I have an 80’s vintage Craftsman contractors saw that is giving me alignment woes. I got the blade set parallel to the miter slot at 90°. I then went through the process of shimming the trunnions so that it was parallel at 45°. After a couple hours of work the blade was within .001″ at both settings. I’m thinking this is going to cut great now…but there’s one more problem.
I did all my adjustments with the blade height set to about the middle. If the blade height is changed from this point the alignment goes way out again (by 0.020″ or more). Changing the height back brings the alignment back in. So as long as I do all my cutting at a mid height everything works fine.
I’m wondering if anyone has seen this problem and what to do about it. I’m curious whether this is an inherant problem with these saws or I have something damaged or bent.
Replies
Do you have any idea of how much your saw was used before you got it? It's possible that your blade adjustment mechanisms are worn - or were damaged by misuse at some point.
I have a mid-80's Craftsman that I got almost new from a neighbor who rarely used it. A few years ago, I spent a couple of days dialing it in (upgraded fence, machined pullys, link-style drive belt, etc) and it worked great.
Now that I'm using almost daily, however, I'm beginning to have some small problems. I'm planning another tear-down after Xmas and may decide that it's time to upgrade.
The saw was in rough shape when I got it several years ago. Looking back, I probably should have passed on this saw and waited for something better to come along. I've replaced the fence, upgraded to machined pulleys, link belt and cleaned and adjusted everything as best as I could. A couple of years ago I replaced the arbor assembly, including the sector gear. It runs much smoother now and actually cuts pretty well as long I don't change the blade height. It's good to hear that your saw has performed well. Maybe there is a chance for mine.
I'm just concerned that there may be an alignment problem with the cast iron pieces that support the blade. If the pivot for the sector gear is not parallel with the arbor, I think this could cause my problem. There doesn't seem to be any way to shim or adjust this assembly.
Something to keep in mind here is that you'll never make a Craftsman TS into a Unisaw. Those Craftsman saws are pretty decent and most woodworkers got their start on one, but you can only take them so far.
If you're into restoring an old saw, go for it. If you're trying to get a good saw for your shop, you might be better off buying a new one - lol.
I'll have to agree with dave45 on this one... I've been through three craftsman saws, 2 inherited and one new, and I'll never but a craftsman product again unless it's wrenchs. Every one of the things has problems. Save yourself the grief and get a unisaw or similar that will work at whatever blade height you want it to.
Whoa, Blake -
I didn't condem Craftsman table saws. For what they're designed for, they're pretty good. They've never pretended to be a professional grade cabinet saw, but they can do ok if you treat them right.
Most people who bought one never really went thru the setup process very well. They just drug them out of the box, bolted things together, and started cutting. Lots of those old saws got shoved into a corner and were condemed as a POS because some moron didn't set them up right. I have one of those. - lol
When I got it from my neighbor 20 years ago, he told me that it wasn't worth messing with but I could have it if I really wanted it. I put in the garage and immediately reassembled it - reading every page of the instructions - and fixing his numerous screwups. He was a little miffed when I used it to make new kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities. He was blown away eight years ago when I did a serious rebuild, tuneup, and upgrade on it and it performed almost like a pro grade saw.
That old saw is beginning to show it's age now that I'm using it almost daily. I'll probably have to replace it next year and that "new" Craftsman zip code saw is at the top of my list.
I have never found a Craftsman power tool from Sears to be satisfactory. None compare to quality brands. Still, their hand tools are quite good.
Even when tricked out, a Craftsman t/saw is still a Craftsman t/saw. It's like putting a Corvette engine in an AMC Gremlin.
Jack -
I guess it depends on how you define "satisfactory". For a pro cabinetmaker, Craftsman power tools wouldn't do (with the possible exception of the zip code table saws), but Craftsman power tools have gotten many a hobbyist started and some of them (us?) have managed to get some pretty nice work done with them.
My only bad Craftsman tools were some benchtop stuff I bought in the mid-80's. I think that they were Sears first foray into the benchtop tool market and they were really bad. I used them for a while and gave up on them. They sat on a shelf for a few years until I found a "sucker" who wanted them. - lol.
Dear Mr. Dave I've had two craftsman table saws many years ago,any way to make it short, keep your eye out in the papers for a used unisaw or something similar, and dump those hobby saws asap. Your life will change. seriously. P.S. visualize it in your shop , it will appear one day.
I'm way ahead of you, Omah - my old Craftsman TS will be replaced in the not-to-distant future. It's replacement will probably be one of the Craftsman "zip code" hybrids. Everything I've read and heard about them says that they're excellent saws and give a great bang for the buck.
CheapDave : I agree with you that it sounds like the sector gear and arbor alinement might be the problem . So, it must have been this way since new???.Just don't see how it could get out of alinement .
As far as Sears saws go I think you get what you pay for > I just retired my 1973 sears saw 2 yrs. ago.I tormented it by putting a 5 hp motor on it and making it cut a lot of rough red oak . Even had it counter balanced so that it would not throw blade alinement out with the weight of the motor .
The only sears saw that i would refuse to own is the ones that used a flexible cable /By the way I replaced the Craftsman with a new Powermatic 66. Chris
If your readings change as blade height is adjusted, I'd check the blade first for flatness. If need be, install another blade and check alignment.
CheapDave:
I have a '60's era Craftsman Contractor saw that I bought new as a core tool to rebuild an old farmhouse. I just retrofitted it with a 2HP Motor wired for 240v, new castiron wings, linkbelt, and a nice Forrest 40tooth blade. I build a lot of blanket chests, and I can't tell you how well this old saw works. Maybe I'm just lucky, or maybe the era of the saw is part of it. I realign stuff from top to bottom once a year. So far I haven't had to replace bearings or the rip fence, although I do have some shims here and there. I hope this thing keeps on trucking.
Artiep2
PS I look at table sawa all the time. I'd love to own a new one then I ask myself why? I guess I'm cheap Art
I was able to get some measurements made at my work. I found that a big part of the problem is with the arbor housing. This is the part that holds the arbor and pivots as you raise and lower the blade. This part was not machined correctly when it was made. The pivot axis for this part is not parallel with the axis of the arbor. It is out of parallel by about 0.004" over a 2" length. This translates to 0.020" at the 10" blade diameter! The kicker is that I replaced this part 3 years ago because the arbor bearings were developing a bit of play. I wish I had checked it back then.
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