OCtoolguy

Kevin, are you referring to the rheostat that sets your speed or the actual controller?

Whatever you find, please let us all know. I do recall a similar problem with the Dewalt 788's but it was caused by the internal tension rod hitting the underside of the cover plate. I'm not sure how the mechanism works on the EX's. The saws are very similar but the tension mechanism is different on the later models. It could also be the main drive rod coming loose where it connects to the crankshaft. I'm not sure what you call it. When I had my Dewalt, I found that the main drive link was coming loose. Once I tightened it and put some blue Loc-Tite on it, the noise never came back.

If it means anything to you at all, I bought a used EX21 that was a 2010 built saw. I love it and would not part with it. I hope you can get yours fixed even if it's to sell it. But, with that said, no matter what the item is, there are bound to be lemons. Don't let this experience ruin your thinking on the original EX saws. Try to find one of them or maybe invest in the new Pegas saw. So far, there has been zero talk of any problems with them. Please keep us updated on what you find wrong. Those of us who have similar saws would like to be kept in the loop as to their frailties.

According to the parts breakdown on the Excalibur, there is a small 3.5 amp fuse but I don't see where it it located. It appears to be inside of the saw near the line cord plug in. I couldn't find a similar breakdown for the Excelsior.

Try turning the motor's armature with a screwdriver through the end of the motor. If it sat that long, it might just have stopped on a "dead" spot. The linkage in this type of saw will sometimes stop in a neutral position that requires moving it from "high center". Good luck. I doubt that it is anything serious.

Very nice work. Now you can just adjust your pricing. It's tough knowing what to charge. I'll never sell my stuff because I won't work cheap.

I see nothing wrong Paul. They look great. Nice cuts.

It's against the law where I live.

I like the painted version above.

Thanks Paul. I gave up on trying to find a source that didn't require my first-born. Never did find one for thin material.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my SSV brothers & sisters. Eat lots and have a wonderful day.

Thanks Les. I will pass this along to a few people I know who have the same problem.

Over the years, I think $19.95 has been the magic price point that folks will pay. And for those who are in different countries where it might be too expensive, a price adjustment might be in order so it works out that everybody is paying that price. I'd be interested at $19.95. And if you add new designs each year, maybe a lower amount just for the new additions to those who have already purchased the basic package. The cheaper you keep it, the more interest you will get. I can see this being a winner and it might blossom into other areas of interest. Since I seem to be "Inkscape challenged" I'm very interested in anything that generates income from using my saw.

@Paul S WI, I had a Dewalt and the EX at one point and after buying the clamps for my EX, I was going to buy the same set for my Dewalt and just leave the tension lever set in the lowest position and tension with the lever. I figured I would fine tune it with the old lever similar to using the knob at the back of the EX. Since your saw doesn't have that knob in the rear, you could do as I suggested. Set it and forget it, so to speak. I think it would work great.

I prefer the painted one also but I'm not sure about black. I think that if was possible, I'd try to find some iridescent paint in the natural colors of a dragonfly. A "blue/black" type of thing. I definitely don't like the natural one as well. It seems to lose the definition of the dragons.

Never happen by the beach.

Tammi, it sounds to me as though you might be over tightening your clamps screws. Be careful or you'll be stripping out the threads sooner than necessary. If you find that happens, switch over to the Pegas clamps. Much easier to get them tight.

Or, worse case scenerio, you could move to So Cal. Even when it gets "cold" here, I just turn on my little electric heater and set it come off and on as needed. The downside is, there are already 30 million folks here ahead of you. LOL.

Any chance of posting a pic? I have a 2010 EX but I have not seen one with the tension lever anywhere but centered. I'm curious to see what you mean.

Bill, if you have anybody near you that has the clamps,maybe they'd go along with letting your either borrow them for a trial or let you use their saw. There was no reason for me to replace my "perfectly good clamps" either but if everybody felt that way, we might all still be driving model T Fords. They did the job well too but there was always a better car coming along. The size difference alone is worth the change over. Much lighter too.

Les, when you are looking at something all you have to do is go up into the address bar, put your cursor there and right click. Hit the copy option. Then go wherever you want to post it and right click and hit paste. Very easy.

Les, it's never "beating a dead horse" when you post about a new product. If nobody ever let the word get out, we'd all still be using handheld fret saws. Just sayin.....

Very nice Paul. I saw that this morning on Steve's blog.

Bill, everybody that truly knows me knows that I'm a tightwad. I don't part with money easily unless I'm convinced that it's worthwhile. I bought my EX used. Barely used. But, the nylon screw that determines something, I forget what, on the stock clamps was worn out. I did manage to replace it but I was never really happy with the whole mechanism. When the Pegas clamps came out and I watched the review by Steve Good, I decided that I would like to have a set but that hundred dollar price tag stood in the way. After Iggy bought a set for his Dewalt, if I recall correctly, he posted that he had purchased them from QTE because they had the best price. So, I decided to bite the bullet and I ordered a set from them. As soon as I got them and installed them, I knew I had made the right decision. What a difference in how they operated and felt. They are so much smaller and just have a true feel of quality. Even the lever action is smoother. I've had zero problems with blade slippage. I posted something recently about blade stretch and that turned out to be my error. I started cleaning my blades and rubbing them on some fine sand paper and that solved that problem. Anyway, bottom line here, once you get yours, you'll know that you made the right decision. If you never do buy them, well, I'll sell you my old EX clamps for a very reasonable price.

Thanks for the warning Bill. I'll take it apart and put some fender washers under the heads of the bolts. That should help. I would love to have that above table feature for adjusting the router too. I might have to think about selling the router I have and buy one with that feature. Or, I might jerry-rig some way to do it with what I have. Time will tell. I can't dedicate too much time to it because I want to concentrate on the scrolling. The router table is strictly for the dressing up of what I cut as Les said. By the way, I just bought a 5 piece set of cove bits w/carbide blades and 1/2" shanks and guide bearings, on Amazon for $20. I needed the 1/8" for a special project and nobody would sell it by itself. This set arrived and I was very surprised at the quality. No box but great bits. I think with tax it came to $21.54 and I had some credit so I got them for free. This is the set...... https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KYMG11L/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1