OCtoolguy

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.

I have 3 B&D 20 volt tools and did find that they make/made a glue gun that uses that same battery. But it appears they only made 1 for the picture because nobody has any.

I never knew there was a difference. Thanks.

Thanks everybody, I was just looking to see if anyone had found a good quality fast heating gun. It seems nothing really new has come along and since I don't use one all that often, I'll just stick with what I have. It's fun though to read all the comments.

Before you go to all that trouble, try calling Wolfgang at Advanced Machinery for some Q & A. He is very good about helping find your problems. It really sounds to me that you have a part that is either loose, worn out or broken. The Hegners are not a "shakey" saw if mounted correctly. In fact, there is a video on Youtube where a guy buys a brand new one and unboxes it and sets it on his workbench unbolted or clamped. He runs it and it is very smooth throughout the who RPM range. So, there has to be something wrong with your saw. I had one that was mounted on the factory stand and it definitely had it's sweet spots but I could run it full open or anywhere in between and it was useable. It's important to make sure the bushings in the arms aren't worn and properly lubricated. Also, there is a link that fastens to the motor flywheel and connects to the lower arm that is famous for breaking/cracking. I had to replace mine. Call Wolfgang. It might solve your problem. https://advanced-machinery.myshopify.com/pages/hegner-home

Thanks Marge.

Thanks, much appreciated.

Thanks Dan. Coming from you that means a lot to me. You are the guy who teaches. I'm just a "learner". I only wish I had started this hobby 30 years ago.

Well, the cutting on the sides was actually the easy part. I have found that it's really hard to cut a round circle. And I've had to figure it out every step of the way to make everything fit right. I screwed up on the top piece. Twice. So, I cut the two pieces in half and used the good piece from each screw-up and glued them together using biscuits. Even that didn't work out the way I hoped because I did PLAN ahead. But, I'll fix what I can and just chalk it all up to learning curve. OH well, I'm just glad it's for us and not to sell. Oh, and I DID drill the holes. Much easier than trying to cut a 5/16" hole 20 times.

Wow! That's neat. Congrats on joining the 50th club. Barb and I just got there in December. I'm sure your wife will love this and the thought.

Here ya go Dan. I finally got back out in the shop today and cut the top piece so the inside can be seen. I took off all the patterns too. It's starting to take shape but I sure do see all the flaws. I hope if I ever make another one that I can do a better job. I know I'm my own worst critic but I hate when I screw up.

Yes, the two I have now are both what I would call lower wattage. I was thinking of something in the 50-80 watts. I was watching a video on how to make a particular project and the subject came up regarding glue guns or I would never have brought it up. Just a curiosity thing.