I got a nice cabinet saw at a HS auction last year, and now finally have the time to fix it up, and I'd like the collective wisdom of youz guyz in fashioning the sequence of how to rebuild it. It's an 80's model Craftsman-Colovos behemoth cast iron mama w/ magnum sized 12", 3 hp (if you're interested you can see a schematic by tying in its Sears number, 351.22652, at
The adjustments, however, are another matter altogether. I know that the table tops, at the very least, need aligning, as does the rip fence, so I thought I'd just tune up the whole thing while I'm at it. What I'd like is some advice on the order of things. Here's what I've cooked up so far:
Remove table top Level the saw on the ground (not easy on my slanted gravel shop) Check all bolts/nuts for tightness under the table Check pulley alignment and tension (the three belts are fine) Clean and lube the guts Install top: align Align rip fence rails Align arbor/blade to T-slots Align rip fence Align miter gauge Hook the thing up to the dryer outlet with a 60' extension cord--heavy duty 18 gauge wire. [plonk]
OK, how does that sequence strike you? One thing I've never had to mess with on my Ryobi BT3K TS is trunions: at what point should I inspect/align them?
Your experience or thoughts welcome, H