Messages

226

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: How do I wire a momentary switch to my saw

« on: August 09, 2014, 05:45:41 pm »

The power is 240 volt so the red and black are both at 120 volts relative to ground and are at 240 volts between the two wires.  Putting a switch in only the red wire will still leave 120 volt relative to ground at the saw.  While this may not harm the motor (can anyone confirm this?) it still leaves 120 volts at the saw.

I wouldn't use the switch.
Jim
Edit
Ray educated me off-line about Australian wiring so what I said above is wrong for wiring in your area of the world.  I'm really glad you got the information you needed to wire the switch safely.
Jim

227

The Coffee Shop / Where are you?

« on: August 09, 2014, 10:16:40 am »

I have been thinking that making our member's location public would be a good idea.  Quite often knowing the general area would help - electrical questions is one area that comes to mind.

I believe that your location is an optional field in the public profile so I'd like to suggest that each member make his/her approximate location available to the rest of us.  For example. Chicago, North Dakota, Saskatchewan, New Zealand, Scotland would be sufficient.

Let's start including the location in our profile.  It could also be added to the signature.
Jim
Edit - I added my location to my signature (below)

228

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: How do I wire a momentary switch to my saw

« on: August 09, 2014, 09:11:25 am »

Douglas, looking again at the wiring diagram on the back of the switch, it looks like a single pole, double throw switch - in one position it connects the black to the white and in the other position the white to the green.  If you wire the green (ground) to the switch as shown, the saw will not be grounded through the green wire when power is going to the saw - not safe.

That switch would work for 120 volt, if you connected green directly to green - the ground must be continuous, not switched.

For 240 volt power, you need a double pole switch. 

I'm not confident you should use that switch without checking with an electrician. Incorrect wiring could fry your saw, or worse, cause a fire, or worst, kill you.
Jim

229

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: How do I wire a momentary switch to my saw

« on: August 08, 2014, 08:35:57 am »

Douglas, the foot switches I have seen have a cord to plug the switch into a power outlet and also has a place to plug the cord from the saw into the switch.  Does your switch have that?

If it doesn't, and if Bill H's answer is even slightly unclear to you, hire an electrician or speak to a friend who knows about electricity.  Better to be safe than sorry.       

Jim

230

Ask Steve a question. / Re: Dw788

« on: August 02, 2014, 02:51:24 pm »

Frustrating, isn't it?  I have put the blade in with the teeth pointing up and it took me a while to realize my error.  Before I realized my error, I fought to keep the wood on the table. 

Does the wood jump when the table is flat (at 90 degrees to the blade)? Perhaps the blade tension is incorrect? It has to be much tighter than you would think a tiny blade could take.  A quick test is to tension the blade and then try to push it sideways with your thumb - it shouldn't move more than 1/8".

If these suggestions doesn't solve your problem, get back to us and I'm sure someone with more experience will offer other suggestions.

Good luck,
JIm

231

General Scroll Saw Talk / Magnifying LED light

« on: July 30, 2014, 12:40:46 pm »

Just FYI, Busy Bee has this http://www.busybeetools.com/products/MAGNIFYING-LAMP-LED-FLOOR-STANDING-SILVR.html?utm_source=Busy+Bee+e-Newsletter&utm_campaign=4c70c128fe-Special_Buy_B30657_25_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_80afd6c9c6-4c70c128fe-8404353 floor lamp.  I have what appears to be the same light (other than that it is a table mount) and it is very good for scroll saw work.

Jim

232

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: Blade movement question

« on: July 21, 2014, 09:12:30 am »

Thanks, Sheila,  Now the engineer in me is asking "how much is near zero?",     even though I know the answer is probably not available - unless someone gets out with micrometers, dial gauges, etc., etc.

Thanks again,
Jim

233

General Scroll Saw Talk / Blade movement question

« on: July 21, 2014, 08:57:51 am »

With the discussion going on in golfman's post http://stevedgood.com/community/index.php?topic=17127.0 about back and forth movement, I thought I'd ask my own question.

Some saws have no back and forth movement of the blade.  If there is no (zero) back and forth movement, how does the sawdust get cleared out of the cut, especially when cutting pieces that are thicker than the length of the stroke?

Not trying to debate that various saws, just wondering?
Jim

234

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: DeWalt boat anchor

« on: July 18, 2014, 11:26:47 pm »

Frustrating, isn't it.  Quite a few people have had problems with the DW788 and there are a number of fixes online.  Rick http://www.scrollsaws.com/ has a bunch of fixes.  Scroll down on the left to "Dewalt Tuneup". "Lengthening" the bottom arm may help.

Raising the back of the table can reduce the back and forth movement of the blade.  http://stevedgood.com/community/index.php?topic=12146.0

A new saw shouldn't need all this fussing to make it work properly but now that you have it, fixing it is better than using it as an expensive boat anchor.

Good luck and let us know how you are getting along.
Jim

235

The Coffee Shop / Be careful when you dial

« on: July 05, 2014, 03:54:28 pm »

'Hello?'
'Hi, honey. This is Daddy. Is Mommy near the phone?'
'No, Daddy. She's upstairs in the bedroom with Uncle Paul.'
After a brief pause, Daddy says, 'But honey, you haven't got an Uncle Paul.'
'Oh, yes I do, and he's upstairs in the room with Mommy, right now.'

Brief Pause ...
'Uh, okay then, this is what I want you to do. Put the phone down on the
table, run upstairs, knock on the bedroom door and shout to Mommy that
Daddy's car just pulled into the driveway.'
'Okay, Daddy, just a minute.' A few minutes later, the little girl comes
back to the phone. 'I did it, Daddy.'

'And what happened, honey?'
'Well, Mommy got all scared, jumped out of bed with no clothes on and ran
around screaming. Then, she tripped over the rug, hit her head on the
dresser and now she isn't moving at all!'

'Oh, my God!!! What about your Uncle Paul?'

'He jumped out of the bed with no clothes on, too. He was all scared and he
jumped out of the back window and Into the swimming pool. But I guess he
didn't know that you took out the water last week to clean it. He hit the
bottom of the pool and I think he's dead.'

Long Pause ...

Longer Pause ...

Even Longer Pause ...

Then Daddy says, 'Swimming pool? ............ Is this 486-5731?'

'No, it isn't .. I think you have the wrong number.'

236

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: Saw Trouble

« on: June 30, 2014, 04:38:13 pm »

ALG, I looked at the manual http://www.manualslib.com/manual/37667/Delta-Shopmaster-Ss250.html?page=17#manual.  It doesn't show much detail of the pivot bolts - the only thing I can think of is that there is something that prevents the two holes - in the arm and in the frame - from lining up when you try to insert the pivot bolt.  Can you see that the two holes actually do line up?

Best of luck,
Jim

237

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: Saw Trouble

« on: June 29, 2014, 06:59:10 pm »

ALG, which Delta saw - model number, etc.?  I can't visualize the parts but it sound like you are on the right track.  Is there something preventing the pin from going in far enough to catch on the threads?  Or are the threads at the deep end of the hole?

Jim

238

General Scroll Saw Talk / Re: ex 21 repair

« on: June 28, 2014, 02:49:35 pm »

According to Julief http://stevedgood.com/community/index.php?topic=2561.30 (page 3) the speed control has a lifetime warranty.  Not sure who she talked to to get replacement parts but Ray at Seyco  http://www.seyco.com/ has a good reputation for helping with problems.

Good luck and let us know how things work put.
Jim

239

The Coffee Shop / Re: Question for mathematic brainiacs

« on: June 14, 2014, 11:02:20 pm »

The missing number is 64.  The numbers you wrote are cubes of whole numbers.
1 cubed = 1
2 cubed = 8   ( 2 x 2 x 2 = 8 )
3 cubed = 27
4 cubed = 64
5 cubed = 125
6 cubed = 216

Jim

240

Ask Steve a question. / Re: Slanting...

« on: May 23, 2014, 08:41:30 pm »

The other thing that can cause problems is trying to get the cut back on the line by pushing the board to the left or right.  To get back on the line, don't push sideways, turn the board.  You should be able to cut a circle and have the cut-out come out of the hole in either direction.

Jim