Is this Delta 34-740c worth keeping?

[John Antoszek]

I got a free Delta 34-740C tablesaw (gloat, or maybe not). It had sat outside over a southern Ontario Canada winter. The top was rusty but a little sanding and some Topcoat got things sliding again. I had to replace the plug too as previous owner had cut the ground pin off.

After a lot of oiling and greasing, I got a new blade (Oldham 60 tooth finishing) installed and did a few test cuts. I couldn't get a nice clean rip (wrong blade?). After I hit google and the newsgroup, I got myself a dial indicator. Runout on the blade just below the teeth was

0.038. Runout on the arbor flange was 0.005. I found the high spot on the arbor flange and did some sanding. I stopped after I got it down to 0.004 and put the blade back on. Blade runout was down to 0.029 - still not good but a step in the right direction.

Before I go back to sanding I'd like to ask a couple of questions. I've read that the proper way to address this problem is the remove the motor, strip out the arbor , and have the flange fixed on a lathe (BTW, this saw is direct drive). Can I expect that my sanding will ever get the flange down to 0.001? Is hand sanding the flange dangerous?

While I was sanding, I noticed that the arbor flange was not tightly fixed to the motor shaft. I didn't notice any play in the motor shaft. I couldn't move the flange in or out but I could, however, turn it side-to-side (I'd say less than a 16th of an inch, just enough to notice). I don't know how the shaft and flange are assembled - press on, welded? With the blade installed everything feels tight and secure but I wonder if this thing is safe. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[Dan Valleskey]

I'd guess the saw is worth some time. You've done the hard stuff already.

Just guessing- someone will tell me if I am wrong- but you might be able to true up that arbor flange with a few well placed delicate hammer blows. It was probably a press fit, originally.

If you once get it flat, so somthing to keep it that way. Weld? Epoxy? Hell, maybe a drop a CA glue would even help. ~~~~~ I'm not advocating this, don't try it, but..... nah, you better not. Run the motor and lay a file or flatstone on the flange face. Nah, too dangerous. But you might true things up some that way. ~~~~~ I'm a little confused about the runout jumping so much from the flange to the blade. Sounds like a lot. How is the shaft? try rotating the blade to a few positions before tightening it. Might be some bad spotts on the flange will cancel some blade porblems.

Can you borrow a different blade to try it?

Not sure you can go the lathe route with a universal type motor.

good luck with it!

-Dan V.

[Jim]

Usually the pulley is keyed to the shaft. You can disasembled the pulley from the motor shaft by removing the nut from the shaft. You may need a puller to get the pulley off. Jim

[Dan]

Hello all;

I don't want to sound overly cautious here, but you do know that if you decide to spin up the motor, you surely will have the blade removed before tinkering around with it.

I am not saying that you are not playing with a full deck, but someone else who reads this might not have an elevator that goes all the way to the top floor. One can never be too careful around a spinning saw motor.

Make more sawdust,

Woodworkerdan Dan Harriman Orange, Texas

"Jim" wrote in news:Z2Z8e.317$% [e-mail]:

[woodworker88]

Whether you can fix it on a lathe all depends on how securely the machinist can hold the flange while facing the flange. If he can grab in in a collet or a secure 3-jaw chuck with at least 1/2 inch in the machine, you'd probably be better off going that route. If the piece can't be held securely, you'd be much better off doing it by hand. Otherwise the runout in the work-holding setup will screw up the flange even more than it already is. Also, remember, with a dial indicator, you should be indicating with the pointer partially pushed in, not at the end of it's travel. This reduces errors.

[Jim]

I never touch power equipment that is still connected to the power lines. And, it does seem a bit difficult to image anyone being able to remove a pulley from the shaft of a spinning motor.

Jim

[Duane Bozarth]

Jim wrote: ...

Safer, undoubtedly, but makes it a little ineffective to use however, doesn't it?

[pho]

This saw uses a motor that has the inner flange splined onto the main rotor. Don't waste a lot of time or money on it as parts are going to be hard to find, and it is seriously underpowered... The motor for this saw is about $230.00. In order to reface the flange, you have to disassemble the motor, remove the rotor and turn the whole thing. This saw is basically the new TS350 that was just relaeased, selling for about

399.00 at lowes...

woodworker88 wrote:

[Steve K]

I have a 34-740 saw that I bought new in 1985. Tho I am only a weekend warrior, it still works great. I is accurate and cuts well with an 80 tooth Freud blade.