Dewalt 788 speed control question

[OCtoolguy]

Just curious about something. My neighbor and I both have the 788 saw. Hers is a type 2 and mine is a type 1. She wants to bring the speed down on hers below what the controller will allow. She has been in contact with someone who says he knows how to slow the saw down. My question, has anybody here on the SSV ever found a way to do that but without endangering the life of the motor/controller board? We are both doing some marquetry using very thin veneer and it would be nice to go very slow at times. If there is a safe way to alter the saws, I'd certainly be interested in knowing how. I figure it must have something to do with changing parts on the control board. I'm no electronics expert so I'll have to leave that to those who are.

 

Ray

 

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

slower than 400 seems a waste. I would caution of trying to use a speed controller in conjunction with this saw. Not made for that and will burn the electronics. I am talking about a sewing machine foot pedal or even those router speed controllers. If it had pulleys you could change the ratio of the pulley. 

[OCtoolguy]

My thinking exactly. I worry about depriving the motor of the amperage it needs to do it's job. But supposedly this person has figured out a way. Evidently, some of the Delta machines prior to the one that is a copy of the Dewalt had a system that would allow for slower speeds. When we both took the class on marquetry at Ken Cowell's home, he has some of the older Deltas that he has picked up along the way and we got the opportunity to use them. I'll have to wait and see but I thought I'd throw it out here. So many people here smarter than me.

Ray

 

Edited November 25, 2017 by octoolguy

[dgman]

I'm with JT. Cutting thin veneer shouldn't be a problem,  just stack cut it. Either stack several layers of veneer to make it thicker or sandwich your veneer between two layers of Baltic birch plywood. It might sound like a waste of material, but it's better than ruining your saw.

[OCtoolguy]

If you have ever done any marquetry, it would be pretty tough to stack cut or even sandwich the veneer. Each piece is a piece of the picture and I can't imagine doing it that way.

 

Ray

 

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Ray if you are talking about the old Delta P20 saws they were belt driven and you had pulleys to adjust the speeds along with the potentiometer. Much like the lathes today such as the Jet lathes. 

 

This made the speeds very very infinite. 

Edited November 26, 2017 by JTTHECLOCKMAN

[OCtoolguy]

No, I'm not sure what model they are but they have a dial and a digital read out on the front of the saw right under the table. I'm not sure what the slowest speed is/was but it's not all the much slower that the slowest speed on my 788. I was cutting today and I am very new so I use it on the slowest setting. It's plenty slow for me but I am still having trouble making the sharp turns and corners that are in the pattern I'm cutting. I realize it will all come to me with practice. My problem is, I am and always have been a perfectionist and it makes me mad to not do things well. I'm making a wall plaque that will be a gift if I can finish it without too many obvious errors. So far, so good. I'm working with 5/16" BB plywood. I haven't ruined it yet. Thanks.

 

Ray