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Thread: MK3 Variations
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21st July 2017, 01:00 AM #1
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MK3 Variations
I inherited a Triton MK3 Workcentre from my father (Workstation with saw table, router table and extension table). The circular saw itself was missing.
When I mounted my own Metabo 185mm saw I found that the cross members of the diecast alloy saw chassis were bent as if they'd sagged under the weight of the previous saw (in the table saw position). This seems to be the type described as the "original" slide chassis, not the beefier "upgraded" one. So I bent them straight (clamps, blocks, straight edge and feeler gauges) and reinforced them with aluminium bar attached with epoxy.
After fitting the Metabo saw all seemed well until I found that the table was warped (the surface to the left of the saw blade is a couple of millimeters lower than the surface on the right) so rip cuts in small stock aren't reliably square.
So I managed to acquire another MK3 with a reasonably flat saw table, thinking I could just swap the two tables. But when I tried this I discovered (a) that the underside of the "new" table doesn't have the lugs to engage the locating notches in the "old" slide chassis and (b) that when I lower the table onto the workstation the under surface of the table fouls the top of the slide chassis so the locking pins won't go in unless I press the end of the table down hard enough to flex it, which is presumably putting an unfair strain on the chassis.
The sliding chassis on the "new" workcentre is a type I can't find any mention of online. Unlike either the "original" or the "upgraded", it's a simple tray made of 16 gauge steel with an aperture for the saw blade.
WP_20170720_001.jpg
There are four roughly drilled holes which had clamps to hold a saw. I'd have to drill new holes to suite the dimensions of the Metabo baseplate, but even then there's nothing to provide a positive fore and aft location for the saw. The tray is not very rigid. Its four sides are simply folded up, not welded in the corners, and there is no other stiffening except a 3mm pressed flange around the aperture for the saw blade. The Metabo saw is very heavy and I'm not sure I can count on the thin steel tray to hold it rigidly enough.
Does anyone know where this sliding chassis comes from? Is it a genuine Triton item, and is it stiff enough for its job - or was it an unsatisfactory design from early production? I'm hoping to get a bit of use out of this workcentre although eventually I'm pretty sure I'll have to shell out for a decent table saw.
TIA,
John
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21st July 2017, 11:39 AM #2
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Is it home made? It would be relatively easy to get a sheet metal place to make one of those, a few guillotine cuts to size and four folds, weld corners etc. I haven't seen mine for so long I can't remember the details now, I lent it to a mate for home renos as he was broke and struggling with the job.
CHRIS
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21st July 2017, 01:50 PM #3
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Hi Chris, thanks for the response. It seems half and half factory and home. The flange round the aperture for the saw blade gives all the appearance of having been made by a press and die rather than by hand. Likewise the one round the smaller hole (near the far right corner in my photo. Ditto the general finish and powdercoat or epoxy paint suggests a professional job. On the other hand the holes for clamping down the saw are clearly home-drilled (drilled after the coating, 1/4 inch diameter instead of clearance for the 1/4 inch clamping screws, and the sharp edges where the drill broke through were not cleaned up.
I could make a better one tailored to the Metabo saw, but am hoping that someone here would have experience with this pattern of sliding chassis and could advise whether it's satisfactory in practice.
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21st July 2017, 03:52 PM #4
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Having watched a bit of this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=je5Sc42FA1U from about 20 minutes in it looks like the original plate.
Then I watched this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8EWzG7vJ8Y and the slide is what I remember on mine so there must have been two versions. You can see the slide at 2:16 into the video.CHRIS
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21st July 2017, 04:51 PM #5
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Yes, that's the one. Mine's just like that, complete with semicircular dust guard and the requirement to drill your own holes to suit your saw.
I wonder if this was changed for the "new series" die-cast chassis because it wasn't rigid enough, or because the setup was too complicated? Anyway, I'll give it a go: watch the video to understand the saw position, drill my own holes, and maybe reinforce the chassis a little to stiffen it.
I've got a big sliding compound mitre saw so I'll never use the Triton in crosscut mode. That means I can optimise the setup for table saw mode.
Thank you very much for finding the videos.
John
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