for…hm…well, at least a couple decades. It’s a nice saw, as far as I can tell. The Achille’s heel, though, is the plastics. They get brittle after ~5 years, and parts have been falling off since then. The little door for the blade spindle nut went first, many many years ago. No biggy. The parts of the internal blade shrouding would rattle out.Today the belt guard fell off. Still, doesn’t stop one from using it - just keep your mitts out of the belt area. I’ve been bopping along, getting by without whatever fell off until today. The handle has come off in about 35 pieces. She’s hard to use that way. “Impossible,” some might say. So. Wondering if anyone has a lede on the whole shebang - handle, blade surround, dusporting, etc.I’m pretty sure they’re NLA from pretty much anywhere. I did get excited when I saw someone claiming they had STLs and could 3d print the parts, but alas - the STLs have been lost. I lack the skill to reproduce, and likely the talent.
So I throw this out to the 'Space brain. Pity to ditch such a lovely saw for something so silly (but I know, such is modern life…).
Thank you for reading.
PS if you don’t have a lede, how about “how would you replace this fallen soldier?”
Scan broken parts, edit and 3d print?
Search for 3d print files already created?
Somebody out there has probably encountered this and may have a solution.
As that component appears to be structural - in the sense that it’s what you’re maneuvering the spinning blade with - I’d be a touch reluctant to print that with ordinary FDM methods.
Would require extensive (forensic-style) reassembly since handle literally crumbled into shards in my hand. But considered all the same. Gathered pieces, but stopped short of actually trying to layout for placement.
As mentioned, got very excited when I found this for the side cover, only to discover the stls were declared lost, and so far, have found no other mention.
So far, appears they find a donor or just go buy a new saw and move on.
Donors are likely to be a"just use the donor" situation, and a couple hundred bucks, at least, making it a"meh" proposition at best, to me.
I’d love to create new from scan or scratch, whether 3d printed, cast, fabbed up with metal or plastic welding, whatever. But the odds of this being done by me are astronomically low.
The issue with any parts you find is that they will, at best, be NOS and just as old as your original saw. It’s unlikely they will have been stored in a cooled, dehumidified warehouse, so they will likely suffer the same deplasticization as your saw. Been through this with other tools.
This is the one reference I found to 3d printing, back before the handle shattered.
They mention STLs, but then that they lost them, not going to reproduce. Understandable, because cheapskates like me won’t make it worth their while, and one only wants to put so much work into a give-away thing. And, as Erik mentions, they did NOT use FDM for their handle - just the side covers.
Carcass now available if anyone wants it for whatever a person might want this for - the table, the motor, the belt-drive & pullies, whatever.
I’ll drop it by DMS if a member wants it, or I’m up north in Frisco/The Colony/Plano area.
Was working beautifully before the handle shattered - now it looks like it’ll need the switch reconnected on 1 of the leads, but otherwise, should “work”.
Pics of the current state:
Bag’o plastic bits included for if anyone wants to practice their forensic reconstructions.
If I find any of the other fence/table parts by the time this leaves my hands, I’ll throw them in, too.
Give me a PM if you’re interested.
Almost seems like it could be a metal fabrication project … were it not for the cost and effort relative to buying something new off the shelf. Well outside of my capabilities and I’ve already a chop saw, however.
I’ve been bopping along, getting by without whatever fell off until today. The handle has come off in about 35 pieces. 
She’s hard to use that way. “Impossible,” some might say. So. Wondering if anyone has a lede on the whole shebang - handle, blade surround, dusporting, etc.I’m pretty sure they’re NLA from pretty much anywhere. I did get excited when I saw someone claiming they had STLs and could 3d print the parts, but alas - the STLs have been lost. I lack the skill to reproduce, and likely the talent.
