OCtoolguy

No, I come here to the village for all my important stuff.

Thanks Dan, that was sort of what I was thinking about doing and I've got a brand new bottle of Aleene's tacky glue.

Where do you find those? I can see where that might be just what I need.

Thanks Kevin. I tend to agree with you. I've tried many different wood fillers over the years with less than stellar results. I may try to cut a tiny piece and glue it in. It was a stupid mistake but I'm trying to save the piece. If it doesn't work I'll just have to buy more wood and make a new one. Unfortunately it's the top and in a most visible place.

I know this may sound silly but I have got to fill a couple of spots on my project with glue and walnut fine dust. I never can seem to get the mix correct. I always get too much glue and it is obvious when I go to finish. Can anybody give me some idea of how you make your filler? I've got lots of dust and a few different types of blue. What do most all of you use and at what ratio? Please, I know it's silly but I don't want to screw this up.

I used to sell an add-on drill bit set from the numbered sets. It was comprised of 61-80 in a tiny metal index. The carburetor guys bought tons of them for opening up jets and cleaning out air-bleeds. About $20 at the time.

Thanks JT. I had not seen that one.

I like the idea of some sort of penetrating oil and let it sit overnight. I've never used PBlaster but I have heard nothing but good about it.

JT, I agree with what you say regarding those two saws mentioned but all the Dewalt style saws have known problems with their bearings and sleeves. They all have a reputation for lack of grease or bad grease from the factories. With that said, why not take the time to inspect and do a proper lube job on them before they ruin the bearings and sleeves which expensive and hard to get. When I first got my Dewalt, I had no idea what the previous owner had done or not done so once I became aware of all the pitfalls and problems that the Dewalt saws have, I said why not go through and make sure everything is in good shape. I'm glad I did because a few of the bearings were almost dry and a few of the sleeves were on the verge of wearing through the hardening. Once I did the lube service that saw ran so much smoother and quieter that I know I did the right thing. Granted, the Hawks and the Hegners don't have all that mechanical stuff to worry about. I have had both of those saws. I cleaned and oiled the arms on my Hegner and checked the pivot points on both arms and made sure they were clean and oiled. I did the same thing on the Hawk. I didn't notice any change on either of them as I did with the Dewalt. I'm not sure about what I'll find in either of my EX's but I'm hoping that they had a better quality grease in their bearings but after I get done with them I will know what they have. Like you said, "we all have opinions" and I guess that's a good thing.

Rocky, mine is 9 x 13 so together we still don't make a decent sized shop.

All that space makes me drool!

I completely disagree. That's the same thinking that causes people to suddenly find a dead battery. Maintenance BEFORE failure is my motto.

Now would be a good time. What grease MIGHT have been there to begin with is probably now hardened or non-existant. Finish the project you are working on and then take the time for maintenance. Head off the problems before they happen in the middle of a project. JMHO!

Bill, where did you get the springs? I'd like to do that too.

And getting better everyday.

Yes, this is what I had too. Worked great.

Roberta is correct on that and you can buy a footswitch at Harbor Freight for about $15. Get the one that is a "dead man's" switch. That means that your saw will only run when you have your foot pressing down on the switch.

I still "nibble" a bit but practice does make it all easier and now I find that I'm more confident going into a corner or tight turn. I turn my saw speed down on the intricate places too.

That's great news. You're gonna love it. Make sure to post some pics of your accomplishments.

Yes, I have a planer but I have not used it yet in this setting. I try not to bother my neighbors with noise so I have just bought my wood already milled to sjze. But in the future I will just do what I have to do.

JT, I meant to comment on this but forgot. The circles are easier to cut on a band saw no doubt. But, the point of my comment was the inner circle and try as I might, I just can't seem to keep the blade on the line. Either I'm turning the piece too fast or too slow but I seem to wander every time. My answer is to try to stay just outside of the line so I can clean it up with my spindle sander. But I'm trying to strive for as close to perfection as I can get and it just seems to be the one thing that I can't seem to master. Well, one of many but the one that bothers me the most. To edit, I also wanted to answer your suggestion to chamfer the outside edge of the top ring. I'm going to do something with it but I can't do what I have done to the other pieces I made. The wood is not there to work with. But I'll figure something out. As for the biscuits, well they were necessary to keep that ring together. What happened was, I messed up twice with the router and came away with two pieces of wood that were ok so I decided to join them but to just edge glue with not other support would not have been workable. I could have maybe used dowels but either way, I should have made sure to position the biscuits toward the center of the wood knowing that it would be cut away. As it is, that top ring is very fragile, even with the biscuits that you can see. I was being a wood miser because that stuff is expensive. As it was, Cherokee Woods did me a favor by planing the piece to 1/2". They don't normally do it but he did it for me. If I had known then what I know now, I'd have just gone ahead and bought a board 12" wide and planed it myself but I just thought it would work out. Information for another day. Lesson learned.

I knew you could do it. It's a great way to learn how it works, what makes it tick etc. I went on Amazon and bought a lifetime supply of synthetic grease for about $10 and my wife had some pipe cleaners laying around so just a couple of tools, some rags and the grease etc. and you're in business. I nice Sunday afternoon job.

That's the best of the two. The only downside is that it is also the oldest. The problem with these saws is, the factory never did much in the way of putting grease in the bearings. And there are a lot of them. The bearing mfgrs just put in the barest of essentials to keep them going for the warranty period. Anyway, not to despair. It's not a big thing but does take disassembly and a bit of a learning curve. If you are at all mechanically inclined or have someone who is, this will not be a big problem. And there are many of us here to help. There is a 4 part video that was done by Gwinnette Woodworkers featuring Bob Brokaw who is the expert on these saws. They also did an updated video that is good but not as inclusive as the 4 part series. They are all on youtube. Actually here is the link to the 1st one and from there you can just follow along to the other 3. It looks daunting but if you just take your time you can't miss. You did very well on your purchase and I think in the long run you will be better served with the Dewalt saw. The situation with Hawk right now is iffy at best. They may close tomorrow for all we know. Take the time to buff the table on your saw. It is made of cast iron and will corrode if not waxed from time to time. Johnson's paste wax is what most of us use. A good coat of it every once in a while really helps to save the table and also makes your wood much easier to move around. And the brand seems to be one of the only brands that won't interfere with your finishing. Good luck with it, have fun and by all means, keep us updated on your projects. Pictures, we all love them.

Danny, a drill press is by far the best option but it's capacity is limited. If you are into larger projects, my suggestion is a Dremel with a plunge base. That way, it makes no difference how big your project might be. The whole thing can be found either new or used for under $100. But, once you get to that point, you're only a couple of bucks away from the Seyco. I use my drill press (8")(4" capacity) mostly because I don't do big stuff. I found a used Dremel and a plunge base on C/L and I've got a total in both of them at $40. I know, I'm a cheapskate.

Cheryl, there is a lot of info on here regarding the 788. What to look out for, what to do for maintenance etc. Is it a type 1 or 2. Makes a little difference, not much. Just mostly where and when it was made. Scrollsaws.com has a lot of info too. The main thing is bearing lubrication at some point. Very important.