I’m trying to resolve 2 problems with my left tilt Unisaw. The first is that when I start the motor there’s a thump as the blade starts – if I look at the motor / belts when the button is pushed it’s obvious that there is a jolt to the motor as the belts begin to spin. I’ve adjusted tension up and down and may get one or two smooth / noisefree starts then things seem to degrade again. I’m suspecting that the belts need to be replaced on my 8 year old machine. Are link-belts a better option?
My second problem is that the original throatplate for the Unisaw has warped terribly. My son has had the same experience so I cannot bring myself to replace it in kind. I havea zero clearance throat plate which works fine but I need soemthing to accomodate bevel cuts. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to shape a blank throat plate to accomodate bevel cuts?
Replies
belts and plates
Can't help with the bump/knock problem, but my old Delta contractor saw runs much smoother with a link belt.
For the throat plat, I'd use the original as a template, using a flush-trim router bit to clean up the edges. Clamp it in place with the fence to make the usual zero-clearance plate. Then, remove the plate, tilt the balde, and measure from the edge of the opening to determine where the widened edge needs to be.
Loose Pulleys
A loose pulley on the motor or arbor will cause a thump like that. They should be tightened up, set screws-possibly two per pulley, before the shaft gets damaged - every thump is stressing the key and possibly wearing the shaft. I would use link belts.
As suggested you should be able to make a blank insert and then cut a slot in it to accommodate a tilted blade. Saw a vertical slot and then a slot with the blade tilted over and remove the strip in between. I've never noticed Unisaw inserts warping badly a Delta replacement will probably not warp again.
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