TS Adjustment Question

Hi I've had a PM66 for a couple months now and it has a tendency to be 'grabby' when ripping stock, more so with thicker HWs. I've done all the blade, miter slot, rip fence and run out alignments and checked and rechecked. Tried different rip fence toe out settings etc get better results but still not real smooth. Last nite I noticed I could grab and lift the bearing arm a little. With the raising wheel lock not tightened I could raise the arm assembly ~40 thousandths, with the lock tightened then I could raise it 'only' 20 thousandths. Seams like this could explain the grabby cut if the blade is vibrating up and down. Does this sound like a problem. BTW no play in the tilting mechanism I could detect

I talked to their tech support and he went from saying they will always be a little play to umm I think that could be adjusted with a collar on the raising shaft .. then to call me and let me know what you find out

Does the tightening knob just lock the adjustment wheel in place or should it cause the worm gear and lift gear threads to pull together? Seams like there shouldn't be any vertical movement when tightened I'm going to try and adjust so they pull together if that doesn't do it I'll take another run at the tech support Any opinions or insight to this? Thanks for reading Joe

Reply to
joey
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How do you define grabby?

Do you hear chattering when you rip? Could be stock that does not set flat on the table top. Does your waste have tooth marks in it? Are you using a splitter? Could be internal stress in the wood pinching the blade.

That said, I would find it hard to comprehend the blade cutting into the wood and lifting the trunion and motor assembly. It really should not be taking a large enough bite that the wood would be able to provide substantial enough support for the blade to climb.

Reply to
Leon

Thanks Leon It feels like its taking uneven bites when feeding in at slow and steady rate like its fighting the wood being pushed in. It doesn't seem like a pinch like if the fence were toed in. I do get sideways vibration of the narrow waste. When I set the fence with a little toe out (15 thousandths) the cut is fairly smooth but it still feels like the blade is fighting the feed into it. Haven't tried with splitter on. Blades are new clean WWII(thin and regular kerf 40Ts) Trunion doesn't move... when lifting the bearing arm the motor moves as does the blade shaft. Agree about the climbing .. way to much weight I was thinking more of it vibrating up and down due to the slop

Reply to
joey

Joey, I get a chattering sound sometimes with my saw and it even seems that the wood wants to lift. I discovered that the wood is the problem if it bows up or bows down from front to back. Basically the chattering was the wood vibrating as the it was being cut. This seems like what you are describing.

That said, your toe out of 15 thousands sounds quite strong and may very well be the problem. I personally subscribe to as close to dead on parallel as possible. IIRC some blade manufacturers indicate a max of 5 thousands if you are going to toe the fence out at the back.

Remember, the more toe out you have, the more you will be forcing the waste into the left back side of the blade.

If it is a wood pinching problem, the splitter should alleviate a lot of the symptoms. Often wood will try to close back up immediately after passing the blade.

Do you notice if the symptoms are the same if you rip with a thin piece of waste? Thin pieces of waste, 1/8" or so wide tend to not bind at the back of the blade as badly and are easier cuts. Ripping down the center of a 4" wide piece will tend to exaggerate rough cutting with a non parallel feed path.

Reply to
Leon

You might try raising the blade height so the blade teeth make a more downward arc cut in the wood rather than an arc predominately toward you. If that doesn't affect the "grabbiness" then it will certainly have some affect on the feed resistance.

Reply to
Fly-by-Night CC

Or try some belt dressing/link belt. Belt slip sounds a player. If it diminishes when you're cutting almost down versus into and down, it would confirm that.

You could remove the entire fence after the leading edge of the blade without worry if you care to. Though there are some physical-science challenged types who still don't believe it. Push straight ahead. Notice how we use pivot fences on bandsaws and blocks for repeat cuts against our fences already?

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Reply to
George

Good point about stock haven't done a real project yet which I would follow my normal stock prep and using my usual wood source. Narrow or wide waste the feel is pretty much the same I'll keep tweaking the fence around Maybe its a matter of getting used to new saw, had my tricked out Craftsman out for almost 15 years. If you take your blade off and lift up on the arbor is there slop in your saw? I still can't help but think this is not normal for a saw of this class. After looking again its definitely play in the ACME threads that isn't present in the tilt adjusts

Reply to
joey

Do you think 3 belts would have a problem with slipping?

Reply to
Leon

I had one of those super tuned Craftsman TS's for about 17 years also. I don't think it is a matter of getting used to the saw and especially the PM66.

I did go out to my saw, a Jet JTAS 3 hp cabinet saw and found no play at the arbor full up or part way down. Maybe to much play or lash in the adjustment.

Reply to
Leon

Have they all been glazed near the same point in the past?

Reply to
George

I don't know, Joey indicated that he had only had the saw a couple of months. I don't know if it was a new saw or not.

Reply to
Leon

Don't use belt dressing on any belt anywhere at any time.

Reply to
Mark

Reply to
joey

Reply to
joey

The newest ones now have 3. Your saw has 2 serpentine belts? Powermatic used that a few years back. Probably better and for sure more expensive.

Reply to
Leon

The mini thread on belts was good they did seem loose. Manuel didn't say how to judge how tight to get them. Tightened them up and cut is better less grabby a little more buttery feed, having trouble with blade marks. Newest 'feature' in addition to the slop when lifting the arbor up is that the whole assembly moves front to back a slightly between the trunion saddles. Just doesn't seem like this saw should have so much play Back to PM tech line

Reply to
joey

Leon responds:

Powermatic is currently using two belts for the model 66.

Charlie Self "If you want to know what God thinks of money, just look at the people he gave it to." Dorothy Parker

Reply to
Charlie Self

this is easy enough to adjust out, but it means pulling the saw top. it sounds like it's about time to do that anyway- go through the saw from top to bottom and adjust everything....

Reply to
bridger

Birthdat was feb/04 according to QA report with it

Reply to
joey

Yeah Charlie has steered me straight. The web site indicates 3VX belts. The parts illustration shows 2 belts.

Reply to
Leon

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