Calling all blade breaking Hawk owners!

[snatiep]

Hello everyone!

I'm in the process of cutting a beautiful portrait and decided to try my Hawk 226 again.

Before I get started, I also have two DeWalt 788's and I can use any type of blade in either of them until the teeth wear off! I have done it.

Now for the Hawk. This is a beautiful saw. I love how quiet and smooth it runs. Great saw. Except for the number of blades it breaks.

I just broke probably six 2/0 spiral blades in one hour cutting 1/8" baltic birch! They are all breaking in the middle. I can't figure it out. I tried more tension, I tried not to tighten the blade clamps too much, I'm certainly not forcing the wood, I don't know what the problem is.

If any of you have any help or suggestions, I'll send you a big thank you hug!

I love this saw, but every time I put in a new blade and start it up I cringe waiting for the blade to break.

Thanks everyone!

[Gaia]

Hi Nate,

I don't own a Hawk but just a thought that maybe you have a bad batch of blades? Have you tried using the same blades in one of your Dewalts?


Bobbi

[groverd]

I have the same saw, 3-4 years ago i had the same problem, i started being more careful when i installed the new blades. make sure it is square in the holders. since i have been doing that i have not had any abnormal breakage. any i break now is because i try to push them past their expected life span

[Mick Walker]

Nate, Mike from Mikeworkshop sent me a couple 2/0 spirals and I broke the first one before I got it in the saw. The second one I sawed just a little ways and decided that I am a dedicated flat blade user. Have cut several Jeff Zaffino pictures and have no problems with flat blades.

[f250]

I have a Hawk G4 and rarely break blades these days. It seems they break after I end up giving them a little bend while trying to bottom feed. If you have them in straight, they are nice and sharp and you are not pushing to hard, you should be good to go.

Tom

[greatdane2]

I use a Dewallt saw but I found that when installing a blade I put in the top so it is just snug. Then clamp it in the lower clamp tight, and then go back and do the top clamp properly. Works for me. I allways had a hard time putting it in the top tight and getting it right, then doing the lower one.
Alan.

[Rolf]

Nate make sure that the blade clamps pivot freely front to back. If they dont then the blade will be doing all the flexing.
I also have the G4 and I know that it is a bit different than the 226 but I have no breakage problems.

[Mike Crosa]

G4 here I have had no problems with breaking.

[sawdustus]

My G4 breaks blades when I push to hard, try to cut beyond the useful life of the blade, or it develops a small kink or bend. My breaks usually occur a few mm above the flat portion at the bottom of the blade. My biggest problem is when the blades slip out of the holders as I begin sawing. I realized that when this happens I was either over tensioning the blade or not getting the blade vertical and centered in the clamp. Since the G4 cuts so smoothly, I don't have to tension the blade as much I do for my Delta Q3. Took a bit of retraining the brain to not push so hard and to let the blade do the cutting. As for the centering the blades in the clamp, the Delta is very forgiving in this regard but the G4 is not. Oh well, you win a few and you lose a few.

Sawdustus

[Barefoot1]

Also, be sure to follow the blade setting directions at the back of the saw. I do not user spirals at all, so I have no idea if that is the problem or not but when I start breaking blades for no apparent reason I always back off the tension and reset it. Seems to work for me.