I have a NEW general international table saw, and I'm finding it exceeding difficult to change the blade. The nut is way too tight, and the tools provided for holding the blade stationary while turning the nut are worthless. Any time I try to turn the nut, the whole mechanism and blade turns as well and the nut remains as tight as ever.
Any tips, or special tools you would recommend?
Will the wrench also fit the arbor on the other side of the blade? If so, get another wrench.
Also remember, to loosen a nut, always spin it in the direction that the blade turns when it is cutting. Typically left tilters turn counter clockwise to loosen and right tilters turn clockwise to loosen.
Any chance you are turning the nut the wrong way? They often have reverse thread...
John
"OFTEN"? don't you mean if it's a right hand tilt, John?
Dave
I think that, if it was me and the saw is brand new, I would be inclind to take it back to the shop and have them demonstrate - you don't want to have to put up with that for the saws life. That is is Leon's practical suggestions don't easily work.
Cheers Bill D New Zealand
I figured I'd leave it up to him to decide if maybe he was turning it the wrong way. I've found that often times the mere suggestion of an alternative approach solves these kinds of problems...
John
Not necessarily so. My left tilt Craftsman has a left hand nut for the arbor. The arbor should be designed such that normal rotation of the saw tends to tighten the nut. Jim
I had the same trouble with a new saw since I had oiled the arbor before installing the blade... a no no.
Someone on the wreck advised a little liquid wrench and tapping the nut(the metal nut, not the human nut that oiled the arbor) after applying the liquid wrench. And find a longer handled wrench to fit the nut if possible, while holding the other side of the arbor with another wrench. I tried all and bingo... loose nut.
RonT
Then that would mean, by your definition, that your arbor was designed incorrectly. My left tilt Craftsman has a right hand (standard) thread. I think there is some terminology confusion happening in this thread. All said, stick a block of wood against the blade, put the wrench on the nut and pull toward you. Works for left or right tilt.
My arbor (not a General) has a large round collar with small round holes drilled into it radially. Although you could lot these with a straight rod as a tommy bar, it's very awkward (and chews up the holes). Much better was to forge a well-fitting C spanner, which locks more easily and doesn't wobble.
stand in *front* of the saw and
I will echo Andy's comments. After years (yes it has been that long I have to admit sheepishly) of struggling with not being able to remove the blade, I finally got a spanner wrench that spans the round collar and is able to keep it from moving while I use the long handle nut wrench to loosen the nut. You can buy the right spanner wrench from McMasterCarr after measuring the diameter carefully and buying the next bigger available size, in case you size does not exactly match. Here is a link to the McMaster page
I have used a number of table saws from cabinet saws used in a commercial shop to benchtop saw used on jobsites and I have never had a problem removing the blade with anything more than a block of wood and a wrench. Only exception was a benchtop that had flats for two wrenches that someone decided they had to lean on it. Don't understand these stuck blades.
I too have used a number of table saws both commercial and otherwise.
Except for this one I too have never run into troubles with removing the nut.
But once in a while you will run across a hard nut to crack (sorry about the pun)--this was the one for me! I tried jamming a piece of lumber on the teeth, the teeth were too fine and started cutting the wood. I tried putting a steel rod through the gullet and supporting the steel rod on the saw table surface and tried removing the nut--it bent the steel rod! And all the while the nut and arbor was drenched in WD 40, Liquid wrench you name it.
Finally the only solution that worked was to use the aforementioned spanner that I got from Mcmaster Carr and was able to prevent the collar from turning. So CW count yourself lucky that you never run across such a jammed nut!
Vijay wrote: ...
Only time I've ever seen such a case was a student thought to save some effort and ran the nut only finger-tight then turned the saw on to let it self-tighten--did a wonderful job of it... :(
(Took two days to get it, but finally the culprit 'fessed up...)
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