Table Saw Woes

[pray4surf]

Craftsman - Model 137.248830 - 3.0 HP

Used it today to rip and crosscut (with sled)... Finished up a crosscut, turned the switch off. Once blade stopped spinning, removed the work and the sled.

Unplugged from power supply to use the CMS... Went back a little later, plugged the unit back into the power supply, flipped the switch... Nothing. Test power supply, other tools run fine....

*#@*&....

RTFM - Three possible causes:

1. Saw not plugged in - Yes it is
2. Fuse Blown or CB tripped - Saw no mention in manual for fuse, CB (Reset) still in depressed mode.
3. Cord damaged - Nothing visible, only exposed connections are Grounds, all are secure, no other visible connections...

Is there a fuse, or simply the Circuit Breaker??

I'm puzzled, work stops... Any suggestions?

Rick

[Edwin Pawlowski]

What about from the power cord to switch to motor connections? Check with a meter to see if power is at the switch and getting past it.

Some motors have a manual reset button and you say it is already depressed. Can I assume yo not only looked at it, but also tried to push it in "just in case"?

[LP]

Thermal reset button on motor. Usually on one end but may be elsewhere on yours.

[Leon]

I had a Craftsman that did that occasionally. Mine had a red reset button on the motor. It always looked the same but when it did reset it would click. Sometimes I had to wait a few hours for the reset switch to cool down before it would reset. But since the motor was working when you turned it off it sound more like a short. Use a volt meter and narrow down the problem.

[Patriarch]

"pray4surf" wrote in news:oLPWd.12660$ [e-mail]:

Switch clogged with sawdust, precluding connection? Power disconnect, disassemble, blow out with compressed air, reassemble. Sometimes works, and the price is right.

Or it could be something else. What does the digital multimeter tell you? (These are relatively cheap diagnostic tools which should be in everyone's kit.)

Good luck. Unless you wanted to buy a new saw anyway.

Patriarch

[Kim]

Could be internal broken wire in the power cord. Usually at plug or at the strain relieve end. Sometimes you could wiggle the cord at either end and motor would start momentary.

Power safety interlock key on start button removed?

Best check with volt/ohm meter.

[Bernoulli]

Better to vacuum than 90psi. Usual problem with later model Craftsman engines is crud between the points in the start circuit. 90psi exacerbates the problem. Open clean cose.

[Richard Cline]

I used to have a saw that would occasionally refuse to start. It was sawdust geeting into the motor and clogging the centrifugal switch that powered the starter windings. You could hear the motor hum but it just wouldn't start moving. Sometmes I would just take a stick and try to get the blade spinning and the motor would take off. It took a couple hours to disassemble the motor to clean the inside.

I doubt that this is the problem described here.

Dick

[aaa]

[Jim]

My vote goes with sawdust in the switch because it just happened to me on my lathe a month ago.

[LRod]

Yikes. I don't want to get all semantical here, but someone reading that could toast their meter. Check for continuity with the saw OFF. Check the voltage with the saw ON.

- - LRod

Master Woodbutcher and seasoned termite

Shamelessly whoring my website since 1999

[max]

Sometimes, universal motors have a dead spot. I wonder if you turn the blade by hand say 45 degrees and then tried to start it if it would work. max

[Jim]

Did you recycle the master circuit breaker? Most of the time, these things don't look tripped, and you must manually reset them. Jim

[pray4surf]

"pray4surf" wrote in message news:oLPWd.12660$ [e-mail]... : Craftsman - Model 137.248830 - 3.0 HP :

[pray4surf]

: I'll be back...

Warned you....

I really need to get handier with the multimeter...

Testing for AC volts:

thru power supply cord - 121 VAC thru switch CB assy - Switch off - 2.2VAC Switch on - 22.0VAC

Prognosis - bad Switch/CB ???

Not a lot accessible to test

Three wires coming to switch (power cord Hot/black, Neutral/white, Ground/green, simple blade type connections. black and white terminate at switch, green to chassis.

Three wires leaving switch to motor (black, white, green)

Switch CB Assy - neutral passes thru CB, black thru switch.

CB never 'popped' - replies include 'resetting/recycling' CB, but how is that possible if I can't get 'it' to pop ??

Both switch and CB appear to be sealed units, was a lot of sawdust (surprised me) within the plastic housing (two screws to remove)...

It's getting dark, I'll read up on use of multimeter... 'checking continuity / checking for voltage' etc...

We can eliminate motor 'dead spot', I've spun the arbor by hand.. No motor hum with power on. Abstained from compressed air, but have vacuumed. No visible/tactile evidence of a reset button on the motor itself. This is a fairly new unit (less than 2 years old)..

Plus - Free advice on the internet - isn't this a great place :-)

Rick

[pray4surf]

Problem solved...

No conductivity with switch in on position. Removed switch, noticed carbon buildup on contacts, cleaned contacts, reinstalled switch - tested ok. plugged in saw to electrical source and started motor...

Reassembled and returned to service...

Thanks again to all responses...

Rick

[aaa]

[pray4surf]

Replace Conductivity with Continuity...

Rick

[LRod]

Ah. "Saw unplugged" is a significant point, and an entirely different testing modality.

-- LRod

Master Woodbutcher and seasoned termite

Shamelessly whoring my website since 1999