# Radial Arm Saw Refurb



## HokieMojo (Mar 11, 2008)

*Tool Gloat*

Well, here is the other big tool purchase I made recently (spray can for scale). 









closer shot:









This saw was posted on ebay, but there appeared to be some inaccurate information on it (model number never existed, blade size was incorrect, serial number was never produced, etc). I wasn't able to get answers to my questions before bidding closed, so I passed on it. Apparently everyone else did too. I suspect it was a combination of a confusing description, making a big purchase without testing it out, and the shipping costs associated with crating a saw that ways over 200 lbs. I visited the seller and checked out the item at their location (a used tool reseller). Most things looked to be in good condition with 4 exceptions:

1) the crank only lowers the arm, it will not move back up. This is most certainly due to dirt because if I REALLY crank it, it will go back up but feels like it is stuck.

2) The power lock was removed and rewired as shown in the photos (pretty typical)









3) The original table is gone but more importantly, the "Right End Cleat", part T-10 in the manual is bent. I'll need to search out a replacement part.


















4) The rubber dust shoot is torn up









The positives are that the paint is in pretty good shape, I see no real rust (except minor surface rust on the stand), the saw has all it's original knobs (removed in the photos), and I was told the saw does run.

I plan to refurbish this saw as opposed to doing a full restoration. I think that if I can get a replacement cleat and a used copy of the Mr Sawdust book, I should be able to make this into a nice user saw.

Even if I get a replacement cleat, I don't think I'll keep the old table. It looks pretty thrown together, although I admit I haven't used these saws much. I still think I can do better.









I already put the saw on a wheeled cart that I made. I can push this thing around like it doesn't weigh a thing. Finding space is the tougher trick.









I'm debating using this saw to replace my compound miter saw, or at least packing the miter saw up and pulling it out for occasional use. This seems like it is much better suited for 90 degree crosscuts and I'd also love to use this for cutting dadoes to make some built in bookshelves. Any thoughts or advice on cleaning this guy up? Thoughts on my proposed uses?


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## rldunlap (Jul 22, 2010)

HokieMojo said:


> *Tool Gloat*
> 
> Well, here is the other big tool purchase I made recently (spray can for scale).
> 
> ...


I have a 9" one from that era, mid 50"s that I inherited from my father. I use it all the time for just what you said, crosscutting and dados. As far as the bent piece, just take it to a welding shop and they heat and straighten it. If the threads in the hole are buggered they can fix that also.

Richard


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## rldunlap (Jul 22, 2010)

HokieMojo said:


> *Tool Gloat*
> 
> Well, here is the other big tool purchase I made recently (spray can for scale).
> 
> ...


Another good book on this saw is one my father purchased for his. "Easy Ways To Expert Woodworking" by Robert Scharff. Published by Mc Graw Hill . The copywright was 1956 by DeWalt .

Richard


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## CutNRun (Nov 14, 2007)

HokieMojo said:


> *Tool Gloat*
> 
> Well, here is the other big tool purchase I made recently (spray can for scale).
> 
> ...


The Mr. Sawdust book will have information on a replacement table. It appears that the motor has been replaced with a different era version. The on/off switch is on the motor, while the original was likely on the arm. A very good source of more information than you will know what to do with can be found at:

http://people.delphiforums.com/snotzalot/sawdust/


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## BigTiny (Jun 29, 2010)

HokieMojo said:


> *Tool Gloat*
> 
> Well, here is the other big tool purchase I made recently (spray can for scale).
> 
> ...


You can straighten out the cleat easy if you have a wide metal vice handy. Just sqaueeze it in the vice to take out the kink. A few taps with a BFH on an anvil (many metal vices have a surface intended for this at the back of the fixed jaw) should finish the job, then grab a tap of the correcty size to clean up the threads and it's ready to use.


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## HokieMojo (Mar 11, 2008)

HokieMojo said:


> *Tool Gloat*
> 
> Well, here is the other big tool purchase I made recently (spray can for scale).
> 
> ...


Thanks guys. I may just take it to my local metal fabricators to see what they would charge. I don't really have the tools or know how to do any metal working (I don't even have a vice for woodworking yet).

As for the motor, I wasn't sure if it was original but th motor plate does say it is a dewalt on it and it also has the 1.5 hp rating (again according to the plate). If it is not original, I don't think that matters much to me. I do care that it is 1.5 hp though. That's why I sought out the GWI so that dados wouldn't be a problem.

I'll check out the forum this weekend. Thanks for the great posts and comments.


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## rldunlap (Jul 22, 2010)

HokieMojo said:


> *Tool Gloat*
> 
> Well, here is the other big tool purchase I made recently (spray can for scale).
> 
> ...


I know from expeerience that if you try to straighten it out cold there is a very good chance that it will break sin it bent right where the hole for one of lthe adjusting screws is.

P.S. Mine does fine on dados and it only has a 1/2 hp motor, so you will be ok.

Richard


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## slimt (May 10, 2010)

HokieMojo said:


> *Tool Gloat*
> 
> Well, here is the other big tool purchase I made recently (spray can for scale).
> 
> ...


Looks like a great saw let us know how the restoration goes you can't beat some of the old tools


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## cheford (Aug 3, 2009)

HokieMojo said:


> *Tool Gloat*
> 
> Well, here is the other big tool purchase I made recently (spray can for scale).
> 
> ...


I would just scrap the cleats and use the newer style cleats that dewalt used. Basically just angle iron. One on each side and one in the middle. You can even use Aluminum if you want since it is easier to work than steel.

If you check out the forum mentioned above there have been plenty of discussions on the topic.

Saw looks like a great find!

I believe what you are missing on the arm is the voltage selector but I could be wrong. The GWI's had a switch to change voltage, or course you had to change the plug also.


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## HokieMojo (Mar 11, 2008)

HokieMojo said:


> *Tool Gloat*
> 
> Well, here is the other big tool purchase I made recently (spray can for scale).
> 
> ...


CutNRun
You look to be correct on the motor. I was just looking at some photos on OWWM.com and it looks like an original motor would have had matching green paint. That being said, I think that the replacement is either and exact or very close replica. All the GW saws I see have a toggle switch on the motor. They also have a keyed safety switch on the arm, which I am definitely missing. Thanks for the heads up. I'm curious if others will seem more interesting tidbits that I've missed. It wouldn't surprise me.


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## cheford (Aug 3, 2009)

HokieMojo said:


> *Tool Gloat*
> 
> Well, here is the other big tool purchase I made recently (spray can for scale).
> 
> ...


I would not be concerned about the motor, since there were never any replacements made by anyone other than Dewalt. Either someone swapped out the motor for another GWI motor, or someone had the motor rewound. I believe that during the process the windings are baked which usually destroys the original paint.


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## Beginningwoodworker (May 5, 2008)

HokieMojo said:


> *Tool Gloat*
> 
> Well, here is the other big tool purchase I made recently (spray can for scale).
> 
> ...


Nice gloat!


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## HokieMojo (Mar 11, 2008)

HokieMojo said:


> *Tool Gloat*
> 
> Well, here is the other big tool purchase I made recently (spray can for scale).
> 
> ...


thanks for the warning rldunlap. I won't try to just bend it back.


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## HokieMojo (Mar 11, 2008)

HokieMojo said:


> *Tool Gloat*
> 
> Well, here is the other big tool purchase I made recently (spray can for scale).
> 
> ...


thanks CJ. You were making me jealous with all your cool finds so I figured I'd try and get sone of my own up here.


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## HokieMojo (Mar 11, 2008)

HokieMojo said:


> *Tool Gloat*
> 
> Well, here is the other big tool purchase I made recently (spray can for scale).
> 
> ...


Jesse,
I didn't know that new windings were baked. That is very interesting.


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## cheford (Aug 3, 2009)

HokieMojo said:


> *Tool Gloat*
> 
> Well, here is the other big tool purchase I made recently (spray can for scale).
> 
> ...


I believe it is the varnish that has to be baked, but by doing so you bake the whole thing.

I am sure someone around here knows a lot more about this than me.


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## Alexander (Nov 18, 2009)

HokieMojo said:


> *Tool Gloat*
> 
> Well, here is the other big tool purchase I made recently (spray can for scale).
> 
> ...


My saw is just like your photo. It is a 10" with a 3 phase motor. I had a 1 phase conver built for a cost of about $250. The saw came from the Uof W in Washington State. I bought it for $27.50 ( people did not know how to work with the 3 phase) I went on line and rebuilt they cost about $1500


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## HokieMojo (Mar 11, 2008)

HokieMojo said:


> *Tool Gloat*
> 
> Well, here is the other big tool purchase I made recently (spray can for scale).
> 
> ...


wow, less than $30 dollars? Sounds like a steal. I can tell you I paid a lot more than that for mine. This is it for my birthday and Christmas this year (-:


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## KentS (May 27, 2009)

HokieMojo said:


> *Tool Gloat*
> 
> Well, here is the other big tool purchase I made recently (spray can for scale).
> 
> ...


Looks like a great find. I can't wait to see what you do with it. I think you will really like it.
They used to make some really good tools. I'll bet you won't see a 40-50 year old 2010 model later.

Congratulations


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## gatosailor (Jan 25, 2010)

HokieMojo said:


> *Tool Gloat*
> 
> Well, here is the other big tool purchase I made recently (spray can for scale).
> 
> ...


You will find that the elevation mechanism is very simple to disassemble and repair-it's just threaded rod that runs through a (fixed) bronze bushing. There's are no hidden parts or tricky assemblies. Just don't lose the pin when you drive it out of the crank handle. If you're correct about dirt being the issue, you'll have it squared away in no time.


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## NBeener (Sep 16, 2009)

HokieMojo said:


> *Tool Gloat*
> 
> Well, here is the other big tool purchase I made recently (spray can for scale).
> 
> ...


*HokieMojo*:

She's a BEAUTY !!!!

I recently picked one up, myself 

I got the Mr. Sawdust book, and plan pretty much what you do-clean it up, replace bearings, maybe touch up the paint, and … use it !

More pics of mine

If you learn anything good along the way … let's swap info, huh ?

Enjoy it !


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## MichiganJim (Nov 6, 2013)

HokieMojo said:


> *Tool Gloat*
> 
> Well, here is the other big tool purchase I made recently (spray can for scale).
> 
> ...


I have a quick question for you. I'm picking one of these up this week, and I have a small car. How easily will this thing break down will simple tools (socket wrench etc.)?? My biggest concern is the base…. I have a mazda sedan.

I could ask my neighbor who has a truck, but this thing is an hour away.

thanks in advance.


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## HokieMojo (Mar 11, 2008)

*Everything is in parts*

I broke everything down. I'm working on trying to clean up all the parts. It is slow going because I've been cleaning up the garage trying to clear up space. In the pictures below, you can see the mess of parts. I'm afraid the project will be going on hold for a little while as I add a little bit of shop storage. The problem at the moment is that I have ZERO storage so EVERY tool I own is on my workbench. That leaves no space to actually work. I'm going to build a mobile cart that will have my drill press, miter saw, and bandsaw. It is going to be 4 feet wide, and about 3 feet tall (plus 4 inches for casters). Underneath there will be drawers and cabinets. I'll blog that when I get to it, but here is are photos of the RAS all broken down.










Here are the roller bearings I'm having some trouble cleaning.


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## RonPeters (Jul 7, 2010)

HokieMojo said:


> *Everything is in parts*
> 
> I broke everything down. I'm working on trying to clean up all the parts. It is slow going because I've been cleaning up the garage trying to clear up space. In the pictures below, you can see the mess of parts. I'm afraid the project will be going on hold for a little while as I add a little bit of shop storage. The problem at the moment is that I have ZERO storage so EVERY tool I own is on my workbench. That leaves no space to actually work. I'm going to build a mobile cart that will have my drill press, miter saw, and bandsaw. It is going to be 4 feet wide, and about 3 feet tall (plus 4 inches for casters). Underneath there will be drawers and cabinets. I'll blog that when I get to it, but here is are photos of the RAS all broken down.
> 
> ...


That's quite the project you have going there! Hope you remember where all the pieces parts go after putting on hold. I'd forget stuff like that.


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## NBeener (Sep 16, 2009)

HokieMojo said:


> *Everything is in parts*
> 
> I broke everything down. I'm working on trying to clean up all the parts. It is slow going because I've been cleaning up the garage trying to clear up space. In the pictures below, you can see the mess of parts. I'm afraid the project will be going on hold for a little while as I add a little bit of shop storage. The problem at the moment is that I have ZERO storage so EVERY tool I own is on my workbench. That leaves no space to actually work. I'm going to build a mobile cart that will have my drill press, miter saw, and bandsaw. It is going to be 4 feet wide, and about 3 feet tall (plus 4 inches for casters). Underneath there will be drawers and cabinets. I'll blog that when I get to it, but here is are photos of the RAS all broken down.
> 
> ...


Hey, *HokieMojo*:

Are you, by any chance, related to the *HokieMojo* who …. in seeing that somebody was refurbishing a classic DeWalt RAS …. said:

"this is going to be quite nice when you are done. I prefer to buy tools that work out of the box because I'm not very good at fixing up machinery, but I can certainly appreciate the efforst you are putting in."

http://lumberjocks.com/CutNRun/blog/9103

Looks like you found your way to the dark side. How cool


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## HokieMojo (Mar 11, 2008)

HokieMojo said:


> *Everything is in parts*
> 
> I broke everything down. I'm working on trying to clean up all the parts. It is slow going because I've been cleaning up the garage trying to clear up space. In the pictures below, you can see the mess of parts. I'm afraid the project will be going on hold for a little while as I add a little bit of shop storage. The problem at the moment is that I have ZERO storage so EVERY tool I own is on my workbench. That leaves no space to actually work. I'm going to build a mobile cart that will have my drill press, miter saw, and bandsaw. It is going to be 4 feet wide, and about 3 feet tall (plus 4 inches for casters). Underneath there will be drawers and cabinets. I'll blog that when I get to it, but here is are photos of the RAS all broken down.
> 
> ...


Guilty as charged.

I'm terrified that I'm going to get stuck 1/2 way through the rebuild and not be able to get everything back the way I want it.

I saw your other posts and will respond to those soon. Been a bit under the weather.


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## Beginningwoodworker (May 5, 2008)

HokieMojo said:


> *Everything is in parts*
> 
> I broke everything down. I'm working on trying to clean up all the parts. It is slow going because I've been cleaning up the garage trying to clear up space. In the pictures below, you can see the mess of parts. I'm afraid the project will be going on hold for a little while as I add a little bit of shop storage. The problem at the moment is that I have ZERO storage so EVERY tool I own is on my workbench. That leaves no space to actually work. I'm going to build a mobile cart that will have my drill press, miter saw, and bandsaw. It is going to be 4 feet wide, and about 3 feet tall (plus 4 inches for casters). Underneath there will be drawers and cabinets. I'll blog that when I get to it, but here is are photos of the RAS all broken down.
> 
> ...


Nice start on rebuilding the RAS.


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## NBeener (Sep 16, 2009)

HokieMojo said:


> *Everything is in parts*
> 
> I broke everything down. I'm working on trying to clean up all the parts. It is slow going because I've been cleaning up the garage trying to clear up space. In the pictures below, you can see the mess of parts. I'm afraid the project will be going on hold for a little while as I add a little bit of shop storage. The problem at the moment is that I have ZERO storage so EVERY tool I own is on my workbench. That leaves no space to actually work. I'm going to build a mobile cart that will have my drill press, miter saw, and bandsaw. It is going to be 4 feet wide, and about 3 feet tall (plus 4 inches for casters). Underneath there will be drawers and cabinets. I'll blog that when I get to it, but here is are photos of the RAS all broken down.
> 
> ...


#1: feel better !

#2: take pictures as you go. That's how I plan to get through it. Also, there ARE parts lists and diagrams on the net for many of those machines. That's going to be my road map.

I also found a couple of "e-books" (not literally, but … almost) ON refurbishing the old DeWalts. Between those and the Mister Sawdust book, "How to Master the Radial Arm Saw," I have more confidence than I should ;-)


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## juniorjock (Feb 3, 2008)

HokieMojo said:


> *Everything is in parts*
> 
> I broke everything down. I'm working on trying to clean up all the parts. It is slow going because I've been cleaning up the garage trying to clear up space. In the pictures below, you can see the mess of parts. I'm afraid the project will be going on hold for a little while as I add a little bit of shop storage. The problem at the moment is that I have ZERO storage so EVERY tool I own is on my workbench. That leaves no space to actually work. I'm going to build a mobile cart that will have my drill press, miter saw, and bandsaw. It is going to be 4 feet wide, and about 3 feet tall (plus 4 inches for casters). Underneath there will be drawers and cabinets. I'll blog that when I get to it, but here is are photos of the RAS all broken down.
> 
> ...


How old is that saw?
- SY
- aka JJ


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## HokieMojo (Mar 11, 2008)

HokieMojo said:


> *Everything is in parts*
> 
> I broke everything down. I'm working on trying to clean up all the parts. It is slow going because I've been cleaning up the garage trying to clear up space. In the pictures below, you can see the mess of parts. I'm afraid the project will be going on hold for a little while as I add a little bit of shop storage. The problem at the moment is that I have ZERO storage so EVERY tool I own is on my workbench. That leaves no space to actually work. I'm going to build a mobile cart that will have my drill press, miter saw, and bandsaw. It is going to be 4 feet wide, and about 3 feet tall (plus 4 inches for casters). Underneath there will be drawers and cabinets. I'll blog that when I get to it, but here is are photos of the RAS all broken down.
> 
> ...


As best I can tell from the OWWM timeline, it is a 1957 saw. I think to tell for certain you'd need to look at the motor but mine might have a replacement motor (or it was just rewound, I'm not sure).


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## HokieMojo (Mar 11, 2008)

*More disassembly and some cleaning*

Well, Neil has been making such good progress on his blog, it inspired me to get some work done. His work is here (but seriously Neil, these should be in blogs so I don't miss em' (-: )
part 1
part 2
part 3
part 4

So my plan was to build a Mr Sawdust table. The problem is that the instructions to size the table require you to measure the travel in the arm. Since my saw was 80% disassembled, I figured a change of plans was in order. One of the few problems with my old saw was that the column wasn't moving up and down smoothly. The first step to fixing this was to remove the base of the column so I removed the bolts:










This thing was heavy. Must be about 50 lbs. I set it down and removed the two bolts in the side that attach the column to the base. I was surprised to find this brass piece fall out from the inside. It also holds the acme thread (the threaded rod that raises/lowers the column):



















Once the column (and guidebar) were separated, I dropped all the hardware in a jar of evaporust so they will be ready for me when I need them. Then on to the hard work. It was time to clean the base and column. I put some WD-40 (i bought a gallon) on the column and sanded with 400 and 600 grit. I didn't really go for a polished look. I just removed some of the old grease that had turned gummy. I also did the mating surface of the base. Once it was smooth and clean, I applied some past wax to both surfaces.



















Oh yeah, and the bottom of the base was rusty for some reason so I sanded that too. Not perfect, but pretty good:










Next I cleaned off the brass piece and the acme thread. I used mineral spirits to get more of the gummy grease off. Here it is all cleaned off.



















I think I'm going to have trouble explaining the next part but I'll try anyway.

When it was time to reassemble the column,I had to do some things in a different order. I needed to attach the base first so that was pretty easy. The problem is that next I need to screw the bolts through the base, the column, and into the brass piece I showed above. That may not seem to bad, but the column weighs about 40 lbs. The only way to attach it is to keep the column all the way up and squeeze your hand into the frame. If it slips, I'm pretty sure it would break my fingers. I came up with a simple solution. I wedged a piece of 3/4" plywood into the slot in the column to keep it elevated while attaching it:










I got it reattached and put the acme thread back in (I put 3-in-1 oil on it. we'll see how that works). Then I had to call it quits because it was 2AM. I hope you guys are enjoying the blog so far. I hope I can make some more progress soon, but we'll see when I get to it.

The next steps will be to work on the arm itself and the adjustment levers. I'm also trying to unfreeze the roller bearings. I've got 3 of them at 80% and another seems like it is still only at 20%. I REALLY don't want to buy new ones at $26 a piece so I can't give up yet. Stay tuned!


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## NBeener (Sep 16, 2009)

HokieMojo said:


> *More disassembly and some cleaning*
> 
> Well, Neil has been making such good progress on his blog, it inspired me to get some work done. His work is here (but seriously Neil, these should be in blogs so I don't miss em' (-: )
> part 1
> ...


a) That's AWESOME !!!

I've been counting on spray solvents, bottle brushes, and luck, so far ;-)

b) I think I just paid $14.75/ea for the roller bearings, from Wolfe Machinery. I was pretty hesitant, but-like you-understand that grease breaks down over time.

In this case, I had to assume that would so subtle damage to the ball bearings, and really didn't feel like replacing bearings and repacking grease. I figured I'd start fresh-known quantity-and then maintain them in a few years, if necessary.

I got ALL the play out of my elevator lift crank-or whatever it's called-and the raise/lower action is like butter.

I'm positive you'll wind up with the same result.

Cheers !


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## auggy53 (Jan 23, 2011)

HokieMojo said:


> *More disassembly and some cleaning*
> 
> Well, Neil has been making such good progress on his blog, it inspired me to get some work done. His work is here (but seriously Neil, these should be in blogs so I don't miss em' (-: )
> part 1
> ...


we have a place here in st louis called bearing headquarters where i buy alot of bearings at a very reasonable price and they have allways matched any bearing i give them , maybe you have an industrial bearing supply close to you .


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## Beginningwoodworker (May 5, 2008)

HokieMojo said:


> *More disassembly and some cleaning*
> 
> Well, Neil has been making such good progress on his blog, it inspired me to get some work done. His work is here (but seriously Neil, these should be in blogs so I don't miss em' (-: )
> part 1
> ...


That looks good.


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## HokieMojo (Mar 11, 2008)

HokieMojo said:


> *More disassembly and some cleaning*
> 
> Well, Neil has been making such good progress on his blog, it inspired me to get some work done. His work is here (but seriously Neil, these should be in blogs so I don't miss em' (-: )
> part 1
> ...


yeah Neil,
That is one difference between our saws. The roller bearings are very different prices, but i really don't get why. I think our saws are pretty similar. Mine are over $25 a piece, so I'm thinking that since they don't move that fast, I'm not going to worry too much about replacing them yet if I can get them working. I'll probably just add a couple drops of 3-in-1 to them and see if that works. Depending on when I get the rest of the saw up and running, I may replace the motor bearings. I know that my saw had a motor rewind at some point (the motor is painted a different color than the saw) so I might just see how it cuts before attacking the motor. I hear it can get a bit complicated.

Oh, and my table mounting screws are 1/2 missing. Replacing them with parts from mcmaster-carr will run me about $40 so I'm trying to pace myself with my spending. (-:


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## HokieMojo (Mar 11, 2008)

HokieMojo said:


> *More disassembly and some cleaning*
> 
> Well, Neil has been making such good progress on his blog, it inspired me to get some work done. His work is here (but seriously Neil, these should be in blogs so I don't miss em' (-: )
> part 1
> ...


thanks auggy53. the roller bearings are unfortunately proprietary. They have a threaded shaft that is actually one part combined with the center race. As far as I know, wolfe is the only source to get them.


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## LeeJ (Jul 4, 2007)

HokieMojo said:


> *More disassembly and some cleaning*
> 
> Well, Neil has been making such good progress on his blog, it inspired me to get some work done. His work is here (but seriously Neil, these should be in blogs so I don't miss em' (-: )
> part 1
> ...


Well written.

Great photos.

Lee


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

HokieMojo said:


> *More disassembly and some cleaning*
> 
> Well, Neil has been making such good progress on his blog, it inspired me to get some work done. His work is here (but seriously Neil, these should be in blogs so I don't miss em' (-: )
> part 1
> ...


great blog and picturebook 
its realy looking good sofare I look forward to follow the journey
nice wedge tip

take care
Dennis


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