kmmcrafts

IF you can get the DeWalt on sale I would buy it over the WEN for the simple fact of resale value if you decide to ever sell it. DeWalts seem to hold their value way better than most any other saw on the market.

If you do much angle cutting I'd definitely look at the King over the DeWalt.. The ability to adjust the blade cut aggression is also a nice feature on the King. I had a DeWalt and also have a Excalibur ( basic same saw as the King ). I liked the large table of the Dewalt, if you use the factory style stands.. I also like the Dewalt better.. but as I said if angle cutting then i'd go with King.. Both awesome saws really..

Yeah it takes a long time to get used to these with the barrel clamps.. I used to have to bend down and many times get off my stool so I could see what I was doing but eventually got it without getting up or even looking.. That was after several months of using only that saw as a primary saw over a slow business time... at the time if I had a rush order or something I had the DeWalt which was my primary saw for several years. The Hegner is a lot like the Hawk and I think that is why my learning curve went pretty smooth.. I broke the first few blades but now I rarely break them on that saw. I'm not sure if the Hegner needs a new retainer or if that's how they are but not one time did the blade clamp stay in the saw when I did break those few blades..

I feed the blade up through the slot in the table, then angle it toward the front of the saw and use the holder to press downward on the plastic retainer enough to slip it into the spot and rotate the blade back into position.. not sure if any of that made sense to you.. but I tried... I'm sure there are many different methods to use but that is always what worked for me if memory serves me correct.. I haven't owned the saw for a couple years now and the new hawk you don't need to remove the holders typically.. When the plastic retainer was new I would have to use two hands sometimes as it was a little stiff to bend down that far for enough clearance for the blade holder to fit in there. I'd use left hand to press down on the retainer while placing the barrel in on the right hand side.

Wonder if Hawk used different sized blade clamps at some point.. There are other brand saws that used that same style of barrel clamp.. in fact the new Jet brand saws use barrel clamps but they don't use the brass sleeve... The metal portion is slightly smaller than the Hawk ones.. when Rocky (Les ) had his Hawks he bought the Jet clamps as they are way cheaper than the Hawk ones. I believe he was one of those that made a metal retainer and I also remember JT saying he made a metal retainer.. Bushton would probably know if the older saws had a different size clamp.. When I first got my new retainer it was very tight to get a new blade clamp in place.. was always a little scared I would break the cheap plastic retainer.. they do fit pretty tight. I used to bend down on the front of it enough to slide the barrel in place. I don't think a Hegner one would work on the Hawk.. Heck, the Hegner one won't even work on the Hegner.. every blade I broke when first learning / using the saw sent the clamp flying somewhere and I never did find one of them that I think went under the workbench.. Doesn't seem like it'd be all that hard to make a retainer from some spring steel.. One could probably shape it around the clamp to get the shape of the plastic one but out of metal..

I don't believe they ever made a metal one.. Even the Ultras had a plastic one and someone suggested to them to make them from spring steel and they finally did it starting with the G4 saw starting around 2005.. now they make steel ones for the "Ultra" but not for the round clamp saws.. I know lots of folks mention on the forums over the years about the cheap plastic ones getting weak and breaking etc. and they just make their own from metal..

I kind of agree with Larry and Bob, Although I've never had my hands on a multi-tool the tool body looks like it's long and would be awkward to hold onto.. I think I mentioned previously that I find ways to hold the piece being sanded rather than the tool.. If you got a bench vice pinch the 1/4 sheet sander in that then hold the piece being sanded.. fine sanding can also be done with finger nail board sanders etc.. too.. Again, I've not used a multi tool but I find way better sanding control by having the sander be stationary.. Sanding mops and mac mops do an awesome job.. Before I had some of these tools I just used my drill press as Larry mentioned.. No Drill Press? got a bench vise? clamp a hand drill in that.. Glue sandpaper to old dull scroll saw blades and use the scroll saw to sand tight areas.. and if you have a 1/4 sheet sander then cut up the used clamped 1/4 sheet paper from the ends where it's unused. The saw only has ( depending on saw ) 3/4 inch blade stroke so you don't need to cover the whole blade in sandpaper..

First off I guess I was under the impression that you didn't have a clip in the first place and why I suggested to get one.. If you had the metal one it was more likely homemade and probably the better one of the two as plastic gets old and brittle over time and either looses it's holding power or just breaks.. When I got my first Hawk with the round clamps and it never even had one on it when I got the saw.. well actually it did but it was just the end part where it screws to the saw arm. LOL. It would fly out of that new one once in a very great while but usually the holder slowed the force down so much that the blade holder would still be on top of the saw. Three year later it started getting weak and was allowing it to escape more and more often. I always wanted to make a metal one like is on my newer saws but sold the saw before I got to that point. I believe I mentioned something about making a metal one.. maybe you made the metal one you have?

Well I would still need a blower or vacuum to clear off the sawdust from my workpiece to see where my lines are, My Hegner doesn't have a line-loc line on it to aim it off to the side. This was a big complaint on my first "old Hawk" saw I had as it just had that clear air hose that aimed toward the front of the saw, was the first upgrade I did on that saw was to buy the line-loc upgrade kit from bushton, LOL. I probably can buy the stuff to update it for the Hegner too but I want to toy around with a homemade collector set up instead of having the blower.. May still need a blower but I just wanted to tinker around with it.. not like I don't have another saw to use until I get time to mess around with the Hegner and dust collection and find what will work best for me. I haven't been working a whole lot in the shop because I'm working on a new website store build.. I have 600 items to list on the new site and approximately 5-7 photos to edit for each listing item.. doing this in this damp, wet snowy, rainy cold, kinda blah weather that we are having transitioning from winter to spring. Maybe by the time I get the new store ready to launch it'll be sunny and warm though the shop has heat.. my issue is I'm a outside kind of person if it's nice out.. and I've wanted to build this new site for a few years but holiday time is too busy to build a site and after that it's bookkeeping / taxes and summer is playing around / building up inventory.. so this time of year is perfect to get things set up for the new store. LOL..

Right, maybe slightly off topic here but, I have noticed a difference on how smooth / glossy the edges are by which saw I'm using if that makes any sense at all, and really noticed it when I first got that Hegner saw recently. The Hegner using the same blade ( Pegas MGT #5 ) cutting on the same exact trivet that I was making at the time had a very smooth glossy edge and I picked up on that detail right off the bat when first using that saw, which is why I switched saws to both the Hawk and Excalibur.. The Hawk wasn't as smooth edged as the Hegner and the Excalibur wasn't as smooth as the Hawk or Hegner.. None of the saws made "bad" edges but the Hegner made noticeably smoother edges. Not real sure why.. and might be just the way I was cutting since it was a first time using the saw maybe I was feeding the wood differently. Honestly haven't used the Hegner much since the first couple cuts as I need to find some time to modify the dust blower or make a dust collector set up.. can't stand the thing blowing the dust right toward me like it does so I don't use it. When temps warm up and I get some fee time this summer I'll rig up something for it.. as I do really like the saw..

I agree with Scott.. Might be a blade issue because I think most of us rarely have to sand the edges.. On a side note: I've learned a lot from this topic.. I've seen those multi tools but never really looked into them, I didn't even know they could be used as a sander.. honestly didn't know what they was for, LOL and figured I had a Dremel that was pretty versatile and did basically the same stuff but now I know I'm wrong. I'm going to have to look and see what all they are used for.

Maybe you should "Make Time"

That's what I was trying to find.. I guess I used the wrong search term.. These work pretty good other than in tight spots..

I'm not much for holding onto sanders myself, I'd much rather have a stationary tool and I hold the wood being sanded.. I use the ridgid belt / spindle sander and also sanders that mount in my drill press. https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-Oscillating-Edge-Belt-Spindle-Sander-EB4424/202459151?source=shoppingads&locale=en-US&&mtc=SHOPPING-BF-CDP-GGL-D25T-025_009_PORT_POWER-NA-Multi-NA-SMART-NA-NA-NA-NA-NBR-NA-NA-NA-PortablePower_SmartShopping&cm_mmc=SHOPPING-BF-CDP-GGL-D25T-025_009_PORT_POWER-NA-Multi-NA-SMART-NA-NA-NA-NA-NBR-NA-NA-NA-PortablePower_SmartShopping-71700000106625794-58700008274559054-92700075196193279&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgaGgBhC8ARIsAAAyLfGIv2s7IzSO4cBB4pJyov6gkbhjl5SEBzvcQhelb_FHGbwc-xf0qr4aArYMEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds WEN and Harbor Freight also have their version of the same type of sander.. I now use a mac mop or sanding mop thing. Harbor Freight used to sell what was called a sanding ball, but I don't see them anymore. basically a arbor with scotchbright pads stacked up on it.. worked great for edge sanding around the outside of a profile but wouldn't get into tight corners well. For tight corners I will sometimes cut thin strips of sandpaper and use spray glue the back of two strips then take a old scroll saw blade and sandwich the blade with those strips on each side.. mount in the saw and sand with the saw.. trust me if there is a way to avoid holding a power sander and or hand sanding I'll find a way, LOL I've always wanted one of these.. I've heard many people on these forums say they use theirs all the time and I think I could use one quite a lot too. https://www.harborfreight.com/1-in-x-30-in-belt-sander-61728.html

After looking more closely at the photos and seeing the comments about the size I might just pass on it.. The more buttons and options for it will probably just confuse me on how to use it anyway, I think I might stick to the Wixey brand one for $10 more..

Thank's I couldn't get that pdf to open from their site and no mention of it in the description so I didn't know.. Unfortunately my lowes out of stock. I may just order online.

Glad you brought this up as I've been wanting one and have been researching them. This is a great price because even the cheap Harbor Freight one is nearly $40.. it does have more buttons too. The Wixy one from Amazon is around $30.. was surprised HF one was so high priced.. The one thing I haven't found was... what battery do they take? Some tools I have around here I may only use 1 time every 5 years and if they don't have a way to change the battery to a standard common battery then I'm not buying it.. I see the Wixy one states it uses 1 AAA battery.. I like that.. most times when I want to use a tool I don't feel like waiting an hour or two for a battery to charge.. usually loose the special cords that rechargeable stuff comes with after 5 years of not being used I spend an hour looking for the cord and another for it to charge.. SO.. basically I like things that can take standard batteries.. rather than rechargeable stuff..

Clocks theme huh? Since I have made over 250 clocks which ones do I choose? Desk clocks are my favorite so I only put in one wall clock.. I have more of those too.. Hope someone here likes cars since the desk clocks is a bunch of cars. LOL Gotta say it was hard to choose which ones to post up.. I tried to do some Fords ( not a Ford person myself ) and Chevy's and now I see I left out Dodge.. which is one of my favorites.. what the heck.. Also left out a bunch of the imports.. oh well can't post them all.. but if you have a request to see something I probably have it if it has wheels.. Then I left out the entire sports line like hunting, golfing, running etc.. Oops, I forgot all the dog breeds... I gotta post one of those.. some make them as puzzles.. I make them as clocks... so see last photo Did I mention I've made over 250 clocks?

Still a lot cheaper than the ones I bought years ago.. though I don't think HF had these at the time I bought mine. Can't remember the brand name on mine now but very well made and been very happy with them so far.

I have these on the "big equipment" bandsaw etc. they work great.. when needing moved you flip the lever and it raises / lowers so the wheels are on the ground and then you can park it and it sets up off the wheels. This is kind of pricey but you could easily build something out of wood for a scroll saw.. I think Harbor Freight has something similar too but much cheaper.. I don't think you're going to want the wheels permanently fixed to the ground because I think it'll cause some vibration unless you have a perfect level floor and so far in my life I've never seen one that is perfect.. https://www.grizzly.com/products/grizzly-bear-crawl-heavy-duty-mobile-base/t28000

The first foot switch I bought was the click on click off instead of the deadman switch style.. Gotta say that took some time to get used to having to have my foot on the switch at all times to keep it going, I'd start the saw and let off and it'd mess me up... Then when I went back to the on/off switch I kept my foot on it and would let off once finished with the cut and the saw kept running and would have to click it one more time to turn it off.. after getting the first couple Hawks which had the deadman style come with the saw I finally sold that oddball switch because it kept messing me up.. So I can imagine how this could go for you for a while... unless you have less muscle memory that me you're going to be doing this once in a while..

Well I kind of wondered the same thing, LOL.. I think when they replied they didn't fully understand that I got tired of waiting for a reply to see if a new motor was available so I threw it out.. They offered a "deal" for a motor but I had thrown out the vacuum. If I still had the vacuum I don't think I'd buy the motor anyway as it's close to the cost of just buying a new vacuum and less hassle of trying to wire it all up.. I do have another vacuum but it was purchased "new open box" off eBay for $28 so I put that one on the saw for now and will look for another for my other saw or just buy the Festool or Fein that I really would like to have..

Okay, I just got another message from Seyco and thought I'd better share it since I stated it took them months to reply and this is the reason why.. I didn't put the whole email as he made me an offer to replace that motor at their cost for the motor and I felt that is not needed for everyone to know that price. I will say that their price is more than what I can go straight to Metrovac's website and buy it from them so they said free shipping to me but I'm doubtful of that since I can buy cheaper directly from Metrovac.. regardless that is just how some business works.. Here is the reply message explaining why they took so long to get back to my original message, LOL Kevin First I apologize for not responding to your email - we have moved our system over to a new server back in November and a new webpage which starts on March 1st and we dropped the ball on answering some emails. The motor comes with a one year warranty and I understand it is two years old but I would still like to help you. I can sell you a motor at my cost if you would like to do that and Seyco will pay the shipping to you ?

There was a mention some time ago about Ray partially retiring I think and that his son "Mike" would slowly be taking over... Mike replied to me in the email.. In the past whenever I emailed many times within just a few hours I'd get a reply back... While I know many folks like to have a number to call... I honestly don't like calling, partly because of the time differences around the globe.. even some of the states that are only 1 hour difference.. first off I get out to the shop "most times" before many places are open and once I start working I forget all about making a phone call and many times I'm working after places have closed or I just plain forget.

I have seen some on the FB groups saying they messaged and hadn’t gotten a reply back after a week and have seen a bit more of that going on with them. Hopefully it’s just a small setback they had or something but who knows. If I was really pressed for an answer I’d have called them, sometimes emails don’t go through right away. Had a friend email me something and a few days later ask me why I didn’t answer and I never got the email, funny thing is, that email came in about 8 months later.