Modification to HD-77 Skilsaw

[Model 12]

A few years back, I came by this HD77 Skilsaw Made In USA.
Even close up she sure looked almost new. She ran just fine. But the plug had been severely tampered with, so the factory 8 foot cord needed replacing right away. This proved to be fortuitous, seeing as what I found inside.
The field wires were burned from the switch, back a ways towards where they disappeared into the housing. What had been plastic covering was like wet black paint.
The switch itself caught my eye. I thought those wires and the ones from the cord were hooked up wrong. But then I realized this was an Eaton switch.

The trigger switch originally installed at the factory for the HD77 was an Eaton type. The HD77 was manufactured up till 2007. In 2009 this Eaton switch became an obsolete part. It was updated with a new OEM Marquardt type.
The saw sounded real good in spite of them burned wires. The switch was obviously working and multi-meter said it was.
For whatever reason, I figured someone rewired the factory original switch wrong and fried it. Then they replaced it with this after-market thing, but wired it correctly. They left the melted wires as they were.
I remain curious all the same. If anyone proficient at this sort of thing has a grasp of what the cause was, I'd like to hear from them.

Anyway, I cut those bad wires were they were OK. Used spade connectors and some 14 gauge wire. Wrapped with that red tape. Then wired up an OEM Marquardt switch and a 15 foot 12 gauge cord.
Of course the oil got changed. Toyota 85W - 90 Gear Oil.
The metal slot of the shoe, where there is a hole for the fence retaining screw is terribly thin.Skil provided this screw; including a spring to to fit on it. This spring is intended to compensate for the thin metal and lack of threads, I reckon.
Yes, I actually saved the darn thing. I wonder if the designers of this thing didn't laugh to themselves. The only use this screw set up is good for is filling that hole. The rip fence don't stay where it should.
So I sized the retention screw hole up to 5mm threaded.
TIG Welded a SS M5 nut on top.
This M5 SS wing bolt holds the fence tight. I often use this one with 2 X 4 bolted to it when I'm ripping boards.

[p_toad]

"Skil provided this screw; including a spring to to fit on it"

wow, nice get.   don't know the difference in the switches, but if it works...

[Model 12]

Well, I'll tell ya, if you're referring to the difference between an Eaton and a Marquardt, here's some pictures. 1st one is the Eaton with the 1 & 3 at one end and the 2 & 4 at the other. You can hook up the cord at either end and same goes for the motor wires. But they each got their own end.
The Marquardt is the 2nd picture and the cord wires get their own side; 1 &2 or they could grab 3 & 4, as long as the cord and the motor stay on their side.
For me it's easy to remember these. Eaton is some distinguished university in England . E as in End.