Replace the on/off switch for an old Dewalt radial arm saw
bwatkins7
| Posted in Power Tools and Machinery on
I have an old Dewalt Radial arm saw, circa 1960, model #500180-00, wiht a missing on/off key. This saw had a removeable square-drive key, with the key being female, and the port on e saw being male. Currently I am using a piece of copper tubing that has been driven onto the end of a file tang to square it. The tubing is held in a tubing fitting. It works, but is not balanced well, and sometimes falls out, which can be a distraction. Any clue where to find a replacement?
Replies
Go to dewalt.com , click on service/support to find parts or service center
Safety Key on old Dewalt Radial Arm Saws
I lost my safety key on my 40 yr old Dewalt 12" Radial Arm Saw. All searches on the Internet proved worthless. Dewalt no longer sells the part. No other sources seem to have it. So I created my own solution. It turns out the safety mechanism can easily be removed. How you secure your saw after this is up to you. A switched outlet or switched power strip adds some element of safety. I don't have any children nor any who visit so it is not a big deal for me.
Make sure you unplug the saw since the switch has A/C on the back side. In my case it is 240V! The end cap on the saw arm is removed with two hex bolts. On the inside of the end cap there are two phillips screws holding the switch to the end cap. Remove those and detach the switch. You now need to pry the red OFF switch cap off of its post. Pull straight out w/o wiggling it side to side. There are two more phillips screws which hold the locking plate on the front of the switch which acts to block the push buttons from moving when it is shifted side to side by the key. Remove this plate and leave it out. Reassemble in reverse order: Push the Read button back on its post (right side up -- I had to remove and reinstall mine since it was upside down and driving me crazy). Re-attach the switch to the end cap with the two phillips screws. Reassemble the end cap on the saw arm with the two hex bolts.
Now you can push the buttons w/o having the key installed. Otherwise everything works as it should. Good luck.
http://www.owwm.com/ would be worth a try.
I have a Sears about two years newer than your saw. Does that make it a new saw? I bought my saw after using a neighbors who's saw was only a couple years old. When he had trouble with his switch I vowed I was going to install a side switch and bypass the factory switch. I did that this past spring when I also replaced a capacitor and motor bearings. Uh, that was about forty seven years later. I always like to keep my word. Got the switch from Grizzly and have been very happy with it.
You can probably use a clock winding key. They come in many sizes with 4mm being the most common. What size is the male shaft?
That clock winding key is a great idea! I am not near the saw now, but 4-6 mm seems about right. That would be easier to search, for sure. dewalt.com just laughs at needs for parts of that age. No hits at all.
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