OCtoolguy

Well, not knowing what Delta saw you have and knowing that the Delta copy of the Dewalt is newer than 20 years, I'd have to say that there is a ton of difference. The Dewalt saw uses the same type mechanism as the Excalibur, Seyco and now the Jet. Lots of moving parts and pieces but if properly maintained, very smooth running. I have a Dewalt and an Excalibur. I love both of them. I tried a Hegner but didn't like the way it ran so I sold it. Like I said above, if you can buy the Dewalt in good condition and a good price, I'd recommend buying it. I think you will love it. Kevin here on SSV is an avid user of them and he buys and stockpiles used ones just to cannibalize them for parts. Not saying they go bad but just to have a ready source of pieces in case his primary saw goes down. Buying a used one just for the motor is not a bad idea if you can pick it up cheap. I just responded to an ad on Craigslist for a Dewalt for $100. The odd thing is though, the table is missing. How do you lose a table? I offered him $25 for it but he said no. It's been listed now for going on 3 weeks. I'll wait another week and try him again. Depending on where you are located, there are a lot of good used saws on Craigslist in my area (So Cal) all the time. So far, I've bought 3 and sold one.

Thanks Dan. I have been using some of the blades that I got with the saw. They are PS Woods and not reverse. I used a #5 on the thin wood and on the compound cuts I've been using a #7 and even a #9. They cut quite well but once I get through the first cut on the tall side, I have to tape the piece in place to do the other cut. That is when the residue shows up around the blade hole. It's not a big problem but I thought I'd ask others if they have the same experience. I can't use blue tape because I wouldn't be able to see the pattern. Thanks for your input on the blades though. I guess I'm going to have to order more blades. I don't have the FD Polar blades in that size range. I bought all the small sizes.

Kevin, your shop will NEVER be set up the way you want it. I have been through that in my tiny little area a dozen times. I keep coming up with different ideas and added equipment. If I had your space, I'd have an open account with one of the tool sellers for sure.

Also check to make sure your blades are center in the clamps in a way that the blade is perpendicular to the table. Everything has to be square and aligned so that the blade is cutting at the same point both top and bottom. It looks like either the top or the bottom of the blade is ahead of the other.

Good thoughts Kevin. I'm cutting3/4 x 1 1/2 cedar. I'm trying to run the saw at a moderate speed. Not fast. I am very aware that cutting the tall side is going to generate more heat so I am using a #7 PS Woods blade to help clear out the kerf. I'm going to try an Olsen double reverse #7 tomorrow to cut the half in walnut. I'm almost done with the cutting on this critter. Then it's just the sanding and finishing before finally assembling it. I'll post a pic or two when it's presentable. Thanks to all for your suggestions.

If you can get a Dewalt 788 in decent condition, they are a very good saw for the money. I bought a very old type 1 used and it is still in use in my shop. They do have their inherent problems but nothing that can't be fixed with basic service in most cases. As long as the previous owner didn't pick it up by the upper arm and spring it out of it's normal place. That's the most common thing that I can think of. Put a blade in it, tension the blade and run it up and down the rpm range. If it doesn't "rattle" and shake itself to pieces, chances are that it'll be ok. But, don't pay too much for it. You should be able to pick up a decent one with stand and light for under $300. I paid $250. I see them all the time on Craigslist. Good luck. I just did a google search for that number and it is associated to the 10-788 utility knife. Not a saw. Where did you see that number?

Thanks Fred, that makes sense. I am using shipping labels and they work great. It's only after I apply the box tape that I seem to have trouble. I will try the blue tape and see what happens.

Thanks JT. I don't think that is the problem though. The residue is all around the hole and the edges are already smooth. I'm going to try another style of blade and see if that helps. Not sure what is the problem but it's messy. The wax keeps it from being really stuck though so I know that helps. It's just something that has popped up and I thought I'd ask.

This is something that I know must have an easy fix but I thought I'd toss it out there anyway. On my Ex 21 saw, the table top is like new. I have waxed it a couple of times with Johnson paste wax. I am in the process of cutting some compound cuts that require taping pieces together. What I find is residue gathers around the hole in the table from the tape, or from the shipping labels that I am using. I think it's coming off the tape though because it doesn't show up until I start cutting the parts after taping. My question is, what am I doing wrong? Is there a reason that this is happening? I am using 3m tape so I know it's good quality. How do you folks address this problem. Or are you having this problem? I'm curious.

You sound exactly like the perfect neighbor for a guy like me. I wish I lived in a more rural area but my wife won't hear of it now that we are advanced ages. I will just have to be happy with where I am. The weather is great. That's about all though. Oh, and we have great neighbors here too. I have decided to either part out the saw or resell it. I have been made aware of the fact that "life is short" and "we don't have time to restore everything that you drag home". I guess maybe she is right. I really didn't need another project. If I can get my $30 dollars back and the cost of shipping, I'll be happy. I'll cart off what doesn't sell to a scrap yard. If you decide you want any of it, let me know. Thanks for the offer to send what you have.

GRRRRRR!! You've got waaaaay tooo much room.

Kevin, I'm too old and worn out to do all that heavy stuff anymore. And, in December we'll celebrate 49 years of wedded bliss. The one thing that I have figured out though, when our last child left the nest in 1988 I became her "fifth" child. And I get treated that way most of the time. Not saying that's a bad thing, just irritating. Love her to death and wouldn't trade for anybody else. We just have different ways of seeing things. Like old saws.

Obviously you don't know my wife. She doesn't understand the beauty of Junk like I do. I see something that used to be beautiful and it just needs some TLC. But, she sees something that should be in the scrap yard.

A job well done. And well rewarded.

Charley, just out of curiosity, what pieces and parts would you be most interested in from this saw? I'm getting a bit of negative feedback from the cook and I might have to let it go. She maintains that I have enough stuff around to fix and I should concentrate on cutting wood instead of dragging home more stuff to "fix".

Kevin, it's all about the piping and the size of pipes to each machine. There is a whole thing in the engineering of the system in order to get what you want/need at each machine. I had one of the cheaper vacs. It was a one horse/110 unit. I dedicated it to my Unisaw back in the day. It did a great job. I bought a fine filter bag for it that did a much better job of filtering the dust out. Anyway, if you take the 4" hose that usually hooks to these units and pipe it down to what you need at each machine it works great. I have the Fein that I bought used and have it necked down to 1" pvc at my Dewalt. I bought the flex line stuff that has a funnel shaped nozzle. Both above and below the table. It works great. The next one I build for the EX is going to be 1 1/2 pvc and I'll try necking it to 1" and see what happens. There is a ton of suction at the nozzles and that is where most of the noise comes from. I don't even hear the Fein in the back ground.

It sounds like the tension wedge that is way back in the upper arm is stuck. Either that or the tension lever itself is bound up. Either one is easy to fix if you are at all handy with tools. There are some great videos on youtube on how to disassemble the whole saw. It probably is a matter of taking it apart and cleaning and greasing the pieces that make up the tension mechanism. If you were closer to me, I'd do it for you. But sadly not to be. Try taking the blade out of the clamps and lifting up the upper arm. When you do that, are you able to move the tension lever a bit more? The mechanism is made up of a rod that connects to the lever and runs the length of the upper arm to a wedge clear at the back. That wedge slide back and forth to "lift" against the arm and put tension on the blade. Hard to explain. I can see it in my head but hard to put into words.

Thank you Charley for taking the time to write all that. The bearings that are bad are ball bearings and one of them is missing some of the balls. I am going to see if I can find a sealed bearing in the same size/specs. From what you wrote regarding the blade clamps, I understand how they work. But the bottom clamp seems to be either missing some parts or is just badly worn. It grips a number 12 blade quite well. That's what I installed for a test run because it is big and tough. This is going to be a fun project but I can't spend too much money on it. If I don't keep it, I don't want to get buried in the cost. Once again, I'll keep you in mind if I decide to just part it out.

Did you know that Hotshot actually split a coin in half? I was amazed.

I just sat and watched the video on the Bushton site that goes into great detail on how to use the lastest of the 220 and 226 Ultra saws. I see now how the lower blade holder works. I think I understand what JT is having trouble with. I think there should be a better way of holding those blade holders besides putting the end of the pins in a hole. Maybe a box or flat end on the clamp similar to what the Hegner uses would be better. JMHO>

Great news JT. And a master sleuth you are. Since I don't have a Hawk, what you are saying is a total mystery to me. But, sometime down the road in the future, I might own a Hawk and I will have this excellent knowledge to fall back on. I would have to think that you would be able to replace just the roll pins unless the holes they go in are elongated. I hate roll pins. Why not use a good old hardened bolt/screw? In fact, why not see if you can do that? Just a suggestion.

Thanks a million Charley. No hurry on the manual. I would just like to have one. I have a manual for every power tool I own. It's funny you mentioned that skate key. I found it stuck to the motor as you said and wondered what it was for. Now, I'll have to figure out how to use it. I messed around with the saw for a while this afternoon. The one thing that is sad, to me, is that the light is missing. I don't know what to look for as it is just an empty hole in that arm. I will probably have to do some major "tightening up" of everything on the saw. I may never get as much use out of it as you have yours but I love tinkering with this stuff and if I can resurrect it, well that will just a plus under my name in Heaven. As to parting it out, if it comes to that, I will definitely keep you in mind. Ok, I hear the boss calling me to dinner. Gotta run. Thanks for all you do. Ray After doing some reading and communicating with Rick at Rick's Scrollsaw site, I have come to the conclusion that this saw is an early model of the type 1/2. It had a light at one time because the switch is still there but everything related to the light assy. is missing.

Charley, I just added a post to the end of this thread asking for anybody who might have an owners manual if I could get a copy. I see now that you have the type 1 so I guess you are the guy I'm talking to. Would be a great imposition to scan your manual and send me the file? If you don't have time or inclination, I will understand. I'm just anxious to find out as much about this saw I bought as possible. I can see now that I have it that it has a lot of miles on it. The two main bearings at the rear of the saw are both worn out so I will have to replace them before I do anything else. That seems to be where most of the wear is and lets the arms sort of "flop" around. The lower blade clamp seems hinky too so I want to try to figure out what is either worn or missing on it. It still clamps the blade as it should but it is just loose. I put a large number 12 blade in it to check it out and it runs up and down the rpm range but it definitely needs some tender loving care. I will consider it another hobby. Anyway, let me know if you can help me out.

I went and picked up the saw today. It is a Q3- 40-650 type 1. I had no idea that there was a type or type 2 or whatever. Anyway, I downloaded the manual and it is for the type 2. Does anybody have a copy of the type 1 that I can get? I can't find where the manual section is here on SSV. I thought I could but I can't.

If you can find a used Fein or Porter Cable vac that has the power tool trigger, it only runs when I'm cutting and it's very quiet. Granted, it's still noise but I like it better than having a fan blowing the dust around. I hate wearing a dust mask but sometimes, if I think about it, I'll still wear one. I have a box fan and furnace filter to the right of my Dewalt. It works fairly well.