I have old Craftsman 1 hp tablesaw that is just dogging out on me when I'm ripping 3/4" plywood.
What can I do to get this old dog performing better? Does the blade have that much of a factor or could there be other issues?
The model is 113.29992 it might be from the late 60's. the blade on there now is a new Black and Decker Pirranah.
Thanks for any advice
------------------------------------------------------------------------- A 1 HP motor is a little light for cutting ply.
If you are operating at 120V, re-wire for 240V operation.
It will make a major difference.
While not inexpensive, a 1-1/2 HP motor will also make a big difference.
Not familiar with the blade, but I never found Black and Decker blades to be anything but low initial cost.
I would look at Freud for a blade.
Have fun.
Lew
ripping 3/4" plywood.
much of a factor or could there be other issues?
is a new Black and Decker Pirranah.
I basically had the same saw. I put a good quality "REGULAR kerf blade on it and it made all the difference in the world. Keep in mind that you need to have your saw tuned properly. Read that as every thing as close to perfect alignment as possible.
You can put at thin kerf blade on it to cut faster but over all not better.
I know I need to get a better quality blade and plan on doing that soon. I thought about re-wiring it for 220 but wasn't confident it would make a big enough difference.
Where should I look for a 1.5 hp motor? Sears?
DJayhawk wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@googlegroups.com:
A good blade will make a big difference. Check to make sure the fence is parallel to the blade (it helps if it's parallel to the miter slot, but if you're not using the gauge it doesn't make too much difference.)
Puckdropper
I have a saw from the same period. It is a Sears 10" Table Saw 113
2990301 with a 1hp motor. I inherited the saw and replaced the blade my father in law had with a 10" 60 tooth Carbide blade (As I remember it was $50 or $60 about 14 years ago from Sears .)The better blade made a world of difference. I routinely rip 1 X 4's with it and have no problem.
There is one thing you can do to improve performance. Over the years sawdust and wood chips accumulate in the motor itself. Mine finally stopped when a wood chip got into the contacts. Before spending any significant money (a 1.5 hp motor would be a couple of hindered) I would disassemble the motor and clean out all of the creases.
First a word for the bureaucrats: USE GOOD PRACTICES WHEN WORKING WITH THINGS ELECTRICAL, BE CAREFUL NOT TO BREAK WIRES OR TEAR ANY INSTALLATION CAREFULLY REASSEMBLE ANY PART THAT COMES OUT HAS TO GO BACK IN, AND NOT ADDITIONAL PARTS AND MATERIAL SHOULD BE ADDED Now back to our show.
If it as mine, there are three? screws that connect the right end of the case to the left end. Remove the screws and the motor comes into three parts. clean each and clean and reoil the bushings. pull the rotor out of the center part an clean the surface and check of wear. Once it is back together, use a vacuum to periodically clean the openings in the motor and add oil to the oil ports at each end of the motor to keep the bushing oiled.
I do agree with what was previously posted that for ripping 3/4 plywood I would look at a bigger motor. However if this is a one shot thing just feed it slowly.
My saw has been from Arizona to North Carolina, then to Indiana and back. So if it was originally aligned correctly it should still be OK but I would check everything just in case.
Thanks Keith! I'll look into cleaning up the motor before upgrading it. How much of a factor does the belt have in performance? The belt doesn't look bad at all but the saw has been in grandpas basement shop for over 10 years unused.
------------------------------------------------------ It will make a big difference, especially with a better blade.
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-------------------------------------------------- WW Grainger, McMaster-Carr?
Check Amazon also. Not sure if the sell motors.
Lew
ripping 3/4" plywood.
much of a factor or could there be other issues?
is a new Black and Decker Pirranah.
I think 1hp motor is plenty for plywood, assuming it's still in good shape. Plywood is stable and doesn't bind the blade, has no knots, is usually made mostly of soft woods. No problem with a sharp blade.
Ever try to use a dull utility knife vs. a new one. Night and day, right? Even when putting much more "horse power" behind the blade, it cuts poorly and wears you out.
I did some really nice work with a lousy table saw and a $100 blade. Like others have said, it has to be set-up properly. No blade will cut cleanly and not bog down if the fence is pinching the stock behind the blade.
Freud has some great blades for well under $75. And yes, full kerf will yield better results, but may slow down your feed rate on a 1hp motor. It's worth it, imo.
Harbor Freight has them also.
With your cast iron top where the blade bushing assembly is bolted to that top, from my experience it is easier to use the miter slot as a reference for both the blade and the fence. Fence can move but it is difficult to move the miter slot, especially in your saw where it is a grove in the cast iron table. So if the blade is set parallel to the slot it is going to take a lot to change alignment.
Using the slot for reference makes check the fence easy. Using your adjustable square, On one end, set the square against the slot and adjust the ruler so it is against the fence. Lay the square in the same position at the other end, and adjust the fence until both ends are both the same distance from the slot.
thought about re-wiring it for 220 but wasn't confident it would make a big enough difference.
"Lew Hodgett" wrote: ==================================================
=============================================== Forgot to mention how important having a large enough power cable is for a saw.
Your existing 1HP motor will draw from 12-15 amps @ 120 volts.
To minimize line losses, I'd use a 10-2/ground cable.
If you operate @ 240V, motor will operate @ 6-8 amps which means you could use 12-2/ground, but I would still use 10-2/ground cable.
You can buy a molded cordset (15-25 Ft) from a supply house, cut off the receptacle and wire it into saw.
It's the lowest cost way to get a heavy duty power cable. Have fun
Lew
much of a factor does the belt have in performance? The belt doesn't look bad at all but the saw has been in grandpas basement shop for over 10 years unused.
A better belt will help the saw run smoother but not necessarily increase cutting capacity/speed. FWIW I never changed mine.
much of a factor does the belt have in performance? The belt doesn't look bad at all but the saw has been in grandpas basement shop for over 10 years unused.
I have the same or similar saw, c. 1983. With factory belts and pulleys, it wouldn't pass the nickle test with the nickle laying flat.
I installed new pulleys and link-blets, and ever since it'll pass the test easily.
After-market belts and pulleys make a big difference for accuracy and cut quality, but won't have much effect on power.
If as you say the blade is new even tho the B&D aren't the best you can buy, it's not likely the major problem as far as that goes. What's more important is # teeth, grind, hook angle and whether it's even close to being in line. The _style_ of the blade for the purpose is important; the brand, not so much.
Rewiring won't make any real difference unless your wiring is _severely_ undersized but if 240V is available might as well as it's a nearly trivial operation. If you do upgrade the motor to larger size then you'll likely need to, anyway for an existing circuit or you'll start tripping it.
Local ads, criags list kind of places, the local radio station call-in trade show if got one, call the electric motor repair shops for used...
On motors I'd avoid the HF and the ilk super-cheapies unless there's a walkin store in town and there's a swap-out guarantee for more than just the 30 days or they do happen to have some heavier-duty motors...generally my experience has been that their motors let the smoke out pretty quickly.
--
I'm not sure that's true. I've got a 1948 Delta with what I think is the original motor. It says 1 HP but is so large and heavy I can't lift it. I suspect the rating is true HP, not "peak".
An acquaintance who rebuilds motor for a living warned me to never get rid of that motor. He said regardless of HP it had twice as much torque as a modern motor.
It does bog down a bit on 8/4 hard maple, but most contractor style saws would.
If the OP's saw has a similar motor, he might find an upgrade was a downgrade. It doesn't sound like that's the case, but I just wanted to point out that HP ratings don't tell the whole story.
If his motor is more of the modern style, comparing amperage might be more informative.
------------------------------------------------------------------
"Larry Blanchard" wrote:
--------------------------------------------------------------- The reason older motors have so much iron in them has to do with the insulating varnish on the copper windings.
Old time varnishes just could not handle the temperatures that today's varnishes are designed to handle.
As a result, larger wire sizes were required for the windings in order to be able handle the current required to develop rated the HP of the design.
The number of turns remain constant between yesterday's and today's motors for the rated HP of the design.
Larger wire size dictates bigger slots in the stator to hanle the wire bundle, which dictates a larger diameter stator, which dictates larger housings thus a larger, heavier motor.
Lew
ripping 3/4" plywood.
Either the alignment of the saw is bad (and the plywood is somehow binding in the cut - look for scorchmarks) or the blade is very dirty/dull, or your electrical wiring is too lightweight.
One horsepower should be enough. More than enough.
Ripping a long strip of plywood, it matters a LOT that you and your helpers feed the work straight, and keep it flat, like with a very large outfeed and/or infeed table. Usually the long rip on 8-foot sheets is done with a guide and Skilsaw, it's just easier that way.
much of a factor does the belt have in performance? The belt doesn't look bad at all but the saw has been in grandpas basement shop for over 10 years unused.
When your doing your tune up make sure everything is turning freely and desn't have too much run out.
Mike M
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