What’s involved in replacing a table saw arbor?
I have a 5 year old craftsman 10″ saw (the heavy duty kind, not the pick it up and throw it in the back of your truck kind). I was cleaning the dust out of the underside yesterday and rotated the belt by hand. I noticed the pulley by the blade wobble. Either the arbor assembly is warped or the pulley just isn’t on square to the belt.
It’s kind of tight in there, so I haven’t had the time to probe any further, but something is definitely not right.
I have noticed the saw getting a little louder lately, but because I always wear earphones with a built in radio, I didn’t notice how bad it had gotten.
If it is a warped arbor assembly, what am I in for?
Thanks.
Bob
Replies
I doubt that it is a warped arbor. It would take a lot of abuse to do that.More likely, it's the pulley or the arbor bearings.
First of all, check and see if the pulley is secure on the arbor. They can come loose, and the bore can get enlarged from running loose. If it wobbles on the arbor, replace it, preferably with a machined steel or cast iron one.A replacement pulley from Sears is likely to be made from pot metal,as the original probably was.Check the belt too for wear and damage.
To check the bearings, remove the belt and blade and turn the arbor by hand. Listen for any noise, and try to feel any roughness.If there is any noise or roughness, replace the bearings. Get the number off the bearing and go to a bearing supply house, or use Accurate Bearing online for replacements.You want a higher quality bearing than the original.
You don't say what model number your saw is, but if you don't have the parts breakdown, you should be able to go to Sears Parts and download one. That will give you an idea about what's involved in disassembling the saw to get the bearings out.You may need a puller to get the bearings off.
There's some good info on bearings and rebuilding on the Old Woodworking Machines website.
Good luck with it, and let us know how it turns out.
Rick W
I know that the pully that came on my Craftsman TS was a piece of carp. I replaced it with a nice one from Woodcraft and a link belt. Made a world of difference.
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
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