kmmcrafts

Great pattern and cutting!! I agree with you on the thinner wood. I make most everything using 3mm BBply.. and honestly think even thinner than that for portrait type work would look better.. especially if you mount it to a backer board anyway.. I started out doing them in the 6mm? 1/4 inch ply but quickly switched to the 1/8 inch..

My Excalibur vibrated terrible when I first set it up too.. Now I'm in no way saying that there wasn't a mechanical issue with those saws that was complained about.. BUT I will say that many folks take a saw out of the box and expect it to be tuned and run perfect.. But the fact is they're not.. I learned that certain positions on the motor ( motor has slotted mount and can be turned to adjust forward / backward blade rocking movement for a more aggressive cut or less aggressive ) smooths or worsens the vibration the saw had, and also can make noises like a clunking sound of a mechanical issue.. but once adjusted properly works nice and smooth. That along with having it mounted to a stand that all the legs are planted firmly to the floor.. I usually will loosen the bolts to the metal stand and sort of make it settle in it's permanent parking spot in the shop and then tighten them down assuring that all legs are flat onto the floor because even a properly tuned saw can have bad vibration from a stand that is not also properly set up.. That all being said, I suspect at least some of those complaints to be just simply the saw adjustments way out of whack.. The one thing about buying from Home Depot is if there is an issue you can just take it to the local Home Depot for return / exchange rather than having to set up return shipping stuff on Amazon.

I actually didn't mind the barrel clamp on the old Hawk I had so I don't think that would be any issue for me on the Jet. That top clamp has always interested me, I've messed with the one on the showroom floor at my local lumber store..

I'm leaning pretty hard toward purchasing one of these.. thank you for your input.

They might be different than the excalibur ones.. Denny might be able to answer that better.. but yes, Pegas has Chucks specific to the Jet saw so it could be different than the EX ones.. The one set for Jet comes with just the lower clamp as the Jet uses a round barrel clamp much like the older Hawk saws.. and many folks hated those on the Hawk so they probably don't like them on the Jet either.. Don't quote me on this but I think you can use EX chucks on the Jet if you want to change both upper and lower clamps.. Many seem to like the single motion clamp and tension with just one lever in one step of the Jet upper clamp but they don't like the lower barrel so they buy the single lower chuck from Pegas.. BTW that single chuck is also only around $45 / 50 rather than the $100 for the set of both for upper and lower.. as i said.. lot of people like the upper one on the Jet..

Look on Joann Fabrics website, they are running a black friday sale on the lights.. I don't see a clamp on long arm style like I would want though.. but anyway they're on sale

I'm not sure what size saw you all are in need of but it seems to me that the best deal out there on a saw of this style is actually the Jet 18" saw at Home Depot or on Amazon for $709.** and free shipping.. Even at that price and adding the Pegas chucks is way cheaper than a Pegas or other like saw.. basically the same saw then other than the fancy colors.. Jet has wonderful customer service and I think @Dave Monk could attest to that from an issue he had some time back with a Jet tool.. Highly doubt the Jet gets any lower priced than that.. The only other low cost saw is the refurbished Pegas at around $760 ish.. and I think that might be + shipping but no warranty on that one. Going to be hard to beat $710 delivered to your door.. For me.. I already have the Pegas chucks on my EX that I'll be replacing it with.. I really only need a 16" saw but at the price of the King and others 16" I'll settle for the 18" Jet if I have too,

@BadBob Here is screenshots of what I found on Instagram.

Been there myself.. creates a stress in life because you don't want to throw money at it if it's something simple but at the end of the day you're possibly loosing money on sales / orders that you cannot do because a machine is down.. went through this as a customer from Hawk when I bought that new saw too.. and had been there so I was more than understanding with them for that reason.. but most customers don't get that and just want their items.. I also understand that.. LOL. Buy that new saw and then repair the old one.. it's a tax deduction and will help you through the busy holidays.. keep old saw and fix later or keep for parts for the new one someday.

I think I've seen something about it on Instagram.. but don't remember the details. I went to their website and doesn't appear to show anything about any sales so.. not sure.. maybe check out their FB page or Instagram.. thought I seen something somewhere..

Yeah it's kind of the only down point of a Excalibur or similar style saws as there is no ( what i consider perfect ) constant blade tension as there is on some of the other saws.. Even the DeWalt has a better set up.. Not sure how Hegner system works but the hawk you adjust it at the back once for that style blade and it's good to go until you change to a different size blade. Unless of course those Pegas MGT blades can't for some reason have them all the same length.. doesn't matter on most saws but the Hawk it does.. The older EX's had a tension lever that you slide over much like the DeWalt.. then you could adjust it as needed.. Not sure why the went with the flip lever.. The new Jet has a threaded shaft that will raise / lower the upper blade chuck to get that perfect tension similar to the Hawk but at the front and once set its good until you change size of blades... Anyway as you may have now learned.. for the most part it's not an issue unless you're a person that consistently uses the real small blades.. I know you mentioned you was just giving them a try.. but I typically use the #3 on a stack of 4 BB ply 1/8" thick.. so maybe that is somewhat a partial issue too? I don't use small blades often and when i do it's usually a 2/0 in a spiral.. never have had a need for them that small in a flat blade..

I've never really done any adjusting on tension for blades down to size 2/0... but anything smaller you might have some problems.. You didn't mention what brand or type of blade, spirals tend to break easier than a flat blade. I use 2/0 FD-NS blades quit often in my excalibur without any issue, BUT, I find the Pegas brand runs a tad smaller on the number sizes so a 2/0 is kind of more like a 3/0 and I have had some breaking issues with the Pegas sample spirals I tried.. I think if I remember correctly I kind of compare the #1 Pegas to the 2/0 FD spiral.. Unfortunately this style of saws don't really have a "variable" adjustment for tension.. But that's really the only flaw I've found with these type saws.. and as has been mentioned.. clamp it with a little slack and it should work.. I mostly use my Hawk when needing to use real small blades.. because once the tension is adjusted I should be able to just run it until I change sizes again.. and need to adjust.. The EX saws if doing fretwork with these blades can be a pain to get used to how to get the tension correctly set each time you go to the next cut out spot..

Well that really sucks, I admire your knowledge of the testing of the components as I don't know a thing about electronics..and would have just thrown parts at it until something fixed it, LOL.. though that's kind of where it ended up for you anyway.. maybe there was a couple different issues that shorted the motor? My saw has been acting up for nearly a year now.. it's the speed sometimes will go wild.. I had been playing if off to the dust in the variable switch, used to blow the air gun around the area and take care of it for a while but now it doesn't seem to matter.. I'm thinking a new Pegas or something is in order but waiting for a possible holiday deal. IF this saw was a original Excalibur I'd repair it but it's not and it's been a total headache for me since day one.. Two rebuilds and only around 500 hours on it.. I have my moneys worth from it and want a new saw anyway so.. that's what I'm going to do..

Yeah, they need a washer fluid reservoir and a wiper blade...

Right, once the pattern is off who would know if it's good cut or not.. This piece has quite a big chunk around the whiskers on the left side that broke out.. I didn't bother gluing the piece back in.. One of my first more intricate cuts.. still looks okay without that piece in there..

I use both or either or one or the other, What makes the decision to use which one? Mood I suppose.. I don't typically use spirals on thick wood for my clocks etc.. not usually for ornaments either.. I do use them on thick wood or ornaments as Paul said for veining, but I do go over the veining first with a flat blade as the spiral will just follow the path of least resistance and that would be a cut already there, LOL Don't do much portrait work these days sadly so when I do get the opportunity I typically just use spirals because it's a complete change up and I get to keep my spiral skills in check.. Reason for not doing them much is most are hard to sell.. and if I didn't like eating so much I'd do more of them..

Jet is running a a sale.. They usually do their sales as a % off all Jet tools.. most of the name brand like Jet, Powermatic etc run a "brand wide" discount.. Not usually a lot either.. 10% is usually what I remember seeing so I think the deal we talked about in the PM's is about as good as it'll get.. I may be wrong.. Grizzly usually runs a sale on select items but you'd have to look on their site. ( don't think they carry Jet anyway.. but they do typically run pretty good sales.) My local lumber supplier sent me an email that Jet was running a sale as is Festool and a few other brands they sell.. I looked but didn't see what deal they're offering just yet.

I second the wood slicer blades.. Timber Wolf blades from P.S. Woods was pretty good blades too but buying those Olsen blades locally was a total mistake for me, LOL Also plan on throwing away the blade the saw comes with.. mine wouldn't even burn through.. Had to double check to see if it was on backwards..

Have you bought recently from DnD? I ask because the prices seems to be older prices.. Pegas has raised prices a couple times since I used to order from DnD and their prices seem to be old pricing.. which makes me wonder if they are really actively selling or did someone hack and copy their old site? Just seems a little fishy too me that their saws are $760 when everyone else is $948..

I also have the same Grizzly as Dan but the anniversary black color addition, I bought the riser block and resaw fence for it as well.. I think I got it in 2014 or around that time.. no problems with it at all.. I don't do much bandsawing but mainly use it to resaw as needed... so it hasn't really been used a lot.. not commercially like I use a scroll saw type use anyway, LOL

Well we all know that having one side as a workbench is a poor idea.. all the clutter finds its way to a table / bench or other flat surface to set something down.. I think it'd be better if it only had two sides rather than three.. that way one tool is always on top.. likely for me would be a most common used tool while other lesser used tools would stay on the bottom side until needed. Could mount a scroll saw on both sides then the wife could scroll on one side and me on the other.. though I suppose one would have to sit upside down.. flip a quarter to see who that would be for the week, @OCtoolguy back in the early 90's my friend had a late 70's mustang that he was trying to sell.. he paid for a add in the local paper ( back before computer ads etc ).. he was asking $2 - 300 anyway not one single hit on it.. ran a couple more ads for a few more weeks.. a co-worker told him to ask $700 for it and he'd get more interest.. at $200 people thought it probably didn't run or ?.. anyway the day the paper come out at the $700 price the phone was blowing up and he sold it within a couple hours of the paper going out.. ran a couple weeks on the ad and had the phone going crazy the whole time, LOL

Welcome to the village, Sorry to hear you're having issues with the blade order.. I had the same issue about 4-5 years ago with that place. they never was real fast about getting orders out etc. but I just learned to order sooner than I needed, however the last time 4-5 years ago it was several weeks ( maybe 6-8 ) and I had to send a demanding message much like you wrote here.. 3-4 days later I got my blades and a apology letter.. saying he was going through a divorce or something and a miscommunication between the two as they both was running the business.. I caulked it up and ordered again the next time and same thing happen.. excuse this time was that he works a lot of hours at his job and the blade sales business is a secondary income that he does after work.. whatever.. dude keep up your business like this and you won't have the secondary income.. people order things that they expect to receive within a week or so.. not months.. I think you'll eventually get your blades, he was always good to me and honest about it.. just shouldn't be trying to do more than he can handle.. don't know his personal situation but he can't expect to continue with poor customer service.. IF you paid with PayPal you can file a dispute.. they will get in touch with him and make something happen.. you may get the blades and your money back, LOL

While it only has a few screws to get it apart.. It doesn't come out of the vacuum body very easy.. I'd probably just leave it if it's not broke.

Just sent Seyco an email about it, I also looked up in my bookkeeping to find my receipt of when it was purchased. ( June 29,2020 ).. Highly doubt they'll replace it as I don't even know what / if it has any kind of warranty. Looking at the lock-nut the plastic portion shows me that it had never been tighten down as no thread marks etc. on the plastic portion of the lock-nut. Hoping they'll make a good deal on a replacement vacuum at a minimum send me a replacement motor or something but being over two years I'm not expecting much..

Okay, so after removing the vac from my saw mount I noticed a bad rattle like something came apart, and it did. This is how I found it. The fan blade lock nut had came off and the blade was just sitting there. It made some weird noise before quitting. I plugged it in to see if it’d turn on but I think the motor is fried. Not sure if contacting Ray two years later would be beneficial but just my opinion that shouldn’t just fall apart like that. Also could be why I’ve always felt the suction was too weak for putting in a T for table top suction. I imagine this has been freewheeling since it was new and never really tightened down.