birthday is today and is a day to do whatever I want I decided to take the time to unbox and set up my new Excalibur Ex-21. Got it set up and mounted it to a stand then did one little test cut. Only 30F out in the shop today and snowing. So I was too cold to do much more. Definitely needs some tweaking as it’s not nearly as smooth as my DeWalt but some of that it my jury rigged stand etc. Anyway happy to have it unboxed and mounted to the stand. While doing a test cut the blower fell off apparently they never tighten the two little screws on the bottom of the arm. Maybe I’d better check everything over.

I think a lot really depends on the person using the saw.. as well as the type of projects they make.. Love my Hawks for cutting thin stock with fine fret details.. ( something I don't do a lot of ) I find I like my DeWalt better for cutting thicker ( 1/2") stock or stack cutting.. which is mostly what I do.. Still like cutting on the Hawk with thicker stock if I am not in any hurry to get the job done ( leisure cutting ).. but when orders come in and need done asap.. I go to the DeWalt.. as it's faster more aggressive at cutting... I'm guessing a Hawk would be a nice machine for a beginner.. because they don't chew the wood quite so fast and sharp turns are easier..