[pyl_dickle]

Hey all. I've got a Craftsman 113.298 that I picked up for free off craigslist recently (really lucky find). Couldn't really give it a once over when picking it up since it was out on the curb and I wanted to snag it before wasting a trip a few towns over. Got it home and it's got a bit of rust that was very easily buffed out, and a link belt that makes this baby run better and quieter than the Crapsman I stole from my dad that's been sitting in a box since the early 2000's.

However, I have a problem. Firstly, I can't get the blade past around 89 degrees. And when trying to diagnose that issue, I discovered another: the crank shaft that changes the blade angle is busted in some way. At certain points it's incredibly hard to turn, at others it spins freely and is loose enough to shake side to side. That's when I discovered a possible culprit: what looks like some kind of deformity in the housing for the ball bearing on the cranking end of the shaft (excuse me lack of mechanical know-how and terminology). See the pictures below:

As I turn the crank and it hits some resistance, the ball piece begins to wiggle out of the housing until it's totally free. That's when the shaft spins freely and is loose enough for side to side motion. I suspect the role of this housing it to act as a counterforce so that the shaft can move the blade arbor along the trunnion as you crank the wheel. Because of the deformity, it can't do this to the necessary degree.

So, this deformed housing and blade tilt mechanism definitely seems to be an issue that needs to be fixed, but I don't have enough experience to say whether it's directly related to the blade being unable to reach a true 90 degrees. Possibly it's something to do with inaccuracies in the original setup?

Anyways, this is my first time getting my hands dirty with a table saw, or really any piece of machinery, so I'm pretty lost here. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[MadMark]

Sounds like it was worth what you paid for it ...

 

[EricFai]

Looks like it may be worn out. Or there is a possibility that there is something missing at the other end of the screw or there is a stop screw that is preventing it from going to the 90* setting. Here is a link to the manual, it may help.
Craftsman 113 298721 298761 Owners Manual (usermanual.wiki)

 

[EricFai]

Welcome to LJ's

There could just be a bunch of old saw dust and crap in the way to.

 

[pyl_dickle]

Welcome to LJ's

There could just be a bunch of old saw dust and crap in the way to.

Hey thanks for the welcome! I've been lurking here since I got into woodworking over the last couple years. Finally had something post-worthy so I created an account, ha.

And thanks for linking the manual-- I think it'll be a good resource to pass through to see if there was a step in the setup that the original owner missed/messed up, or if I can find some parts that potentially need replacing.

 

[EricFai]

I have been searching for manuals, some of the links want you to pay, this on is free and appears to be the actual manual. I just restored an old Craftsman Jointer, and also went through a old Craftsman Radial Arm Saw I picked up last week. The older models were built, the new stuff is junk.

 

[Tony1212]

So in that manual, on page 48, it shows the trunnion assembly.

Part 23 is the threaded rod that changes the angle of the blade. It needs only a single fixed point to rock the trunnion from side to side. If that ball end pops out, it sounds like there might be some wear at the anchor point (part 22). But should allow the trunnion to freely rock side to side and definitely needs to be addressed. Don't want that happening in the middle of a cut - instant kickback.

For the 90 degree issue, you really need to look at part 15 (front and back). That is really what is going to determine maximum amount of side to side movement. The main body (which does not seem to be labeled in that image) has semi-circular "tenons" that travel in the grooves of parts 15. If there is sawdust in those grooves, or some other obstruction, or if the casting was messed up, it won't go to the full extent of the angle.

Unfortunately, the only way to inspect it is to take it all apart. The table top needs to come off to get a good look at the inside grooves.

 

[EricFai]

Good points Tony. Even a little saw dust can affect the movement, I blow my 1962 model out about once a month for that reason.

 

[JD77]

There may be two grub screws in the top casting that act as adjustable blade angle stops. Check those first. The shaft ball cup wallow problem may be a symptom, not the cause. Good luck.

 

[crmitchell]

Welcome to LJ's

There could just be a bunch of old saw dust and crap in the way to.

I always check after making an angled cut and returning back to 90 degrees, to insure no sawdust is on the faces that go against the stops. Don't ask how I learned that.

 

[EricFai]

Compressed air works wonders.

 

[PlentyFarmLLC]

Those saws have known issue with flex in the housing effecting the blade angle. I reinforced the whole rightside housing of one with 3/4 ply. Fixed it for me.
Watch the housing as you crank the blade angle wheel and see if it jumps at some point.
There is a good market for used parts for those saws on ebay, if you can't fix it you can probably part it out and get enough $ to put toward a better saw.