# Refurbish Powermatic Table Saw



## bch (Jan 14, 2011)

*Purchasing A Used Table Saw and Accessing Its Condition*

Before I begin let me clarify that calling this a "refurbish" is a bit of a stretch. I disassembled, removed some rust, sealed to prevent rust, reassembled, and then tuned the saw. Also, I am no expert and am figuring this out as I go. If you see me doing something poorly and have suggestions, please do help me and your fellow jocks by posting your comments.

I recently purchased a Powermatic 64A Contractors table saw used on Craigslist. The manual that came with it is copyright 1998 so I presume the saw is 1998 to 2002 or so. The purchase included an Incra Miter and a roller stand. It had been partially disassembled in the seller's shed for two years since he'd moved. Since moving he'd never gotten it back together and in use. I got all three for $300.

My previous saw was a 1969 Craftsman. I am grateful to my God-Father for giving it to me and beginning my journey with woodworking. This was the only saw I had used and I had no other experience to make comparisons. Thanks Larry!

A few days later I had gone through the manual and made multiple trips to the hardware to purchase the missing screws, bolts and associated washers necessary to assemble it. Finally ready for a test cut I grabbed a scrap 2×4 and started the saw. Wow did that 1.5 horsepower motor take longer to start up and sound more serious starting than did the 3/4 HP Craftsman I was accustomed to. Cross-cutting with the miter I pushed the piece forward-*ZIIP!* It went through the board in about a third the time and with much less effort-like a knife in butter. I was a little unsure of the result; did I really cut through so quickly? *ZIP!* Yes! For the first time I understood that blog posting I had doubted which stated that a more powerful motor would be less likely to cause kickback.

Here it is in my shop with one wing installed and the fence rails just set on top of the table.










Here you can see the medium rust on the table and wing.










Now the rust beginning on the edges of the table:










There was also some finish dried on the table:



















Please continue reading the blog in Part 2
bch


----------



## Beginningwoodworker (May 5, 2008)

bch said:


> *Purchasing A Used Table Saw and Accessing Its Condition*
> 
> Before I begin let me clarify that calling this a "refurbish" is a bit of a stretch. I disassembled, removed some rust, sealed to prevent rust, reassembled, and then tuned the saw. Also, I am no expert and am figuring this out as I go. If you see me doing something poorly and have suggestions, please do help me and your fellow jocks by posting your comments.
> 
> ...


Nice find, will make a great saw once you finish.


----------



## bch (Jan 14, 2011)

*Strip and Remove Rust from the Table Top*

First I used a citrus stripper to remove the finish dried to the table. I am very pleased with the results and the product:




















__
Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
Show Content










If I recall correctly it took two rounds of stripping:



















With the finish removed, on to removing rust from the table top!










I used a new product for rust removal this time, as shown in the photograph. I followed the directions, rather than my own common sense, which I regret. The product worked fine, but the instructions were to apply, wait fifteen minutes, rinse with water, wipe down, and reapply if necessary. I did this dutifully, twelve repetitions over several evenings, until I ran out. On the last application, I did the sensible thing and scrubbed with a "green scrubby", and that cleaned it up beautifully. Had I done this from the beginning I bet I could have done the job in three or four repetitions, and saved 3/4 of the product, and a lot of brain cells (these things are stinky and you are supposed to use them in far more ventilated places than my basement shop).










Applying to a wing:










With rust-removal complete, time to give a quick sanding with penetrating oil and 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper. Many people derust this way from the beginning, as have I. Writing this now I'm having trouble coming up with the reason to do it the other way. Sanding is quick, inexpensive, and doesn't fry brain cells. I may reconsider this approach in the future. I must say I worry that during sanding I'll create low-spots in the table and with the chemical method I don't have this fear.










A few helpers make the job of cleaning up a joy:










Thanks for viewing. Please read Blog 3 of this blog series.
-bch


----------



## NormG (Mar 5, 2010)

bch said:


> *Strip and Remove Rust from the Table Top*
> 
> First I used a citrus stripper to remove the finish dried to the table. I am very pleased with the results and the product:
> 
> ...


Looks like you have it under control, enjoy the saw


----------



## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

bch said:


> *Strip and Remove Rust from the Table Top*
> 
> First I used a citrus stripper to remove the finish dried to the table. I am very pleased with the results and the product:
> 
> ...


seems it did the job well. nice looking end top


----------



## triviasteve (Sep 29, 2013)

bch said:


> *Strip and Remove Rust from the Table Top*
> 
> First I used a citrus stripper to remove the finish dried to the table. I am very pleased with the results and the product:
> 
> ...


excellent job! I actually got one of these on craigslist, too… I paid a little more for mine, and it was missing some hardware, too, but you're absolutely right on the saw… cuts like butter! It's great to have a proper table saw!

I have a little more fine tuning to do on mine as well.

I have a little rust removing to do as well (I'm using the boeing-developed products), but I do like the idea of the 400 grit sandpaper. May have to try that as well.

Hope you're enjoying your saw and that it'll serve you well for many years to come!


----------



## bch (Jan 14, 2011)

*Disassembly and Cleaning of the Mechanics*

Okay! Let's really take this thing apart! I took many, many photos of this disassembly process, which I won't bore you with in this blog, to assure I could reassemble the saw properly. I have only included enough photos to help you follow me with my progress as I clean the saw.

Before I disassembled the saw, I realized I hadn't dealt with the edges of the saw table, yet.

Before shot:










After about three quick sandings with penetrating oil and the same wet/dry sandpaper:










How it looks after I remove it from its stand and flip it up-side-down on my bench:



















Helpers arrive!










After cleaning:










The body is removed. The funny thing is after cleaning it thoroughly during the previous step, I thought it was clean, but as I continued to disassemble, you can see how much sawdust continued to fall out. I cleaned the saw in stages continuously as I disassembled it.










The arbor is separated…










..and cleaned/de-rusted:










I could have further disassembled the saw, but I was at my comfort level at this point; I was not confident that I would be able to re-assemble it properly, or convinced that further disassembly would reap sufficient rewards to warrant further disassembly. I found a product that seemed appropriate for the underside of the top, which would be impossible to sand as I did the top, and applied over several evenings. It's a little smelly, not so bad as the rust-remover products, and doesn't evaporate as I expected; most days I had to mop up the remainder and re-apply). I have no idea if this was useful. I hope this will keep the underside from rusting from the annual moisture in my basement shop. I used it until the can was gone, and in accordance with the instructions.










Please continue reading this blog in Part 4

-bch


----------



## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

bch said:


> *Disassembly and Cleaning of the Mechanics*
> 
> Okay! Let's really take this thing apart! I took many, many photos of this disassembly process, which I won't bore you with in this blog, to assure I could reassemble the saw properly. I have only included enough photos to help you follow me with my progress as I clean the saw.
> 
> ...


impressive!

I dont think I would work to this level of degree cleaning it up, but I probably would have. it'll all pay for itself soon enough.


----------



## NormG (Mar 5, 2010)

bch said:


> *Disassembly and Cleaning of the Mechanics*
> 
> Okay! Let's really take this thing apart! I took many, many photos of this disassembly process, which I won't bore you with in this blog, to assure I could reassemble the saw properly. I have only included enough photos to help you follow me with my progress as I clean the saw.
> 
> ...


Who knew there were so many parts to a TS. Looks like you have sufficient assistance


----------



## Beginningwoodworker (May 5, 2008)

bch said:


> *Disassembly and Cleaning of the Mechanics*
> 
> Okay! Let's really take this thing apart! I took many, many photos of this disassembly process, which I won't bore you with in this blog, to assure I could reassemble the saw properly. I have only included enough photos to help you follow me with my progress as I clean the saw.
> 
> ...


Nice work!


----------



## Sketchman1981 (Jan 6, 2017)

bch said:


> *Disassembly and Cleaning of the Mechanics*
> 
> Okay! Let's really take this thing apart! I took many, many photos of this disassembly process, which I won't bore you with in this blog, to assure I could reassemble the saw properly. I have only included enough photos to help you follow me with my progress as I clean the saw.
> 
> ...


Nice, I'm starting my table saw now. swept off the cobwebs and dirt that got on it over years of sitting in garage's or storage. Finally gonna get the damn thing running. Never even turned it on after I acquired it from a friend


----------



## bch (Jan 14, 2011)

*Reassemble, Align Blade (PALS), Clean-Up Insert and Guard*

Here you can see the end result of cleaning the underside of the table. The minor rust seems to be converted and sealed as the product claimed.










At this point I reassembled the saw. I didn't include any pictures here as they are redundant given the previous photos and not likely relevant to your saw.

During assembly, I followed the instructions in the manual for aligning the saw. The instructions for aligning the blade could be summarized as follows (this is my condensed version): "Align the saw blade parallel to the slot. Measure with a ruler and if it's out of alignment, hit the table with a mallet and measure again. Repeat as necessary. When parallel, tighten arbor nuts to lock in alignment." I chose to measure by by clamping my dial indicator to my miter guide:










For three evenings I followed these instructions to adjust the blade to the miter-slot. I measured, whacked the table, measured, whacked again… When the table-saw-whacking-fairies would smile upon me, the blade would align. I would then lie on my back underneath the saw and very, very carefully tighten each arbor-nut in tiny increments only to find the arbor would move ten thousandths with each tightening of the arbor nuts.

I mentioned my frustration and lack of success to my wood-working mentor, Chris, who told me about In-Line Industries PALS . These are the same people that make the red link belts for your motor. Given the three evenings I'd spent following the saw's instructions, $20 plus $6 shipping sounded quite reasonable. I ordered the PALS alignment system and waited. Upon arrival I had this package:










I did my best to follow their instructions and was slow and methodical in their alignment. In 45 minutes I was finished. My sloppy measurement method using the dial indicator on the miter seemed to get me within about 1.5 thousands. (I think if I wanted to spend a few more minutes I could reduce this, but by this point I was a bit excited and quite happy with the results I'd achieved in a relatively small amount of time).

Review of PALS: They work perfectly as advertized. I have no complaint with the actual product. The instructions I have a minor gripe with. The instructions tell you in what order to install the custom part, washers and screw, and then give no advice on aligning the saw. While this was pretty obvious given their design, the absence of any instruction is a little disconcerting. The whole point of the product is to align a contractor's saw blade to the table yet there is not a single sentence in the instructions on how to do so. I believe they are trying to make all of their instructions fit on the printed cardboard backing of the package. If they gave up that idea they could include their instructions on half a sheet of paper. If they did so I would give their instructions top marks, as I do their product. Likewise, if you look at their web site instructions for installing PALS, it just says, "instructions coming soon" (as of 11/2/2011).

PALS are a great product regardless, and I strongly recommend them. I was about to make a review but LumberJock Jack Barnhill already wrote a good review.

After aligning the blade to the miter slot using PALS, I installed the wings using a straight edge. I aligned them so that I could just barely feel an edge. They are a fraction of a thousandth lower than the table. I was unable to get them exact across the entire length of the surface. Visually I cannot see the drop, but I can feel it when dragging my finger across the joint.










As I installed the insert I noticed some corrosion beginning:










A quick few seconds with wet/dry sandpaper and penetrating oil and we have the following:










Now to look at the splitter, riving-knife, and guard assembly. This had a little more corrosion than the insert:










Disassembled:










After sanding the worst of it, I discovered the paint came right off:










This cooled my enthusiasm a bit and I just did a very light sanding of the rest of it, thinking with a very light sanding I could just remove the worst of the corrosion but maintain the original condition. If it continues to rust I can easily stop the problem. The assembly is easy to remove. I can remove it at any time later to sand and repaint more thoroughly.










I gave the outer surfaces a quick coat of paint to cover up the portion I'd sanded off:










Here you see the guard attached:










Next: Please view the last installment: The Fence.

-bch


----------



## ajosephg (Aug 25, 2008)

bch said:


> *Reassemble, Align Blade (PALS), Clean-Up Insert and Guard*
> 
> Here you can see the end result of cleaning the underside of the table. The minor rust seems to be converted and sealed as the product claimed.
> 
> ...


Nice looking saw and good review of the PALS. I too could not get my saw aligned until I installed them.

A personal opinion about the splitter, guard, and insert: I hung all that stuff on a nail on the wall where it collects dust. This type of splitter and guard assembly is more dangerous than going without, and the insert is also worthless for fine wood working.

Make yourself a zero clearance insert and the quality of your cuts will go up big time as well as making the saw much safer.


----------



## bch (Jan 14, 2011)

bch said:


> *Reassemble, Align Blade (PALS), Clean-Up Insert and Guard*
> 
> Here you can see the end result of cleaning the underside of the table. The minor rust seems to be converted and sealed as the product claimed.
> 
> ...


ajosephg:

I've already begun making a ZCI. No worries there.

I'm curious why you think this style of guard/splitter/cauls is actually dangerous. I know they are difficult to add and remove compared to newer styles of guards, but you say they are actually dangerous. How so?

Thanks so much for taking the time read and comment.

-bch


----------



## ajosephg (Aug 25, 2008)

bch said:


> *Reassemble, Align Blade (PALS), Clean-Up Insert and Guard*
> 
> Here you can see the end result of cleaning the underside of the table. The minor rust seems to be converted and sealed as the product claimed.
> 
> ...


Since all the world's knowledge doesn't rest within my brain this is only my opinion and experience with my guard that was exactly like yours.

Several problems. The first is the downward pressure (by the guard) on the cut-off can cause the cut-off to rotate and catch on the blade resulting in a kickback. If the cutoff has reached the so called "anti-kickback" pawls, the results will be worse because the pawls are pretty flimsy and the cut-off will get trapped between the pawl, the guard, and the blade, and the pawl will lose the battle. This problem is magnified when working with small pieces.

It's my perception that most guys (at least on this site) run their table saws without guards for these reasons.

While not a safety issue, the lack of visibility makes it hard to line up a cut because you can't see where the tooth is going to touch the mark on your board.


----------



## MickeyGee (Jun 23, 2010)

bch said:


> *Reassemble, Align Blade (PALS), Clean-Up Insert and Guard*
> 
> Here you can see the end result of cleaning the underside of the table. The minor rust seems to be converted and sealed as the product claimed.
> 
> ...


Good job on the blog and a congrats on the great deal with the saw. 
Enjoy and I'll be waiting for your next installment.


----------



## bch (Jan 14, 2011)

*Finishing Up: Repairing the Fence and A New Push Stick*

The fence, having been stored outside in a shed for two years, had dried out and the two side boards had shrunk enough that both boards had fallen off while transporting it home. The bumper rail was also separating from the ends and would not stay down with just a press-fit as intended. I chose to glue the ends of the bumper down with CA glue, only at the ends where it was separating:



















After the glue dried I enlisted my assistant to dismantle the lever for cleaning, rust removal, and waxing.










It was time to attach the side boards back onto the center metal tube. The instructions were to attach them moderately tight, shim the boards 1/32" above the table, hit them with a mallet to give them solid contact to the shims, and finally tighten down the rest of the way. But I don't own any shims. I started thinking about things I might have in the house that could serve as substitutes. I figured I'd spend the next hour running around cutting and measuring things. The first thing that came to mind was a credit card. I measured with my calipers and guess what? Close enough for me. My search for a shim took 30 seconds.










The instructions were to bang the boards down onto the shims.










Sweet Success! Isn't she a beauty?










A saw this pretty demands a new hot-rod push stick:










*Wrap-Up:*
I really enjoyed courting my new saw. I got familiar with her pieces and parts, and decided to make a long-term commitment to her. I plan on keeping her around for a long while. The time I've spent adjusting her to tight tolerances should really pay off when I work closely with her. If she becomes dull, or kicks-back, I'll be familiar enough with her to make quick adjustments. And even though she has been relegated to the basement, she hasn't complained yet, and I spend time quality time with her as often as I'm able.

*The Future:*
While anyone can see she's got beautiful lines, if she gets too loud I may add a motor enclosure to quiet her down. I know, I know-this will increase her girth and make her rear larger, square, and cover up those curves-but soon enough I'll have heard enough of her screaming and will appreciate the quiet.

Thanks for reading!

*ADDED: Blog #6*

-bch


----------



## Bradford (Dec 8, 2007)

bch said:


> *Finishing Up: Repairing the Fence and A New Push Stick*
> 
> The fence, having been stored outside in a shed for two years, had dried out and the two side boards had shrunk enough that both boards had fallen off while transporting it home. The bumper rail was also separating from the ends and would not stay down with just a press-fit as intended. I chose to glue the ends of the bumper down with CA glue, only at the ends where it was separating:
> 
> ...


Great blog! I really appreciate the thorough steps you explained. I also "re-did" my Powermatic 66. But my trip with it was shorter. I repainted mine to as close to the original color as I could, but in "Gun metal" Very scratch resistant.
I left the rails alone with the scratches, to live on as battle scars of it's past.


----------



## RibsBrisket4me (Jul 17, 2011)

bch said:


> *Finishing Up: Repairing the Fence and A New Push Stick*
> 
> The fence, having been stored outside in a shed for two years, had dried out and the two side boards had shrunk enough that both boards had fallen off while transporting it home. The bumper rail was also separating from the ends and would not stay down with just a press-fit as intended. I chose to glue the ends of the bumper down with CA glue, only at the ends where it was separating:
> 
> ...


This has been a great project to follow. You did a super job and the end result is fantastic! Such a nice saw!


----------



## TheBossQ (Jan 10, 2011)

bch said:


> *Finishing Up: Repairing the Fence and A New Push Stick*
> 
> The fence, having been stored outside in a shed for two years, had dried out and the two side boards had shrunk enough that both boards had fallen off while transporting it home. The bumper rail was also separating from the ends and would not stay down with just a press-fit as intended. I chose to glue the ends of the bumper down with CA glue, only at the ends where it was separating:
> 
> ...


Nice work! I bought a used PM 63. Mine had very little rust (a product of living in Arizona), but the arbor bearings were starting to screech. Those were a bit of a bear to replace, but $8 for good quality Nachi bearings was better than $125 the tool shops were quoting. In addition, I got to know the saw really well through tear down and reassembly of the trunnions.

I wish I had the Bies style fence yours has. The 63 has the Vega fence and I am not a fan.

My trunnions need to be shimmed though. The blade doesn't stay parallel to the miter slot @ 45*. That's the next thing to tackle.

I really enjoyed reading through this blog.


----------



## Beginningwoodworker (May 5, 2008)

bch said:


> *Finishing Up: Repairing the Fence and A New Push Stick*
> 
> The fence, having been stored outside in a shed for two years, had dried out and the two side boards had shrunk enough that both boards had fallen off while transporting it home. The bumper rail was also separating from the ends and would not stay down with just a press-fit as intended. I chose to glue the ends of the bumper down with CA glue, only at the ends where it was separating:
> 
> ...


Great blog.


----------



## bch (Jan 14, 2011)

bch said:


> *Finishing Up: Repairing the Fence and A New Push Stick*
> 
> The fence, having been stored outside in a shed for two years, had dried out and the two side boards had shrunk enough that both boards had fallen off while transporting it home. The bumper rail was also separating from the ends and would not stay down with just a press-fit as intended. I chose to glue the ends of the bumper down with CA glue, only at the ends where it was separating:
> 
> ...


Bradford, bullethead, TheBossQ, Beginningwoodworker - Thanks so much! I really appreciate the comments.
TheBossQ - I need to build a miter slot guide for my dial indicator so that I can better measure it at 45*. Clamping it to the miter guide was not ideal. It's coming…


----------



## bch (Jan 14, 2011)

bch said:


> *Finishing Up: Repairing the Fence and A New Push Stick*
> 
> The fence, having been stored outside in a shed for two years, had dried out and the two side boards had shrunk enough that both boards had fallen off while transporting it home. The bumper rail was also separating from the ends and would not stay down with just a press-fit as intended. I chose to glue the ends of the bumper down with CA glue, only at the ends where it was separating:
> 
> ...


I've added another blog post #6 after discovering the blade was not aligned.


----------



## bch (Jan 14, 2011)

*Table Saw Blade and Fence Alignment with Shop-Built Jig*

*Adjusting the Saw Blade Alignment, Again-This Time With A Jig*
As posted in the blog I aligned the table saw blade to the miter slot by clamping my dial indicator to my miter gauge. I knew this wouldn't be perfect, but thought it would be good enough. However, after finishing the saw, doubts lingered. I had paid for In-Line Industries PALS after all-why not have it aligned perfectly? Last night after work I shamelessly copied ajosephg's shop-made jig on this post.

ajosephg's jig looks like this:










I've seen other posts where he has since bought a TS Aligner Jr. and rated it as "one of the best things he's bought for his shop". I didn't see why. Better to make one myself, right? Here is my clone of his jig:










I discovered that on this jig it was off by nine, yes, nine thousandths! The horror! Shocked, I made several rounds of adjustments but kept getting inconsistent measurements. With the frustration beginning, I finally I wiggled the jig back and forth and found it would move four or five thousandths without much effort, just sliding it back and forth during use. The miter slider is snug and doesn't move at all; the indicator support-arm does move back and forth in the dado. I believe I could have fixed this by gluing the two cross pieces in addition to the screw holding the two together, but that would prevent me from disassembling it later for sanding if the wood slider swells in the summer. I made it very snug to eliminate play. Rather than glue it, I just practiced a method of pushing down on the same part of the jig each time after moving it to eliminate the play. It took another half-dozen tries at alignment, but I finally got it to approximately a third of one thousandth. You can see this in the following two photos.



















*Rip Fence Adjustment*
I then adjusted my rip fence alignment. Before adjustment is was off by 43 thousandths from front to back. With only two adjustments, I got it to less than one thousandth front to back. However, I then ran the dial indicator jig along the length of the fence to see the variation in the plywood side board. It moves toward and away from the blade for a total swing of 12 thousandths, or 3/250". This is perfectly acceptable for any woodworking I'll ever do.

I didn't bother with photos as this looks just like the above photos, just with a fence instead of the blade.

*Shop-Made Jig Review*
ajosephg may be right about the TS Aligner Jr. But I'm still too cheap to spend that kind of money on a jig. Were I to build the jig again I would probably use the parts from this jig to make one more like Brandon W's TS Alignment Jig. His design should eliminate the play in the arm holding the dial indicator that mine has. (It could also be that I'm a beginning wood-worker and my dado-joint is not precise enough for this application).

I hope you enjoyed my blog. I certainly feel as though I now know my "new" saw inside-and-out. It was a great experience, and I'm left with a well-tuned machine.

-bch


----------



## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

bch said:


> *Table Saw Blade and Fence Alignment with Shop-Built Jig*
> 
> *Adjusting the Saw Blade Alignment, Again-This Time With A Jig*
> As posted in the blog I aligned the table saw blade to the miter slot by clamping my dial indicator to my miter gauge. I knew this wouldn't be perfect, but thought it would be good enough. However, after finishing the saw, doubts lingered. I had paid for In-Line Industries PALS after all-why not have it aligned perfectly? Last night after work I shamelessly copied ajosephg's shop-made jig on this post.
> ...


nicely done. I shamlessly just use a combination square to align my saw blade though….


----------



## JimDaddyO (Dec 20, 2009)

bch said:


> *Table Saw Blade and Fence Alignment with Shop-Built Jig*
> 
> *Adjusting the Saw Blade Alignment, Again-This Time With A Jig*
> As posted in the blog I aligned the table saw blade to the miter slot by clamping my dial indicator to my miter gauge. I knew this wouldn't be perfect, but thought it would be good enough. However, after finishing the saw, doubts lingered. I had paid for In-Line Industries PALS after all-why not have it aligned perfectly? Last night after work I shamelessly copied ajosephg's shop-made jig on this post.
> ...


I too use a combi square to align my saw. In my defense I have a '72 Craftsman direct drive and the motor is attached to the top, so when you are adjusting, you are moving the whole motor. It mounts with 4 machine screws through countersunk holes in the top and the countersunk holes keep wanting to put it back to it's unaligned position as you tightned the screws.. It is virtually immpossible to move it to any other spot. Just a bad design.


----------



## bch (Jan 14, 2011)

bch said:


> *Table Saw Blade and Fence Alignment with Shop-Built Jig*
> 
> *Adjusting the Saw Blade Alignment, Again-This Time With A Jig*
> As posted in the blog I aligned the table saw blade to the miter slot by clamping my dial indicator to my miter gauge. I knew this wouldn't be perfect, but thought it would be good enough. However, after finishing the saw, doubts lingered. I had paid for In-Line Industries PALS after all-why not have it aligned perfectly? Last night after work I shamelessly copied ajosephg's shop-made jig on this post.
> ...


I just found some good instructions from In-Line Industries on aligning your blade. I did not follow these instructions, and will go back and re-test to see if there is any significant difference.


----------

