Lubricating Table Saw

Denis,

Yes, while the table top is off, clean everything you can. I would use compressed air (and safety glasses) to blow out as much dirt as possible. Then use an old paint brush and old tooth brush to get any dirt that remains. As for lubricant, a dry graphite lube would probably be best on the gears and shafts. The bearings should be permanently lubed so you shouldn’t need to worry about them. Take care lubricating around any locking mechanisms as they often use friction to hold things tight.

Lew

sounds good

Dennis there are some earlier blogs on protecting your tablesaw surface. I use a machine wax designed for metal tables but I think some use car polish which is said to be as good.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

thanks

I remember reading or hearing somewhere …maybe the WoodWhisperer’s podcast, that some car polishes have silicon in them which can transfer to your wood…so be carreful not to use a silicon containing car polish. I use floor wax that I purchased at our local Co-op, no silicon in it as far as I know.

-- ....next big purchase is wood for the next project, Mark

ya i wouldn’t use anything with silicone. I’m talking about the insides, not the table top

I think the Wood Whisperer uses Boeshield T9 once the surface has been cleaned and then uses paste wax over that.

-- Carl Rast, Pelion, SC

got that part down, I’m talking about the insides. like the trunnion assembly because my cast iron top will be away being flattened for a couple of days.

I use Boshield T9 on the gears and sliding mechanisms on my table saw and it works superbly. I give the gears a squirt and then clean with either a toothbrush or a brass brush, making sure to turn the gear and get into all of the valleys between the teeth. After it is cleaned thoroughly, I give it another squire and work the mechanism to ensure the lubricant is thoroughly spread then let it sit of 15-20 minutes. The Boshield dries and provides protection as well as lubrication. Sliding friction is almost nil with this stuff. (It also works good on squeaky car doors and many other things). You can order it online or get it at Sears.

JIm

cool. i didn’t know that you could use it on the inside. i think i’ll check it out.

woodwisperer TS setup vid mentions this some
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1579840116/bclid1344569452/bctid1620740943

He also mentions some of the upkeep here:
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1579840116/bclid1344621875/bctid1344587129

Fine Woodworking has video and articles on what to lube and more importantly the types of lube to use. I signed up for their online service, it has a bunch of info/articles/videos for about $15/yr.
http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/

-- Doug, woodworking in Alabama

I presume from your comments that you have a cabinet table saw. I just modified my cabinet base to make it more efficient for sawdust removal. I was wishing I had a reason to remove the top to make these modifiations easier to install.
So unless your saw has good sawdust removal already, you might want to think about doing something like this while the top is off.
Installing a mobile base would be a lot easier with the top off as well.

Ed