elect. table saw adjustment

[fixerupper]

my crapsman table saw has the blade tilt crank underneath on the right side and the depth adjustment crank on the front, like most saws.


cranking them was a real pain,literally when the shoulder was on the bum, so i was dreaming about putting a slow, low powered gear reduction motor in each crank. looks like it would be super simple to do. have any of you guys done this? if so what did you use for motors? i would think this would be an available option on the high end commercial saws.

this was an idea i had running around in my mind even before the shoulder gave up the ghost, but it sounds even more attractive now. whatta ya think? jim

 

[thurlow]

Have never seen it and don't know why it wouldn't work, but...........almost assuredly the problem is all the sawdust, sap, etc. in/on the treads; clean'em up and go back to turning easily.

 

[Dave Sherburne NY]

I had a Craftsman table saw given to me by a guy who
spent winters in the south. The part that the arbor pivots on was almost completely set up. I had a real hard time getting it apart, but when I did, I just cleaned the shaft up real good, cleaned the piece it went in, lubed it and it cranks real easy now. If yours is still moveable, it would probrobly come apart a lot easier.

 

[fixerupper]

that's the main reason i would want low powered motors, so nothing will get hurt if i get a little lax about cleaning the moving parts.

i'll probably have to figure out how many inch pounds of torque is needed. how's 90 RPM sound for speed? then i get to thinking about limit switches. isn't there some kind of a torque-limiter that kicks the motor out if it goes above a certain limit? this would protect it when the top or bottom are hit.jim

 

[Davy Fireball]

can you just put a big nut on it and use a cordless drill that way you can use any speed you want and still be safe

 

[fixerupper]

i could do that too. the tilt crank would be a challenge cause the table extension and cabinet under it would interfere unless a right angle gear box was used and pointed toward the front but it sounds feasable. jim

 

[Anonymous-0]

Once you clean and oil it you can turn it with your little finger. We use a (spray) teflon or silicone on our sears. They are no different than anything else that needs attention.

A cheap battery powered drill seems like the simplest on the end of the shaft other than some of the chucks come loose when operating in reverse and alot of vibration. I don't see how you could do it any better or cheaper.

The only other thing that comes to mind is a air powered butterfly impact on each with low air pressure. Either case I would certianly have two units so you do not have to chuck them up each time.

Also remember when the flexable shafts were the big thing? Perhaps extended out to a better location?

You may also get some ideas from a handicap web page.

 

[Bud in FLA]

I used a 1/2" pipe nipple with a set screw to secure it to the shaft end that the original handle fitted on. Then I stuck a hex head plug in the other end of the nipple so I can use a 3/8" pnumatic ratchet wrench on it.
I also keep the threaded shaft lubed with silicon or bee's wax - something the saw dust won't stick to.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Take your shopping list for low speed motors over to Surpluscenter.com, they got loads of them. You could also attach a baby power feed off of a mini milling machine, variable speed, reversible, plenty of torque.

 

[Anonymous-0]

You will never get precise settings, the motor will coast past the setting.

 

[fixerupper]

yeah, i was thinking about that too. it'd be really slick to just push a button, but the coasting might be a factor. a cordless drill does stop quick.jim

 

[Anonymous-0]

Electric gearmotors stop pretty quick due to internal friction in the gear drive, its not a deal killer.

 

[Bill in IL]

Lubricate the acme screws with paste wax. Use a steel wool to apply and help knock down the rust. That should help you out a lot. It won't attract the dust like oil will cause dust will just jam up the screw again.