Hmmmm.... table saw cabinet twisted after moving between shops... options?

[sconnieroadie]

Greetings!

So, after months without my shop due to moving and a need to reinforce some joists to remove interfering lally columns in the basement of my new house , I finally had movers come to get my shop into my new basement.

The movers were cutrate local guys but they said they would bring three peo ple and asked that nothing weigh over 300 lbs. Sure, I can do that, just t ake the top off my saw and everything else is good. My buddy (a big guy wi th a strong back) actually carried the saw himself with the motor out but t he main granite top on and I assume the top and the motor are similar in we ight. In any case, three movers should have been able to easily handle my saw.

I had 96 hours to report any issues with the move... I see a coupla things that are minor damage that I should report, but nothing that amounts to mor e than a coupla bucks as far as I can tell.

Famous last words... reassembling my 3 hp Steel City hybrid saw, I notice a n abrasion on the back side of the saw. Ruh roh raggy. Aligning the slot with the blade, I can only get it within about .050" with all the bolts in. Huh... runout, perhaps? I take the two bolts out on the non-tilt wheel s ide of the table and attempt to realign it. Now I can easily get .004". C rap. So they twisted the frame of my saw. I should have bought a steel pla te and bolted it to the top of my cabinet. But I didn't.

I can get all four bolts in the top through the holes in the saw frame but then the alignment is crap at best.

I am outside the reporting period and will let the mover know but have litt le expectation that they will do anything about it - and if they did, it wo uld probably involve a great deal of hassle for me, including swapping my m otor and trunnions onto a new frame, or some other equally painful experien ce. And, as I note in #1 below, my best solution involves messing with tru nnions anyway so trying to get a new cabinet out of the mover, while approp riate, really doesn't do me much good. And is more painful than all of my options I list below.

Was thinking there were a number of options:

1. Move the trunnions. Since I can get all four bolts in the top, and the misalignment is not runout, but rather that the frame of the saw is twisted , this should be an option. Seems the best solution, but likely the most p ainful.

1. Redrill some of the holes in the cabinet to accommodate the new geometry . Highly unlikely.

2. Try to whack or twist the saw back into place. This is almost as good a s number one, but also, I am not sure really if this can be done without a great deal of sweat and hassle.

1. This one I really kinda like because I am back in the shop today (!), bu t concerns me some: only use two bolts to attach the granite top to the sa w. There is good contact between the top and the cabinet, and with the wei ght of the top, I really don't foresee issues with vibration.

I really do like #1 and may actually give it a whirl, but not before contac ting steel city. Prolly do #4 initially and see how things go in terms of the cutting and the stability of the alignment.

Anyone else have alternate suggestions, please let me know.

TIA,

Peter

[Morgans]

Shim the base of the saw perfectly level, on a piece of ply or something. Then get your best 4 foot level and framing square and see if you can determine exactly how it is off. From there, removing the twist with some pipe clamps and perhaps a 2x4 C-clamped to the frame shouldn't be that big of a deal. I would definitely try to improve it.

Jim in NC

[dpb]

On 12/30/2013 11:45 AM, [e-mail] wrote: ...

_NOT_ runout; totally different measurement.

I'll mostly echo Morgans' response but w/ a slightly different suggestion...

Presuming the bolt locations are symmetric, measuring the diagonals would be easier to determine the amount off and in which direction.

Then knowing that, put a bolt well into the two locations on the longer measurementand use a heavy wire loop and then twisting will shorten that dimension. Release and repeat measurement until stays in desired location; you'll undoubtedly have to go a little extra with the inevitable spring-back.

This will work even if the holes aren't symmetric as far as an easy way to move it without needing any external bracing and trying to twist externally. If they're not symmetric you can possibly get actual factory dimensions from Steel City.

[Lew Hodgett]

-------------------------------------------------------------------- SFWIW, the above describes what is known as a "Spanish Windlass".

Very useful on a boat when a winch isn't available.

Lew

[woodchucker]

So before you go off half cocked. what makes you think your floor is flat. Mine isn't I have to shim the equipment to get it squared up.

Try that first. Try shimming the cabinet, use standard wedges first.

Moving your trunion should not be a big deal, but might not be necessary.

Good luck.