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General Category => General Scroll Saw Talk => Topic started by: pddesertrat on June 05, 2014, 12:06:16 pm
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I want to add a foot pedal to my DeWalt scroll saw. I have a struggle choosing between a deadman (on/off) I think that is right, or the kind that keeps the saw running as long as you have the switch depressed. I like to read pros and cons of the two types is anyone has any.
Thanks.
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I bought a momentary(dead man) switch from harbor freight about 5 years ago and it is still going strong--It"s the only way to go--imho--Richard
;D ;D
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I have a foot pedal and love it. I have the kind that you step on and the power comes on, take foot off and power cuts off. Its a very handy device, much better than I expected.
Its very handy for those tight, tiny corners where you just need another stroke or two of the blade.
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OK, I think you have your terms mixed up.
A "Dead Man Switch" is the one where you must keep your foot pressing on it to keep the saw running. (As long as you are alive, the saw will run, if you die and your foot falls off of the switch the saw dies with you.)
The other one is simply an "On/ Off" switch that is activated with your foot instead of your fingers.
I prefer a dead man switch for ease of use and some control over speed and quickness of stopping the saw. Other people have their preferences of course but, I can just see myself stomping all over the floor with my foot trying to find the pedal to stop the saw. ;D
The idea of a dead mans switch was a safety devise for big machinery that required a person to be in constant control and not have a "run away" with nobody controlling the machine. (Think train engines for example.)
Rog
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I have the "dead man" type. Very handy when the blade breaks and you are standing 4 feet away and the saw has stopped. I have three. Two on my scrollsaws and one on my drill press.
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Thanks all for your input. Thanks also Rog for correcting me, it should have been obvious to me. I think the "dead man is winning out, after all, I'm 70 now so it is a possibility..... :-\ ;D
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Thanks all for your input. Thanks also Rog for correcting me, it should have been obvious to me. I think the "dead man is winning out, after all, I'm 70 now so it is a possibility..... :-\ ;D
No problem. I'm 70 years old also and have been using my dead man switch for the last eight years at least.
I ordered mine from Sloane's wood working I think. It says Olson on the bottom and is still going strong. I recommend it.
You know your getting old when the Government REQUIRES you to start withdrawing money from your IRA! ;D ;)
Rog
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I'm 71 and like my dead man foot switch. :)
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Two of mine are from Harbor Frieght and they work fine.
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Thanks all for your input. Thanks also Rog for correcting me, it should have been obvious to me. I think the "dead man is winning out, after all, I'm 70 now so it is a possibility..... :-\ ;D
No problem. I'm 70 years old also and have been using my dead man switch for the last eight years at least.
I ordered mine from Sloane's wood working I think. It says Olson on the bottom and is still going strong. I recommend it.
You know your getting old when the Government REQUIRES you to start withdrawing money from your IRA! ;D ;)
Rog
Yep! I have to with draw also. I keep thinking I will just put what I have to withdraw in a fund, but it doesn't seem to make it! Oh, well my kids can bury me! or not.
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I'm 71 also with a dead-man switch setup. My only complaint [a small one] is my 71 year old leg gets tired holding that "on" position and every once in while as I'm threading a new hole my foot relaxes from the up position and things start up unexpectedly. At those times I'm glad I picked a safe machine to run. :)
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OK, have to throw in my two cents here! I'm 78 and have four dead man switches... two are from Harbor Freight and I've never had a problem with them. Good price, good switches..
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I agree with Dakota... I have Harbor Freight switches but not the one you have to hold down to keep the saw running. Two reasons for this: (1) I get tired holding down the peddle all the time. This is why I like cruse control in my car. (2) When cutting large or long pieces I need to move my body away from the saw a bit to turn the long piece of wood around, and keeping my foot on the peddle/floor switch is a problem doing this. The only reason I can see to get a "Hold it down " switch is that you can turn the saw off with just the removal of your foot from that switch. I achieve this same benefit with my on/ off floor switch by, when nearing the end of my cut, I press the floor switch down, saw keeps running until I take my foot off of the switch. As I near the end of my cut I just remove my foot and the saw then stops. So, you see I have it both ways with an on/off type foot switch.
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Personally, I prefer the switch that you have to hold down to keep the saw running.
The big reason is for the instant start and stop. When I'm scrolling very small or very intricate pieces, I like having that precise control. I start and stop often on the small or intricate stuff and It would take longer to stop the blade if I had to press and release a switch.
For easier stuff, it probably wouldn't make any difference. I also keep the foot switch raised on a small platform that is a comfortable spot to keep my foot.
Ray
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I just bought me a deadman switch and have to get used to it... I sometime use the hand switch on my hegner to switch it of... old habits.... LOL.
I have made a resting bar on my table so I can easily use the foot to operate the saw.
think for this time for me the foot switch is good.
specially when cutting small holes and pieces that can start flapping when starting the saw. I now have both hands on the project and the table.
but I've had cut without a foot switch for 5 years now. so both work fine.
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Dead Man style for me!
ESPECIALLY on my router whether freehand or mounted in the router table!
~~~GB~~~
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i have a DEAD MAN foot pedal and love.don't know what i would do without it now.
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I have a deadman on my RBI scrollsaw, but a paddle switch on my router table. The paddles allows me to move around more, but has the safety aspect of hitting it with anything should a problem arise.
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Hey Bill,
I totally agree with you, paddle switches are the "cats meow" and probably one of the best "safety" items on a power tool!
I made one for my table saw and more than once saved my skin from a kick back. (probably the most common injury from a table saw despite what "Saw Stop" says.) I can keep both hands firmly holding the material and just lift my left leg enough for my knee to hit the switch and kill the saw. Just don't panic and don't move until the blade stops and you will be OK.
Some times I just reach down with out looking and just slap it with my hand so I can watch what is going on on top of the saw and keep the material under control.
Even if I should bump it accidentally, all it does is kill the saw and I can re-start it easily, and that is better than looking for the red button on the switch when you really need it any-day.
(http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z299/rapidroger/Shop%20projects%20and%20tools/STOPswitch001_zps2be796fd.jpg) (http://s193.photobucket.com/user/rapidroger/media/Shop%20projects%20and%20tools/STOPswitch001_zps2be796fd.jpg.html)
I have taken a chunk of skin and meat out of my thumb by hitting the blade after a board kicked back and hit me in the stomach but, that was BEFORE and the reason I made the paddle switch.
Rog
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Nice setup Roger. I would like to do the same to my Unisaw, but I'm unsure about how to set it up with the 220v motor. I think it may use a magnetic switch. I agree it is definetly a big advantage on a table saw!
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Roger, Looks like a great idea. I have a different kind of switch so I have to do something for a switch that is used for both on and off. Many times I wish it was more in reach and had some "uneasy" moments until I could. Will work on it.
Bill, I don't think it makes any different if it is a 220 or not. It looks like Roger's is also a 220 V.
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I use the deadman type (saw runs while you're holding the pedal down). One thing - you don't want your light on the same switch. My earlier Porter-Cable came with a built in light. The deadman on that one would turn off the saw and the light when you took your foot off the pedal.
While you're at it, you might think about putting a surge suppressor outlet or power strip to power the saw. These saws have electronic speed controls in them, so they could be damaged from a lightning surge just like a computer power supply.
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Rog, been going to make one of those big paddles for my table saw. Some reason I keep putting it off, but maybe with all this switch discussion I will get to it. It is certainly a very simple, effective safety feature for a table saw. I also want to get a good splitter for my saw. I've tried a couple of the cheapies and they just are a pain. I'm looking at the Shark splitter, but have to figure out if one will fit my model. My model is not listed but there is one that is very close. I have to contact Steel City and see what the difference is.
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Bill....
It shouldn't make any difference if your saw is 220 v, 110 v or even 440 v. The paddle just depresses the STOP switch. It is the same switch that came on my saw (which by the way is 110 v) I just used a piece of plywood and a section of piano hinge and screwed it to the rail on the saw.
Chuck....
The switch is one that came on my saw. It is just a simple push button switch, with a green start button and a red stop that sticks out a bit further than the face of the switch. Then can be purchased after market at Rockler's or other wood working stores or even at an electrical supply place. In fact, I would probably start my search at an Ace hardware store! I'm sure it could be attached to your saw and wired up with out much problem.
pddesertrat.....
I don't have a splitter on my saw either. I know that they are recommended and are a good safety device and have considered getting one. Most of them are mounted on the blade insert and I make my own "0 clearance" inserts and it just seems to be too much trouble to put one on.
I have about eight different inserts that I change out quite often. I have the "stock" insert that came with the saw ( that I seldom use unless I'm cutting an odd angle between 0 and 45 degrees), I have a 0 clearance for both a standard 1/8" blade and the thin kerf blade, I have two for (one each) for the dado sets, two for the box joint blade set (one for 1/4" and one for the 3/8") and one that is dedicated to 45 degree cuts. Not all of those even need a splitter anyway. :)
Rog
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My paddle switches are electrical and replace the existing ones, however I think the one on my Unisaw is a magnetic switch. That's why I have been hesitant to replace that one. I need to unplug the saw and open the switch to examine it. I just keep procrastinating.
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I have a couple of air on/off switches -( bought from the old RBI company ) which are the safest ( no contact with electricity ) where the switch plugs into the wall
and an air hose connects up to a bellows that when tapped with your foot it goes on or off -
you dont have to keep your foot on it -tap it to turn on , tap it to turn it off .
I also own a deadman switch -and i use it on one of my saws -- but keeping your foot constantly on it
when your cutting for hours on end gives me cramps in my foot - not crazy about it.
it has its place - but it drives me nuts !
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Well, got the foot pedal, got the HF lamp (much nicer than I expected and on sale!), got some new blades from Mike's Workshop, only thing left is the handles I want to make for the screws that hold the blade. Then I'm ready to rumble! I'm building a cart for my street organ and I want to try an intarsia American Flag on the front of the cart. That will be my test of all these upgrades.
Thanks for all the input!!
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Do you have a photo of the Street Organ? That sounds interesting.
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This reply is directed to Chuck D reply #4.
He says something to the effect that a dead man switch is good if you "are standing four feet away and a blade breaks"!!
OMG!! Seriously Chuck?? Why in the heck are you standing four feet away from a running machine?? That is just really dumb.
I think you need to clarify that comment. I doubt that you would even consider stepping away from a running machine for even a second, shop vacs excluded.
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This reply is directed to Chuck D reply #4.
I think you need to clarify that comment. I doubt that you would even consider stepping away from a running machine for even a second, shop vacs excluded.
OK, just to clarify. When the blade breaks, I find myself 4 feet from the saw. That is the result of the "sound of the blade breaking". Before the break, I was where most normal people are, next to the saw. And when the blade breaks and I move away the saw stops, like it should, due to the foot switch I "was" on. See, now does that make sense, and to show I am not dumb, or have extremely long arms.