# Hawk 226VS Ultra Modifications Question



## octoolguy (Apr 20, 2018)

Hi all, I'm pretty new to this site and I'm having a hard time navigation so if I am putting this in the wrong place, please move it and let me know where it went to.

I have a "new" "used" Hawk 226VS Ultra. It is in almost new condition and so far I like it. But my main complaint is that it's too tall for me to sit comfortably at on a tall stool and use my footswitch. I also have an EX21 that I built a wood stand for so I can sit at it in an old office chair. My question is, have any of you folks ever seen or made a custom stand for a Hawk saw? I know that it is integrated into the main upper housing so whatever I do I will have to incorporate it. I know that Bushton has a wheelchair leg set but at $230 that is almost what I gave for the saw. So that is out. But, I'd love to get just the 4 legs that come with that setup. Do any of you have any suggestions as to what I can/should do to get my saw down to the same height that my EX is? I'd welcome any and all advice as long as it is productive. Thanks in advance.

Ray


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

I've got a 220 VS Ultra, and I imagine the stands are fairly similar, if not identical. What about shortening the legs, not at the bottom, but the top. You have to mark and re-drill the holes for the bolts but it looks to me like it would do it. Alternatively, You could cut the bottom few inches off, and then bolt that to the upper section sliding the piece up the leg (geez, did that make sense?).


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## octoolguy (Apr 20, 2018)

Thanks Fred. I have thought about that but I hesitate to cut them. If I had access to a power hack saw, I might do it but to do it with a hand saw would be daunting at my age. I did contact Bushton and asked/suggested that they sell an accessory set of legs. I can't possibly be the only person who hates how tall the saw is. I'll figure something out.


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

They are pretty stiff metal, I'd probably use a grinder with a cutoff wheel, or possibly a recip saw.


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## PaulDoug (Sep 26, 2013)

Build a little platform for you foot switch to sit on. I have one for my scroll saw, built a little platform the height I needed and stuck the foot switch to it with double sided tape. Been using it for several years that way.


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## WoodES (Oct 8, 2013)

A footstool for the saw will work…

Add a recliner and you're all set…


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## octoolguy (Apr 20, 2018)

Thanks for all your suggestions. What I hate the most is the height of this saw. I am going to either cut the legs or build some sort of stand that will accommodate the framework of the saw. I was hoping someone had already gone through it and would have suggestions. I hate to cut the factory legs. I contacted Bushton but they were no help at all. I even asked if I could buy the legs from a wheelchair set but they declined that too. Not good folks to work with. If it were my company, I'd be bending over backwards to keep folks happy and add things to the product line. But, RBI, Hawk and now Bushton have not done the right things to grow their company. SAD!


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## Finn (May 26, 2010)

I had the same issue and I just cut the legs off a few inches on my Hegner stand. (I used my porta-band saw)


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## octoolguy (Apr 20, 2018)

Thanks Jim, I may do just the same.


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## octoolguy (Apr 20, 2018)

> A footstool for the saw will work…
> 
> Add a recliner and you re all set…
> I see that Harbor Freight has come out with a neat little folding stool that looks like it might be just right for my foot switch and allow me to use my tall shop stool. That may be the answer. I'll keep ya'll posted on how it works out. Thanks to all for your help so far.
> ...


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## runswithscissors (Nov 8, 2012)

An angle grinder with a 1/16" cutoff blade is by far the easiest way to do this. If you don't have an angle grinder, you can get a cheap one at HF for as little as $15. And there are accessory blades, such as sanding disks and carbide imbedded wood sculpting blades that make them useful in wood working too. Think of a high powered wood rasp.

These things make the old hacksaw obsolete. And good riddance, I say.


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## octoolguy (Apr 20, 2018)

Thanks for that suggestion. I don't know why I didn't thnk of it. I bought one of those cheapie grinders a long time back and a package of cutoff wheels but I've never used it so I forgot that I even had it. I'll do just that. I have begged Bushton to sell just the short legs from their wheelchair setup but they just ignore me. I guess they have too much to do with their farming to take care of their Hawk customers. I'm really not impressed with them at all.



> An angle grinder with a 1/16" cutoff blade is by far the easiest way to do this. If you don t have an angle grinder, you can get a cheap one at HF for as little as $15. And there are accessory blades, such as sanding disks and carbide imbedded wood sculpting blades that make them useful in wood working too. Think of a high powered wood rasp.
> 
> These things make the old hacksaw obsolete. And good riddance, I say.
> 
> - runswithscissors


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