Fixing Hawk BM Table - Smoothing It Out (works on 788)

[hotshot]

Even with a really waxed table, there was too much drag to freely spin my medium sized fretwork pieces around. For those of you that have experienced this on the dw788 table (with the heavy mill marks), you already know what I'm talking about.  BM table mill marks (at least on my particular saw) are "sharper"/more pronounced, if that makes sense.  Anyway, the drag was unacceptable.  This image will give you an idea of the issue.

So, I took a trick from the dw788 playbook, and used the same general approach many have done on the 788  to smooth my Hawk table.

1. Got out the random orbital sander, but on the 110 grit, and went over the table.
2. Switched to 220 grit and went over the table
3. Put a cloth over the end of the sander, and put that sander on steel wool
4. Put Mothers Mag and Aluminum Polish on the table, With just a cloth covering the end of the sander, I buffed it several times
5. Re-Waxed it.

 

 

So, did it work?  Absolutely.  There is very little drag and I can predictably spin the fretwork piece now.

Anyway, maybe someone out there will find this helpful, maybe even a 788 owner with aggressive machine marks in their table.

 

-------Randy

 

 

Edited July 29, 2017 by hotshot

[hawkeye10]

Looks good Randy. A little work pays off.

[tuner]

A lot of satisfaction in a job well done I did more or less the same thing years back and it worked. And I think over the years it was better then at first

[kmmcrafts]

Coming from an autobody repair guy.. I've always done this.. I get out my buffing compounds and my buffer and have at it on about all my new tools.. Back when my dad first got into scroll sawing after he retired back in 1987.. I came home to find him trying to wax his scroll saw table... I told him to hold on I will make it real smooth for him.. Got my buffing stuff out and made it real smooth in just a few minutes.. he talked about that for a long time.. because I made it sooo slick, LOL

 

Kevin

[amazingkevin]

15 hours ago, hotshot said:

Even with a really waxed table, there was too much drag to freely spin my medium sized fretwork pieces around. For those of you that have experienced this on the dw788 table (with the heavy mill marks), you already know what I'm talking about.  BM table mill marks (at least on my particular saw) are "sharper"/more pronounced, if that makes sense.  Anyway, the drag was unacceptable.  This image will give you an idea of the issue.

So, I took a trick from the dw788 playbook, and used the same general approach many have done on the 788  to smooth my Hawk table.

1. Got out the random orbital sander, but on the 110 grit, and went over the table.
2. Switched to 220 grit and went over the table
3. Put a cloth over the end of the sander, and put that sander on steel wool
4. Put Mothers Mag and Aluminum Polish on the table, With just a cloth covering the end of the sander, I buffed it several times
5. Re-Waxed it.

 

 

So, did it work?  Absolutely.  There is very little drag and I can predictably spin the fretwork piece now.

Anyway, maybe someone out there will find this helpful, maybe even a 788 owner with aggressive machine marks in their table.

 

-------Randy

 

 

 I switch tables on all my dw788's as i like the Formica slippery effect no maintenance

[CharleyL]

The only bad that I see in doing this is that it removes the aluminum oxide coating from the table. As long as wax is kept on it, you shouldn't have a problem, but the aluminum surface will deteriorate quickly if you fail to keep it waxed. It will also leave gray marks on the wood if the wax is gone. Keep it waxed from now on and it should be good.

I don't understand why so many woodworking tools are built with rough or ridged tables. The designers are apparently not and have never been woodworkers.

Charley

[Rolf]

I don't know about aluminum oxide, but I wonder if the Hawk table is electro polished, A chemical etching process. I say that because the bottom of my G4 table is also very shiny.

I also don't think it is anodized because that would wear off in time.  

Most of the tables on my cast iron tools are fly cut, it is fast and cheap it also makes for a very flat surface. Flat is much more important than supper smooth.

Edited August 5, 2017 by Rolf

[CharleyL]

Aluminum Oxide IS ANODIZE, but anodize is electrically created. They can build it up very thick if they want to, and do it when they want to protect aluminum. They can color it with stains and then bake the color in too. Taking it completely off leaves raw aluminum that will oxidize easily and the thin layer will easily rub off, leaving gray lines on your wood. Wax it often and keep it waxed, if you take the aluminum oxide (anodize ) off.

Charley

[Scrappile]

There was a while when Steel City was in business, they did table tops for table saw and some of their other machines with Granite.  Never so or had one, but the reasons they gave for it were, perfectly flat and would stay that was, would not rust, heavy..  maybe some others, I forgot.  Wonder if that would make a good scroll saw table..

I say when they were in business... which was a relatively a short time.... maybe that says something about how it worked...

[Fish]

I used extra counter top laminate I got from menards.  Cheap and very smooth.  I used spray adhesive to put it on after cuttin it to the shape of the 788.  There is no problem pulling it off if needed and you loose very little cutting depth. 

[tonylumps]

What I have been using on the EX is Vinyl shelf paper The same sheet has been on for 2 Months.Sometimes i think it is too slippery.But keeps the underside of the wood real clean

[Rolf]

Charley I was talking about the normal aluminum oxide that you get on raw aluminum. And there are lots of different anodizing processes for aluminum that are as you said an electrical/chemical process, most will wear off. We anodized all of our optical components black. We also used a hard chroming process inside cylinders, it was thick and could be honed but tended to be brittle.

Based on this youtube video I am now convinced that the table on my Hawk G4 was electro polished. I should do this to the small bumpers  on my TVR. 

 

Edited August 10, 2017 by Rolf