Backup saw

[Rob]

In May last year I snapped the tension lever on my Delta Q3 which got me thinking what I would do in the event of a catastrophic failure.     Parts for the Q3 are hard to find now so I started looking for a backup saw.  Good scrollsaws are like rocking horse poo  in New Zealand and ever since then I have been looking without success. 

 

Last week,  to my amazement a DeWalt DW788 popped up and in the South Island too!    

 

DeWalt do not sell the DW788 here so to find a Canadian made Type 1 saw in 240 volt got me more excited than was good for me.    

 

Twenty watchers on the auction but I placed my bid and got it for $300 NZ or $210 USD.     Yesterday I drove 6 hours each way to pick it up and brought my baby home. 

 

Today I removed the pinned blade the seller had fitted checked the brushes (almost unworn) and most of the bearings which were all good.     Two 5mm screws were missing from the bottom clamp assembly but they were easily replaced.  There is a slight knocking which I need to track down but overall, like the missus, she's a good 'un. 

 

First impressions: 

 

I don't like the hum from the potentiometer when the saw is switched off.

 

I do like the tensioning system which is a big improvement on my Q3.

 

I don't like the blade clamps which seem like a step backwards after the Q3 but I will get used to them.

 

I do like the 45 degree tilt in either direction although I will not use that often I'm sure.

 

Q3 speeds range from 300 to 2000 strokes per minute vs 400 to 1750 for the DW788.

 

DW788 is a much less aggressive cut which will take some getting used to.

 

No table insert on the DW788 which means less visibility of the bottom clamp when changing blades.

 

Better perpendicular action on the DW788 than the Q3 (hence the less aggressive cut).

 

I think I am going to like the DW788 but  I also feel like I need to learn to scroll all over again which is strange. 

 

 

Rob

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dgman]

Nice find Rob! I actually have two 788's. One as a back up, just in case my main saw breaks down. I also occasionally will give private lessons in my shop, so it's nice to have two saws.

[merlin]

Real nice find Rob.....Guess you wont be saving for the Hegner look-a-like..............

[lawson56]

Always nice to have a backup.I wish I had one. It seems like your adjusting pretty good.

[Scrolling Steve]

Nice get, Rob !  

[hawkeye10]

In May last year I snapped the tension lever on my Delta Q3 which got me thinking what I would do in the event of a catastrophic failure.     Parts for the Q3 are hard to find now so I started looking for a backup saw.  Good scrollsaws are like rocking horse poo  in New Zealand and ever since then I have been looking without success. 

 

Last week,  to my amazement a DeWalt DW788 popped up and in the South Island too!    

 

DeWalt do not sell the DW788 here so to find a Canadian made Type 1 saw in 240 volt got me more excited than was good for me.    

 

Twenty watchers on the auction but I placed my bid and got it for $300 NZ or $210 USD.     Yesterday I drove 6 hours each way to pick it up and brought my baby home. 

 

Today I removed the pinned blade the seller had fitted checked the brushes (almost unworn) and most of the bearings which were all good.     Two 5mm screws were missing from the bottom clamp assembly but they were easily replaced.  There is a slight knocking which I need to track down but overall, like the missus, she's a good 'un. 

 

First impressions: 

 

I don't like the hum from the potentiometer when the saw is switched off.

 

I do like the tensioning system which is a big improvement on my Q3.

 

I don't like the blade clamps which seem like a step backwards after the Q3 but I will get used to them.

 

I do like the 45 degree tilt in either direction although I will not use that often I'm sure.

 

Q3 speeds range from 300 to 2000 strokes per minute vs 400 to 1750 for the DW788.

 

DW788 is a much less aggressive cut which will take some getting used to.

 

No table insert on the DW788 which means less visibility of the bottom clamp when changing blades.

 

Better perpendicular action on the DW788 than the Q3 (hence the less aggressive cut).

 

I think I am going to like the DW788 but  I also feel like I need to learn to scroll all over again which is strange. 

 

DW788.png

 

Rob

Rob she sure looks pretty sitting up there. Maybe putting a vase of pretty flowers on each side of the "Q3" would give it a nice send off.  

[SCROLLSAW703]

Sounds like you made a nice find, Rob. I don't know anything about DeWalts. Amazing Kevin seems to be the resident expert on them if ya got questions. 

 

My workhorse is a BM - 26 Hawk. My back up saw is a CW - 40 Hitachi. It was the first saw I bought new 20 years ago, & it has who knows how many hundreds of hours on it, & still runs like new. I also have a Craftsman on a stand in case of dire emergency. It never hurts to have a back up saw of some sort around. I learned that lesson the hard way. 

 

Good luck with your new find, & happy scrollin'!

Edited February 26, 2017 by SCROLLSAW703

[daveww1]

I've had a Q3 for many years now, the switch went bad several times so I started using a foot switch and haven't used the switch on the saw ever since. I have a smaller Delta for a back-up. Hoping to get an RBI in a couple of years then I think I will get rid of the 2 Deltas.

[Scrappile]

Great find, congratulations.  You may like the second saw even more that you think.  I have my two saws side by side and I find I use them both about equal time.  I switch blades a lot so I'll have one blade in one and a different blade in the other and I switch back and forth.  Very convenient.

[tuner]

And think you did not even need a gun to steel that one. 🙌 Nice find, nice saw

[ike]

I went out and bought a new Porter Cable as a backup saw . Had it for 3 days and returned for a nonrefundable it was one of the worse saws I ever used. so yu have to be careful what you buy.

IKE

[hotshot]

Yep, I found a type I last year and though I couldn't justify it, I couldn't resist.

Edited February 26, 2017 by hotshot

[amazingkevin]

In May last year I snapped the tension lever on my Delta Q3 which got me thinking what I would do in the event of a catastrophic failure.     Parts for the Q3 are hard to find now so I started looking for a backup saw.  Good scrollsaws are like rocking horse poo  in New Zealand and ever since then I have been looking without success. 

 

Last week,  to my amazement a DeWalt DW788 popped up and in the South Island too!    

 

DeWalt do not sell the DW788 here so to find a Canadian made Type 1 saw in 240 volt got me more excited than was good for me.    

 

Twenty watchers on the auction but I placed my bid and got it for $300 NZ or $210 USD.     Yesterday I drove 6 hours each way to pick it up and brought my baby home. 

 

Today I removed the pinned blade the seller had fitted checked the brushes (almost unworn) and most of the bearings which were all good.     Two 5mm screws were missing from the bottom clamp assembly but they were easily replaced.  There is a slight knocking which I need to track down but overall, like the missus, she's a good 'un. 

 

First impressions: 

 

I don't like the hum from the potentiometer when the saw is switched off.

 

I do like the tensioning system which is a big improvement on my Q3.

 

I don't like the blade clamps which seem like a step backwards after the Q3 but I will get used to them.

 

I do like the 45 degree tilt in either direction although I will not use that often I'm sure.

 

Q3 speeds range from 300 to 2000 strokes per minute vs 400 to 1750 for the DW788.

 

DW788 is a much less aggressive cut which will take some getting used to.

 

No table insert on the DW788 which means less visibility of the bottom clamp when changing blades.

 

Better perpendicular action on the DW788 than the Q3 (hence the less aggressive cut).

 

I think I am going to like the DW788 but  I also feel like I need to learn to scroll all over again which is strange. 

 

DW788.png

 

Rob

You'll rest at ease now having a back up.

[stoney]

In May last year I snapped the tension lever on my Delta Q3 which got me thinking what I would do in the event of a catastrophic failure.     Parts for the Q3 are hard to find now so I started looking for a backup saw.  Good scrollsaws are like rocking horse poo  in New Zealand and ever since then I have been looking without success. 

 

Last week,  to my amazement a DeWalt DW788 popped up and in the South Island too!    

 

DeWalt do not sell the DW788 here so to find a Canadian made Type 1 saw in 240 volt got me more excited than was good for me.    

 

Twenty watchers on the auction but I placed my bid and got it for $300 NZ or $210 USD.     Yesterday I drove 6 hours each way to pick it up and brought my baby home. 

 

Today I removed the pinned blade the seller had fitted checked the brushes (almost unworn) and most of the bearings which were all good.     Two 5mm screws were missing from the bottom clamp assembly but they were easily replaced.  There is a slight knocking which I need to track down but overall, like the missus, she's a good 'un. 

 

First impressions: 

 

I don't like the hum from the potentiometer when the saw is switched off.

 

I do like the tensioning system which is a big improvement on my Q3.

 

I don't like the blade clamps which seem like a step backwards after the Q3 but I will get used to them.

 

I do like the 45 degree tilt in either direction although I will not use that often I'm sure.

 

Q3 speeds range from 300 to 2000 strokes per minute vs 400 to 1750 for the DW788.

 

DW788 is a much less aggressive cut which will take some getting used to.

 

No table insert on the DW788 which means less visibility of the bottom clamp when changing blades.

 

Better perpendicular action on the DW788 than the Q3 (hence the less aggressive cut).

 

I think I am going to like the DW788 but  I also feel like I need to learn to scroll all over again which is strange. 

 

DW788.png

 

Rob

Rob I don't remember the size and thread of the tension rod on your Q3 but I believe it is probably the same as what was on my Delta P20.   You might be able to replace it with a piece of threaded brass rod of the same size if that is all that is wrong with the saw.

[SCROLLSAW703]

There's two things about back up saws ya kind of want to be cautious of. Call their service department & talk to them a little bit just to see how they'll help you if you need parts or assistance. And make sure things are in alignment on your used saw. More times than not, if the saw doesn't get much use before it's put up for sale, it gets things piled on it, tipped over, & mistreated. Those of us that spend a fair amount of time at the saw get to know these things first. Run it with a blade in it & listen to it just sittin' there runnin' at every speed. If something don't sound right, question it & note it. A question to ask the service department when you call. 
 

I've bought one used saw, & spent time with the manufacturer on the phone before I bought it to find out everything I could about it before I even bought it. You might be surprised at what they'll tell you about their saw. good luck.

[Rob]

Rob I don't remember the size and thread of the tension rod on your Q3 but I believe it is probably the same as what was on my Delta P20.   You might be able to replace it with a piece of threaded brass rod of the same size if that is all that is wrong with the saw.

Thanks Al.  I was able to find a bolt as a temporary fix and got a replacement from ereplacementparts.com but there are parts which are no longer available.  I was also keen to try a saw with a less aggressive cutting action although I think that will take some getting used to.

 

Rob

[Rob]

There's two things about back up saws ya kind of want to be cautious of. Call their service department & talk to them a little bit just to see how they'll help you if you need parts or assistance. And make sure things are in alignment on your used saw. More times than not, if the saw doesn't get much use before it's put up for sale, it gets things piled on it, tipped over, & mistreated. Those of us that spend a fair amount of time at the saw get to know these things first. Run it with a blade in it & listen to it just sittin' there runnin' at every speed. If something don't sound right, question it & note it. A question to ask the service department when you call. 

 

I've bought one used saw, & spent time with the manufacturer on the phone before I bought it to find out everything I could about it before I even bought it. You might be surprised at what they'll tell you about their saw. good luck.

Thanks Brad.  DeWalt don't sell the DW788 here in NZ so I doubt there is much support for it here.  Fortunately there is a lot of info on the web and some great videos on YouTube which cover it in detail and being a newer saw, parts should still be available for some time.

 

Rob

[heppnerguy]

the DeWalt is an easy saw to work with. I. personally, really like the small table hole as I rarely need to worry about pieces breaking off do to lack of support on my table. The bottom treading of the blade will quickly become very easy and you will find it is really easy to feel the feeding of the lower part of the blade into it's place. It will become automatic and you will be able to achieve that with your eyes closed. I start by feeding the blade into the hole, from the top and lightly tighten the top thump screw to hole the blade as I then fit and tighten the lower thumb screw and followed by the tightening of the top thumb screw.. One thing that I might suggest is, use a 2 X 4 board, about a 12 inches long, (you probably do not have that measurement board there  but you probably have something similar ) and use that under the saw upper arm when moving from one inside cut to another, this frees up both hands and also quickly becomes a thing of habit that you will do without giving any thought to it

 

 

Dick

heppnerguy

[SCROLLSAW703]

ereplacementparts.com is an excellent place to look for parts no longer available. I've dealt with them before on some parts for my CW - 40, & their prices are reasonable, too. Be sure to look at the machine picture. 

 

My Hawk has a fairly small center hole. There are times I wished it had a center insert, but there isn't enough of a hole for an insert. They had all the parts that were supposedly obselete for my CW - 40.

[wombatie]

I love my DeWalt and you will too, it just means a little getting used to but anything worth having just means a little more practice.

 

Marg

[CharleyL]

Rob,

 

I also have a Delta Q3 Type 1 and a Dewalt Type 1. Although it will take you a few hours of use to get completely friendly with your new DeWalt saw, I think you will be very happy with it. I now have no problem changing blades without looking at the bottom clamp while I do it. I always do the bottom end of the blade first, then while applying slight downward pressure to the upper arm I install the blade into the upper blade clamp and tighten it, of course doing all of this with the blade tension set to zero. After the blade is installed, I then tension it to about 4 for most work. 

 

For the knocking problem, remove the left side cover and look back near the motor. The motor shaft turns an eccentric that moves a vertical piece that pivots on a large center bolt. This center bolt has given me problems when it has loosened up. Some have claimed that their bolt has even broken on their saws. I now keep a spare, just in case. The bolt needs to be tight, but not so tight that the arm cannot pivot on it.  Also check every one of the linkage connections for tightness. Each has bearings, so cannot be too tight, but cannot have any side play at all in them and all of the bearings need to be good. Sometimes running the saw with this side cover off, helps to find problems. Don't try to remove both side covers at the same time. The covers are the frame that hold the saw together. Remove both at the same time and the saw falls apart..

 

You have already discovered that the DeWalt has a less aggressive cut than the Q3 saw. When I do small work I prefer the DeWalt because the blade remains more vertical during the cut, so I prefer the DeWalt for this smaller work.I do a lot of compound (3D) cutting. I like using the Q3 when doing larger work because it cuts faster and I'm less concerned with the vertical rocking action of the saw. Any parts that I've needed for my Q3 have been in stock at ereplacementparts.com. These repairs have all involved the blade grips, which wore out after many years of use, but Delta did send me new harder blade clamp bolts right after I bought the Q3 because the originals were stretching and bending. I now just replace these bolts every few years when they appear to be wearing or bending, even slightly. They are just good hard grade bolts.  

 

Charley

[Rob]

Rob,

 

I also have a Delta Q3 Type 1 and a Dewalt Type 1. Although it will take you a few hours of use to get completely friendly with your new DeWalt saw, I think you will be very happy with it. I now have no problem changing blades without looking at the bottom clamp while I do it. I always do the bottom end of the blade first, then while applying slight downward pressure to the upper arm I install the blade into the upper blade clamp and tighten it, of course doing all of this with the blade tension set to zero. After the blade is installed, I then tension it to about 4 for most work. 

 

For the knocking problem, remove the left side cover and look back near the motor. The motor shaft turns an eccentric that moves a vertical piece that pivots on a large center bolt. This center bolt has given me problems when it has loosened up. Some have claimed that their bolt has even broken on their saws. I now keep a spare, just in case. The bolt needs to be tight, but not so tight that the arm cannot pivot on it.  Also check every one of the linkage connections for tightness. Each has bearings, so cannot be too tight, but cannot have any side play at all in them and all of the bearings need to be good. Sometimes running the saw with this side cover off, helps to find problems. Don't try to remove both side covers at the same time. The covers are the frame that hold the saw together. Remove both at the same time and the saw falls apart..

 

You have already discovered that the DeWalt has a less aggressive cut than the Q3 saw. When I do small work I prefer the DeWalt because the blade remains more vertical during the cut, so I prefer the DeWalt for this smaller work.I do a lot of compound (3D) cutting. I like using the Q3 when doing larger work because it cuts faster and I'm less concerned with the vertical rocking action of the saw. Any parts that I've needed for my Q3 have been in stock at ereplacementparts.com. These repairs have all involved the blade grips, which wore out after many years of use, but Delta did send me new harder blade clamp bolts right after I bought the Q3 because the originals were stretching and bending. I now just replace these bolts every few years when they appear to be wearing or bending, even slightly. They are just good hard grade bolts.  

 

Charley

Thanks for the long reply Charley.  The knocking sound seems to be coming from the bearing at the back of the top arm as far as I can tell.   I have ordered a complete set of bearings and will strip it down and replace them all at some point. 

 

Rob