All Replies on Table Saw Arbor Nut not Tightening

Sounds like there might have been some sort of coating on the Freud blade that got on the flange on the arbor and now both blades are slipping when you try to tighten the nut while holding the blade still. Try cleaning everything off with mineral spirits or something similar and try again with the WWII (clean it as well before trying).

I’m not sure I understand exactly what the problem is. Do you not use two wrenches to tighten it? With a wrench holding the arbor in place, it seems like the only way the nut would fail to tighten against the blade is if there is something wrong with the nut or flange.

Keep holding the belt or use an arbor wrench when tightening… No need to use the arbor wrench when taking it off – just use your block of wood and loosen the arbor nut as usual.

If anything, I’d give the arbor threads a good cleaning – solvent + wire brush and maybe a dash of wax.

Cheers,
Brad

-- Brad in FL - In Dog I trust... everything else is questionable

I m not sure I understand exactly what the problem is. Do you not use two wrenches to tighten it? With a wrench holding the arbor in place, it seems like the only way the nut would fail to tighten against the blade is if there is something wrong with the nut or flange.

- jonah

It’s an older contractor saw. Probably doesn’t have flats for a wrench on the arbor. Normally you can spin the nut on finger tight, and when you hold the blade there is enough friction to hold the arbor in place and you can tighten the nut further with a wrench. In the OP’s case this used to work and after mounting the Freud blade when he tries to do the final tightening while holding the blade the nut and arbor both turn and the nut doesn’t tighten up.

I m not sure I understand exactly what the problem is. Do you not use two wrenches to tighten it? With a wrench holding the arbor in place, it seems like the only way the nut would fail to tighten against the blade is if there is something wrong with the nut or flange.

- jonah

It s an older contractor saw. Probably doesn t have flats for a wrench on the arbor. Normally you can spin the nut on finger tight, and when you hold the blade there is enough friction to hold the arbor in place and you can tighten the nut further with a wrench. In the OP s case this used to work and after mounting the Freud blade when he tries to do the final tightening while holding the blade the nut and arbor both turn and the nut doesn t tighten up.

- Kazooman

Kazooman is correct. There are no flats on the arbor.

-- measure 3 times, cut once

Per Kazooman’s suggestion I cleaned both sides of both blades and the arbor flange/washer/nut/shaft with mineral spirits. I installed the old WWII blade. No problem. I then installed the Freud blade and it would not tighten up. What the bleep is going on?

-- measure 3 times, cut once

The Freud blade has Teflon/silicone coating, yes the red stuff. Supposed to stop pitch from sticking to blade.
Try cleaning the blade with an aggressive solvent, like chlorinated brake cleaner. It’s one of the few things that washes of silicone’s. Lacquer thinner would be by distant 2nd choice as the ketone/acetate in it are not quite as good on silicone. Aromatic hydrocarbons in MS don’t do much to silicone.

PS – have to clean the flange again too.

Best luck.

-- I'm an engineer not a woodworker, but I can randomly find useful tools and furniture inside a pile of lumber!

Try putting the arbor nut on without any blade. If you can spin the arbor by hand just by finger tightening up the nut, you possibly have some toasted bearings as well.

Cheers,
Brad

-- Brad in FL - In Dog I trust... everything else is questionable

Just leave well enough alone on most of the Freud blade. Just clean the area that hits the arbor and nut. Good to go.

Can you spin the nut on till it hits the flange with no blade ?

The saga continues. I cleaned both sides of the Freud/flange/washer with chlorinated brake cleaner. No improvement. I spun the nut on until it ran out of thread (no blade) and I was able to turn the arbor with my fingers just by tightening up the nut. Now what?

-- measure 3 times, cut once

What I was trying to ask is if you tighten the nut without the blade with the washer does it stop before it hits the inner flange ?
Just wondering if the nut is running out of thread with the thinner blade and is stopping before it actually tightens the blade.

I have 3 of those red Teflon coated blades and never has one spun.

What I was trying to ask is if you tighten the nut without the blade with the washer does it stop before it hits the inner flange ?
Just wondering if the nut is running out of thread with the thinner blade and is stopping before it actually tightens the blade.

His only problem is that coating on the blade. I’ve been at this professionally for over 40 years now. I have never had a blade tighten itself until I recently bought a red Freud saw blade. I tightened it like I’ve been tightening blades all my life.
I’ll put the blade on the arbor, flange, and then hand tighten the nut. I’ll then put the wrench on the nut, let the wrench rest on the throat, and give the blade a slight pull to tighten it for cutting, about 5 lbs torque. When I went to take the thin kerf blade off buy running a board up against the teeth while using the wrench to loosen the nut, I thought I was going to put a bend in it that would make it unusable. I had to get a 1/8” piece of aluminum and put it between a couple teeth to assist loosening the nut. the torque from use had to have been over 40-50 lbs, way more than necessary. I ended up removing the paint with an orbit sander where the flange seats on both sides. The blade is now removable like all have been for the last 40 years. .............. Jerry (in Tucson)

-- Jerry (in Tucson) www.woodturnerstools.com

Invite someone local to come to your shop and put the blade on.

-- Rick M, http://thewoodknack.blogspot.com/

The nut stops once it runs out of thread. For my next trick I’m going to do what Jerry suggested. I have a 2” rotary sanding pad I use with a flex shaft. I’m going to sand the red coating away around the arbor hole.

-- measure 3 times, cut once

The nut stops once it runs out of thread. For my next trick I m going to do what Jerry suggested. I have a 2” rotary sanding pad I use with a flex shaft. I m going to sand the red coating away around the arbor hole.

- dbw

I don’t know your experience level, but use an orbit sander instead. All you want to do is remove paint. Your rotary pad could possibly remove metal. The object is to remove paint only.

Here is something I had a sharpening service tell me and a judge once. “When ever you encounter a painted saw blade, it is usually because of inferior steel used for the blade” ......... Jerry (in Tucson)

-- Jerry (in Tucson) www.woodturnerstools.com

Are the threads stripped on the arbor close to the blade?

-- "PLUMBER'S BUTT! Get over it, everybody has one"

Yep, that damn teflon coating, an easy way to get the nut loose is to jam the blade with a piece of wood like normal and then give the end of the wrench a sharp tap with a rubber hammer, doesn’t take much, the nut will loosen right up.

-- Colombia Custom Woodworking

Problem solved!! I sanded the coating off of the center of the blade. Thanks for all your help.

-- measure 3 times, cut once