unisaw, (new style) right tilt: blade has NO lower OR upper elevation stops? won't lower, binds at top...

[dave]

just got this thing, used. got it about a year ago, actually, but just now getting around to setting it up to USE it. put on a brand new 10 inch blade, but, when I crank the elevation knob ALL the way down, the blade will NOT go down below surface of the table-it actually 'sticks up' about 3/16ths higher -above- the upper table surface when *fully* lowered.

also, and amazingly, the arbor pulley "binds" on the bottom of the table when the blade is raised (cranked up) to it's "full up" position. hours ago I had the top off (general cleanup, & trying to debug the tilt and elevate 'squeaks') but I've since put it back on. saw the TILT stops (but that's not todays issue)

no MENTION (in pdf manuals and sites I find online) of the blade having any upper -or- lower elevation 'stops', other than to say something to the effect of "the elevation stops are built in so no adjustment is neccessary". so, sheesh, now what?

am I supposed to have some sort of 'shims' under those four huge allens, one at each corner? if so, mine are missing...what are the original made of, and how thick ARE (or were) they?

also, guys: making zero-clearance throat-plate inserts for this saw seems like is gonna be a sack-busta, seeing as, in order to do it like I used to on my old craftsman, I'd need to (apparently) 'shim' this table up about .625 (five eights of an inch) in order to "drop in the shaped blank then cut the blade hole by raising"

whoa, this is starting to look pretty draggy....

am I overlooking something?

thanks for clues and tips on this guys

toolie

[Artemus]

[dpb]

dave wrote: ...snip story of grief...

Would help to know actual model/SN...

--

[Leon]

Well, yours is not the "new style", the new style has just been introduced in the last few weeks. Check you trunion for cracks, perhaps you have a broken trunion. The previous generation of Unisaws had a problem with broken trunions in the past.

[Mike O.]

I think you're right on here Leon. I don't believe they even make the "new style" in a right tilt model.

Mike O.

[mike from American Sycamore]

I have been a Delta dealer for years and I have sold over 500 Unisaws.... other than heavy duty freight damage I never once had a cracked trunnion problem! What are you talking about?

Mike

[dave]

model number 34-807, serial number 91E30233, right tilt saw, has absolutley NO cracked or broken or repaired (welded, brazed, or otherwise) "anything" inside the saw (or anywhere else, for that matter), trunions or otherwise - closely examined first hand. nothing 'bent wrong' in there, either.

you can see the ACTUAL saw (or, what it looked like when I 1st got it, really) at

that same site, top left corner of this image

'best' shows bottom of the upper (cast iron) table bolted TO the upper flange directly ('directly' here meaning: there are no shims between upper surface of the gray flanges and the female threaded bolt 'bosses' on the bottoms of the iron top)

back to the original question: are there 'supposed to be' shims, of some sort, between the top and (gray) thick upper sheet metal flanges? installing some there is the *ONLY* way I can figure out to make the saw blade go down FLUSH, or a hair below, the upper table surface when cranked fully down. that, or I can 'grind away' the bigger tooth 'stops' on the elevation arc-gear...which seems a *really* poor alternative.

or am I overlooking something?

*thanks* guys

ps - not that it has anything to do with this, but: photo 35 shows the top of the table -after- I buffed it with a scotchbrite wheel. the seller stored it in a leaky shed...before I got it.

[Leon]

I have been a Delta dealer for years and I have sold over 500 Unisaws.... other than heavy duty freight damage I never once had a cracked trunnion problem! What are you talking about?

Mike

The common conception is that the Delta trunions problems were from mishandling.

Food for thought, all other manufacturers shipped their TS's just like Delta did, have you heard of any other manufacturer having broken trunion problems? I have not.

Regardless of what caused the broken trunions there are numerous reports of broken trunions on Unisaws here on the rec in the past 10 years. When I was shopping for a new TS 10 years ago I compared a Unisaw and Jet cabinet saw side by side. The Unisaw showed no apparent damage however the store manager warned me to not try to raise, lower, or tilt the blade as the saw had a broken trunion and the parts were apparently on BO. Because I was already aware of the trunion problem and was then seeing it first hand, I decided to go with the Jet.

[TD]

dave wrote: snip

Hey, Dave ...

Did ya use any "goop" with the wheel? If so, what?

Larry

[dpb]

...

34-807 appears to have been manufactured as 230V/3PH -- any chance somebody swapped out OEM motor for a single-phase that isn't same dimensions?

Looking at schematics, Delta shows no spacers between top of cabinet and bottom of table (and I'd not expect any; never saw any other than some shimstock individuals had used to fine-tune table) and surely not the distance you're speaking of.

The P-C/Delta site is so slow w/ my dialup I went here to view schematics --

There's a Type 1 and a Type 2--I don't know what the difference there is, but wouldn't think it material to your problem...

Whatever the problem is, I don't believe it has to do w/ shims on the table--it's something related to the motor/trunnion mechanism...

Sorry I don't know the exact cure; I've not had a Unisaw directly to compare to, my TS is a Model 66.

Good luck, hope the schematics help.

If it isn't apparent shortly, I'd call Delta technical support.

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[mike from American Sycamore]

[e-mail]...

Isolated incident.....never heard of any major numbers with broken trunnion..sort of the story that I know a guy that knows a guy that heard about.......I also sold Jet....does not compare to a Unisaw for fit and finish and holding its value sorry!

[Jack Stein]

When I bought my used Delta contractors saw, the previous owner managed to put the pulley on backwards, making it impossible to set the blade at a perfect 90°. The pulley "looked" OK but would hit something when attempting to set to 90°. Not saying thats the problem, Unisaws have a different set up completley, I'm just saying....

[Leon]

Isolated incident.....never heard of any major numbers with broken trunnion..sort of the story that I know a guy that knows a guy that heard about.......I also sold Jet....does not compare to a Unisaw for fit and finish and holding its value sorry!

OK Mike, first you say "other than heavy duty freight damage I never once had a cracked trunnion problem." Now you are saying, "never heard of any major numbers with broken trunnion". Does that mean that you have heard of broken trunions but never saw one your self?

As I mentioned above, the common conception was that the Delta trunions problems were from mishandling.

It may sound isolated to you but contact Delta and I assure you, if anyone is left, they have certainly heard of the problem. Again I state, I was not totally shocked when I saw the broken trunion myself as I had heard of the problem. It simply is not a case of a guy knowing a guy that knew a guy.

Jet fit and finish? I'd say 10 years ago Jet had the certain advantage, I could care less as far as holding value, it has paid for itself many times over and it will probably out last me. Sorry. The new Unisaw shames most all saws except for perhaps the SawStop as far as fit and finish goes.

I am not here to bad mouth the Unisaw, I was simply pointing out that the OP should take a close look at the trunion as the broken trunions have been a problem/something to watch out for in the past. I am certainly not saying to not buy a Unisaw but if considering an older one you it would be very wise to check the trunion.

[Leon]

Just to add a bit to my comments,

a comment by UnisawA100, "Keeter?" about the new Unisaw as opposed to the older unisaw trunion problems.

During the early design process these castings were computer modeled and virtually crash tested prior to establishing the final design. In the end they behaved as modeled (they hold up).

"As an aside, the same computer modeling and virtual crash testing was retro performed on the old trunnion and bracket design and without any prompting this showed the same flaw that some past users have found (cracks and breaks at the ears of the trunnion brackets). "

If you like you can read the whole article. The above comments seems to validate that Delta was converned about not having anymore broken trunion problems when computer testing the new Unisaw trunion.

[Mike Paulsen]

Have you measured the blade?

[dpb]

Leon wrote: ...

Seem difficult to have a break to the point of mal-operation that wouldn't be quite visible when had saw fully disassembled???

It would take more than just a hairline crack to grossly change the geometry and my understanding of these was they basically broke in two if subjected to drop forces in essence.

But, certainly sounds as if there's something wrong down there somewhere so looking for stuff would be good...

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[Bigpole]

I had the problem of the blade not lowering enough on my 25+ year old unisaw when I first got it. Delta wanted to replace the trunnions. Seems to me I loosened the set screws on the worm gear that raised and lowered the blade and moved it untill it cleared the throat plate. Ted

[Maxwell Lol]

There are 137 news articles in this newsgroup that have unisaw broken trunnion

[dpb]

Maxwell Lol wrote: ...

...

In what, probably 10-15 threads??? :)

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[Leon]

WOW! 10 Breaks is more than I have ever heard of.