I paid 199.00 for a brand new Craftsman radial arm saw and just 33 years later it’s giving me a problem! After some normal use today, I pulled the switch and the blade slowly rocked back and forth. I took the blade and guard off and each time I pulled the switch it ran very slowly, one time forward and then in reverse. After a few repetitions of this, it would kick the thermal protector.
The thought of pushing the old girl into the scrap bin makes me sad and besides that, she’s really locked into the chip collector and board supports in my shop. I need her for crosscutting long stock.
I have the owners manual ( Model No. 113.29461) and wouldn’t be afraid to do some minor surgery. Can someone help?
Replies
Chances are it was made by Emerson Electric, they have a recall going on for many of their RAS (it's been going on for a while). Some of the units require you to send the motor back. Perhaps yours is one that has to be shipped back and you could possibly get a new motor for it...
Worth looking into
Visit: a href=http://www.radialarmsawrecall.com target=_blankhttp://www.radialarmsawrecall.com/a/
Mark
Aloha,
I would suspect that you have either a starting capacitor or centrifugal switch problem. The centrifugal switch is closed when the motor is stopped, then opens and disconnects the capacitor when the motor gets up to speed. It may be that the switch is dirty or that it is hung up on the shaft. Use caution when cleaning the contacts on the switch if dirty, no sandpaper! Burnish with some stiff paper like a postcard. The motor must be dis-assembled to get at it. If it looks like it is ok then the capacitor must be replaced.
Parts can usually be obtained from Sears at their website.
Hi Ian... Just a few things to check... First, be sure all electric connections (socket, plug, switch and at motor are tight. Second, bypass the switch to see if it is faulty. Third, plug into another outlet just to see if the voltage feed to the outlet is bad. Does the motor have one or two external starting capacitors. It sounds like one or both finally gave up. Does the motor have brushes??? one or both may be worn out. That is an easy repair. and finally, when all else fails, take the unit to a motor shop and let them check it out. SawdustSteve
Unplug, on the right hand end of the motor slide a skinny screw driver between the cooling slots and push the weights back where they should be! plug in and get cutting.
Call your local electric motor repair shop and see about a rebuild. In my experience when a motor will run in either direction it's fried!
33 years is a pretty good run. Probably cost more to rebuild than you paid for if but it might last another 33 years.
Edited 8/26/2005 10:50 am ET by RickL
I checked the Emerson recall and mine's not included. Checked Sears parts and the motor isn't available. Tried pushing the weights with a screwdriver but don't feel anything to push and I don't see anything on the diagram that looks like a weight.
Looks like the next step is to find a motor shop. Thanks to everyone for the suggestions.
Ian
I paid 199.00 for a brand new Craftsman radial arm saw and just 33 years later it's giving me a problem! LOL LOL LOL.. I loved this post...
I have one of those... My son-In-Law uses it now to cut metal!..
I think it was 12".. Not sure.. Dang thing still works..
If you really love your saw.. Take the motor assembly to a 'good' motor re-winding place and ask them for a opinion and the cost!
Will, Guess I am strangely attached to the saw. My father-in-law ( long since deceased) and I went in on it together in 1972. I called some motor shops this morning, first quote was $300 for a re-wind. Some shops weren't particularly helpful, bigger fish to fry I suppose. Finally one guy said bring it in and he'd check the capacitor, relay switch,etc and see if it needed to be rebuilt. Will find out next week.
Unless you just want to go to all the trouble to take the motor to the shop I would pull the Capacitor off and take it to the motor shop and get a replacment.
If all else fails I have a spare motor off the 2nd RAS I picked up to combind parts to build one saw. what's the modle # of the saw?
Marsh
Ian, starting capacitor...... easy fix. Open the motor and blow off the starter switch also. You'll get another 33 out of it. aloha
Unplug the saw from any power source.
Open the box attached to the motor and you will find a capacitor and relay assembly inside. Clean the interior of the box with compressed air, if you have a compressor. If not, carefully vacuum out all sawdust and other debris. Be carefull not to bend or distort the relay contacts. Finally, carefully burnish the contacts of the relay and clean out any resultant dust. Reseal the box, plug it in and your RAC should work like a charm.
Good luck!
As much as I hate "me too" posts, this one warrants it, since you aluded to RIP status. Blow out the centrifugal switch with compressed air, clean the contacts (and relay, if it has one - I'm not familiar with this particular motor), and if it still doesn't start properly, replace the capacitor. 90% of motors that exhibit these symptoms (WAG) are fixed with compressed air and/or replacement of the start capacitor. The motor doesn't know which way to run because the start circuit isn't giving it a push in the right (or any) direction.
Don't keep trying to start it. You're baking the windings.Be seeing you...
Wish I'd seen the last few posts before I took the saw in. I did carefully vacuum it out beforehand but the problem remained. Not sure what the repairman did but it's fixed. Cost me $75. Wish now I'd tried changing the capacitor first.
Call the repair shop, and ask them what they did, just for your own edification. That way you'll know what to do if (when) it happens again.
Glad your saw is back on the job.Be seeing you...
I'll do that. I discovered that a friend worked very near the motor shop, a 40 mile drive for me. He gladly dropped it off and picked it up, saving me the gas and city driving. Normally I'd have been more involved.
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