Table saw restoration

**wjcoll** · 19th December 2003, 07:59 PM

G'day all,

I'm hoping someone out there can give me some advice.

Several years ago I was given an old saw table (a contractor's saw actually). It once fell off the back of a truck (literally !) and the motor mounting and alignment mechanism had to be repaired (welded) to get it operating again.

Unfortunately, the repair job was a bit less than perfect and the blade does not run true with the mitre slide slots.

It's a really solid old machine though and I'd like to try and get it back into an acurate state.

The first thing I want to do is have the table top re-machined so that it's perfectly flat as at the moment it's showing signs of a hard life. I also want to have a larger recess milled into the top to accomodate an insert that surrounds the blade rather than simply butting next to it. I don't know if that's very clear, but....

What I'd really like is someone's recommendation of who in Brisbane would be the best person to take it to to have this done. Someone who won't screw it up or charge an arm and a leg as well.

Thanks, I hope someone can help.

**gatiep** · 20th December 2003, 03:22 AM

I just wonder if the bread is worth the gravy you are going to pour over it! A costly excercise for a contractors saw....investigate the price of a new one and get a fixed quote to repair. Then only you can decide what you want to do.

Cya
Joe

**derekcohen** · 20th December 2003, 04:13 AM

Joe has a valid point about the cost of restoration. Old tools really only acquire bargain status when their on-the-road costs are a fraction of the replacement value. So it pays to be able to restore tools/machinery yourself.

That said, it appears to me that the main area that needs to be repaired is the blade-fence alignment. This is usually a relatively simple matter on most tablesaws, especially contractor-type saws. Of course it helps if yours is constructed like mine.

What you need to do is align the mitre slots in the iron top with the blade. I suspect that the fall off the truck probably knocked it out of alignment. I do not think that the angle of the motor mount would make much difference to the quality of the cut (other than wearing out belts more frequently).

The top is held on to the frame with 4 screws (look underneath). Once loosened, you can use a rubber mallet to tap the plate into place. There are many magazine and, no doubt, internet articles on this procedure to guide you further (too much detail to include here).

Perhaps if you post a picture of your current blade insert we may be able to give you ideas on what you can do yourself to improve the situation. It need not cost you the services of a machinist.

Do you REALLY need to regrind the top of your tablesaw? Is it warped or just scratched and worn in places? Unless it is seriously out of level in the area between the mitre slots (that flank the blade) I would not bother to do more than wire brush it and then wax.

Regards from Perth

Derek

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