# DeWalt DW746 Table Saw - Riving Knife Upgrade



## DonFaulk0517 (Nov 8, 2008)

Does anyone know a way to upgrade the DeWalt DW746 10" Table Saw with a riving knife? I use a splitter behind the blade, but a dedicated riving knife would make for quicker change overs.

Thanks!

[email protected]


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## Woodchuck1957 (Feb 4, 2008)

I highly doubt it. I think to have a riving knife, you have to buy a saw that comes with one.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

I think Gary Katz showed on his site how to McGyver a
bosch saw to take a self-made riving knife. You might 
look into that. That was for a portable saw.

For your saw it would probably be a matter of taking the
saw down to blade shroud and welding or bolting a
spacer to the shroud behind the blade. Then you 
attach your riving knife to the spacer.


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## RonKahn (May 17, 2009)

Don:

It's not a riving knife, but a splitter set. You may wish to check out http://www.leestyron.com/sharkdw746.php

-Ron


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

I think splitters are the most avialable.


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## Leeway (Aug 15, 2011)

I know this is an old old thread, but thought I would share a little about the Dewalt 746.
These are splitter equipped saws in the US, however they have riving knives in Europe.
There is a bracket that attaches to the arbor and that is what holds the RK.
I have seen a picture of one, but cannot lay my hands on one to replicate.
They simply will not sell that bracket over here.
If any European Members have one of these, I'd be interested in some drawing and dimension's of it.
Thanks, Guys.


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## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

The BORK is the only aftermarket riving knife I know of, but I don't think he has one that fits the DW746.


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## Leeway (Aug 15, 2011)

Bob and I discussed his Bork before it came out when he was designing it. It's a nice option for some saws.

I do make splitters for the DW746, but not riving knives. I make riving knives for the DW 744 and 745 though.
Love to be able to put them on a 746 as well.

I did find the image of that bracket that I mentioned.









I also have a link to that manual.
http://service.dewalt.co.uk/PDMSDocuments/EU/Docs//docpdf/dw746_eur.pdf

The part looks easy enough for me to duplicate I think.
Just need one of them or at least the details. 
The part number is 140 in the manual and it says that it is discontinued now.
Still a lot of 746's out there looking for a riving knife fix. 
Thanks.


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

Leeway - did you ever get any details on the riving knife for the Dewalt 746 from anybody in Europe? I have a small fixed unit that I've made (after getting hurt by the flying board), it seems to work but a unit that goes up and down with the blade would be much better.


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## runswithscissors (Nov 8, 2012)

It looks like the articulating arm for the riving knife pivots on the arbor shaft, which means it must have a high quality/high speed ball bearing in there. Just visible below and to the left of the arbor flange looks like the actuating arm that makes the riving knife stay level with the blade at all times. It can be done (I did it for my Unisaw), but you have to make it up as you go. The trick is to pivot the articulating arm concentric with the shaft. Good luck with your search.


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## Leeway (Aug 15, 2011)

I haven't found anything else out about it. I know Dewalt makes at least two other models that do have riving knives. This was before the mandate kicked in.
Sadly though, they are different than the 746.


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

Lee - thanks for the feedback
Looking closely at my 746 I might be able to make a ring that fits around the assembly that house the axle of the blade. The ring would have to have some set screws to lock it on. Then I'd have to weld an arm to the ring that would support the riving knife thus as the blade and assembly moved up and down so wood the riving knife. The final part would look something like the image you posted. However I'd much prefer to find one already made!

I can also visualize what runwithsissors is suggesting either way it will be a lot of trial and error.

I have a crude stationary rectangular spliter that I made from a handsaw blade but I think for now I'll make another stationary one that follow the arc of the blade.


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## runswithscissors (Nov 8, 2012)

You can google the blog I did on my Unisaw riving knife. That was several weeks ago. Yes, trial and error is the only approach that I know of. For mine, I made a base upon which the articulating arm can rotate. The base itself is not an important part of the set up, it's just something to attach the riving knife arm to, and for it to rotate on. It took more time than the riving knife itself. But I am pondering a simpler, better way to do that. Have several ideas in mind, but have to try them out.


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

Can you please give me the direct link. I ran a Google search and it produced numerous interesting hits but I don't think I found yours.


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## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

John - Check his LJ blog


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## Leeway (Aug 15, 2011)

I think I have seen it before and may have saved the photo's just because I thought it was cool. I didn't save the link though.

Bob Ross from Walnut Acres and I brainstormed initially when he was starting out. We couldn't come up with much the direction we were headed in, but he came up with what he now makes. 
His only fits a few saws so far.


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## Leeway (Aug 15, 2011)

I was wrong.
Yours isn't the one I saw. Yours is more elegant looking I think.
Here is that link.
Why don't you shoot me an email sometime. I might like to do some business with you.


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

Scott - thanks for the link!


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## Leeway (Aug 15, 2011)

Oops. I forgot to post the link, but Scott had already posted it.


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## runswithscissors (Nov 8, 2012)

Knotscott has the right link.


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

I managed to get some of the parts through a friend in Hungry and hope to start installing in a week or so. I know that I don't have everything at this time thus it will be an experiment. I was not able to order direct from DeWalt in Europe thus the friend in Hungry ordered for me. Since then I have found some possible sources in UK.
http://toolsandpartsdirect.co.uk/dewalt-dw746-type-1-table-saw-spare-parts__p-3522.aspx
http://www.partshopdirect.co.uk/dewalt-spares-and-parts/dewalt-bench-saw-spares-and-parts-c234/dewalt-dw746-type-1-table-saw-spare-parts-s4281/
http://www.mtmc.co.uk/Dewalt-DW746-Type-1-Table-Saw-Spare-Parts__p-56897.aspx
http://www.ptctools.co.uk/spares3.php/store//c1/617/c2/8744/sn/SPARE_DW746%2FTYPE_1
Riving Knife http://www.factoryauthorizedoutlet.com/dewalt-thick-kerf-riving-knife-for-dw744x


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## talle (Nov 4, 2013)

JohnT,

Did you you ever install/find the riving knife? I have this particular table saw now and would love to hear of your experience.


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

As I started to work with what I received I realized that I did not have everything I needed and have not done anything with the project since then. I need to review the PDFs of the US and Europe a LOT closer than I had in the past. I know I don't have time to do such this week.

I have a PDF of the EU and US saw but I cannot discover how to append them to this forum. What I had planned to do was visually compare the two documents and note the different part numbers. This is still on my todo list. If I can get the documents (PDFs) to you perhaps you have time to try and determine what we need.

Another option that I might have time for next week is to OCR the two PDF files, then I can put the info in either Excel or Word. This would make it a bit easier but it may be overkill.


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## talle (Nov 4, 2013)

I found the PDF files and there is actually quite a difference when I look at them, but maybe i am not comparing what I think I am. I did find another old thread about this on google: http://www.woodworking.com/forum/archive/index.php?t-12683.html

The thread that this thread refers to is long gone I think. I definitely could not find it.

From the afore mentioned thread it seems that you can, but when I compared the two exploded views of the saws I saw quite a few differences. In the European version look at parts 141 through 145.


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## talle (Nov 4, 2013)

Ok so I think I found a pic of the riving knife and guard on a DW746. It looks like it anyway, let me know what you think….


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

I finally got the ball rolling. I ordered all of the parts I needed except for the riving knife (more on this later) from DeWalt in Hungary, had them shipped to a friend in Hungary and then he shipped them to me (this took 3-4 weeks total). The total cost was just over $200. Yesterday I received the parts and today I disassembled the saw (I actually took off too many parts and created more work for myself), installed everything. Because I disassembled too much I ran out of energy and did not finish the job (ya get tired when you are old). I did a quick test (no blade installed), blade will go up/down, tilt and ran the motor without any issues. Well I did have one minor issue. After installing the riving knife support arm you need to attach a link (one of the parts I ordered) to it and part #15 (Bracket SA). The only issue is that the riving knife support arm and part #15 don't align such that the link (part #144) fits without binding on #15. The bind occurs only when the blade is lifted all the way up. I may be able to bend the link (#144) just a bit and avoid the bind or just live with the part binding. The binding is very minor.

Another part I did not order was the guard (#110), I may change my mind on this after I get everything working.

The initial feedback I got on the riving knife was that it was thicker than the US saw blades. Thus I decided to make the riving knife from an old saw blade. However currently I don't have a template for the riving knife. I'm trying to get an existing template. If I'm not successful in the next few days in my attempt to find an existing template I'll make a cardboard template and give it a shot.


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

Following are a few photos of the Link (#144) and the binding issue I mentioned in the previous post.


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## Leeway (Aug 15, 2011)

One of our patterns may work or at least get close. Just shoot me an email and we can find out.


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

Quick Update - The screws that hold the link (#144) in place has a shoulder for the link to ride on (see the image)









I used a washer that was smaller than the shoulder, this seems to have solved the problem. Possibly I can install a second washer if necessary.

BTW today I used the saw for a few cuts and all worked without issue. Now to make the riving knife.


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

Today I received a PDF template for the riving knife I need. I printed it to scale, glued it to an old table saw blade, now I need to cut it out. Possible in the next couple of days. I have a friend that has a metal bandsaw.


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

OK I finished the riving knife upgrade on my DW746, total cost was just over $200. I was told that the riving knife from Europe was just a bit thicker than the US saw blades thus using the PDF template, I printed it to scale using the priPrinter application, cut it out and glued it on a 10" saw blade I was not going to use. The clue I used was intended for craft projects thus it does not have a lot of holding power and is easy to remove.
I drilled the hole (1/4") for the top of the slot.
I then used a Dremel to cut the riving knife out of the blade. At this time I was not concerned about the edge of the riving knife as long as the cut was outside of the template.








Using my 8" grinder with a very coarse stone wheel I ground close to the template. 
On my slow speed grinder I then smoothed any sharp edges.
At this point the template was a bit messed up, I then printed and cut a new template and glued on the rough cut riving knife. At this time I took care to ensure the line on the template was not overlapping the riving knife, e.g. I could see the edge of the metal or feel it with my fingers.








Using my slow speed grinder with CBN wheels I ground the knife up to the template line, and used the Dremel with a diamond disk to dress the slot and again took off any sharp edge. The glue was easily removed with water.








I then installed the support bolts on the support arm.








I then mounted the riving knife on the support arm (If somebody is interested I can explain how I installed the parts in the saw to support the riving knife). 
Note - at this time I did not have the link connected to the support arm thus the riving knife was not moving up/down correctly and I thought that the top of the knife was going to bind on the back of the table, that is why I marked the knife with a felt pen. Most of this was then ground off and was NOT the correct action. 








At this point I had to ensure that there was at least a 2 mm clearance between the knife and the blade. For me it was back to the CBN grinding wheel several times until I had the desired clearance.








I then installed the connecting link to the riving knife (the link ensures the knife goes up/down correctly) and tighten the blade.








I then extended the cut in my zero clearance insert.








and then tested the action


















That is it. 
Yes it was a bit expensive. The shipping cost almost as much as the parts but often the fixed spliter got in my way and I'm very happy with the results.


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## maduro (Jan 20, 2015)

John, can you clarify the part numbers you ordered? From looking at you diagram, you highlighted the following parts:
#19
#140
#141
#142
#144
#145
Also, how easy was it to replace part #19? Thanks for the great write up.


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

maduro, I cannot figure out how to attach some PDFs for you so I will post pictures, first is the riving knife









I use a virtual printer (priPrinter, see http://www.priprinter.com/download.htm) it has a function that will allow me to resize something to scale. I re-scaled the image to exact size, printed it, glued it to an old sawblade (see my previous post).
The parts I ordered are in the following image.









I actually ordered a couple of parts that I did not need because I could use the existing parts, I don't recall which parts were not needed. But the cost of these parts was very low. You MUST order from somebody in Europe, have the parts shipped to a friend in the same country and then have your friend ship to you. I just noticed that I ordered a few parts that I did NOT highlight in the image you referenced. I don't recall why (too old to remember).

I have a PDF of the European saw, that is the part numbers in the above image. If you search the web you can find the same document and download.

All of the parts are VERY easy to install. I made the mistake of starting to remove the assembly that is attached to the bottom of the table top. Basically just remove the motor and everything else is easy to reach from the bottom side of the saw. Putting the motor back in was the hardest mainly because it is so heavy (at least for me) and was difficult to balance and reinsert the pin.

The #19 part you referenced is secured with a "C" clip and was very easy to remove and reinstall.

If I had not made the mistake of starting to remove the assembly that is attached to the bottom of the table top I think it would have taken me about 2 hours or less. The cutout of the riving knife took me about 2 hours (possibly more). If I recall the riving knife was about $70 and using an old sawblade I did it for free (labor does not count when you are retired, so they say).

Everytime I use the saw I'm reminded of how much better and safer the riving knife is. IMHO well worth the cost of the upgrade. Good luck with the project and let me know if you have more questions.


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## maduro (Jan 20, 2015)

John,

Your list of items in the image….are they in addition to #19 #140 #141 #142 #144 #145? Thanx.


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

The image of the parts is what I ordered in total but now looking back I'm confused as well. Let me try and eliminate the confusion. When I originally made the above post it was perfectly clear but now I'm confused as well.
Following is a complete markup from the EU PDF for the saw.









I think what I did was compare the EU part numbers to the US part numbers and where they were the same I did NOT order the EU part. Following is the US parts diagram similar to the EU diagram above.








I just compared the US and EU parts, assuming I did it correctly the following image shows what you need. The green highlighted items are the same and the red are different. You need the RED items.








Comparing this to the image of the parts ordered they are different. However I know that I did not order a few of the parts like the nuts, shims and the screws to hold the riving knife in place, I reused or modified what I had. Shim are shims, I just used washers. For the screws (#142 I used the existing screws and nuts).

I remember that I ordered a few parts that I did not need and now I see why. My original compare did not produce the same results as I produced above. I think I must have lost a few brain cells somewhere in the process.

For sure you need #18 & #19, these are the most expensive parts, The bracket #140 & link #144 will raise and lower the riving knife thus for sure you need this along with the special screws #145, these have the shoulder I mentioned in my original post. When you get the parts you will see why the bracket #140 will NOT fit your existing #18 & #19. BTW the threaded hole for the #145 screw on the right is already in the #15 part.

The big mistake in my assembly is that I started to remove the #15 part, by removing the four bolts #5. This is NOT necessary and will create wasted work. You can do the entire upgrade from working from the bottom and through the hole when you remove the throat plate and removing the motor.

FYI The obvious question is why did not Dewalt release the same saw in the US. I questioned my contact at Dewalt, he stated that they wanted to but the US Gov Safety committee required testing and approval and would NOT accept what had been submitted to the same group in EU. Thus stupidity on the part of our governing group has basically forced Dewalt to release a inferior product in the use. Yes Dewalt could have gone through the hoops and loops to satisfy our Gov Safety committed at a huge cost and delay.

You might want to double check my results and ensure I now have the correct answer. (Please ) 
Hopefully this clears the confusion, if not let me know.

I have PDFs of the US and EU saw, also the PDF of the Riving Knife, if you need them let me know.


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## maduro (Jan 20, 2015)

Awesome, thanx John! Pictures are worth a billion word! Also, I contacted https://www.partshopdirect.co.uk/ and they will ship to the US! Their response was short but good:

Hi there,
This site will allow shipping to the USA, https://www.partshopdirect.co.uk/ Kind regards

This is the site you listed for the DW746 parts:

https://www.partshopdirect.co.uk/dewalt-dw746-type-1-table-saw-spare-parts-s4281/


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

WOW, that is super that they will ship directly to you. This will save you several dollars, however you may have to pay duty and I have no idea what this will amount to.

I did not mention the UK website for the Dewalt parts, I'm not sure where you got that from (great find) but if they will ship directly to you this is good. My total cost for the parts I ordered including shipping to my friend and him shipping to me was $200. I'm curious as to what your total cost will be.

I went through the steps to a mock order and if I did it correctly it came to about $215 and they state free delivery on orders over 60 pounds and the order came to about 169 pounds. In my mock order I did NOT order the riving knife. I just remembered somewhere I read where the EU riving knife was thicker than our blades, this was another reason I made my own. If the riving knife is thicker than our blades it will NOT work.

If you order the riving knife from them it is part #159 and cost 52 pounds. In my mock order I used the value including VAT which I don't know if you will have to pay, this ads about 20% to the order. If I recall correctly you should not have to pay the VAT.


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## maduro (Jan 20, 2015)

Went to order all the parts but their online ordering form does not show USA as a destination country. I sent email to them and waiting for their instructions.

The order came to 165.92 pounds. Thats about $215 as you say and they do take paypal. Wish me luck!


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## Leeway (Aug 15, 2011)

I think the biggest issue is a little known clause somewhere that I have read in the past, but have been unable to locate again. 
It stated something like the mechanism for the riving knife should not be attached to the blade arbor. I do think it was an OSHA statement too, but have not been able to verify. Dewalt may just be doing a CYA thing because of that in the US. 
There have been many saw designs that use a riving knife and the saws arbor protrudes through the arm that holds the riving knife. Much like this one does. 
As is true with many OSHA regs, they are written so that they are open to interpretation. Everyone can read many different things into the same few words. Dewalt may be erring on the side of caution for the 746.


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

maduro - I'm anxious for you, I'm sure you will be as pleased as I am.
BTW you can find a scrap saw blade and cut out the riving knife while waiting for the parts to arrive. Use the image I included above and print to scale. the only measurement on the image is the dia of the slot in MM. I use a virtual printer (priPrinter, see http://www.priprinter.com/) and highly recommend it. I have used it to print many drawings to scale. This is only one of the many functions it has. Also the developer, Alex, is very quick to respond to emails.

Just make sure the thickness of the blade you will use is thinner than the sawblade you will be using in the DW746 for cutting wood. Remember that the offset teeth add a bit of width to the blade and since you are not using the teeth in the riving knife section most likely any scrap blade will work unless you install a super thin bland in the DW746. Lately my Lowes & HD have had some super buys on some great blades, I was able to buy a 3 pack for $25 and it cost me almost $20 to have a blade sharpened thus it was easy for me to find a "scrap" blade.

Leeway - I'm not sure how the riving knife would go up/down if it is not attached to the arbor or at least something that is being moved by the arbor. I have access to a couple of SawStop saws (unfortunately not mine) and will take a look at them. Actually on the DW746 the riving knife is not attached to the arbor but is attached housing that supports the arbor (assuming that makes sense), that would be part #18 that it is attached to (see the above image). The arbor is inserted through a hole in #18. The arbor protrudes through a hole of #18, this hole has a shoulder of about 1/4" thick and 1/4" wide and the riving knife bracket (part #140) slips over this shoulder and on the end of the bracket the riving knife is attached. There is a link that is attached to the #140 bracket and the other end of the link is attached to patt #15. Thus #15 does not move up/down but #18 does and when #18 moves up/down so does the sawblade and the riving knife. WOW, how you can amaze your friends and family with your new found knowledge. If nothing else they will exit from the shop very quickly and leave you in peace.

I'm not sure how to interpret the OSHA regs and really don't want to go down this path  I can envision issues if the bracket was directly attached to the arbor, obviously it would have to ride on a bearing and if the bearing froze there would be a few very exciting seconds and possibly flying parts.


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## Leeway (Aug 15, 2011)

Right.
I have no idea why they won't sell the parts here nor why they didn't offer the 746 as a riving knife model. Both the 744 and 745 were riving knife equipped.
That statement I remember was just a WAG on my part.
It could have been because the blade guard that came with the EU version didn't have anti-kickback pawls. 
I know most EU saws are not equipped with arbors long enough to hold a dado blade. I think those are taboo over there.
Lots of little differences and some bigger ones.


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## maduro (Jan 20, 2015)

So, looks like their online ordering system isn't so USA friendly after all. I have to do a custom order via email(my email order below). Not a big deal, in my mind. See their response:

Hi there,
Apologises it looks like we no longer ship to the USA over the website due to some issues, If you would prefer I can take your order over email and send you a proforma and you can then pay with paypal?
Kind regards Jamie

I've already resent my order list via email and now I wait. I suspect the final cost will be differently since I am not expecting free shipping to the US….we'll see.

JohnT, for the riving knife I ordered a 12×24 sheet of 13GA stainless steel from ebay. With shipping it came to be about $35. I've already downloaded your awesome template and I'll be a project for me over the Xmas weekend. I'll post some pics. Thanx much for posting the template!

My email order:

(my address)
(my phone number)

DeWalt Arbor 
387158-01 £66.66 
1

DeWalt Spindle Sa 
388313-01 £48.33 
1

DeWalt Washer Spring 
388932-00 £1.66 
1

DeWalt Plate 
153404-02 £2.49 
1

DeWalt Retainer
389065-00 £1.66 
1

DeWalt Screw 
389719-00 £1.66 
1

DeWalt Shim 
153403-01 £1.66 
1

DeWalt Link 
389540-00 £12.49 
1

DeWalt Screw 
153639-00 £1.66 
1

Totals
Sub Total (ex VAT) £138.27
VAT £27.65
Shipping £0.00
Order Total £165.92


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

It does not hurt to ask for the free shipping, that is what they advertize on the web. I'm interested to know if you have to pay duty. I just received a thread color chart for cross stitching that my wife ordered from the UK and it had a duty stamp on the package but no duty was paid. I think somewhere between $40-60 for it.


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

You need two screws for the link, I only see one in the above. See the big screw image, #28 post in this thread. I did not check any of the other parts you order. If you look at the image where I did a compare, some of the parts you need either 2 or 4 of (I highlighted with red/green in the image)


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## maduro (Jan 20, 2015)

Ok, here is the final bill with shipping to USA for a total of £202.90. The are charging me £35 for shipping. I've already replied and asked for payment instructions…that was Friday and now I am waiting for their response. As you can see, I updated the order with 2 screws.

----------------------------
Stock No Title Qty Unit Total
153403-01 Shim 1 £1.99 £1.99
153404-02 Plate 1 £2.99 £2.99
153639-00 Screw 2 £1.99 £3.98
387158-01 Arbor 1 £79.99 £79.99
388313-01 Spindle Sa 1 £57.99 £57.99
388932-00 Washer Spring 1 £1.99 £1.99
389065-00 Retainer 1 £1.99 £1.99
389540-00 Link 1 £14.99 £14.99
389719-00 Screw 1 £1.99 £1.99
----------------------------
Total Goods £167.90
Delivery £35.00
Total £202.90


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

Sounds like you are well under way!


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## maduro (Jan 20, 2015)

Money sent! $258.70 (£202.90). They had me send the paypal payment to their paypal account. Now I wait.


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## maduro (Jan 20, 2015)

I received the parts! So, I sent the payment on 12/19 and received the package via Fedex on 1/16….almost a month.



http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p363/madur077/IMG_573120Dewalt20Table20Saw20Parts_zpskmiohtof.jpg


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## maduro (Jan 20, 2015)

John, can you write up a quick installation instructions? During the install, I'll take many photos and write up a detailed install instructions. Thanx.


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## maduro (Jan 20, 2015)

Parts noted:


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

Hopefully you have a few more parts than in your image. Namely the screws for the link. I'm not sure at this time if the threads are metric or imperial. I've created a set of instructions, with pictures and references to parts by figure part number, e.g. #140 for the riving knife support bracket . I don't see how I can attach the Word document or a PDF, just send me a PM with your email and I will send it directly to you.

I may have missed a step or two and you can correct the document.


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## maduro (Jan 20, 2015)

Photobucket cuts off the pic if it's too large. I reduced and see if the rest of the parts show:


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

Looks better, I think you are good to go. About 30 min ago I sent you an email with the instructions.

As you disassemble save the parts to ensure you don't need them in the upgrade. For sure you do not need the old arbor or spindle.


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## maduro (Jan 20, 2015)

Rats! Forgot to order the riving knife bracket! It's in the mail.

In the meantime, here is the guts of the table saw pulled out and the new Arbor and spindle installed. I used STP motor oil to grease up the new arbor teeth. To get the old arbor out, take off the nut and then tap the same end lightly with a rubber mallet and it pops out. I took many photos and will later post detailed instructions with what John provided me.

So far, the most difficult part of the project was to get this entire assembly out of the table saw. It was attached with 4 T50 screws. 3 of the 4 screws were easy to access but the 4th one took me about 30 minutes to unscrew due to tight access.


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

ops, you have removed too much and made it more difficult than necessary. Originally I started to remove the assembly as you did and discovered that I only needed to remove the arbor and the spindle that holds the blade. Sorry that I did not make this clear in the instructions I created for you.

When you put the assembly back in be sure you check the alignment of the blade BEFORE you tighten the 4 T50 screws that hold the assembly to the table top. Initially just make them a little more than hand tight. Then install the blade and ensure it is parallel to the guides in the table top. You can do this with a digital caliber if you have something to lock the caliber into the guide. I have a device that fits into the guide and the caliber can be easily locked into it. I'd have to look for it in my shop to identify the tool. It is something that I purchased but could be easily made. It may be necessary to lightly tap the assembly with a hammer to get the blade aligned. With the screws installed there is a slight amount of movement that you can make to the assembly and it will be a bit of pain.

After you get the blade parallel then remove the blade and tighten the 4 T50 screws, reinstall the blade and re-check to ensure it is aligned. You may have to repeat this procedure a few times to ensure the blade is parallel to the guides in the table.

If you don't get the blade parallel to the guides you will always be compensating for it when cutting something.

Most likely you have not done this alignment in the past and it seems confusing but is simple once you understand the procedure. Basically, with the blade installed and the blade nut tight, mark a spot on the blade near a tooth, this will be "the" spot you will use to ensure the blade is parallel to the guide. Move the spot toward the front of the saw and stop before the spot disappears. Now with the caliber locked in the guide, measure to the spot and write down the measurement (example 4.037). Now rotate the spot toward the back of the saw and stop just before the spot disappears. Slide the caliber back and measure again. Ideally the measurement will be dead-on. If not then tap the assembly and re-measure. Repeat until the measurement is dead on.

Now check the fence and ensure that it is parallel to the guides and blade.

Give me a call if you have any questions.


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## maduro (Jan 20, 2015)

John, can you post a pic of the caliber tool? That would be great to align the blade. BTW, I really appreciate your help and guidance.

Actually, I tried to pull the spindle out without removing the whole thing but with only about 2 inches or clearance I could not put enough force to remove it. Mine must have been more stubborn than yours. After I removed the assembly, I gave a few good whacked with the rubber hammer which popped out the spindle.

Here is how much the riving knife bracket cost. It came out to be $180 with shipping. The the total so far with shipping has been about $400.

140 - DeWalt SUPPORT BRACKET 
DW746-1-140-389598-00 £111.66 £133.99
Total with shipping £143.98


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## ihadmail (Dec 29, 2016)

Maduro I have my saw taken apart to de-rust it currently and will most likely be ordering all of the pieces for this riving knife also.

Could you please tell me if all of the trunion and mount pieces are painted or if that's a layer of black oxide on yours?


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

ihadmail, the pic is just the black oxide, it has not been painted. Mine looks the same.


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

maduro, here are the pics. As I started to take the pics I realized that my blade REALLY needs to be cleaned. I cut some Plexiglass for a jig I'm making and a lot of it is on the blade. Descriptions follow the image.










Make a reference dot on one tooth










I have two MAG-DRO caliper bases, this is the magnetic base but this is NOT the one I used for measurement.










This is the slot base MAG-DRO caliper base. I ordered both of mine from Rockler > http://www.rockler.com/search/go?w=MAG-DRO&asug=&sli_uuid=&sli_sid=










This is the MAG-DRO slot base in the slot










Because I could not find my 12" caliber I had to use the 6" caliber and reverse it in the clamp. when reversing it in the clamp set the head against the blade and then zero the caliber.










Move the head of the caliber off the blade, rotate the reference dot to the back of the saw (very difficult to see the dot in this image but trust me it is there).










Slide the MAG-DRO to the back, position the head of the caliber against the dot and it should read zero. Mine was dead on. maduro, because you removed your assembly it may be necessary to move the assembly a small amount.

ihadmail - I suspect that because you have your saw broken down you may also have to adjust the assembly. I assume that you live in a humid area and this is why your saw was rusted. Two possible suggestions for you.
1) Put the rusted parts in Evapo-Rust and let them soak at least over night. I use this for tool restoration and really like it. About 3 years ago I saw some YouTube videos where car restores used a home-made mixture and the cost was considerably less than the Evapro-Rust. I have a 5-gal water jug that I pour the solution into after using it for reuse.
2) If you want to prevent further rust on the parts under the table paint them with PR15. You can pick this up at an automotive paint store. It is expensive! The last time I purchased some it was about $25 per quart.


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

> John, can you post a pic of the caliber tool? That would be great to align the blade. BTW, I really appreciate your help and guidance.
> 
> Actually, I tried to pull the spindle out without removing the whole thing but with only about 2 inches or clearance I could not put enough force to remove it. Mine must have been more stubborn than yours. After I removed the assembly, I gave a few good whacked with the rubber hammer which popped out the spindle.
> 
> ...


WOW, I'm not sure why I got by for $200 (parts and shipping), possibly by ordering from Hungary the parts cost much less. Plus I paid for shipping from DeWalt in Hungary to my friend in Hungary and from my friend to the US.


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## ihadmail (Dec 29, 2016)

Thanks for the tips John. You can click on my blog to see the story of my saw and its current condition if you'd like. Cliffs notes version is I just bought it and trying to restore it.

I've used POR15 on automotive parts before and wasn't really happy with the results. I'll be painting all non moving parts of the saw with an industrial enamel paint over industrial enamel primer. All moving parts will be coated/lubricated with boeshield T9.

I would have had to align the saw even if I hadn't taken it apart, the blade was more than 1/16" out of square with the table when I purchased it.










Sorry for the thread derail.

I'm waiting on an email response from two different UK suppliers with quotes. My order will be a little more than standard as I need a couple of other small parts that aren't available from any US distributor that I've found.


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

ihadmail - YES!!! It is very obvious that the blade is out of alignment.
Interesting blog, wow was it rusted!!!

If you want to see what I did, look at my earlier post in this thread.
I just looked and I think I see why maduro may have left out the #140 part, in one of my images of parts ordered it was not listed. I just double checked my order and I did get it.

Also I don't know why maduro spent about $400 and I got by with a total of $200. Possibly different suppliers in EU charges different prices for the parts and shipping. I ordered my parts from Dewalt in Hungary, had the parts shipped to a friend in Hungary and upon receipt he went to the PO and shipped to me. All of this cost me a total of $200. maduro did post the cost but I did not compare to what I paid to see if he paid more for parts.

I was not able to find a Dewalt parts center in EU that would ship directly to me that is why I went through my friend in Hungary. Nor did I look for the parts other than contacting Dewalt.

Also I made my riving knife by using an old saw blade and saved a lot of money.

If you want me to confirm the parts you need just let me know, I'll PM you my email.


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## maduro (Jan 20, 2015)

> Maduro I have my saw taken apart to de-rust it currently and will most likely be ordering all of the pieces for this riving knife also.
> 
> Could you please tell me if all of the trunion and mount pieces are painted or if that s a layer of black oxide on yours?
> 
> - ihadmail


ihadmail…can you post a pic of the part on your saw? Than I'll know what exactly the part to take a pic of on my saw.


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## maduro (Jan 20, 2015)

Awesome John! Thanx for the blade aligning tip.


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## maduro (Jan 20, 2015)

Ihadmail….it's all black paint. No oxide/rust….the tan color is fine saw dust.


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## ihadmail (Dec 29, 2016)

Maduro the picture you posted of everything removed from you saw was what I was talking about.

Mine is 100% rust and I wasn't sure if it was painted or blackened from the factory, both are common finishing methods on steel/iron tooling components.

I've also decided to hold off on ordering the parts to swap my saw over to a riving knife model. I just can't justify the cost right now, especially since these few parts would cost more than I paid for the saw. I'll be going an alternate route for a splitter system for now.


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## maduro (Jan 20, 2015)

ihadmail, I don't blame you. Sounds like your saw is beyond reasonable repair. Also, the cost is a bit high for this conversion but I have some personal connection to my table saw. It has helped me pass some difficult time so I easily put out the $400 plus. Please keep this thread updated as to what you choose. I am very interested. Good luck.


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## maduro (Jan 20, 2015)

Hey it's done!!! Here is a couple shots of the
finish riving knife…I'll post more details later this weekend.


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

AH Looks Great!!! Now you can make some zero clearance throat plates. I made mine out of 1/2" mdf.
I also sanded my table top starting with 220 grit and worked my way up to 600, then cleaned the top and waxed it with paste wax. I also waxed the table to the right of the metal table, e.g. all top surfaces are waxed. Every now and then I will notice I need to rewax it. Also wax the throat plate. There are some sprays you can get but I just use the wax.

Be sure to check the blade and fence alignment. While you are at it also check the angle adjustment.

I also put a MM scale on my saw thus I can easily use either and often do. I'm trying to use metric when possible. In SketchUp you can get a plugin that will print both measurements. I find that I make less measurement mistakes when I use the metric.


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## maduro (Jan 20, 2015)

Ok, here is the entire installation step by step.

https://www.partshopdirect.co.uk

389598-00 Support Bracket 1 £133.99 £133.99
153403-01 Shim 1 £1.99 £1.99
153404-02 Plate 1 £2.99 £2.99
153639-00 Screw 2 £1.99 £3.98
387158-01 Arbor 1 £79.99 £79.99
388313-01 Spindle Sa 1 £57.99 £57.99 (may be able to reuse old one)
388932-00 Washer Spring 1 £1.99 £1.99 (didn't need)
389065-00 Retainer 1 £1.99 £1.99
389540-00 Link 1 £14.99 £14.99
389719-00 Screw 1 £1.99 £1.99 (didn't need)

UNPLUG SAW!































































Lay the bracket assembly like so. Give the spindle a few firm whacks and it should free itself to be removed.









Remove the old arbor by removing the spring washer and other washer. Note the tooth location of the arbor.



























Attach the riving knife bracket and retainer. Don't forget to order this…like I did….#140




































The bending of the link is to compensate for the tight fit when the saw blade is raised to full height. John mentions this issue with his install earlier. This will fix the issue.













































Rear holding bracket, screws and belt. Prepare to put the bracket assembly back into the saw body.









Slide the front end of the bracket assembly into the circular track and attach the rear holding bracket with the two T50 screws.



















Now, attach the hand wheels and install a the blade.























































Ok, now align your blade. Look at John's post above.


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

Great job!!!! Excellent how to description. I forgot about the shroud removal because long before I started my upgrade I had removed the shroud (see image 2 & 3 above).

I did not remove the bracket assembly (image 6 above) and for me this did not present an issue. However it is a bit easier to do some of the work with it removed. Possibly removal may affect the blade alignment if it is correct before removal.

Using the car jack to support the motor is an excellent idea. I just used my failing muscles and it was a struggle.

Now that it is done I'm sure your will be pleased with the results! Again, excellent work!


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## maduro (Jan 20, 2015)

Thanx John and thanx for encouraging me to do this! I did some test cuts and I've notice the cuts are smoother. I am glad I did this.

BTW, I have a used arbor and spindle for sale…..cheap!


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

> BTW, I have a used arbor and spindle for sale…..cheap!
> 
> - maduro


LOL - I gave mine to a welder friend who collects all of his metal scrap and when his trailer gets full he takes it to the scrap yard.


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## maduro (Jan 20, 2015)

DW746 Riving Knife Upgrade Summory:

Thanx jgt1942 for helping me!

Download the full instructions and the riving knife template in Word doc format:

DW746.Riving.Knife.Upgrade.docx
DW746.Riving.Knife.Template.docx

All the parts were purchased from a UK website. These parts are not available in USA.
Send email to their info address below and request a quote to the US. In the email, list the below parts.

[email protected]

https://www.partshopdirect.co.uk

389598-00 Support Bracket 1 £133.99 £133.99
153403-01 Shim 1 £1.99 £1.99
153404-02 Plate 1 £2.99 £2.99 (can reuse old one)
153639-00 Screw (shoulder) 2 £1.99 £3.98
387158-01 Arbor 1 £79.99 £79.99
388313-01 Spindle Sa 1 £57.99 £57.99 (may be able to reuse old one)
388932-00 Washer Spring 1 £1.99 £1.99 (didn't need)
389065-00 Retainer 1 £1.99 £1.99
389540-00 Link 1 £14.99 £14.99
389719-00 Screw 1 £1.99 £1.99 (didn't need)

Expect shipping to be about £40.00
Also, it will take about one month for delivery.


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

I ordered my parts from Dewalt in Hungary but they cannot ship directly to the USA. I had them shipped to a friend in Hungary, upon receipt he took them to his local PO and shipped to me. My total cost for all the parts and shipping was $200 USD.

If you have a friend anywhere in Europe that will do the same for you, contact Dewalt in that country, order the parts, have them shipped to your friend in that country and then your friend can then ship to you.

NOTE: It may be necessary for your friend to order and pay for the parts. By your friend ordering then Dewalt is not dealing with you in the US and breaking any laws.

I'm assuming that ordering directly from Dewalt was a lot less expensive. Following is a high level breakdown.
37230 HUF (parts from Dewalt and shipping to my friend in Hungary) + 17605 HUF (shipping from my friend in Hungary to me in the US) = 54835 HUF (total amount I paid, which equals $200 USD)

I think one part is missing from the following table but I did order the missing part and the cost was included in the above cost.










I made the riving knife from and old saw blade that I was going to throw away thus my cost was only my labor. See my earlier post in this thread.


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## marmarjohnson (Feb 14, 2017)

I'm interesting in making this conversion, but I haven't had much luck so far. I contacted a number of websites directly as jgt194 suggested. It seems that a vast number of the UK stores are different store fronts for the same company. The one that did seem different wrote me back and said they don't ship to the US. One other told me to just order via their website. But part of me was hoping I could negotiate a price less than published on the website, which was seemed like it was going to be a $500 conversion. At that price, I'm thinking I'd be better off considering just moving on to a Sawstop than sinking money into a discontinued table saw--although I do love my DW746.

JohnT, I work with people in the EU, a few (Norwegian and French) closely enough I could ask them a favor. But it's not obvious how one orders parts from Dewalt. Did your friend just contact Dewalt directly in Hungary?

Related to this, does anyone know why Dewalt stopped manufacturing the DW746? Was it not mass purchased enough for Black and Decker, and with Sawstop entering the market and the recession, they abandoned it? It always seemed like it was well respected, and they've got nothing else in the space. Such a bummer.


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

> I m interesting in making this conversion, but I haven t had much luck so far. I contacted a number of websites directly as jgt194 suggested. It seems that a vast number of the UK stores are different store fronts for the same company. The one that did seem different wrote me back and said they don t ship to the US. One other told me to just order via their website. But part of me was hoping I could negotiate a price less than published on the website, which was seemed like it was going to be a $500 conversion. At that price, I m thinking I d be better off considering just moving on to a Sawstop than sinking money into a discontinued table saw--although I do love my DW746.
> 
> JohnT, I work with people in the EU, a few (Norwegian and French) closely enough I could ask them a favor. But it s not obvious how one orders parts from Dewalt. Did your friend just contact Dewalt directly in Hungary?
> 
> ...


I communicated directly with Dewalt in Hungary and ordered the parts from them after they confirmed that they had all the parts. They shipped the parts COD (or whatever they call it there) to my friend in Hungary. Thus he actually purchased the parts. The day he received them he went to his local PO, put a new label on the box with my address and shipped to me. *The total cost for everything (I did NOT order the actual riving knife, I made one out of an old saw blade, see the post in this thread) including shipping (to my friend and to me) came to $200*.

If you contact Dewalt in EU and for whatever reason they don't communicate with you then have your friend contact them. In the list of part numbers I posted I accidentally left out one part (#140 PN 389598-00 Support Bracket) but it was part of my order. Following are some better images of the parts.



























If you want PM me with contact info and we can discuss. I did NOT remove part #15 as maduro did and had no problems installing the new parts. The tear down and install only took a few hours. Initially I started to remove #15 and realized that it was NOT necessary. I spent more time on this then I did on everything else.

I also ordered a stick-on tape that has both metric and imperial measurements on it from Oregon Rule.

BTW Bosch has a new saw for about $1500 (GTS1041A-09 REAXX Flesh-Detecting ) that provides similar safety feature, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFiJD5w-cZU#t=35.151771 I'm not sure about the riving knife in this saw.

Ron Paulk has an interesting video at 



 on teh SawStop jobsite saw. It does have a true riving knife.

The cartridge for the SawStop is about $20 more and the blade is damaged whereas in the Bosch the blade is not damaged. The Bosch does not provide protection if the blade is rotating less than 240 RPM, e.g. start up and stopping.

You can put a dado set in the SawStop, I'm not sure about the Bosch.


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## marmarjohnson (Feb 14, 2017)

JohnT,

Tried PM'ing you, but it said I need 5 posts before I'm allowed to do so (joined to post to this thread). I'd gone through this thread in some detail before, and from what I could extract it seemed like I need to get parts:

389598-00 Support Bracket (The support bracket you mentioned wasn't on your initial list)
153403-01 Shim
153639-00 Screw (1 of 2)
153639-00 Screw (2 of 2)
387158-01 Arbor
388313-01 Spindle Sa
389065-00 Retainer
389540-00 Link

This was what I extracted from Manduro's word document and his comments/bolding of the parts he actually used. (I think his entire list is the list you originally prepared.) He also stated that the Spindle he might not have needed to replace. This seems like it would be a nice savings if it wasn't needed, but on my initial inquiries I kept it in the part list as I'd hate to be wrong. Would you have any comment on if the spindle is actually needed, or reason I'd want to actually replace a part Manduro chose not to?

I'd contacted Dewalt Norway--but I did it in English, so perhaps unsurprising they didn't get back to me. Did you contact Hungary in English? Since it's all EU, I'm wondering if I couldn't do the same as you, and contact Hungary and just have it shipped to France or Norway for a relay to the US. I've talked to my French colleague and he said he didn't think Dewalt was in France--but maybe it just means they're not very big there. Either way, I'd like to do as much of the leg work myself, and minimize their work on my behalf.

Thank you for your help.

Mark


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

I communicated with Dewalt in Hungary in English and he did the same. He quoted the cost in HUF which you can Google and convert to USD.

In my post today I included three images to identify the parts I ordered. Some of the smaller parts I did not use but they were just a couple of dollars (I think) and I did not keep track of what I did not use but I still have the parts somewhere in my shop. One part I do remember is the pulley (389298-00) and it was not used, the old one fit. Same for the bearing 330003-16. Manduro did a much better job of keeping track of everything. OH yes, parts 27, 142, 143 are not necessary, use what you currently have.

The spindle (388313-01) I thought was necessary, if I recall correctly the support bracket (389598-00) requires more space on the spindle than the original spindle can provide. Possibly Manduro can re-confirm this. Looking at his picture it does look like it is NOT needed and you can use the existing part. I did not compare the parts, I just blindly installed everything.

Contact [email protected] (Gabor Kardos), let him know that the order will be shipped to either France or Norway and request the shipping charges. They will not accept PayPal, this was true at the time I ordered but this may have changed. It would not hurt to ask. He was quick to confirm that they had the parts and wanted cash but did not confirm the shipping charges. I did not know the total cost until my friend informed me of the total. He did not inform me until he shipped to me and then he added all the cost and notified me. I paid him via PayPal and there were some minor issues (my falult) which delayed payment to him but it all worked out in the end.

I'm anxious to see what your cost will be.

BTW I watched more videos on YouTube regarding the SawStop jobsite saw and I'm VERY impressed with it. The saw itself cost about $1300 but you need to add about 300-500 more for some extras like extra cartridges, the brake for the dado (I'd order two), extra break for the 10" blade.


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## maduro (Jan 20, 2015)

Marmar, as far as I could see the two arbors where identical expect the part that holds the saw blade. That part is longer and not notched on the old one. That's why I took the photo of them side by side. I physically examined them side by side and I thought to myself at the moment that they are the same. The most important fit would be the space between the bearing and the blade holder but as you can notice that spacing is exactly the same. Also, the part that goes into the bracket is the same as the old one. I didn't want to try it since to do so I'd would have to dismantle everything to try it. I would skip the new arbor if you are not in a hurry to upgrade, incase the other arbor needs to be ordered. Let me know if you have any other questions or need additional photos.

maduro


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## egx (Mar 21, 2017)

> He also stated that the Spindle he might not have needed to replace. This seems like it would be a nice savings if it wasn t needed, but on my initial inquiries I kept it in the part list as I d hate to be wrong.
> 
> ......
> 
> ...


Hi all, new to LumberJocks.com, but I found this thread in my search for a riving knife solution for the DW746. Thank you all for sharing your experiences!

@marmarjohnson I could be wrong, but from my research it doesn't look like a new spindle or arbor is necessary to make this upgrade. I'm also not sure if you have found somewhere to buy your parts so FWIW I found a UK site that was able to take the order online and will ship direct to the US - all parts plus tax and shipping came in just under $200! Of course, if you buy the arbor, spindle, or actual riving knife (like others, I plan to cut one myself from an old saw blade) the price will be higher, but I have my fingers crossed that the spindle and arbor are not required. If one or both are, pricing and shipping are not prohibitive on this site - they say shipping takes approximately 10 days, which is much better than the 4 weeks others have experienced. That said, I just placed my order yesterday so I can't really speak to anything beyond the ordering process being easy and prices being fair. I will post again once I receive the order, and once I get into the project to confirm whether I need the arbor or spindle.

Below is everything I bought and the prices I paid (prices shown on the website include tax so they are different, but these are the numbers from my actual PayPal invoice)...and oh yeah, this website accepts PayPal!!

http://www.powertoolsplus.co.uk/2867:bench-saws/2297W746

Ref. DW Part # Name Unit Qty. Ext.
140 389598-00 Support Bracket £100.25 1 £100.25
141 389065-00 Retainer £1.16 1 £1.16
142 389719-00 Screw £1.16 2 £2.32
143 153403-01 Shim £1.16 4 £4.64
144 389540-00 Link £11.30 1 £11.30
145 153639-00 Screw £1.16 2 £2.32
Shipping £8.40
Tax £26.16
Total £156.55×1.2771865 $/£ = *$199.95*

(Tab spacing to format this list as a table didn't seem to work…you get the idea, item, unit price, qty, ext. price…)


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## egx (Mar 21, 2017)

> Marmar, as far as I could see the two arbors where identical expect the part that holds the saw blade. That part is longer and not notched on the old one. That s why I took the photo of them side by side. I physically examined them side by side and I thought to myself at the moment that they are the same. The most important fit would be the space between the bearing and the blade holder but as you can notice that spacing is exactly the same. Also, the part that goes into the bracket is the same as the old one. I didn t want to try it since to do so I d would have to dismantle everything to try it. I would skip the new arbor if you are not in a hurry to upgrade, incase the other arbor needs to be ordered. Let me know if you have any other questions or need additional photos.
> 
> maduro
> 
> - maduro





> ...it doesn't look like a new spindle or arbor is necessary to make this upgrade…
> 
> - egx


I'm rethinking what I said before. I think it's true for the spindle based on Maduro's side-by-side photo, but I just noticed something I had overlooked before: the old (US) arbor bracket is part number 387158-*00*, while the new (Eur) part number is 387158-*01*. The photos of the European one seem to show a machined face around the spindle bore on the blade-side of the arbor bracket where the riving knife bracket would bear, but I can't find a great picture of that side of the US one to compare. Maduro, do you still have your old arbor bracket? If so could you post a photo of the blade-side? It's face-down in the 9th photo of your 2-12-2017 post. I will also just take a look at my saw tonight when I get home, but I'm at work now and I'm anxious to know if I need to get a European arbor bracket coming too!

Thanks all


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## maduro (Jan 20, 2015)

egx,

You do need to buy the arbor….otherwise you can not attached the riving knife bracket. See pics…..good luck and take pics. Old one with the saw dust (US arbor).


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## ihadmail (Dec 29, 2016)

Are any of you with a 746 near central South Carolina? I have most of the OEM fence left over from my rebuild as well as the stamped steel extension table that I'd like to donate to someone. The fence itself is missing the rear plastic piece that sits on the rear angle iron.

I'm not sure any pieces I have would be worth shipping but I'm moving soon and would like to just give them away so they don't get trashed.


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## marmarjohnson (Feb 14, 2017)

egx,

I don't know if I'd checked that particular store, but your prices seemed better than I remember. What I did notice was that a lot of the UK web stores seemed to be different storefronts for the same company (I noticed the the cookie from one website was being picked-up in another). It seemed to me it was going to be $400-$500, but maybe we don't have to pay VAT to the US? Just googled it, and read, "US customs will then assess whether to charge any local sales tax (their equivalent of VAT) and import duty to the receiver" so I might have overestimated the cost.

I'd gone through this thread, and I had the required list as:

389598-00 Support Bracket
153403-01 Shim
153639-00 Screw (1 of 2)
153639-00 Screw (2 of 2)
387158-01 Arbor
389065-00 Retainer
389540-00 Link

which was what maduro bolded in his excellent word summary. JohnT has been super helpful, and he seemed to think my list was sufficient after looking through things. I think it's your list with just 1 shim (why did you order 4, btw?) lacking a few screws, but with the addition of the arbor.

I'd written Dewalt in Hungary and JohnT had sent me his correspondence with rotelkft so I tried contacting them directly, also. But I haven't had any luck getting a response. I was out w/ the family on spring break the past week, so haven't followed-up. But it does sound from your experience, I would be able order from the UK for <$300, which is better than I was expecting.


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## egx (Mar 21, 2017)

> egx,
> 
> You do need to buy the arbor….otherwise you can not attached the riving knife bracket. See pics…..good luck and take pics. Old one with the saw dust (US arbor).
> 
> - maduro


You're right. I actually went home at lunch because I just had to know, and once I looked it was clear that I needed it. I contacted the store I linked above to see if they could get it into the original shipment but I haven't heard back. Minimal shipping charge anyway if they have already shipped the original. Thanks for posting the photos. I'll be sure to post some once I do mine.



> ...which was what maduro bolded in his excellent word summary. JohnT has been super helpful, and he seemed to think my list was sufficient after looking through things. I think it s your list with just 1 shim (why did you order 4, btw?) lacking a few screws, but with the addition of the arbor.
> 
> - marmarjohnson


I didn't actually look at maduro's word doc - probably should have in hindsight. I pretty much based my order on photos and posts in this thread, and the European Dewalt parts diagram…and for some reason I concluded I didn't need the arbor but that is clearly wrong now. For the shims there were four shown in the DW manual and for less than $2 a piece I would rather have too many than too few. If I had ordered the arbor the first time around you are right it would have been less than $300. If mine has to ship separately it will be just over so still not bad. Question though - you said my list is lacking a few screws too? Which ones?


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## marmarjohnson (Feb 14, 2017)

egx,

Regarding the missing screws, you're not missing them, my list didn't have them: 389719-00 Screw £1.16 2 £2.32.

Mark


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## egx (Mar 21, 2017)

> egx,
> 
> Regarding the missing screws, you re not missing them, my list didn t have them: 389719-00 Screw £1.16 2 £2.32.
> 
> ...


Ah gotcha, thanks for clarifying! Good luck if you end up pulling the trigger. I'll let you know how this seller works out and post photos when I get going.


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## marmarjohnson (Feb 14, 2017)

egx,

I was looking back through my e-mail, and I somehow missed the response I got from Hungary Rotel KFT.

> 389598-00 Support Bracket 32131,-/Pcs
> 153403-01 Shim 280,-/Pcs
> 153639-00 Screw (1 of 2) 280,-/Pcs
> 153639-00 Screw (2 of 2) 280,-/Pcs 
> 387158-01 Arbor 16730,-/Pcs 
> 389065-00 Retainer 420,-/Pcs 
> 389540-00 Link 2900,-/Pcs

Shipping is 19050,- but only to the EU.

So the all spa with transport cost: 72351,-. That's 238 EUR. Or about $253 US. But then I'd need to have my colleague ship to the US, so I don't think there's an advantage over what you found in the UK.

Your right about having issues pulling the trigger. I had my no-go price at $300, so it sounds like I might be able to barely stay under it. But I got to figure out how to get this through my wife. I think I'll hold off and see if you were able to reuse your spindle. It'll also get me closer to my birthday, and I can make that pitch.

Mark


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

Mark, I ordered from DeWalt in Hungary, shipped to my friend in Hungary, he then shipped to me and the *total cost* was $200. I don't know why your cost is so much higher.

I also ordered the bearing but I think you can just use the bearing that currently is in your arbor. In my post above I included the cost, how does that compare to the cost you received?


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## marmarjohnson (Feb 14, 2017)

John,

I looked back as you suggested. You'd originally said you'd missed 1 part. This was the support bracket, which is the most expensive piece, at about $112. Maybe you got a discount on this piece? I looked at the retainer and arbor, and what you paid was exactly what they quoted me.

Mark


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

Correct my table (spreadsheet) did not include the support bracket but I did order it. At this time I cannot determine from where it was ordered and the cost, I can only assume that my friend paid part of the expense and did not tell me. I used Lookeen (Windows app) to search through all of my emails and I do see several that referenced the support bracket (389598-00) but could not find any reference to the actual cost. But from my emails I do see that my friend also order the support bracket. Also I discovered that my friend in Hungary actually ordered the parts via a local shop in Hungary. I did find the cost on my end and for the spreadsheet table I included in my previous post it came to just under $200 (this did not include the support bracket) but did include all of the shipping. Just the parts in the table I posted when converted to US dollars it is $122.25.

I'm sorry for the confusion I created and sorry I don't have all the facts and it is driving me nuts, which seems to be a short drive.  Perhaps I've had several senior moments and just cannot recreate the true set of facts.

I also looked at maduro's post where he posted the cost. Because he ordered from the UK I assume the value he quoted is POUNDS and his cost was a lot higher than mine. Example 
387158-01 Arbor 1 £79.99 which is 79.99×1.25 = $99
I paid 16,730 HUF which is 16,730×0.0035 = $58.55

At this time I cannot completely explain why my cost was so much lower. Possibly when my friend ordered via his local shop the owner gave him a discount and my friend passed the discount on to me. Hopefully my friend did not short change himself and did not pass all the cost on to me.


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## egx (Mar 21, 2017)

Just wanted to give a quick update on my RK upgrade with parts purchased from http://www.powertoolsplus.co.uk.

I ordered everything except the arbor on 3/20/17. Before the order shipped, I emailed the company a couple times to see if I could modify the order to add the arbor and avoid a second shipping charge. I never heard back from them at all. I decided to go ahead and place a new order for the arbor ($105.82 with shipping) on 3/23 since I knew I needed it and I didn't want to delay the project.

The next day 3/24 I got a notice that my first order shipped. I have not received it yet, but it is coming from UK so I'll give some allowance there.

Then on 3/29 I got a notice that the arbor is backordered. No information was provided on when it would be in stock or how long the backorder may last. I gave it a few days before emailing this morning to ask for an ETA on this part. At this point I'm not really expecting to hear back, but we'll see.

I fully expect the first order to arrive, I just don't know when; it's definitely not the 10 days as indicated at the time of order. The second order I'm really not so sure because I have no idea what is causing the backorder. But my two main gripes at this point are 1) all the parts were shown on the website to be available even though some (in my case the arbor) were not, and 2) the lack of response to my inquiries from this company. I am still hopeful everything will work out and I get all the parts in a reasonable time, however I am glad I could pay with PayPal just in case I need to go down a different path. I will keep you posted…


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## marmarjohnson (Feb 14, 2017)

Thanks for the update. Sorry you're having a bit of grief. The e-mail exchange I had with Rotel KFT in Hungary said the parts were available, but he'd have to order. It might be that they can get parts from Dewalt, being authorized service centers, but might not have on hand until someone orders.

Good luck, and keep me up to date. I'm still hoping you show me the way.


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## maduro (Jan 20, 2015)

Hey guys, I thought I'd give you guys an update about my riving knife install experience….. I really enjoy it! At first, the change wasn't much noticed until recently when I started building some pantry drawers. I had to cut some long pieces for the sides and front from plywood and cherry. I had a large 4ft x 4ft plywood sheet I had to cut and I was amazed how smooth the cutting was! I was able to easily cut the long plywood pieces effortlessly with great accuracy. Even the long cherry wood was a pleasure to cut. You won't regret your hard work! .....and be sure to take pics. Cheers! ..........and JohnT…noticed I've polished by saw top??


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## egx (Mar 21, 2017)

> ... on 3/29 I got a notice that the arbor is backordered. No information was provided on when it would be in stock or how long the backorder may last. I gave it a few days before emailing this morning to ask for an ETA on this part. At this point I m not really expecting to hear back, but we ll see.
> 
> I fully expect the first order to arrive, I just don t know when; it s definitely not the 10 days as indicated at the time of order. The second order I m really not so sure …
> 
> - egx


Another update - good news is I received the first order last Thursday 4/6. Since I ordered 3/20, all told it took almost 3 weeks. Longer than expected, but hey, can't really complain.

The second order for the arbor is a different story. Still no word from this company. As I mentioned before, I emailed them on 4/4 to ask if they had any additional info on the backorder - cause, expected length, etc. - and to date have heard nothing. All I'm really after at this point is an update, which unfortunately seems pretty hard to come by. The only reassurance I have is that I did in fact receive the first order and everything looks correct. But if this goes on too long, I might even look into having a shop machine the face into the existing arbor where the bracket bears since from maduro's photos that appears to be the only real difference between the two.


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

maduro - great polish results!!! Really looks slick, I also apply a paste wax to the top of all my table tools after sanding with 600 grit. Looks like you did as well. I just use Johnson Floor paste wax. When I notice stuff is starting to grab I reply more wax and buff.


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

egx - bummer that you have not received an update on the shipment of the arbor. Hopefully they will soon respond and ship. Once you get the arbor you should be able to install all the parts in a few hours. I did not remove the supporting pieces that hold the arbor assembly to the bottom of the table. I was able to access everything either via the back opening of the saw or the blade opening. I did find it necessary to remove the motor and it is heavy and helpful if you have a second person help with the reinstall of the motor. Other than the motor it is a one person job.


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## maduro (Jan 20, 2015)

Hey ihadmail,

From your dw746 restoration project, I took particular interest in this picture where it shows a top blade shroud. I looked on many dw746 parts websites and they don't show this part.

Mine does not have this top shroud and it would really help with the dust collection. Do any of you also have this top shroud? Can you show us more photos of this part. Thanx.

maduro


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## egx (Mar 21, 2017)

So after being notified by http://www.powertoolsplus.co.uk of the arbor backorder on 3/29, I replied on 4/4 and 4/14 with no response to either. I emailed again on 4/24 and finally heard something from them yesterday! They said the arbor finally came in, but that it was going to cost more to ship it to me than the £10.08 I paid when I ordered. Today they wrote again to say that it would be an additional £15.00 making the total shipping charge £25.08 = $32.20.

I'm feeling pretty torn right now. This is something I would typically push back on if the company was located in the US and there were competitors who could provide the same item at around the same price in around the same amount of time. But it has now been over a month since the order and I fear that going to a different store will result in a similar backorder situation. I just want to get the thing on its way and installed! Another ~$20 is pretty incidental to the cost of the whole project anyway, but at the same time I'm a little frustrated that the process took so long with so little communication from them, and now they just want more money.

Anyway…I'm mostly just venting here. But the good news is if I give in to their request or if I can get them to eat that additional cost, I should have the last piece of the puzzle in hand in the next week or two!


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## marmarjohnson (Feb 14, 2017)

egx,

You're not selling the conversion very well right now… In a month you've got the conversion done and this all just makes the story of the conversion more interesting. Thanks for keeping us up to date on how it's going.

Mark


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## egx (Mar 21, 2017)

> egx,
> 
> You re not selling the conversion very well right now… In a month you ve got the conversion done and this all just makes the story of the conversion more interesting. Thanks for keeping us up to date on how it s going.
> 
> ...


Haha I guess you're right…sorry about that. I will say I do trust that when all is said and done I will be happy with the conversion. I just need to get there.


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## marmarjohnson (Feb 14, 2017)

Got me curious about the conversion again, and was browsing the web. Happened across this link:

https://www.2helpu.com/PDMSDocuments/EU/Docs/Service%20Dossier/DW746_D.pdf

It has very clear drawing and information on the DW746 that I haven't seen before, so thought I'd share it.


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

> So after being notified by http://www.powertoolsplus.co.uk of the arbor backorder on 3/29, I replied on 4/4 and 4/14 with no response to either. I emailed again on 4/24 and finally heard something from them yesterday! They said the arbor finally came in, but that it was going to cost more to ship it to me than the £10.08 I paid when I ordered. Today they wrote again to say that it would be an additional £15.00 making the total shipping charge £25.08 = $32.20.
> 
> I m feeling pretty torn right now. This is something I would typically push back on if the company was located in the US and there were competitors who could provide the same item at around the same price in around the same amount of time. But it has now been over a month since the order and I fear that going to a different store will result in a similar backorder situation. I just want to get the thing on its way and installed! Another ~$20 is pretty incidental to the cost of the whole project anyway, but at the same time I m a little frustrated that the process took so long with so little communication from them, and now they just want more money.
> 
> ...


Bummer that they hit you up for another 15 Pounds.
When I ordered from Hungary via my friend the shipping was almost as much as the parts but my total was only $200 for parts and shipping. When I ordered I specified that it was NOT to be shipped if they did not have any of the parts but they had all the parts and shipped without delay.


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

> Got me curious about the conversion again, and was browsing the web. Happened across this link:
> 
> https://www.2helpu.com/PDMSDocuments/EU/Docs/Service%20Dossier/DW746_D.pdf
> 
> ...


I agree with you, very clear drawing and instructions. Great resource.


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## Leeway (Aug 15, 2011)

I have been working through some of our older splitter designs to be able to put an ARK model on some saws. ARK is an adjustable riving knife. 
It didn't take me long to design one that will work on the Dewalt 746 using the original blade guard mounting hardware. As of now, I haven't found suitable quick release hardware, however a wrench would still make pretty quick work of tightening and loosening the two factory nuts. Then it is just a matter of raising and lowering the knife to match the blade height you want to cut at.
Much like the other ARK models, this part would never need removed. Not even for dado cuts.
I haven't actually put one of these on a saw yet, so I will send one at no charge to the first inquiry I get for it. Once I see the installation and usage is as it should be, I will list them on the website.
They will be 304 or 316 Stainless steel with a brushed finish in your choice of three thicknesses.
Unlike other ARK models, you will be able to use the factory throat plate with this one.


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## egx (Mar 21, 2017)

> Bummer that they hit you up for another 15 Pounds.
> When I ordered from Hungary via my friend the shipping was almost as much as the parts but my total was only $200 for parts and shipping. When I ordered I specified that it was NOT to be shipped if they did not have any of the parts but they had all the parts and shipped without delay.
> 
> - jgt1942


That's a great price. Where I messed up was thinking initially that I didn't need the arbor at all. That's what started the whole debacle of this second order.

So I did end up emailing them later yesterday. They said they would knock it down £5.00 so only £10.00 extra. I'm still not happy that I had to pay more, but at least they made some sort of gesture. Not only that, but they sent tracking info shortly after so it's finally on the way.


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

> I have been working through some of our older splitter designs to be able to put an ARK model on some saws. ARK is an adjustable riving knife.
> It didn t take me long to design one that will work on the Dewalt 746 using the original blade guard mounting hardware. As of now, I haven t found suitable quick release hardware, however a wrench would still make pretty quick work of tightening and loosening the two factory nuts. Then it is just a matter of raising and lowering the knife to match the blade height you want to cut at.
> Much like the other ARK models, this part would never need removed. Not even for dado cuts.
> I haven t actually put one of these on a saw yet, so I will send one at no charge to the first inquiry I get for it. Once I see the installation and usage is as it should be, I will list them on the website.
> ...


Lee, I cannot take you up on your offer because I've already upgraded my saw but there other guys that have posted in this thread that could take you up on the offer. However I suspect it will not work unless your adapter would fit on the current arbor. With the upgrade via the DeWalt parts a part fits on the new arbor and it provides the function that will hold the riving knife and move it up/down when the blade is raised up/down. Hopefully this is a meaningful statement. I know what I want to say but I'm not sure I said it.

Take a look at the picture very early in this tread by Leeway. This image has the upgrade applied, note the bracket that is riding on the new arbor.


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## Leeway (Aug 15, 2011)

Right.
What I designed is just a manually adjusted riving knife. Not nearly as convenient as what you put on your saw for true riving knife operation.
It is better than the splitter versions that I make though. Still close to the blade. Can be below the top of the blade for non through cuts. Can stay on the saw for all cuts. The only thing is that you cannot adjust the blade upward while the saw is running or you will be shaving the riving knife. It will throw sparks, but doesn't really damage carbide teeth of the blade. If you make all blade adjustments with the saw off, Then you have it made.
I ship a hanger with it that hangs on the height adjustment wheel that reminds that it's a bad idea to move with the saw running.


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## egx (Mar 21, 2017)

Lee, I would normally definitely be interested in trying out the ARK on this saw. Unfortunately I already removed the original splitter mounting bolts in preparation for the parts coming from Europe and they were more of a pain than I wish to deal with again.

After reading your last post, I was curious so I watched some of the videos on your website and the ARK looks like a great solution for saws that don't have a true riving knife. Kudos to you for offering such a product!

marmarjohnson this may be worth trying out for Lee if you're not up for the Dewalt-Europe solution yet!


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## maduro (Jan 20, 2015)

The thread has been risen!!! Thank goodness for backups!


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## marmarjohnson (Feb 14, 2017)

egx,

Have you done your conversion yet?

I actually pulled the trigger on doing the conversion, but it was right before the website went down, so couldn't post here. One of my co-workers is from Belgium, and still had a Belgium checking account (wouldn't ship otherwise), and was able to order the parts for me, and have his parents ship them. One things I did before I ordered was contact Dewalt. They confirmed that the spindles are identical for me. The last 2 digits are region codes "00" vs. "01". One's for the US, and the other is for international. So not having to purchase that made it more in my price range, and I went for it.

Unfortunately, when the parts arrived the arbor gear broke off in transit so I've had to ask more of a favor from my co-worker and his parents to re-order that part. It'll probably be another month before I see the part.

Let me know if and how your conversion went.

Mark


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## egx (Mar 21, 2017)

Sadly no… Work and family and other projects have taken priority so I have barely even been in my shop in the last two months. I did eventually receive all the parts though - I think the arbor came within a week after my last post. So there are options for others like me who don't have contacts in Europe.

I'm hoping to get to the conversion this summer. In May I ran the main pulls for a new 120V and a new 240V circuit to my shop so I plan to get those finished up this summer too. And then I will be converting the DW746 as well as my bandsaw and bench sander to 220V. No sense converting until I actually have the right circuit out there. Lots to do before I'm back to fully operational!

Post pics when you do your conversion and I will do the same!


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## maduro (Jan 20, 2015)

All, Dropbox and Photobucket have changed the way they allow free users to use their service. All the image and file links from me are broken. Below are the updated link for the Riving knife upgrade instructions and the Riving knife template:

*Updated Links*

DW746.Riving.Knife.Template

DW746.Riving.Knife.Upgrade


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## jd442 (Mar 25, 2018)

Hi, I have a dw746 and would like to order the parts to install a riving knife. Are all the parts listed on the Upgrade.doc correct do I need to order anything else? Is the spindle needed? Will they ship to the U.S?

Items in bold were used in the conversion:
*389598-00 Support Bracket 1 £133.99 £133.99
153403-01 Shim * 1 £1.99 £1.99
153404-02 Plate 1 £2.99 £2.99 (can reuse old one)
*153639-00 Screw (shoulder) 2 £1.99 £3.98
387158-01 Arbor 1 £79.99 £79.99
388313-01 Spindle Sa * 1 £57.99 £57.99 (may be able to reuse old one)
388932-00 Washer Spring 1 £1.99 £1.99 (didn't need)
*389065-00 Retainer 1 £1.99 £1.99
389540-00 Link * 1 £14.99 £14.99
389719-00 Screw 1 £1.99 £1.99 (didn't need)


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## marmarjohnson-1 (Mar 25, 2018)

> Hi, I have a dw746 and would like to order the parts to install a riving knife. Are all the parts listed on the Upgrade.doc correct do I need to order anything else? Is the spindle needed? Will they ship to the U.S?
> 
> Items in bold were used in the conversion:
> *389598-00 Support Bracket 1 £133.99 £133.99
> ...


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## marmarjohnson-1 (Mar 25, 2018)

jd442,

I have ordered and received parts, but have yet to do the install. I'd contacted Dewalt support regarding the Arbor. The confirmed that the 00 and 01 ending are identical in construction. 00=us and 01=international, but otherwise they're the same. Keep me up to date on how it goes. I should get after my install…

Mark


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## egx (Mar 21, 2017)

> jd442,
> 
> I have ordered and received parts, but have yet to do the install. I d contacted Dewalt support regarding the Arbor. The confirmed that the 00 and 01 ending are identical in construction. 00=us and 01=international, but otherwise they re the same. Keep me up to date on how it goes. I should get after my install…
> 
> ...


Hey guys, so I did finally get around to doing my install about a month ago but I haven't gotten around to uploading my pics or process. I did not buy the -01 spindle. I reused the US spindle with the international arbor and RK bracket and I have seen no issues. Granted, I haven't had a chance to work with the saw a ton since doing the install, but so far it appears to work as designed. Good luck!


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

egx - GREAT!!!! I got hurt, just a BIG bruise because I had removed the splitter I had, but after my upgrade, I've really enjoyed the safety of the riving knife.

maduro - thanks for making my documents public, I don't know why I did not do the same. Good move on your part.


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## jd442 (Mar 25, 2018)

Ordered the parts and installed.


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

jd442 - Excellent! Now you are safer.


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## maduro (Jan 20, 2015)

Nice job jd442!!


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## marmarjohnson-1 (Mar 25, 2018)

Well, it took over a year even after I had the parts, but I finally got around to doing the riving knife conversion. Thank you all so much for the information. I'm attaching a picture (which shows I really need to clean that blade).










I used the Drimel cut-offs for the curves, but used an angle grinder with cut-off wheel for the straighter runs. Looks like the top could use a bit of squaring up on the riving knife.


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

I used the prePrinter application which allowed me to print the drawing to exact scale. I then cut out the drawing, using some art glue (this was easy to remove) and pasted it on the riving knife. This allowed me to easily follow the line on the paper to get the exact shape.

Great job marmarjohnson, I know you will be safer!!!


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

Have had this saw since it came out and have always used the blade guard withe splitter and anti kickback pawls. Why is a riving knife better?


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

The riving knife goes up and down with the blade and if aligned correctly the peak (height) of the riving knife is always the peak of the blade. With the fixed splitter "sometimes" because the cut is shallow, e.g. not all the way through the board, the wood will not pass over the splitter, e.g. it is stopped by the splitter. This is what happened on a project and I removed the splitter. Being lazy I continued with the project after making the shallow cuts. On my last cut of some 1/4" plywood, I had made the cut but did not push the cut wood all the way past the blade (dumb). I started to lift my left hand to power off the saw (I think the hand was still touching the plywood) and had a VERY sharp pain in my left wrist. The plywood had the famous "C" on the bottom and my wrist had a huge bump about the size of a silver dollar and about 1/2" high, gee did that hurt! I feared that I had broken a bone but I was lucky and did not. After reflecting on the goof I decided it was time to (1) reinstall the splitter (2) find a better solution. I was lucky to find this thread and the person that started the thread actually worked for DeWalt and was SUPER helpful. The details of my project are above. If you go this route (I highly suggest that you do), please feel free to ask questions. Hopefully, you have a contact in Europe that can order the parts for you.


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

I have always kept the guard on. So if I am correct, the blade guard and knife can not be installed at the same time, so I would need an overhead mounted guard to use with the knife. And lucky for me, I do have a fishing friend from England that comes over yearly and has gotten me fishing equipment I can not order from USA. So the knife is better IF I choose not to use the guard, ( which does have a poor mounting system for on and off. ). OR I could make a couple different knives for different lumber thicknesses and change for the few times I cut thicker stock? Like my fingers, and body in one piece, and I am not in so much of a hurry that I can not take time for safety. Thanks for the info, everyone on this site is very helpful.


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

You are correct, the riving knife and splitter cannot be installed at the same time. In Europe, it is required but to release it in the US it would have been very expensive and time-consuming for DeWalt to go through US approval process thus they opted not to do it in the US. Thus you can ONLY get the parts from Europe and DeWalt CANNOT ship directly to US customers, this is where your friend will come in. I ordered from DeWalt in Hungary and I think the parts were less expensive.

In one of my earlier post in this thread, I listed the parts needed (actually I think a couple of parts that were not needed but those parts were not very expensive). I also included a parts diagram. Up above in post #113 maduro posted links for two of my documents. Print the riving knife to scale (if necessary use the priPrinter application), cut it out and paste it on an old junk blade, use a Dremel to cut the riving knife out.

The installation of everything will take a few hours, the hardest part is reinstalling the motor and not dropping it and smashing your fingers (super ouch).

You could make multiple riving knives of different thickness as you suggested, I only made one.

All of this will cost you around $200 thus you might want to consider getting a sawstop which has a riving knife PLUS it will stop the blade if you accidentally touch the blade while it is spinning, thus saving you a trip to the ER. Search for "ron paulk sawstop" on YouTube. He has a great setup for the SawStop Jobsite Saw, this would set you back about $1500. Or if you got the cash go for the big SawStop but now you are near $3300 for their biggest.

If you decide to go the upgrade route read through this thread and pick up on the mistakes others have made (I'm included in the list) to save time. I'm very happy and safer with the upgrade but still, keep thinking of the SawStop.


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## marmarjohnson-1 (Mar 25, 2018)

My take is that if you're always putting your stock US guard, you're good, and much of the riving knife's advantages is that people don't get lazy. I thought I was very good about nearly always putting it on--but I'd find I was just a cut away from having to take it back off, and leave it off from time-to-time. I had a piece of plywood kicked back and bloodied a knuckle on one these infrequent times. The riving knife can just stay on. Also, if I was cutting a dado then the old guard had to come off and whatever protection it provided was completely gone. The knife would still give a little help.


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

Is there a blade guard on a new saw with a riving knife? Saw stop is great, and the only choice since Bosch was removed from the US market, but it will take a long time to save for that investment. Thanks all.


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

> My take is that if you re always putting your stock US guard, you re good, and much of the riving knife s advantages is that people don t get lazy. I thought I was very good about nearly always putting it on--but I d find I was just a cut away from having to take it back off, and leave it off from time-to-time. I had a piece of plywood kicked back and bloodied a knuckle on one these infrequent times. The riving knife can just stay on. Also, if I was cutting a dado then the old guard had to come off and whatever protection it provided was completely gone. The knife would still give a little help.
> - marmarjohnson


This was the trap I fell into, e.g. I took it off to make a few cut and lazy kicked in and I used it for months without the splitter and BOOM.


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

Great video "Function of Riving Knives for Table Saws" at


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

Just watched the video. So many things to think about. Thanks.


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## runswithscissors (Nov 8, 2012)

The RK can stay on only if your dado stack has the same diameter as the blade. Of course, you could make a special RK that would fit the dado's diameter.


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## pete54 (Nov 6, 2018)

> jd442 - Excellent! Now you are safer.
> 
> - jgt1942


I have just found this post. I have a 746 as well. Can you email me the info [email protected]


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## SawdustSanta (Sep 29, 2019)

Thanks to those who posted in this thread. I have just found it today and find it extremely interesting. I would like to try this mod if I can get all the parts…looks like they are still online at PartShopDirect. Will also try the Hungary route to see if that is cheaper.

However, PhotoBucket has blurred many of Maduro's photos and also the links to the Word .doc files are dead. Is it possible to repost these pictures and Word files or to have them emailed to me?

Finally, is the spindle required, or not? It is an expensive part, so would like to save where I can. Anyone determine whether this is the same as the U.S. part?

Thank you again for all of your work in this!


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## marmarjohnson-1 (Mar 25, 2018)

I shared my table saw folder which should have the information I used to order parts.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10SMl0IKizn3I6b6WkjySh64PJrf0BTDH?usp=sharing

No, you don't need the spindle. They're exactly the same. The number is only a regional code.

Good luck. It's definitely worth it. Cuts where you used to have to take the guard off, now just come out better, as the knife helps keep the piece from moving. (Same reason it's supposed to be safer.)


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## maduro (Jan 20, 2015)

Hey guys I'll repost the upgrade procedure photos. Give me a few days.

Maduro


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

I am going to do this as well. Thanks for all the help


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## SawdustSanta (Sep 29, 2019)

Sadly, as I figured might happen….

DeWalt and the UK shops linked in this thread are no longer stocking the necessary parts. Specifically, the arbor, link, and retainer are all out of stock for good.

So, this probably means that this is a dead path now, unless someone can find parts on eBay or a saw that can be parted out (not likely from USA). Unfortunately, those of us who were not doing this a couple of years ago are too late to the game.

Thanks to marmarjohnson who opened up a Google Drive of the information in the past week.

I guess I'll look to other less-desirable options now….or to leave it all alone, as-is. :-(


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

> Sadly, as I figured might happen….
> 
> DeWalt and the UK shops linked in this thread are no longer stocking the necessary parts. Specifically, the arbor, link, and retainer are all out of stock for good.
> 
> ...


I got all my parts from Dewalt in Hungary, I have a friend who lives there. If you have friends in Europe they might be able to get the parts for you. I ordered directly after I confirmed I could get all the parts, had them shipped to my friend and he then shipped them to me. If I recall correctly the total cost was under $200.


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## SawdustSanta (Sep 29, 2019)

JohnT -

I'm well aware of your purchase.

Unfortunately, all of DeWalt Europe is out. You can see this on every country's DeWalt web site, even Hungary. Perhaps there is some parts depot or local store that would have some/all of these in their warehouse, but that is a crap shoot and I don't have friends in every country nor speak every language!

This was possible two or three years ago, but no more. I doubt many arbors were made as spare parts to begin with….seems like something unlikely to break or be replaced.

SawdustSanta


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## marmarjohnson-1 (Mar 25, 2018)

Santa,

Did you try googling check the part #s? I did this and a few sites at least had the arbor in their storefront (e.g. https://www.powertoolspares.com/dewalt/dw746-table-saw.m/dw746type1/spares). Or is it that when you do this, they then try to grab it from Dewalt, then tell you they can't get hold of it even though they show it in their stock?

Note, about the arbor, the first time I got mine it was actually busted. It was a guy at work's mother who shipped it over for me, but she didn't pack it, and all the metal banging around in the box must of broken it--although I wouldn't have thought it possible.

Mark


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## SawdustSanta (Sep 29, 2019)

Mark -

Correct. They show the part and you can place an order, but then they try to get it from Dewalt and find out that it is not stocked any longer.

- SawdustSanta


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## maduro (Jan 20, 2015)

All,

If you view this post with a tablet, the photos will not be blurry. I just discovered this. I can clearly see all the pictures on my Samsung tablet with Chrome. Must be a weakness with photo bucket.

Maduro


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## vinofarm (Nov 13, 2020)

If anyone is still reading in late 2020, I just bought a DW746 used today and it came with no splitter or guard. So I came online looking for a replacement and found this fantastic thread! After reading the 100+ replies, I got to the very end to find that these parts had all been discontinued… whomp whomp.

HOWEVER…

Not wanting to accept defeat, I started googling and wound up finding all the parts available here: https://www.sparetoolparts.co.uk/

I just placed an order and the total with shipping to Massachusetts was $299.00. It's a bit much, but I think it's worth every penny for safety.

Thank you guys so much for figuring this all out. I eagerly await the parts and will dive into the conversion after they arrive.


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## SawdustSanta (Sep 29, 2019)

Sadly, I think you'll be disappointed by Sunday or Monday. They won't have these parts nor be able to get them. This is the same variety of sites that I tried and had all the same result.

If this is NOT the case, then I congratulate you and let us know for sure!


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## vinofarm (Nov 13, 2020)

> Sadly, I think you'll be disappointed by Sunday or Monday. They won't have these parts nor be able to get them. This is the same variety of sites that I tried and had all the same result.
> 
> If this is NOT the case, then I congratulate you and let us know for sure!
> 
> - SawdustSanta


Oh, that's a bummer. I will certainly let you know.


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## Rodzilla (4 mo ago)

I too have a DW746 that I would like to convert. I know this is an old post, but can someone re-list the part numbers needed?


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

> I too have a DW746 that I would like to convert. I know this is an old post, but can someone re-list the part numbers needed?
> 
> - Rodzilla


I'm not sure you can still get the parts. Following are my documents, if I missed something just let me know.
Template for the riving knife, I used an old blade. 








Parts I ordered









Also take a look at http://thewoodenscrew.blogspot.com/ there is (was) a posting where the guy made everything he needed. I have a copy of the post but could not attach it to this post. Also I have a document I created, detailing the steps (several of the images are not mine). PM me if you want a copy, include your email and I will send them to you.


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

Unfortunately, I can find no parts available, so I have moved on to to just using a splitter and standing to the side.


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## jgt1942 (Mar 25, 2013)

ibewjon, I suspected this would be the case. I completed my upgrade back in 2013. The parts were available only in Europe. This was because the upgrade would have been super expensive for DeWalt to go through the approval process with USA approving agency. One would think that the USA approving agency would just rubber stamp approval since Europe had already established a higher safety bar and had approved the upgrade.


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

I checked European sources, and some parts were available, but not everything needed for the complete upgrade. So I use the splitter, I am not giving up the sliding table.


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