[Toolman2]

NetDoc,

I don't think you said what kind of saw you got. If it's a 10" Craftsman, depending on the model, it may be subject to a recall campaign. If so, Sears will send you a new table top and guard for free (or send you $100 to junk the saw).

What's nice about the saw not being covered it that you'll get $100 back for sending in just the motor assembly. You still have the remainder of the saw for parts or for mounting a router in.:thumbsup:

 

[NetDoc]

Here are pics from today's fun in the Grotto:

An almost perfect finish on the pole. The wire wheel was taking way too long, so I tried a roloc. WOW, that was fast and it didn't remove the underlying finish. I can still see the machine marks. I think it only took me ten minutes to get to that point. The compressor kept up, so I just kept at it until it looked good.

The tumbled bolts look acceptable. I lost one E-clip during disassembly, so I'll have to replace it. I might even have one here.

The motor cradle is about to be disassembled.

Rust and grunge on the tracks have to be cleaned up

This is more than surface dust. I'll put all these into the course tumble media for the next 24 hours.

All this is coming apart to be cleaned. I'll be putting the elevating pole together while the other stuff is cleaning.

OK, first hitch. I have the two pinions assembled and they turn easily. I can move the pole up and down until I put the caps on. I guess I'm going to disassemble everything but the pole and make sure I can slide it up and down easily first. Anyone have an idea on this?

 

[NetDoc]

You know, I remember working on a few model A engines many, many years ago. You have to scrape the babbit on the bearings to fit them to the crank. While I shouldn't have to do that here, we did tap the cap to make it go "square". I ruined a couple of bearings by over scraping them when the problem was bad alignment of the cap to the block. Modern automotive engine bearing caps are pinned, or the bolt has a proper shoulder to keep the cap aligned with the block or connecting rod. I noticed that these had a lot of play as I assembled them, so maybe just a tap is in order. I'll check it out tomorrow.

 

[NetDoc]

Wow, I went back down to the grotto after I took a shower and tapped on the bolts and now I can at least move it by pushing and pulling. I don't think it's smooth enough, but I want to reassemble the screw mechanism and see. I'll do that tomorrow. We have dinner guests coming over.

 

[woodnthings]

there was another member with that type of arm

He complained about the slop in the carriage as it travels on the rails and it was a matter of adjusting the "cam" bolts to snug it up. After you get it cleaned and reassembled make certain to get the carriage snug on the rails enough to move freely without any play.

 

[NetDoc]

I loosened the side pieces up completely. That's the four hex driven bolts that are used to zero the 90 degree cut. I didn't see an adjustment on these bearing caps.

 

[Pirate]

NetDoc, What media do you use for tumbling hardware? Do you use a drum tumbler, or vibration one?
I have a vibrating one, but haven't used it yet.

 

[NetDoc]

I start with a coarse pyramid looking media and finish up with walnut shells. It's a vibratory tumbler. You have to be patient with it. I tumble in 24 hour segments. The rust was harsh on this last batch, so the first run was over 36 hours.

FWIW, I have spent a lot of time on the arm height adjusting mechanism. It is anything but smooth. What a pain.

 

[woodnthings]

types of carriages

The older type here has the v groove rollers on the outside of the rails:

I think you have a newer type where there is a center rail and the rollers ride inside the housing:

The newer type is more difficult to right setup right according to the thread that was posted here.... that I can't find :furious:. I'll keep trying.

 

[NetDoc]

Thanks for looking. Right now I need to diagnose WHY this tube isn't moving like I think it should. When I just snug down the bolts on the two bearing caps, it becomes difficult to raise and lower. I haven't even put the arm on it yet. The caps are loose on the bolts as I am tightening them down. I can move them an 1/8" up down or sideways with no problem. They can't be aligned properly and I'm sure this is my problem. They are binding and that's not acceptable. Bearing cap surfaces are way smooth. I had a dingle berry hone for a brake caliper that was the perfect size. Afterwards, I smoothed the bearing cap with 1000 grit emery.

 

[NetDoc]

I have spent hours trying to make this work. I finally put shims under each saddle on the outside of the bolts. 0.018" on one side and 0.020" on the other. My plastigauge now reads 0.0025" of clearance and the tube moves smoothly, albeit a bit tightly. Mitigating this has been having my truck stolen, teaching far more than I usually do, getting the flu and trying to find a replacement truck. On top of this, I don't have a clear head on how the saw came apart. Luckily I took scads of pictures during the breakdown and I have the manual. I'll be going out tomorrow to look at 2 used Sprinters and an E-250. I think one will make the best Scuba-mobile.