Cheryl Davis

[Cheryl Davis]

Hello Guys, Just wanted to drop a line thanking you for all the help and advice you gave me last month on purchasing a scroll saw. I found one this past weekend; it's a used but in excellent condition, DeWalt DW788. I was able to talk them down to $125 from $300. I have been using it the last 2 days and it purrs like a kitten, so much better than the very old craftsman I was using. All of your advice helped me go into this purchase with complete confidence. Thanks Again, Cheryl

Edited February 11, 2020 by Cheryl Davis

[meflick]

Glad you were able to find a good used saw that fit your budget and works well for you.  Now, be sure to join in here in the Village and share what you are making. 

[OCtoolguy]

Cheryl, there is a lot of info on here regarding the 788. What to look out for, what to do for maintenance etc. Is it a type 1 or 2. Makes a little difference, not much. Just mostly where and when it was made. Scrollsaws.com has a lot of info too. The main thing is bearing lubrication at some point. Very important.

 

[Cheryl Davis]

Ray, I had to go look, it says on the motor type 1, hope that the better one but for the price and condition, I could not pass up.  It's has barely been used. A woman bought it thinking she would like learning but lost interest very quickly. She had what looks to be about 30+ blades, the stand to go with it and a foot pedal. She just wanted it out of her way in the garage. I really want to thank you for all your help. 

[OCtoolguy]

11 minutes ago, Cheryl Davis said:

Ray, I had to go look, it says on the motor type 1, hope that the better one but for the price and condition, I could not pass up.  It's has barely been used. A woman bought it thinking she would like learning but lost interest very quickly. She had what looks to be about 30+ blades, the stand to go with it and a foot pedal. She just wanted it out of her way in the garage. I really want to thank you for all your help. 

That's the best of the two. The only downside is that it is also the oldest. The problem with these saws is, the factory never did much in the way of putting grease in the bearings. And there are a lot of them. The bearing mfgrs just put in the barest of essentials to keep them going for the warranty period. Anyway, not to despair. It's not a big thing but does take disassembly and a bit of a learning curve. If you are at all mechanically inclined or have someone who is, this will not be a big problem. And there are many of us here to help. There is a 4 part video that was done by Gwinnette Woodworkers featuring Bob Brokaw who is the expert on these saws. They also did an updated video that is good but not as inclusive as the 4 part series. They are all on youtube. Actually here is the link to the 1st one and from there you can just follow along to the other 3. It looks daunting but if you just take your time you can't miss. You did very well on your purchase and I think in the long run you will be better served with the Dewalt saw. The situation with Hawk right now is iffy at best. They may close tomorrow for all we know. Take the time to buff the table on your saw. It is made of cast iron and will corrode if not waxed from time to time. Johnson's paste wax is what most of us use. A good coat of it every once in a while really helps to save the table and also makes your wood much easier to move around. And the brand seems to be one of the only brands that won't interfere with your finishing. Good luck with it, have fun and by all means, keep us updated on your projects. Pictures, we all love them.

 

 

 

[Cheryl Davis]

Thanks for the video and the information, I will be able to do this maintenance, I fix so many thing myself from watching YouTube videos. 

[OCtoolguy]

2 hours ago, Cheryl Davis said:

Thanks for the video and the information, I will be able to do this maintenance, I fix so many thing myself from watching YouTube videos. 

I knew you could do it. It's a great way to learn how it works, what makes it tick etc. I went on Amazon and bought a lifetime supply of synthetic grease for about $10 and my wife had some pipe cleaners laying around so just a couple of tools, some rags and the grease etc. and you're in business. I nice Sunday afternoon job.

 

[Roberta Moreton]

Also, with a DW788 it is better to use a foot switch (not speed control) and cover the on/off switch on the saw, I used packing tape for that. 

[OCtoolguy]

Roberta is correct on that and you can buy a footswitch at Harbor Freight for about $15. Get the one that is a "dead man's" switch. That means that your saw will only run when you have your foot pressing down on the switch. 

[Bill WIlson]

Another aftermarket accessory that I found indispensable for my Dewalt was the lift kit.  There are a couple versions available, I think.  This is what I had on mine.

 

https://jimdandy.com/products/easy-lift-system-for-dewalt-scroll-saw-dw788

[kmmcrafts]

Yeah the easy lift like Bill showed in his link is what I liked best. there are a couple others on the market too but this set up ( I thought ) was the better more user friendly one.. 

[OCtoolguy]

3 hours ago, Bill WIlson said:

Another aftermarket accessory that I found indispensable for my Dewalt was the lift kit.  There are a couple versions available, I think.  This is what I had on mine.

 

https://jimdandy.com/products/easy-lift-system-for-dewalt-scroll-saw-dw788

Yes, this is what I had too. Worked great.