Dewalt DWS 777

[oz0707]

My mitre saw woes continue...

After deciding the hikoki was too much faff to alter my saw stand set up I sent the saw back unused. Still think it's a good saw on paper but when I opened the box I just couldn't see it standing up to 15 years rough and tumble like my old dewalt 707 has done.

Anyway I bought a dewalt dws777 110v. Happy days I thought... I have been using it for 2 days and I've already arranged for it to be exchanged. I phoned dewalt and they said it sounds like the saw is faulty but I cant work out what would be causing my issue.

Firstly checked for square before using and seemed fine. Skirted a house with it though and when I came to glue all my external mitres together they were meeting in the middle but not top or bottom! Not massively, but when you put two pieces together it obviously magnifies the situation. Firstly checked the material was flat and not cupped as it reminded me of when your working with some cupped pine skirts. I did explain to dewalt im not cabinet making, I do have an element of tolerance but for a brand new saw to be doing this when 15 year old one isn't it baffles me. So today I swapped the blade to the one i've been using in old saw, same problem. I also notice when I cut on a mitre if I let the saw head back up it seems to trim the cut again, no matter how stiff I hold the pdf down to the bed. I thought that would solve the problem so after I finished the cut I pulled the material back before letting the saw head up, same problem! Annoyingly I just can't fathom what's causing this. Anyone have any ideas? I notice the centre bed which spins is ever so slightly lower than the wings, but so is my old saw.

[big-all]

was the timber cupped at all ??
how much are we talking level wise sub 1mm or more ??
have you tried a strait edge from one edge to the other like a spirit level or metal ruler and check for level and even sides ???

[Argyll]

Which way are you cutting the skirting? Horizontally or vertically?

Have you checked the bed if it's square? I remember watching Lewis Spencer who does trim carpentry on YouTube. He sanded his mitre saw base down as he recommended his was uneven. That being said he's talking about thou of an inch. Doesn't sound as bad as yours. I reckon the wood can't be sitting properly on the bed.

I just bought the DHS780 a couple of weeks back. It's straight as a dye straight out of the box.

It might be Spencer Lewis

[big-all]

Which way are you cutting the skirting? Horizontally or vertically?

only cuts 62mm standing up so probably flat ??

Cutting Capacity at 90°/45° (W x H): 173 x 62 mm
Cutting Capacity at 90°/90° (W x H): 270 x 62 mm
Cutting Capacity at 90°/90° (W x H): 270 x 60 mm
Cutting Capacity at 45°/90° (W x H): 189 x 62 mm
Cutting Capacity at 45°/90° (W x H): 190 x 60 mm
Cutting Capacity at 90°/45° (W x H): 270 x 48 mm
Max. Cutting Capacity at 45°/45°: 190x48 mm

[Argyll]

Which way are you cutting the skirting? Horizontally or vertically?

only cuts 62mm standing up so probably flat ??

Cutting Capacity at 90°/45° (W x H): 173 x 62 mm
Cutting Capacity at 90°/90° (W x H): 270 x 62 mm
Cutting Capacity at 90°/90° (W x H): 270 x 60 mm
Cutting Capacity at 45°/90° (W x H): 189 x 62 mm
Cutting Capacity at 45°/90° (W x H): 190 x 60 mm
Cutting Capacity at 90°/45° (W x H): 270 x 48 mm
Max. Cutting Capacity at 45°/45°: 190x48 mm

I thought it was the corded 12". It must be the bed or the board. Can't be anything else.

[big-all]

777 replacement for the 707 thats the 8 1/4 the 717 is 10" the biggie is the 779 12":thumbright:

[oz0707]

Yeh the boards were flat on the bed. First thing I did was check if they were cupped. Flat as a pancake. I did find a link on youtube where the chap was sanding the saw bed. I did explain to dewalt that I don't mind adjusting to square but I'm a professional user and can't afford the time to be fettling too much ie sanding like that guy did. One thing that struck me about that YouTube video is he emphasised the wings being level or slightly lower than the spinning table, whereas mine are slightly higher. This is true for the old saw also though.

[oz0707]

I understand these sliding mitre saws are not super accurate if you were cabinet making or something. Like I said it's for 2nd fix house work so I do have tolerance. Poor show when the old machine cuts better than the new. I don't like the new rear fence either.

[etaf]

Note - Just a DIyer, not a Pro

I have the DWS778 and carried out quite a few mitres and all OK straight from box, after checking all the alignment etc

Are dewalt replacing the saw???

If you cut a scape bit of wood with a 45 miter and then turn the wasteside cut the other way round and place them together do you get a straight join and a 90 degree square
like the corner of a picture frame, thats how i tested before i cut any mitres

Perhaps some photos

I understand these sliding mitre saws are not super accurate if you were cabinet making or something

I expect to make furniture and have done, my son-in-law has a RAGE evolution and has made cabinets, draws and planning to make hes own kitchen, so would expect as good if not better from dewalt.
I have framed some Tongue and Groove , and used for a corner shelf, perfectly fine,

But i use a Freud fine tooth 60 or 80 T blade on the 250mm Saw , my son-in-law the same , in fact i think he also used a 100T blade
Not sure what the default blade would be like

[oz0707]

I put a 60t blade in but didn't perform any different. Yes retailer are exchanging the saw and dewalt will presumably credit them. Is your spinning table flat, lower or higher than the wings?

[etaf]

i have not carried out the test on youtube with a feeler gauge.
if this is the video you are referring to
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=altzfLyLSvc

I keep the mitre saw boxed and only really get it out the box onto a stand when i'm actually going to use it. then i use a square and Trend digital Gauge to check its all still aligned vertically with the base and horizontally with the fence, which it always is , since i first setup.
I probably laid a Long 1800 or 1200 Metal Spirit level across the base and checked for any high/low points, seems like something i would have done.

But I have cut the full length of the slide - 305mm and checked for square , and i have also cut 2x2 and 4x2 recently on it , again just for square
Never really noticed any change in timber on the bed, I usually start by just squaring the end , so if i have a bit of 2.1/2.4 length material I would just trim and very small bit off the end to reference as square. Then measure any length I wanted
Never noticed a problem.

I often also need to take just a small piece of lengths and use the tecnique of pushing the blade down as far as it will go
Push the wood upto touching the blade and then fire up the saw and lift the blade using the Kerf of the blade just to take a small bit of material off when trying to fit exactly

Next time I set it all up , i will have a look but maybe a while, as i have stopped DIY for a break.

[oz0707]

Replacement turned up this week. Cut a house worth of skirts on it yesterday. Mitres appear to be good now although I'm still stumped why the other saw did what it did. Got a good priced 60t blade from ffx. Metabo 216mm for around 13 quid. Might not last too long will have to see. Tbf the ready built spindles and handrails have to be cut occasionally and have pins in them which you sometimes can't avoid cutting. Don't want the best blade money can buy and do that with although once you get to 60t a lot are multi material blades.

[etaf]

have a look at saxton blades https://www.saxtonblades.co.uk/
I Purchased a silverline from FFX when i bought the saw, and planned to do a big ground floor with laminate with my son-in-law
Lasted about 8 cuts and then smoked!!!!!! Useless
So i did go out and purchase Freud on offer at screwfix , 60T & 80T where one blade lasted the entire floor cut , which was quite a lot.

Then I read on here about saxton blades and needed a new blade for the circular saw , 165mm - and purchased that , and it was excellent , lasted a lot of cuts on MDF and cheaper than getting the Freud blades sharpened (which i did do, before the saxtonblades)

Their Multi-tool cutters are really good too. Had some dewalt sets and they did not last , but the saxton multi-tool blades really cut easily and lasted
Son-in-law now has evolution table saw and mitre saw and uses saxton blades and has made a lot of furniture and workshop - very good quality cuts

[fin]

just so ya know using a mitre saw to cut laminate will trash any blade even the best blades very quickly. its easier to cut laminate with a jigsaw and just change the blade after say 10 cuts

[Argyll]

You'll save your Mitre Saw blade using these. As Fin says after 10 cuts bin the blade and use a new one.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jigsaw-Blades- ... diy&sr=1-8