Help needed with dead table saw!

[BigRed]

Hi all,

My saw (MBS250) suddenly stopped working yesterday. I turn on the switch and the lights flicker (same circuit at present) and the saw *tries* to start, but only turns a couple of mm. I took off the cover of the little box on the side of the motor and found it full of sawdust (it's a second hand saw I just recently got) so I cleaned that out, but no joy. I am thinking it may be the big capacitor that is in the little box I cleared out, but am not too sure. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? My plan was to see if I could get another capacitor and replcae that as everything else seems fine. I assume this is what the capacitor does - builds up enough charge to kick the saw into life. The blade/belt spins quite freely, so nothing is seized. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Regards

Andrew

[ozwinner]

Hi
Sounds like the capictor, take it out and check it, but be careful they still bite even when removed from the power.
Trust me I know.
The cap will either be, smelly, oozy, bulgy, or melty............mmmmm, melty.
Or maybe all three, or even four.

If its not the cap, it could be the centrifical switch in the top of the motor, it has points in it, take it out and clean the points.

Cheers, Al :)

[Barry_White]

One other thing it could be the brushes worn out.

[kenmil]

Originally posted by BigRed
Hi all,

The blade/belt spins quite freely, so nothing is seized.



That sounds odd to me. My blade won't spin at all, due to the resistance of the motor when stopped.

[Paul O'H. Ingersoll Canad]

Andrew
Try blowing or vacuming the motor. It is usually dust in the starting switch. I have had to take the belt off, wrap a small rope around the pulley and start the motor with a quick pull on the rope. Once the motor is going I use the shop vac to clean it out.
paul

[ozwinner]

Originally posted by kenmil
That sounds odd to me. My blade won't spin at all, due to the resistance of the motor when stopped.

Hi Ken

If you machine is a newer one it may have a brake fitted, motors should spin freely unless there is something resistence stoping it.


Cheers, Allan

[kenmil]

Alan,

Yes, it is about a year old (Jet). What you say makes sense, thanks.

[BigRed]

Thanks to all you helped me - the saw is now going. It looks like it was sawdust in the centrifugal switch. The capacitor looked fine, so I did some more dismantling and cleaning and it started up again. It was incredible how much sawdust was packed in there, and the fact that it actually DID get in too. Many thanks!