Harvey Alpha Series One Month In

[@mikebeck7263]

Thanks for the idea about moving the outboard panel of the slider forward for those large panel, angled cuts. That will make cutting plywood easier.

[@mikebeck7263]

My slider had a problem when the stop was on the extension. It would draw down and you thought it was solid but touch it worng and it would pop loose. Called Harvey, sent them a video of the problem, and in a few days they mailed me a new extension tip. That solved the problem. Knowledgeable guys and fast service. I was trying to tune in the slider and finally looked up Katz-Moses and the five cut method. A little bit of playing around and I got it pretty close.

[@Yannis2022]

Thanks! This was very helpful setting up my Harvey Alpha with Sliding table. You're setting a very good example of how to explain and recommend in a way which is clear and easy to understand, appreciated!

[@trevhaydon5090]

Hello Brian, To clear the adhesive residue from your table saw, Try some Zippo Lighter Fuel, Pour it on, let soak into the adhesive, then use a paper towel to wipe it clean. Should be Job Done. All the best from North London UK 👍🏻

[@johnstalions5313]

I bought the 3 hp saw and added the router table to the left side making my table surface much larger - overall, I have had a great experience with the Harvey Saw and absolutely love it in my shop. Thanks for the good review and honest feedback

[@airmech73]

Hello I just ordered the Harvey router table for my 4hp Alpha and I have a question if you can help? Do I have to use there router fence? I was looking at the woodpecker fence but not sure if I'm stuck with the Harvey router fence..thank you.

[@johnstalions5313]

@@airmech73 You do not have to use their router fence - I have a Rockler fence on mine and it works just fine. Just make sure it is wide enough for the table.

[@raymontella2251]

Thanks for that. I had most of the same experience on my 2 hp Harvey saw. I have the sliding mitre also and the piece at the end of them made a fence for the sliding miter table that extends and you can put a stop gauge on it doesn’t line up very well with the rest of the miter gauge. Harvey’s working on getting me a new little piece at the end of the extension. Had the same issue with my tenon jig to Far from the blade. I did used to get the zero clearance plates for the blade however I do change blades from flat bottom teeth to fishing kerf So you would need a lot of 0 Clearance Pl. for each different way to get a really good job I like the idea of using those strips of tape you got

[@raymontella2251]

Oh my God I should’ve read that before I sent it 1 million typos sorry but thanks for the review

[@CAAlvarez602]

My saw will arrive in a week or so, and I'm trying to decide on the router location. Was it much work to drill the holes needed for the left attachment? How was the alignment process? Any tips, issues, or info that I should consider for my decision?

[@mikebeck7263]

Just got my Harvey last month and have just recently got it set up in the shop. I went ahead and put the power box under the end of the slider pointing to the operator. It works just fine. When I'm not using the slider it's just a little bit to the left of the original location and when you're using the slider you'll trip it if you're not careful. ...and there are pre-drilled holes for it there and they are even tapped.

[@harryshaw4998]

I had the same problem with my Harvey Alpha saw. But my saw when it was delivered had scratch's and dings on it, as well as the miter gauge. Harvey was very helpful to render a solution

[@Renrondog]

Thanks for the heads up. I won't make the same mistake. Sorry you did. I have a Harvey sitting on a pallet in my garage waiting for our house to be built. :) Bought it during a good sale price. On my last saw (A 1956 Unisaw) I built my own Biesemeyer style fence and used a magnet on the friction arm that locks the fence on the front rail. It worked perfectly. I found when I removed and then reinstalled the fence that the "tongue" would drop down and scratch the rail exactly like yours did. Once the magnet was installed it never happened again.

[@anthonyeaton778]

I did the same exact thing to my rail the first time I put my fence on the table saw. I put a giant 6" scratch in my front rail because that stupid fence clamp tab was in the wrong position. I was so pissed!

[@WarrenS1111]

Believe it or not CHARCOAL LIGHTER FLUID is the best rubber based glue remover. I've been amazed at how well it works. I discovered it when reading cleanup instructions on an old can of Armstrong Rubber based glue for vinyl flooring tile.

[@briangivens5876]

I was able to remove the adhesive by rolling the adhesive up with my thumbs.

[@jimfeaster4837]

Lacquer thinner will take off that goop

[@brandonperez2267]

Lemon essential oil is great at removing sticker residue.

[@qapla]

I have the Harvey ALPHA HW110LC-36P 10" 2HP Cabinet Table Saw. It is a good saw and does what I ask of it. I did not have the issues with setting it up that it seems some did - of course I made sure the underside of the rip fence was ready for installation before I placed it ... but then, I also have a Delta saw with a Biesemeyer fence so I already knew to take care mounting it. I do not have the sliding table but, since my saw came with instructions to mount the switch on the rail of the saw, I would not have thought of mounting it under a table if I had one. I have experienced the large mouth of the blade insert and have had to clean some wood pieces out of the blade area. I plan to make some zero clearance inserts out of HDPE Nice review and I hope your saw serves you well. BTW - is Laguna not available in Canada?

[@brand0nn]

Thanks for the review. Im looking to get one in the coming months.

[@55stanmc]

I just ordered the Harvey turbo T60S 24/48 lathe. I hope it lives up to the hype…

[@jimfeaster4837]

Great review!

[@northernhumidor5615]

Looks very similar to the king 26fxt with the lesson motor I have. Nice to know they have a larger hp variant.

[@Bryanthecellphoneguy]

There are a couple of significant differences between the two. First is the table size. The Harvey has a cast iron table that is 31.5 x 44 inches. The King is only 27 inches. The trunion system is also completely different. Harvey calls this a Dovetail mount. It means that the typical rack and pinion gears that the King has have been replaced by a sliding dovetail mechanism. The blades comes straight up out of the table, sliding on a steel dovetail system. I also find the fit and finish to be a higher quality on the Harvey. The extra horse power comes in very handy as i regularly cut 12/4 Hard Maple. The King is a good saw, the Harvey is a great saw.

[@unclebob8746]

Also easier for Harvey to include an addendum to their assembly instructions to make sure the paddle is in a vertical position when installing the fence. I had same issue. Quite frankly, pissed me off considering this is supposed to be a premium TS.

[@donlowrey2649]

Maybe you didn't read the assembly instructions. It IS in the instructions that came with my saw.

[@daveburgess3200]

What are your thoughts of adding an Incra fence system to this saw? I am impressed with the Incra system for all it adds to versatility and repeatability to any saw. I have a Delta Cabinet saw and have considered purchasing a Harvey. Having said that when I contacted Harvey and asked if they would sell their saw without the fence an rails they refused.

[@jbcustomwoodworking4155]

The fence and rails setup that comes with the Harvey is as good as any I have ever owned. Incra makes a decent one as well but I dont think it would be enough of a difference to justfy the cost

[@ptblazak]

According to the Instructions to mount the sliding table Harvey says remove the left wing. Did you have to drill holes in the left wing to mount your sliding table?

[@jbcustomwoodworking4155]

Hi Paul, I drilled three holes and used 8 mm by 30 bolts. I could have tapped the holes I drilled but it didn't seem necessary. I actually spoke to Harvey customer service and they said that they didn't recommend bot the slider and the wing because they felt it would be too hard to get all 6 pieces (slider, wing table, wing both composite extension) coplanar. I used an 6 foot level and didn't have any issues. I drilled the hole slightly oversize so there was a little wiggle room . I have run this setup up now for a coupe of months an d had no issues. There is a more detailed explanation in one of the videos.

[@valeryezirmi2334]

Essayez l’acétone. Cela retire toute trace de colle. Merci pour le retour d’expérience !!!!

[@Bryanthecellphoneguy]

Merci pour la suggestion.

[@waynetownsend9002]

Bought my saw from Harvey a months ago. User it for the first time Tuesday and Thursday there was a rumbling sound when the brake is applied. Sounds like a marble rolling. It’s not consistent tho. Sometimes 2 rolls and another time 4 or 5 rolls. Have you ever experience that.

[@classic_sport_videos]

Use kerosine or gas fuel to remove the tape residue. Just put enough to soak the gunk, wait at least 1 minute then wipe with a rag. Repeat if needed

[@charlesduncanmckinley920]

Try WD-40 and a heavy cotton rag to remove the leftover adhesive.

[@Stevenzc85]

3m adhesive remover. I do upholstery for a living and I use this and this will remove anything!

[@RayZde]

I put packing tape over the measure tape temporarily and plan to get magnetic tape instead.

[@jackspeer2127]

Tenoning jig. guess there is no industry standard for slot spacing. I think saw mfrs should meet and decide on a standard cause like you said. If Harvey has a problem with it, many others will too. And while they are at it, they should make standards for many other measurements that are not standard.

[@RobyWanKenobi]

At least you could raise your saw. I am 5' 4" and no company makes a saw that is a comfortable height. This is the shortest I have found. When raising it did you notice anyway to lower it. Thinking the only way I will be comfortable is with major modifications.

[@jbcustomwoodworking4155]

What about doing it the other way around. If you can't lower the saw why not raise the floor? If you built a platform to stand on that was made from 2 x 6 with deck boards that would give you the same height differential that I have now that mine is raised.

[@RobyWanKenobi]

@@jbcustomwoodworking4155 appreciate the thought but I am in a 2 car garage. I have done some mock ups and anything big enough that I don't worry about stepping off during cuts on bigger boards becomes a trip hazard when using workbench or miter saw.

[@foodparadise5792]

@@RobyWanKenobi Wear 4 inch boots...😆😆😆

[@RobyWanKenobi]

@@foodparadise5792 I would then need a hair bun.

[@victoryak86]

Possibly a platform as discussed but have the edges eased as in a slight “ramp”. Thinking about it though I can see it still being a potential issue when using the other tools. At least might mitigate the tripping hazard. Hope you find a good solution.

[@chrisvanderwielen1530]

I did the same with my front rail as well... very frustrating, they need to do something with the default settings on the fence, so it doesn't mar the saw during setup. Also, I had to replace my tape as well... I used a plastic putty scraper to remove as much of the glue as possible, then polished off the remaining residue with Goo Gone.

[@Bryanthecellphoneguy]

Now that I have rounded the edges of the flap, the risk is gone. I think this is something that Harvey should do as part of the manufacturing process. Other than that I am very happy with the saw

[@richardlug6139]

They should have at the very least taped it against the mechanism so it could not flop down and had a warning sticker attached, besides grinding the edges smooth as he did in the video.

[@jackspeer2127]

zero clearance tape. Why double sided? wont the sticky side facing up snag your workpiece, keeping it from sliding smoothly across the table and throatplate??

[@richardlug6139]

I doubt if it is double sided I think he mis spoked.

[@FHGWoodworking]

Use some white spirits on the glue. Meths might work too? A bit of car polish and a good buff should get rid of most of the scratch.

[@jbcustomwoodworking4155]

Thanks Nick. The first scratch always hurts the most.

[@velkepotoky5063]

@@jbcustomwoodworking4155 Do not worry about this, the best remedy is a nail polish remover (the way women wash off old nail polish from their nails), it will not affect the paint 😊

[@alessandrosuppini943]

Try Methylated Spirit for removing the glue using a microfibre cloth and a lot of patience 😉

[@Bryanthecellphoneguy]

Thanks. It took a lot of effort but I finally manged to get it off.

[@monteglover4133]

As for the goo try WD40 er equivalent to soften and devolve it then break cleaner to finish cleaning.

[@santhinyprato4180]

You can take it out with mineral spirits

[@AdamKirbyMusic]

Hah, I bought this table saw last year and have the exact same scratch in the rail for the same reason.

[@MarkSWilliams27]

You can easily make your own zero clearance throat plates using that nice saw.

[@55stanmc]

I have several zero clearance inserts made for different job configurations made out of wood. They have worked fine for years.

[@catagoryv]

Does your saw have a motor break? I just got mine and when I hit the off switch as it's spinning down it makes a shuddering sound as if maybe a brake was engaging, but it doesn't stop the blade completely as it continues to spin for a few seconds. I was wondering if this was normal or if I need to contact Harvey about it. I didn't see anything in the manual about a brake and even if it was a brake it's not a very smooth one.

[@jbcustomwoodworking4155]

Hi. When I turn mine off it takes about three seconds and I hear a change in the pitch of the motor. It takes about 8 second to stop coasting. There is a rule in Europe that blades must stop spinning in 10 seconds and that is why Dado blades aren't used there. Too much inertia to stop within the required time. My old 5 HP General also had the pitch change and 8 second spin time so I think this is to be considered normal.

[@jonathand5883]

@catagoryv mine has that sound as well. I didn’t really think anything of it until I saw a few other people mention it. Some said the belt was maybe lose. If checked mine and it was as tight as it could be. I think it’s normal and just of the motor break engaging.

[@fifi23o5]

@@jbcustomwoodworking4155 Actually, we do use dado blades in Europe. There were a lot of misinformation that started some years ago in US, stating dado blades were banned in Europe. That was never the case. However, there are regulations about table saws, blade must stop in 10 seconds and has to be protected. There are problems with the older saws, but newer ones mostly have an efficient brake, including Harvey. A friend of mine has one for over a year now with zero issues, including the use of dado blades, I've used it myself. In the near future I intend to buy a table saw myself and Harvey is at the top of my list, especially getting feedback from my friend and being able to test it myself.

[@jbcustomwoodworking4155]

@@fifi23o5 Thanks for the update. I appreciate it.

[@chrisvanderwielen1530]

@@fifi23o5 From what I understood, it wasn't even a "ban", per say, but something to do with insurance not wanting to cover injuries caused by them? I thought I heard that mentioned in another video...

[@djtripllexx]

Penatrating oil works for removing glue off steel

[@MrBAchompBAchomp]

Got the alpha a month or so ago. Couple weeks later the miter gauge came in and so far I'm extremely disappointed with the gauge and the customer service. I have a video on my page. I also scratched my front rail like that lol

[@alejandronebeeman3705]

Only drawback I can find is mobile base other than that…lol yeah I bought one ☝️

[@stuartjones7903]

Isopropyl Alcohol may remove it as the paint would be enamel so it snot going to get that off

[@johnalligood7150]

Man I did the same exact things with mine. If we would have installed the gaud properly in the beginning it wouldn't have scratched I presumed.

[@Cpt_Adama]

Try lighter fluid or naphtha to take off the glue.

[@santoni58]

Use WD40 to remove the glue, it may work.

[@golucent]

Acetone

[@p2krazee]

90% or better isopropol alcohol will remove that glue...

[@jonw3408]

I ordered the slider. It was in stock when I ordered it, but shortly after the availability date was moved to Mach 31. Now it's moved to April 28. I emailed and called, but got no response. What's up with these guys? Guess I'll have to file a claim with my bank.

[@fb510m]

angle grinder will take care of it

[@HarryVonhoene]

use wd40 for glue removal

[@igorkovalivskyi2834]

to clean try brake cleaner

[@bowhunteraden]

Try turpentine for the goop

[@donlowrey2649]

I have Alpha 3hp 36in saw. It has been great for me, but I think you missed somethings in your video. About your complaints: The sharp metal tag on the rip fence scratching the rail. No sympathy here because this issue is expressly called out in the assembly instructions. The jig that doesn't work because of the depth of the saw. This is an advertised feature; the cast iron top is bigger by several inches than the competitors. Cheers.

[@marksmith4627]

We're guys, we don't need no stinking instructions! 🤣🤣

[@garymiceli7321]

powermatic is the king still

[@robertsmith3518]

Sadly, the same 6 year old kids build them both ,

[@jimfeaster4837]

This video... is why I don't buy the harvey one of the Best reviews !

[@Renrondog]

Because of user error? Then you should definitely purchase a saw stop