Install the fence now. A good fence makes a real saw out of the old craftsman's. Cast iron is not hard to drill. None of the after market fences will bolt up directly they all need some new holes drill in the saw or the fence.Free is a 4 letter word
A few months ago, my husband and I got a tablesaw (among other things) from an aunt that was clearing out after years of hoarding…I mean, collecting stuff at estate sales. We'd never had a tablesaw before, so we were pretty excited to get it, even knowing that it was far from in perfect condition. Even if it needed some work, it was still better than just having a skillsaw, right?
Well, yes and no. ;-)
![Automotive tire Wood Automotive wheel system Circle Hat]()
![Wood Gas Machine Electrical wiring Wire]()
After blowing out the motor, the first thing we did was ask on here about how to fix some bearings on the motor and clean up the top. Fellow Jocks were extremely helpful, and I got the top cleaned up and waxed to a pretty respectable slickness.
![Wood Rectangle Door Wood stain Automotive exterior]()
And then disaster struck. The motor gave out shortly after we replaced the bearings.
Cue panic
Even though we knew that it was a possibility, we were mid project, and needed a table saw. Craigslist (for once) to the rescue! We ended up buying an older Delta direct drive saw (we've nicknamed her "the screamer") to finish our project, but frankly, neither of us like her as much as the Craftsman, so after reading quite a few positive reviews, we replaced the Craftsman's motor with a 1.5 HP motor from Harbor Freight. I also went ahead and bought one of those v-link belts while I was at it, since the old one was fraying pretty badly.
Then, while tightening the fence one day I noticed that the T portion of the fence where it tightens down was cracked.
![Wood Metal Gas Nickel Hardwood]()
It was an old crack, and the previous owner had screwed through it to hold it together, but it was crumbling around the screws and the fence was as terrible as everyone had said anyway, so I again asked my fellow Jocks about finding one on the cheap. As it turns out, there is no such thing as a cheap table saw fence, so I grit my teeth and shelled out the cash on a new ShopFox (Aluma-Classic) fence. In for a penny, in for a pound, right? Plus, the fence could ostensibly be used for any saw that we might end up with in the future, so it's not a total loss, even if our bank account did send accusatory glances our way.
Fair warning, the Aluma-Classic doesn't just bolt up to a Craftsman 113 saw. Or at least not ours. So for now, we have a lovely white fence and it's rails hanging around in the garage waiting for us to install it. As soon as we work up the nerve to drill into the cast iron top.
Craftsman Tablesaw "Restoration"
Free is a 4 letter word
A few months ago, my husband and I got a tablesaw (among other things) from an aunt that was clearing out after years of hoarding…I mean, collecting stuff at estate sales. We'd never had a tablesaw before, so we were pretty excited to get it, even knowing that it was far from in perfect condition. Even if it needed some work, it was still better than just having a skillsaw, right?
Well, yes and no. ;-)
![Automotive tire Wood Automotive wheel system Circle Hat]()
![Wood Gas Machine Electrical wiring Wire]()
After blowing out the motor, the first thing we did was ask on here about how to fix some bearings on the motor and clean up the top. Fellow Jocks were extremely helpful, and I got the top cleaned up and waxed to a pretty respectable slickness.
![Wood Rectangle Door Wood stain Automotive exterior]()
And then disaster struck. The motor gave out shortly after we replaced the bearings.
Cue panic
Even though we knew that it was a possibility, we were mid project, and needed a table saw. Craigslist (for once) to the rescue! We ended up buying an older Delta direct drive saw (we've nicknamed her "the screamer") to finish our project, but frankly, neither of us like her as much as the Craftsman, so after reading quite a few positive reviews, we replaced the Craftsman's motor with a 1.5 HP motor from Harbor Freight. I also went ahead and bought one of those v-link belts while I was at it, since the old one was fraying pretty badly.
Then, while tightening the fence one day I noticed that the T portion of the fence where it tightens down was cracked.
![Wood Metal Gas Nickel Hardwood]()
It was an old crack, and the previous owner had screwed through it to hold it together, but it was crumbling around the screws and the fence was as terrible as everyone had said anyway, so I again asked my fellow Jocks about finding one on the cheap. As it turns out, there is no such thing as a cheap table saw fence, so I grit my teeth and shelled out the cash on a new ShopFox (Aluma-Classic) fence. In for a penny, in for a pound, right? Plus, the fence could ostensibly be used for any saw that we might end up with in the future, so it's not a total loss, even if our bank account did send accusatory glances our way.
Fair warning, the Aluma-Classic doesn't just bolt up to a Craftsman 113 saw. Or at least not ours. So for now, we have a lovely white fence and it's rails hanging around in the garage waiting for us to install it. As soon as we work up the nerve to drill into the cast iron top.
A few months ago, my husband and I got a tablesaw (among other things) from an aunt that was clearing out after years of hoarding…I mean, collecting stuff at estate sales. We'd never had a tablesaw before, so we were pretty excited to get it, even knowing that it was far from in perfect condition. Even if it needed some work, it was still better than just having a skillsaw, right?
Well, yes and no. ;-)
After blowing out the motor, the first thing we did was ask on here about how to fix some bearings on the motor and clean up the top. Fellow Jocks were extremely helpful, and I got the top cleaned up and waxed to a pretty respectable slickness.
And then disaster struck. The motor gave out shortly after we replaced the bearings.
Cue panic
Even though we knew that it was a possibility, we were mid project, and needed a table saw. Craigslist (for once) to the rescue! We ended up buying an older Delta direct drive saw (we've nicknamed her "the screamer") to finish our project, but frankly, neither of us like her as much as the Craftsman, so after reading quite a few positive reviews, we replaced the Craftsman's motor with a 1.5 HP motor from Harbor Freight. I also went ahead and bought one of those v-link belts while I was at it, since the old one was fraying pretty badly.
Then, while tightening the fence one day I noticed that the T portion of the fence where it tightens down was cracked.
It was an old crack, and the previous owner had screwed through it to hold it together, but it was crumbling around the screws and the fence was as terrible as everyone had said anyway, so I again asked my fellow Jocks about finding one on the cheap. As it turns out, there is no such thing as a cheap table saw fence, so I grit my teeth and shelled out the cash on a new ShopFox (Aluma-Classic) fence. In for a penny, in for a pound, right? Plus, the fence could ostensibly be used for any saw that we might end up with in the future, so it's not a total loss, even if our bank account did send accusatory glances our way.
Fair warning, the Aluma-Classic doesn't just bolt up to a Craftsman 113 saw. Or at least not ours. So for now, we have a lovely white fence and it's rails hanging around in the garage waiting for us to install it. As soon as we work up the nerve to drill into the cast iron top.
Attachments
1 - 7 of 7 Posts
Don't be afraid to drill into the cast iron, it isn't difficult to do. I upgraded the fence on my Craftsman Table saw, and it was a game changer. It locks parallel to the blade EVERY time, is easy to slide and make fine adjustments, and has a scale on it that is accurate enough to use. Don't wait on this upgrade, you will love the saw when you are done.Free is a 4 letter word
A few months ago, my husband and I got a tablesaw (among other things) from an aunt that was clearing out after years of hoarding…I mean, collecting stuff at estate sales. We'd never had a tablesaw before, so we were pretty excited to get it, even knowing that it was far from in perfect condition. Even if it needed some work, it was still better than just having a skillsaw, right?
Well, yes and no. ;-)
![Automotive tire Wood Automotive wheel system Circle Hat]()
![Wood Gas Machine Electrical wiring Wire]()
After blowing out the motor, the first thing we did was ask on here about how to fix some bearings on the motor and clean up the top. Fellow Jocks were extremely helpful, and I got the top cleaned up and waxed to a pretty respectable slickness.
![Wood Rectangle Door Wood stain Automotive exterior]()
And then disaster struck. The motor gave out shortly after we replaced the bearings.
Cue panic
Even though we knew that it was a possibility, we were mid project, and needed a table saw. Craigslist (for once) to the rescue! We ended up buying an older Delta direct drive saw (we've nicknamed her "the screamer") to finish our project, but frankly, neither of us like her as much as the Craftsman, so after reading quite a few positive reviews, we replaced the Craftsman's motor with a 1.5 HP motor from Harbor Freight. I also went ahead and bought one of those v-link belts while I was at it, since the old one was fraying pretty badly.
Then, while tightening the fence one day I noticed that the T portion of the fence where it tightens down was cracked.
![Wood Metal Gas Nickel Hardwood]()
It was an old crack, and the previous owner had screwed through it to hold it together, but it was crumbling around the screws and the fence was as terrible as everyone had said anyway, so I again asked my fellow Jocks about finding one on the cheap. As it turns out, there is no such thing as a cheap table saw fence, so I grit my teeth and shelled out the cash on a new ShopFox (Aluma-Classic) fence. In for a penny, in for a pound, right? Plus, the fence could ostensibly be used for any saw that we might end up with in the future, so it's not a total loss, even if our bank account did send accusatory glances our way.
Fair warning, the Aluma-Classic doesn't just bolt up to a Craftsman 113 saw. Or at least not ours. So for now, we have a lovely white fence and it's rails hanging around in the garage waiting for us to install it. As soon as we work up the nerve to drill into the cast iron top.
Just make sure that the saw blade is parallel to the miter slots first, there are several tutorials on that.
Attachments
Thanks guys! You both were just the motivation needed to get it done, and you are right-it's gonna be awesome as soon as I get the little measurement sticker applied! And drilling the holes wasn't nearly as scary as we thought it would be.Free is a 4 letter word
A few months ago, my husband and I got a tablesaw (among other things) from an aunt that was clearing out after years of hoarding…I mean, collecting stuff at estate sales. We'd never had a tablesaw before, so we were pretty excited to get it, even knowing that it was far from in perfect condition. Even if it needed some work, it was still better than just having a skillsaw, right?
Well, yes and no. ;-)
![Automotive tire Wood Automotive wheel system Circle Hat]()
![Wood Gas Machine Electrical wiring Wire]()
After blowing out the motor, the first thing we did was ask on here about how to fix some bearings on the motor and clean up the top. Fellow Jocks were extremely helpful, and I got the top cleaned up and waxed to a pretty respectable slickness.
![Wood Rectangle Door Wood stain Automotive exterior]()
And then disaster struck. The motor gave out shortly after we replaced the bearings.
Cue panic
Even though we knew that it was a possibility, we were mid project, and needed a table saw. Craigslist (for once) to the rescue! We ended up buying an older Delta direct drive saw (we've nicknamed her "the screamer") to finish our project, but frankly, neither of us like her as much as the Craftsman, so after reading quite a few positive reviews, we replaced the Craftsman's motor with a 1.5 HP motor from Harbor Freight. I also went ahead and bought one of those v-link belts while I was at it, since the old one was fraying pretty badly.
Then, while tightening the fence one day I noticed that the T portion of the fence where it tightens down was cracked.
![Wood Metal Gas Nickel Hardwood]()
It was an old crack, and the previous owner had screwed through it to hold it together, but it was crumbling around the screws and the fence was as terrible as everyone had said anyway, so I again asked my fellow Jocks about finding one on the cheap. As it turns out, there is no such thing as a cheap table saw fence, so I grit my teeth and shelled out the cash on a new ShopFox (Aluma-Classic) fence. In for a penny, in for a pound, right? Plus, the fence could ostensibly be used for any saw that we might end up with in the future, so it's not a total loss, even if our bank account did send accusatory glances our way.
Fair warning, the Aluma-Classic doesn't just bolt up to a Craftsman 113 saw. Or at least not ours. So for now, we have a lovely white fence and it's rails hanging around in the garage waiting for us to install it. As soon as we work up the nerve to drill into the cast iron top.
Attachments
Fence is on!
Last night we finally bit the bullet and installed the new fence. WAY easier than we expected, and if anyone plans to install one, any old wood+metal drill bit will drill through the cast iron with a bit of patience and a slow speed. We marked and punched the holes to keep the bit from wandering and then did each hole in 3 steps, because it worked better for us (and our bits may have been a bit dull.) Thankfully, we didn't need to adjust the blade in relation to the miter slots, that sounds like a pain. We ran out of time to apply the little tape measure sticker because we were late getting started (and spent a bit too much time admiring how slick the new fence slides), but that shouldn't take but a few minutes this evening. Or at least I hope it doesn't. Edited: I applied it today!!
We also found (and installed) a cheap pair of aluminum wings to go on the saw-they are the perforated ones, but I think they'll be pretty nice. The saw came with a tiny fence and no wings, so it looks like a proper saw now, even if it does take up about 2x as much space in our shop…OK, so it's a garage, whatever. ;-) Now we just need to figure out a better stand, because with the wings and the heavy duty fence, I'm terrified of the saw being a major tip hazard on it's current stand thing. I'm not sure what this stand was in it's former life, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't for a table saw. It's one giant cast iron rod that has a small base at each end-one base holds up the saw and the other has some small casters that only lock up when you don't want them to (and roll when you do want them to) and there is no way to hook up dust collection, so it all cakes up in the bottom of the saw. When it's nice out it's NBD, but when it's not, we'd like to be able to contain the mess in the garage, so I'm thinking about building a new stand with a port that we can hook up to a shop vac or at least a basket that we can empty. If anyone has stands or stand plans they recommend, we've got lots of scrap plywood and 1x stock that we can use!
![Wood Flooring Gas Engineering Composite material]()
![Wood Floor Flooring Composite material Gas]()
Last night we finally bit the bullet and installed the new fence. WAY easier than we expected, and if anyone plans to install one, any old wood+metal drill bit will drill through the cast iron with a bit of patience and a slow speed. We marked and punched the holes to keep the bit from wandering and then did each hole in 3 steps, because it worked better for us (and our bits may have been a bit dull.) Thankfully, we didn't need to adjust the blade in relation to the miter slots, that sounds like a pain. We ran out of time to apply the little tape measure sticker because we were late getting started (and spent a bit too much time admiring how slick the new fence slides), but that shouldn't take but a few minutes this evening. Or at least I hope it doesn't. Edited: I applied it today!!
We also found (and installed) a cheap pair of aluminum wings to go on the saw-they are the perforated ones, but I think they'll be pretty nice. The saw came with a tiny fence and no wings, so it looks like a proper saw now, even if it does take up about 2x as much space in our shop…OK, so it's a garage, whatever. ;-) Now we just need to figure out a better stand, because with the wings and the heavy duty fence, I'm terrified of the saw being a major tip hazard on it's current stand thing. I'm not sure what this stand was in it's former life, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't for a table saw. It's one giant cast iron rod that has a small base at each end-one base holds up the saw and the other has some small casters that only lock up when you don't want them to (and roll when you do want them to) and there is no way to hook up dust collection, so it all cakes up in the bottom of the saw. When it's nice out it's NBD, but when it's not, we'd like to be able to contain the mess in the garage, so I'm thinking about building a new stand with a port that we can hook up to a shop vac or at least a basket that we can empty. If anyone has stands or stand plans they recommend, we've got lots of scrap plywood and 1x stock that we can use!
Attachments
Congrats!Fence is on!
Last night we finally bit the bullet and installed the new fence. WAY easier than we expected, and if anyone plans to install one, any old wood+metal drill bit will drill through the cast iron with a bit of patience and a slow speed. We marked and punched the holes to keep the bit from wandering and then did each hole in 3 steps, because it worked better for us (and our bits may have been a bit dull.) Thankfully, we didn't need to adjust the blade in relation to the miter slots, that sounds like a pain. We ran out of time to apply the little tape measure sticker because we were late getting started (and spent a bit too much time admiring how slick the new fence slides), but that shouldn't take but a few minutes this evening. Or at least I hope it doesn't. Edited: I applied it today!!
We also found (and installed) a cheap pair of aluminum wings to go on the saw-they are the perforated ones, but I think they'll be pretty nice. The saw came with a tiny fence and no wings, so it looks like a proper saw now, even if it does take up about 2x as much space in our shop…OK, so it's a garage, whatever. ;-) Now we just need to figure out a better stand, because with the wings and the heavy duty fence, I'm terrified of the saw being a major tip hazard on it's current stand thing. I'm not sure what this stand was in it's former life, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't for a table saw. It's one giant cast iron rod that has a small base at each end-one base holds up the saw and the other has some small casters that only lock up when you don't want them to (and roll when you do want them to) and there is no way to hook up dust collection, so it all cakes up in the bottom of the saw. When it's nice out it's NBD, but when it's not, we'd like to be able to contain the mess in the garage, so I'm thinking about building a new stand with a port that we can hook up to a shop vac or at least a basket that we can empty. If anyone has stands or stand plans they recommend, we've got lots of scrap plywood and 1x stock that we can use!
![Wood Flooring Gas Engineering Composite material]()
![Wood Floor Flooring Composite material Gas]()
Now we want to see pictures.
Attachments
Thanks CO_Goose! I edited both posts to get the pictures on there while my camera and computer were playing nice.Fence is on!
Last night we finally bit the bullet and installed the new fence. WAY easier than we expected, and if anyone plans to install one, any old wood+metal drill bit will drill through the cast iron with a bit of patience and a slow speed. We marked and punched the holes to keep the bit from wandering and then did each hole in 3 steps, because it worked better for us (and our bits may have been a bit dull.) Thankfully, we didn't need to adjust the blade in relation to the miter slots, that sounds like a pain. We ran out of time to apply the little tape measure sticker because we were late getting started (and spent a bit too much time admiring how slick the new fence slides), but that shouldn't take but a few minutes this evening. Or at least I hope it doesn't. Edited: I applied it today!!
We also found (and installed) a cheap pair of aluminum wings to go on the saw-they are the perforated ones, but I think they'll be pretty nice. The saw came with a tiny fence and no wings, so it looks like a proper saw now, even if it does take up about 2x as much space in our shop…OK, so it's a garage, whatever. ;-) Now we just need to figure out a better stand, because with the wings and the heavy duty fence, I'm terrified of the saw being a major tip hazard on it's current stand thing. I'm not sure what this stand was in it's former life, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't for a table saw. It's one giant cast iron rod that has a small base at each end-one base holds up the saw and the other has some small casters that only lock up when you don't want them to (and roll when you do want them to) and there is no way to hook up dust collection, so it all cakes up in the bottom of the saw. When it's nice out it's NBD, but when it's not, we'd like to be able to contain the mess in the garage, so I'm thinking about building a new stand with a port that we can hook up to a shop vac or at least a basket that we can empty. If anyone has stands or stand plans they recommend, we've got lots of scrap plywood and 1x stock that we can use!
![Wood Flooring Gas Engineering Composite material]()
![Wood Floor Flooring Composite material Gas]()
Attachments
1 - 7 of 7 Posts
