DW 788 lift.

[hawkeye10]

I am wanting to get a lift for my DW 788 and the the lift from "Papa's Workshop" looks like the best one I have seen. My question is I have my saw raised up in the back around 5" and I was wondering if it would work. That little thing that catches the arm swings into place using gravity. 

 

Thanks

[Scrappile]

I had a Jim Dandy on mine, it worked fine even when I had my saw tilted.

http://www.jimdandy.com/products.html

[Doug]

Don

 

When I had my DW 788 I first got the Jim Dandy.  It may have just been me but I do a lot of fret work so raised the arm quite frequently and friction eventually wore a grove in the arm where there is a mechanism which slides.  If you go with the Jim Dandy I would suggest an occasional light dab of grease in the slot part where the friction occurs.  I later went to The Lifter you mentioned and had no problems and liked it better.  If there is any problem because of your table tilt I think you would find it easy to engage the hook when lifting the arm and after a few times it would be automatic.  You need to slightly raise and disengage the hook when lowering the arm and engaging it when raising the arm should be no problem if that became necessary.

[meflick]

Funny, I was coming to check out the forum in regards to how to lift the arm up after just cutting my first trivet (will post later) and seeing WHY you need one of these to lift the arm up on my DW 788.   Having just done Intarsia work I was wondering WHY these were needed.  Having done one small trivet with just 18 drilled holes and inside cuts to make I was like - wow - this is a pain how do I keep that arm up out of my way!     Then I remembered seeing something about lifters so  I came to see what the experts here were doing.  I will run this by my DH and see if he wants to try to do something for me or just have me order one of these.  I reviewed both the ones listed here and think I like Jim Dandy's better both for the price and the way it works with the spring. Thanks Don for beating me to the punch on asking and listing the one you found. Thanks Paul for giving link to Jim Dandy's site.

[amazingkevin]

I think mine is called the "lifter" .My saw is raised 1 foot in the back plus i have 2 led lights on the top arm .I just spring clamp the spring some to do what i want it to do

Edited August 29, 2016 by amazingkevin

[NC Scroller]

I am a top feeder. I said it and I am proud. I tried the Jim Dandy and did not like it. The reason I did not like it was I had to push and hold down on the top arm to get it to go all the way down and stay there. To me that was more a pain. I guess it is just me. Anyway I think I still have it in draw if anyone wants to pay me postage to send it.

[dgman]

I am a top feeder. I said it and I am proud. I tried the Jim Dandy and did not like it. The reason I did not like it was I had to push and hold down on the top arm to get it to go all the way down and stay there. To me that was more a pain. I guess it is just me. Anyway I think I still have it in draw if anyone wants to pay me postage to send it.

The DeWalt saw was designed to aid in top feeding. It is so simple to do, why would you want to bottom feed!

I too once had a Jim Dandy arm lift. As Scott did, I quickly took it off and tossed it!

Do your self a favor and learn to top feed. Once you get the hang of attaching the blade to the bottom clamp without looking, it will take seconds to move the blade from one hole to the next.

[Dave Monk]

I get along fine without one. I see no good advantage to spend the money on one. Just my opinion. dave

[heppnerguy]

I have been using a DeWalt for several years and i use 12 inch piece of 2 X 4. I am a bottom feeder and I just learned that way and I rarely feel it is taking me too long to rethread a hole. That said, it quickly becomes automatic to grab my board piece and place it under the saw arm and then to remove it again. It is so quick and automatic that I have not even given the arm raising aid a thought. I have cut a lot of patterns that have more that 300 fret holes and I still do not feel a need for one of those devices on my saw. For those that do have one on their saw and have become used to having it there, probably they would have a difficutl time to do without one, and I certainly can understand that too. My belief is if one does try a 2 X 4 for one month, the need for buying an additional divice would disapear. I also have to add that I am getting pretty old and hence changing  slow to accept changes, so what seems to be doing a good job for me, I usually keep for a long time before giving an apposing view a shot.

 

Dick

heppnerguy

[Kepy]

I have a lifter somewhere that I thought I just had to have.  After several years, I've never found a need for it as I really like top feeding.

[Bill WIlson]

It's interesting to me that within even a relatively small, niche group of hobbiests, there is always a wide variety of perspectives, experiences and methods to how we do things.  Being an unabashed and unapologetic bottom feeder, I very much appreciated my Jim Dandy when I had my Dewalt.  I would have been loathe to give it up.  I never tried any other type, so perhaps I would have like something else better.  I did the block of wood thing for a year or so,before I got the Jim Dandy.  Would not have wanted to go back to that.    

 

I bought the EX-21 earlier this year and like how the top arm stays up by itself and has more clearance than my Dewalt did. 

[meflick]

Ok so you guys convinced me - I will keep trying for now with out a lifter unless its a 12 inch 2 x 4.   I will try to figure out top feeding versus bottom feeding and see if one works better then the other for me. I liked leaving the blade in the bottom clamp because its not easy for me to bend down and see it to install it due to several cervical disc fusions but maybe I can learn to do that "blind".   In the interim, Scott - NC Scroller - if nobody else wants to try out your Jim Dandy for the cost of postage I might after my month of "trial and error" - only time will tell I guess!    Hubby got home to late from work last night for me to ask about it anyway. 

[dgman]

It's interesting to me that within even a relatively small, niche group of hobbiests, there is always a wide variety of perspectives, experiences and methods to how we do things.  Being an unabashed and unapologetic bottom feeder, I very much appreciated my Jim Dandy when I had my Dewalt.  I would have been loathe to give it up.  I never tried any other type, so perhaps I would have like something else better.  I did the block of wood thing for a year or so,before I got the Jim Dandy.  Would not have wanted to go back to that.    

 

I bought the EX-21 earlier this year and like how the top arm stays up by itself and has more clearance than my Dewalt did.

 

It's ok Bill! Even though we are on different sides of the fence, I still consider you a friend!!😀

[mikewix]

I use an empty  pill bottle that is about 4" tall, I've drilled a hole in the top and run a string thru and knotted it then tied it to my saw, if it gets knocked off I don't have to crawl around the floor to pick it up. Works great for me.

[Bill WIlson]

So there is hope for harmony between the top feeders and bottom feeders afterall? 

[hawkeye10]

Right now I think I will stick with my 2X4 and see how that works out. If it gets to be to much of a hassle I can always buy one. Right now I am bottom feeding but I think maybe I will try top feeding later on. I am still trying to master a practice pattern Travis posted on this forum. The angles are giving me a fit. I can do them but it takes a long time. It's not as easy as y'all make it look.  

[ike]

I wanted a device to hold the arm up on my DW788, I looked at the lift and click that Marge machined a while back for $20/00 I decided to make myself a lifter useing 1/4 plywood and a nylon bolt that is used on the toilet seat It took me about 1 hour to locate the parts and make the lifter. .It got worn out last week and I made another one, no sweat.

IKE

[NC Scroller]

So there is hope for harmony between the top feeders and bottom feeders afterall? 

 

Nah.... :razz:

[wombatie]

I have a Click & Lift from BigFoot and I have had no problems with it and I really like it.  Been using it for a bout 2 years now and still no problems.

 

Marg

[CharleyL]

My DeWalt 788 was bought used and it came with a Jim Dandy lift. It works, so I haven't looked for anything else. I'm a combination feeder. I do some projects top feeding and some bottom feeding. My choice is a bit random, but it mostly depends on how many small and close together holes are involved. I tend to top feed more when the pattern areas get dense and bottom feed on the less dense hole areas. I've been doing it this way for several years now and haven't gone 100% either way. 

 

Charley

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Had a Jim Dandy on it. but took it off. That arm can get a bit heavy if you do a lot of pierce cutting. But I do not use that saw much any more. My go to saw is the RBI Hawk 220 or 226. I am a bottom feeder and it is as most things whatever you learn at the beginning and get use to. I will challenge anyone that I can mount my blade ready for sawing as fast as any top feeder. The thing is the blade is flexible people. I barely tilt the piece and can thread the blade through the hole no problem. I bend the blade over almost 90 degrees. When drilling holes the pattern dictates what size the entry holes can be. I use a rather large bit if allowed and adjust accordingly. It is quite simple and the blade holder right on top is there for the eye to see very easily. I will never switch.  

 

I know this has been a long standing debate as to weather top feed or bottom feed. It does not matter. That is why they made those type saws to accommodate either way. Just sit back and enjoy the hobby and turn out some great projects. We all win. 

[hawkeye10]

Had a Jim Dandy on it. but took it off. That arm can get a bit heavy if you do a lot of pierce cutting. But I do not use that saw much any more. My go to saw is the RBI Hawk 220 or 226. I am a bottom feeder and it is as most things whatever you learn at the beginning and get use to. I will challenge anyone that I can mount my blade ready for sawing as fast as any top feeder. The thing is the blade is flexible people. I barely tilt the piece and can thread the blade through the hole no problem. I bend the blade over almost 90 degrees. When drilling holes the pattern dictates what size the entry holes can be. I use a rather large bit if allowed and adjust accordingly. It is quite simple and the blade holder right on top is there for the eye to see very easily. I will never switch.  

 

I know this has been a long standing debate as to weather top feed or bottom feed. It does not matter. That is why they made those type saws to accommodate either way. Just sit back and enjoy the hobby and turn out some great projects. We all win. 

Amen John; That about says it all on feeding.  

[Sparkey]

Some say it's not good for the saw but I tightened the bottom screw just enough to hold the arm up. Now it stays up just like the EX.

[hawkeye10]

Right now I am using a short piece of 2X4 with an earth magnet screwed to it. I just stick it ti where it's handy. I might try what Rusty does and tighten the screw.