New DeWalt 788 for GrayBeard!!!

[GrayBeard]

I did it!
With the help of the internet, copy and paste, emails, etc. I was able to negotiate the purchase of a brand new, in the box, DeWalt DW788 Yellow Saw!!!
Terms of the deal are not to be disclosed by either the local franchisee nor myself.
To boot, there is a DeWalt Service Center almost directly across the road in case of problems.

Saw and Stand to be picked up on Friday, May 28th and Saturday happens to be my BirthDay....my B'day present to ME!

NOW...What can you 'yaller' owners tell me about things to watch out for or to do when setting it up so I can jump right in and start 'making sawdust'.
I already have the momentary foot switch, light and magnifier and a tiny 'square' to true the blade.
I will carefully clean the table with solvents and thoroughly wax same with Johnson's Paste wax.
Stand will be assembled carefully and the necessary torque will be applied to all fasteners to make it firm and steady.

What else do you recommend that I do before cutting for hours to get used to it???

~~~Gray(happy)Beard~~~

[scrollgirl]

Congratulations, Grey Beard!  I am happy for you!  I LOVE my yellow baby!  I can't think of anything else you need to do except 'get to know her'.  I wish you the many hours of fun and pleasure that I have gotten from mine.  The only thing I had really heard of was the switch going on it.  It did happen to mine about 7 or 8 years ago.  It is cheap to replace (under $10) and I keep a 'spare' here just in case.  With the service center so close, you can get one at any time.

You will love it, I am sure.  Mine still purrs like a kitten after over 13 years of use. Have fun!

Sheila

[dunk]

Congrats!

Do not plug it in to a power source just yet.

First hook up the foot switch.  Turn on the switch on top of the arm.  Then cover it (the switch) with clear tape, to keep all dust out of the switch.

Now you can plug it into the wall!

Have fun!

[GrayBeard]

Thanks Sheila.
I really agonized about whether I really needed to go the expense but finally decided at my age it will likely be the last saw I will need and I want to enjoy this fun and satisfying new hobby as much as possible.
That recent project for my grandson gave me so much pleasure that I finally decided that this is something I can do and am I am totally absorbed with with this relatively new hobby!

Everyone will know where to find me now!

Settin' and Scrollin'!!!

~~~GrayBeard~~~

[GrayBeard]

Thanks Mike!
I'm planning to stop at the local H-D on the way home and pick up some Yellow duct tape to keep that  BEAUTY  'color coordinated'!

~~~GrayBeard~~~

[scrollgirl]

 I was amazed when I took off the housing to check out the switch when it went.  I had the saw at least five years at that point and there was very little dust that had accumulated in there at all.  At first when it just 'stopped working' I assumed it was dirty inside but it was darn near perfectly clean.  (That's when I knew I was in trouble, though and had to replace the switch!)

Just a point of interest I wanted to share for what it is worth . . . . .

Sheila

[saw dust john]

don't forget to buy the good blades.

Mike sells them at

http://www.mikesworkshop.com

[GrayBeard]

SawDust John....

I've been using F-D blades from Mike since i first got my old clunker of a a saw!
This will be the Third saw Mike has supplied the blades for!

~~~GrayBeard~~~

[MadHatter]

congrats on the new saw, when i got mine it felt like driving a new cadillac. i did take some scrap wood tho and practiced cutting on it, so i could get the feel of how the saw handles when turning on lines etc. i use flying dutchman blades, that i got from mikesworkshop.

[dgman]

Hey GrayBeard, Congratulations on the yellow saw! The tables on the newer DeWalt saws were machined very rough. spray a little WD40 on it and sand with 220 grit sand paper until smooth. Wipe off the WD40 and apply a paste wax, let it dry, then buff with a clean rag. Make sure to use a wax that does not contain silicone. I use Johnson's Paste wax. This will make the table nice and smooth!

[GrayBeard]

Hey there 'dgman'....

I wondered about the table and I have both 220 and 300 (wet or dry) that I can put in my orbital sander and go to town.
That made a big difference in the surface of the cast aluminum table of my current Craftsman!
Only wax in my cabinet is good ol' Johnson's Paste!

Thanks for the 'heads up'!


~~~GrayBeard~~~

[cherie]

I am very happy for ya Grey Beard.  Nothing like a new toy out of the box.  I have never used a Dewalt, but I always hear great things about them.  I have thought about buying one a few times, but when I stumbled upon my Shopsmith, I would never turn yeller.  I turned green instead.  LOL.
HAVE FUN AND LET THE SAW DUST FLY!!!

[tgaspard]

WOOO HOOO!! CONGRATZ,GRAYBEARD!!!!!  You will love it....

Tonya

[Russ C]

Congratulations on the new saw. Now sit down and let the saw dust fly.
Happy Scroll'n   

[GrayBeard]

One more hour to pick up!!!