[AandCstyle]

Saw setup


(Note: updated with tension spring info at the end)


The saw is assembled and ready for adjusting all the parts that matter (to me!).

The Blade

Everything on the saw needs to be adjusted with respect to the blade. The table needs to be square to the blade, the guide bar needs to be square to the blade, the blade guides need to be set to the blade, etc.

Step 1: Get the blade installed

First thing is to install a blade. The saw had a 1/4" blade in good condition so I looped this over the wheels and cranked up the tension on the tension adjustment wheel.

This thing turns smooth…..! Originally the wheel was much harder to turn. The greasing during assembly really did it's job.

Minor gripe This wheel takes a lot of turns to tension the blade, it would be nice if it had a spinner handle!

I get the blade up to tension, but the tension spring is fully compressed. Given that this saw should be able to handle a much wider blade I can only assume the spring is shot. Not surprising given that the saw is over 50 years old and chances are it never was de-tensioned after use. None of the aftermarket springs I can find are correct. The closest, for a Jet 14", is the correct length (3"), but appears to fit around a 3/8" tension adjust shaft. The Powermatic measures in at 1/2". eReplacement parts shows the correct dimensioned spring, but lists it as a 'spring clip'. The price also indicates that what I see is not what I'll get. $8 will buy a $0.50 hardware store item from them, but not a spring.
I'm going to try anyway, at least the picture associated with the part number and price all agree.

Back to the blade install: With the blade under tension I can spin the wheel and adjust the top wheel tilt tracking to keep the blade centered. The tracking is exceptionally touchy, I'll probably have to crown the tire if I continue to use a narrow blade.

Blade is installed and running without drift, I can proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Square the table

This assures that the miter slot is running parallel to the blade. I feel a good way to get this reliably set is to use a straight edge and assume that if the blade is running on the wheels without drift, it is where it will be when cutting wood.

Here you can see I have a straight edge aligned with the back of the blade on both sides of the wheel. This cast iron frame allows for nice access like this!. I can now use a square and align the miter slot by twisting the table. Once the square says everything is perfect, I can tighten up the trunion bolts on the bottom of the table.

Step 3: Zero the table tilt

99% of my bandsaw use is with the table flat. This saw (and I assume most others) have a stop for setting the table at 0 degrees. I placed a square on the table (aligned with the blade) and tilted the table until all was good. At this point I locked down the tilt levers and set the table stop bolt.

I should now have a table set for a nice square edge and a miter slot that should have the same squareness on a cross cut.

Next up is the guide bar.

Step 4: Square the guide bar

The guide bar should run exactly parallel to the blade as it is raised and lowered. If it is not parallel, I'll have to readjust the upper blade guide bearings every time I raise/lower the bar. Not fun!
On this saw the bar slides in a cast iron 'box' that is bolted to the saw frame though some slightly oversized holes.
Alignment (to the table which is now square to the blade) is by setting the bar position and tightening the bolts.
The problem is the bar moves slightly as the bolts are tightened. Eventually I compensated enough to get everything to fall into alignment with the bolts secure.

Step 5: Crown the tire
I was hoping to avoid this since everything I read about crowning rubber tires involved some tedious setups and sand paper. Referring to the tire manufactures web site, I found that they recommended crowning for narrow blades and only doing it on the top wheel (only one wheel, half the work I had anticipated 8^).

They also said to use tape! This makes total sense, a layer of tape around the center of the wheel will raise a crown.

Instructions were to run a ring of duct tape 1/4" wide around the wheel

Easy enough! A full width wrap of tape and then I used a razor blade to trim it to 1/4" wide.

Next, another layer twice as wide (same method)

I re-stretched the tire over the wheel without disturbing the tape (again, fairly easy) and behold! A slight crown in the upper tire that takes the 'touchiness' out of the tracking adjust (nice!).

Step 6: The Guides

Part of any blade install. I had the guides removed while I aligned everything and it turns out that the lower guides really should be installed with the table removed. I had the trunions secure so I could just tilt the table out of the way, but it ended up being easy enough to get the lower guide mount installed without disturbing anything. The lower guides are much like the steel blocks on other saws except these are angled. I kind of like this since it keeps things further out of the way and kind of acts like a scraper. One side of each guide was worn so I just flipped them over. Replacements from eReplacementParts are $80 each (ouch!) so I'll baby these. At least they should be easy to regrind when needed.

The Good
This whole process was much easier and faster than these kind of things usually go! All the bearing presses and pulley/wheel removal/install went easy without the typical binding or something breaking. Everything other than tires, springs, and bearings was in good shape, no bad surprises. The entire process went quick, just three weekends and I still had time to attend to other issues during the days.

The Bad
I'm sure I'll find more things as I use this saw, but what I consider 'bad' are ergonomic factors. Mainly these are just gripes. The tension knob takes a lot of turns and there is no way to speed up this process. The guides are a pain to adjust, everything involved uses a different sized hex wrench and/or box wrench. The start/stop switch is in a ridiculous location. I could move it to the column, but I'm not in a hurry 8^).

The Ugly
How this saw looked before I began!

Future Items

Figure out some dust collection, make some table inserts, keep an eye out for a 'real' motor.

Total costs for the parts was minimal:

Tires $29
Power switch $14
Paint and stripper $25
Bearings (with 6 extra guide bearings) $45

Bearing Part No.
6200RS (guide)
6203 2NSENR (upper spindle)
6204 2RSNR (lower spindle)

Before:

After:

"Mini-Me's" new (old) little brother

Thanks for following along!

UPDATE:

The original blade tension spring would collapse before proper tension could be applied to a 1/4" blade. The spring acts as a shock absorber and allows for slight eccentricities in the wheels so it really needs to stay in it's linear region.

You can see the original has taken a set compared to the new factory spring.

With the new spring installed and the blade fully tensioned, you can see the spring is not fully compressed

Replacement choices for this saw are limited. The spring needs a 1/2" inside diameter to clear the tension rod. Most other 14" saws only use 3/8" rods so their springs would not fit.

Enter eReplacementParts.com
I have mixed opinions about this place. The good thing is they have a lot of parts, right down to washers and nuts. The part searches are based upon manufacturer parts diagrams so if you know where the part you need is located on the machine, chances are good you can reference it in the parts diagram and located the replacement. The web site also provides pictures of most parts, placed upon a 1" gridded background for size information.

The bad thing is their prices can get downright scary-high.

Back to the spring. Iturra Designs makes a nice replacement spring (out of stock when I looked) for $16. eReplacementParts charges around $30 for a similar tension spring on other common 14" saws. The listing for the Powermatic spring was under $9!

They have the part listed as a "spring clip" even though the picture shows the complete tension spring. Since they charge about that much for a retaining clip, I suspect the part is mislabeled. To my luck, I ordered the part and what I received was exactly what I needed.

Splinter, I am truly impressed by (and jealous of) your mechanical abilities. I don't even know which way to loosen a nut! You have a great machine in great condition that will probably outlast you and your heirs. Thank you for keeping it out of the landfill and for taking the time to document your efforts. Congratulations on a job well done!!

 

[Dee1]

Saw setup


(Note: updated with tension spring info at the end)


The saw is assembled and ready for adjusting all the parts that matter (to me!).

The Blade

Everything on the saw needs to be adjusted with respect to the blade. The table needs to be square to the blade, the guide bar needs to be square to the blade, the blade guides need to be set to the blade, etc.

Step 1: Get the blade installed

First thing is to install a blade. The saw had a 1/4" blade in good condition so I looped this over the wheels and cranked up the tension on the tension adjustment wheel.

This thing turns smooth…..! Originally the wheel was much harder to turn. The greasing during assembly really did it's job.

Minor gripe This wheel takes a lot of turns to tension the blade, it would be nice if it had a spinner handle!

I get the blade up to tension, but the tension spring is fully compressed. Given that this saw should be able to handle a much wider blade I can only assume the spring is shot. Not surprising given that the saw is over 50 years old and chances are it never was de-tensioned after use. None of the aftermarket springs I can find are correct. The closest, for a Jet 14", is the correct length (3"), but appears to fit around a 3/8" tension adjust shaft. The Powermatic measures in at 1/2". eReplacement parts shows the correct dimensioned spring, but lists it as a 'spring clip'. The price also indicates that what I see is not what I'll get. $8 will buy a $0.50 hardware store item from them, but not a spring.
I'm going to try anyway, at least the picture associated with the part number and price all agree.

Back to the blade install: With the blade under tension I can spin the wheel and adjust the top wheel tilt tracking to keep the blade centered. The tracking is exceptionally touchy, I'll probably have to crown the tire if I continue to use a narrow blade.

Blade is installed and running without drift, I can proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Square the table

This assures that the miter slot is running parallel to the blade. I feel a good way to get this reliably set is to use a straight edge and assume that if the blade is running on the wheels without drift, it is where it will be when cutting wood.

Here you can see I have a straight edge aligned with the back of the blade on both sides of the wheel. This cast iron frame allows for nice access like this!. I can now use a square and align the miter slot by twisting the table. Once the square says everything is perfect, I can tighten up the trunion bolts on the bottom of the table.

Step 3: Zero the table tilt

99% of my bandsaw use is with the table flat. This saw (and I assume most others) have a stop for setting the table at 0 degrees. I placed a square on the table (aligned with the blade) and tilted the table until all was good. At this point I locked down the tilt levers and set the table stop bolt.

I should now have a table set for a nice square edge and a miter slot that should have the same squareness on a cross cut.

Next up is the guide bar.

Step 4: Square the guide bar

The guide bar should run exactly parallel to the blade as it is raised and lowered. If it is not parallel, I'll have to readjust the upper blade guide bearings every time I raise/lower the bar. Not fun!
On this saw the bar slides in a cast iron 'box' that is bolted to the saw frame though some slightly oversized holes.
Alignment (to the table which is now square to the blade) is by setting the bar position and tightening the bolts.
The problem is the bar moves slightly as the bolts are tightened. Eventually I compensated enough to get everything to fall into alignment with the bolts secure.

Step 5: Crown the tire
I was hoping to avoid this since everything I read about crowning rubber tires involved some tedious setups and sand paper. Referring to the tire manufactures web site, I found that they recommended crowning for narrow blades and only doing it on the top wheel (only one wheel, half the work I had anticipated 8^).

They also said to use tape! This makes total sense, a layer of tape around the center of the wheel will raise a crown.

Instructions were to run a ring of duct tape 1/4" wide around the wheel

Easy enough! A full width wrap of tape and then I used a razor blade to trim it to 1/4" wide.

Next, another layer twice as wide (same method)

I re-stretched the tire over the wheel without disturbing the tape (again, fairly easy) and behold! A slight crown in the upper tire that takes the 'touchiness' out of the tracking adjust (nice!).

Step 6: The Guides

Part of any blade install. I had the guides removed while I aligned everything and it turns out that the lower guides really should be installed with the table removed. I had the trunions secure so I could just tilt the table out of the way, but it ended up being easy enough to get the lower guide mount installed without disturbing anything. The lower guides are much like the steel blocks on other saws except these are angled. I kind of like this since it keeps things further out of the way and kind of acts like a scraper. One side of each guide was worn so I just flipped them over. Replacements from eReplacementParts are $80 each (ouch!) so I'll baby these. At least they should be easy to regrind when needed.

The Good
This whole process was much easier and faster than these kind of things usually go! All the bearing presses and pulley/wheel removal/install went easy without the typical binding or something breaking. Everything other than tires, springs, and bearings was in good shape, no bad surprises. The entire process went quick, just three weekends and I still had time to attend to other issues during the days.

The Bad
I'm sure I'll find more things as I use this saw, but what I consider 'bad' are ergonomic factors. Mainly these are just gripes. The tension knob takes a lot of turns and there is no way to speed up this process. The guides are a pain to adjust, everything involved uses a different sized hex wrench and/or box wrench. The start/stop switch is in a ridiculous location. I could move it to the column, but I'm not in a hurry 8^).

The Ugly
How this saw looked before I began!

Future Items

Figure out some dust collection, make some table inserts, keep an eye out for a 'real' motor.

Total costs for the parts was minimal:

Tires $29
Power switch $14
Paint and stripper $25
Bearings (with 6 extra guide bearings) $45

Bearing Part No.
6200RS (guide)
6203 2NSENR (upper spindle)
6204 2RSNR (lower spindle)

Before:

After:

"Mini-Me's" new (old) little brother

Thanks for following along!

UPDATE:

The original blade tension spring would collapse before proper tension could be applied to a 1/4" blade. The spring acts as a shock absorber and allows for slight eccentricities in the wheels so it really needs to stay in it's linear region.

You can see the original has taken a set compared to the new factory spring.

With the new spring installed and the blade fully tensioned, you can see the spring is not fully compressed

Replacement choices for this saw are limited. The spring needs a 1/2" inside diameter to clear the tension rod. Most other 14" saws only use 3/8" rods so their springs would not fit.

Enter eReplacementParts.com
I have mixed opinions about this place. The good thing is they have a lot of parts, right down to washers and nuts. The part searches are based upon manufacturer parts diagrams so if you know where the part you need is located on the machine, chances are good you can reference it in the parts diagram and located the replacement. The web site also provides pictures of most parts, placed upon a 1" gridded background for size information.

The bad thing is their prices can get downright scary-high.

Back to the spring. Iturra Designs makes a nice replacement spring (out of stock when I looked) for $16. eReplacementParts charges around $30 for a similar tension spring on other common 14" saws. The listing for the Powermatic spring was under $9!

They have the part listed as a "spring clip" even though the picture shows the complete tension spring. Since they charge about that much for a retaining clip, I suspect the part is mislabeled. To my luck, I ordered the part and what I received was exactly what I needed.

Splinter
very nice job have you ever ordered anything from Iturra Design Bandsaw access catalog
order # 904 642 2802
fantastic folks have everything you or your bandsaw ever needed
if you spend a few bucks on a spring for example you will get a 250 page catalog that will keep you busy for long time
your saw looks great. I solved the cranking problem with mine by taking the knob off and mounting a study 3/8 ratchet handle it has been working fine for many years now. and it has a new brother also just bought a new Powermatic 14 with a riser on it and it is fantastic.
Dee1

 

[stefang]

Saw setup


(Note: updated with tension spring info at the end)


The saw is assembled and ready for adjusting all the parts that matter (to me!).

The Blade

Everything on the saw needs to be adjusted with respect to the blade. The table needs to be square to the blade, the guide bar needs to be square to the blade, the blade guides need to be set to the blade, etc.

Step 1: Get the blade installed

First thing is to install a blade. The saw had a 1/4" blade in good condition so I looped this over the wheels and cranked up the tension on the tension adjustment wheel.

This thing turns smooth…..! Originally the wheel was much harder to turn. The greasing during assembly really did it's job.

Minor gripe This wheel takes a lot of turns to tension the blade, it would be nice if it had a spinner handle!

I get the blade up to tension, but the tension spring is fully compressed. Given that this saw should be able to handle a much wider blade I can only assume the spring is shot. Not surprising given that the saw is over 50 years old and chances are it never was de-tensioned after use. None of the aftermarket springs I can find are correct. The closest, for a Jet 14", is the correct length (3"), but appears to fit around a 3/8" tension adjust shaft. The Powermatic measures in at 1/2". eReplacement parts shows the correct dimensioned spring, but lists it as a 'spring clip'. The price also indicates that what I see is not what I'll get. $8 will buy a $0.50 hardware store item from them, but not a spring.
I'm going to try anyway, at least the picture associated with the part number and price all agree.

Back to the blade install: With the blade under tension I can spin the wheel and adjust the top wheel tilt tracking to keep the blade centered. The tracking is exceptionally touchy, I'll probably have to crown the tire if I continue to use a narrow blade.

Blade is installed and running without drift, I can proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Square the table

This assures that the miter slot is running parallel to the blade. I feel a good way to get this reliably set is to use a straight edge and assume that if the blade is running on the wheels without drift, it is where it will be when cutting wood.

Here you can see I have a straight edge aligned with the back of the blade on both sides of the wheel. This cast iron frame allows for nice access like this!. I can now use a square and align the miter slot by twisting the table. Once the square says everything is perfect, I can tighten up the trunion bolts on the bottom of the table.

Step 3: Zero the table tilt

99% of my bandsaw use is with the table flat. This saw (and I assume most others) have a stop for setting the table at 0 degrees. I placed a square on the table (aligned with the blade) and tilted the table until all was good. At this point I locked down the tilt levers and set the table stop bolt.

I should now have a table set for a nice square edge and a miter slot that should have the same squareness on a cross cut.

Next up is the guide bar.

Step 4: Square the guide bar

The guide bar should run exactly parallel to the blade as it is raised and lowered. If it is not parallel, I'll have to readjust the upper blade guide bearings every time I raise/lower the bar. Not fun!
On this saw the bar slides in a cast iron 'box' that is bolted to the saw frame though some slightly oversized holes.
Alignment (to the table which is now square to the blade) is by setting the bar position and tightening the bolts.
The problem is the bar moves slightly as the bolts are tightened. Eventually I compensated enough to get everything to fall into alignment with the bolts secure.

Step 5: Crown the tire
I was hoping to avoid this since everything I read about crowning rubber tires involved some tedious setups and sand paper. Referring to the tire manufactures web site, I found that they recommended crowning for narrow blades and only doing it on the top wheel (only one wheel, half the work I had anticipated 8^).

They also said to use tape! This makes total sense, a layer of tape around the center of the wheel will raise a crown.

Instructions were to run a ring of duct tape 1/4" wide around the wheel

Easy enough! A full width wrap of tape and then I used a razor blade to trim it to 1/4" wide.

Next, another layer twice as wide (same method)

I re-stretched the tire over the wheel without disturbing the tape (again, fairly easy) and behold! A slight crown in the upper tire that takes the 'touchiness' out of the tracking adjust (nice!).

Step 6: The Guides

Part of any blade install. I had the guides removed while I aligned everything and it turns out that the lower guides really should be installed with the table removed. I had the trunions secure so I could just tilt the table out of the way, but it ended up being easy enough to get the lower guide mount installed without disturbing anything. The lower guides are much like the steel blocks on other saws except these are angled. I kind of like this since it keeps things further out of the way and kind of acts like a scraper. One side of each guide was worn so I just flipped them over. Replacements from eReplacementParts are $80 each (ouch!) so I'll baby these. At least they should be easy to regrind when needed.

The Good
This whole process was much easier and faster than these kind of things usually go! All the bearing presses and pulley/wheel removal/install went easy without the typical binding or something breaking. Everything other than tires, springs, and bearings was in good shape, no bad surprises. The entire process went quick, just three weekends and I still had time to attend to other issues during the days.

The Bad
I'm sure I'll find more things as I use this saw, but what I consider 'bad' are ergonomic factors. Mainly these are just gripes. The tension knob takes a lot of turns and there is no way to speed up this process. The guides are a pain to adjust, everything involved uses a different sized hex wrench and/or box wrench. The start/stop switch is in a ridiculous location. I could move it to the column, but I'm not in a hurry 8^).

The Ugly
How this saw looked before I began!

Future Items

Figure out some dust collection, make some table inserts, keep an eye out for a 'real' motor.

Total costs for the parts was minimal:

Tires $29
Power switch $14
Paint and stripper $25
Bearings (with 6 extra guide bearings) $45

Bearing Part No.
6200RS (guide)
6203 2NSENR (upper spindle)
6204 2RSNR (lower spindle)

Before:

After:

"Mini-Me's" new (old) little brother

Thanks for following along!

UPDATE:

The original blade tension spring would collapse before proper tension could be applied to a 1/4" blade. The spring acts as a shock absorber and allows for slight eccentricities in the wheels so it really needs to stay in it's linear region.

You can see the original has taken a set compared to the new factory spring.

With the new spring installed and the blade fully tensioned, you can see the spring is not fully compressed

Replacement choices for this saw are limited. The spring needs a 1/2" inside diameter to clear the tension rod. Most other 14" saws only use 3/8" rods so their springs would not fit.

Enter eReplacementParts.com
I have mixed opinions about this place. The good thing is they have a lot of parts, right down to washers and nuts. The part searches are based upon manufacturer parts diagrams so if you know where the part you need is located on the machine, chances are good you can reference it in the parts diagram and located the replacement. The web site also provides pictures of most parts, placed upon a 1" gridded background for size information.

The bad thing is their prices can get downright scary-high.

Back to the spring. Iturra Designs makes a nice replacement spring (out of stock when I looked) for $16. eReplacementParts charges around $30 for a similar tension spring on other common 14" saws. The listing for the Powermatic spring was under $9!

They have the part listed as a "spring clip" even though the picture shows the complete tension spring. Since they charge about that much for a retaining clip, I suspect the part is mislabeled. To my luck, I ordered the part and what I received was exactly what I needed.

Wonderful work on this restoration and also your the knowledgeable way you did the final assembly and adjustments. Very nice step by step blog. I wish we could see more like this one. I hope you find that tension spring you need. Can an old spring be re-tempered?

 

[splintergroup]

Saw setup


(Note: updated with tension spring info at the end)


The saw is assembled and ready for adjusting all the parts that matter (to me!).

The Blade

Everything on the saw needs to be adjusted with respect to the blade. The table needs to be square to the blade, the guide bar needs to be square to the blade, the blade guides need to be set to the blade, etc.

Step 1: Get the blade installed

First thing is to install a blade. The saw had a 1/4" blade in good condition so I looped this over the wheels and cranked up the tension on the tension adjustment wheel.

This thing turns smooth…..! Originally the wheel was much harder to turn. The greasing during assembly really did it's job.

Minor gripe This wheel takes a lot of turns to tension the blade, it would be nice if it had a spinner handle!

I get the blade up to tension, but the tension spring is fully compressed. Given that this saw should be able to handle a much wider blade I can only assume the spring is shot. Not surprising given that the saw is over 50 years old and chances are it never was de-tensioned after use. None of the aftermarket springs I can find are correct. The closest, for a Jet 14", is the correct length (3"), but appears to fit around a 3/8" tension adjust shaft. The Powermatic measures in at 1/2". eReplacement parts shows the correct dimensioned spring, but lists it as a 'spring clip'. The price also indicates that what I see is not what I'll get. $8 will buy a $0.50 hardware store item from them, but not a spring.
I'm going to try anyway, at least the picture associated with the part number and price all agree.

Back to the blade install: With the blade under tension I can spin the wheel and adjust the top wheel tilt tracking to keep the blade centered. The tracking is exceptionally touchy, I'll probably have to crown the tire if I continue to use a narrow blade.

Blade is installed and running without drift, I can proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Square the table

This assures that the miter slot is running parallel to the blade. I feel a good way to get this reliably set is to use a straight edge and assume that if the blade is running on the wheels without drift, it is where it will be when cutting wood.

Here you can see I have a straight edge aligned with the back of the blade on both sides of the wheel. This cast iron frame allows for nice access like this!. I can now use a square and align the miter slot by twisting the table. Once the square says everything is perfect, I can tighten up the trunion bolts on the bottom of the table.

Step 3: Zero the table tilt

99% of my bandsaw use is with the table flat. This saw (and I assume most others) have a stop for setting the table at 0 degrees. I placed a square on the table (aligned with the blade) and tilted the table until all was good. At this point I locked down the tilt levers and set the table stop bolt.

I should now have a table set for a nice square edge and a miter slot that should have the same squareness on a cross cut.

Next up is the guide bar.

Step 4: Square the guide bar

The guide bar should run exactly parallel to the blade as it is raised and lowered. If it is not parallel, I'll have to readjust the upper blade guide bearings every time I raise/lower the bar. Not fun!
On this saw the bar slides in a cast iron 'box' that is bolted to the saw frame though some slightly oversized holes.
Alignment (to the table which is now square to the blade) is by setting the bar position and tightening the bolts.
The problem is the bar moves slightly as the bolts are tightened. Eventually I compensated enough to get everything to fall into alignment with the bolts secure.

Step 5: Crown the tire
I was hoping to avoid this since everything I read about crowning rubber tires involved some tedious setups and sand paper. Referring to the tire manufactures web site, I found that they recommended crowning for narrow blades and only doing it on the top wheel (only one wheel, half the work I had anticipated 8^).

They also said to use tape! This makes total sense, a layer of tape around the center of the wheel will raise a crown.

Instructions were to run a ring of duct tape 1/4" wide around the wheel

Easy enough! A full width wrap of tape and then I used a razor blade to trim it to 1/4" wide.

Next, another layer twice as wide (same method)

I re-stretched the tire over the wheel without disturbing the tape (again, fairly easy) and behold! A slight crown in the upper tire that takes the 'touchiness' out of the tracking adjust (nice!).

Step 6: The Guides

Part of any blade install. I had the guides removed while I aligned everything and it turns out that the lower guides really should be installed with the table removed. I had the trunions secure so I could just tilt the table out of the way, but it ended up being easy enough to get the lower guide mount installed without disturbing anything. The lower guides are much like the steel blocks on other saws except these are angled. I kind of like this since it keeps things further out of the way and kind of acts like a scraper. One side of each guide was worn so I just flipped them over. Replacements from eReplacementParts are $80 each (ouch!) so I'll baby these. At least they should be easy to regrind when needed.

The Good
This whole process was much easier and faster than these kind of things usually go! All the bearing presses and pulley/wheel removal/install went easy without the typical binding or something breaking. Everything other than tires, springs, and bearings was in good shape, no bad surprises. The entire process went quick, just three weekends and I still had time to attend to other issues during the days.

The Bad
I'm sure I'll find more things as I use this saw, but what I consider 'bad' are ergonomic factors. Mainly these are just gripes. The tension knob takes a lot of turns and there is no way to speed up this process. The guides are a pain to adjust, everything involved uses a different sized hex wrench and/or box wrench. The start/stop switch is in a ridiculous location. I could move it to the column, but I'm not in a hurry 8^).

The Ugly
How this saw looked before I began!

Future Items

Figure out some dust collection, make some table inserts, keep an eye out for a 'real' motor.

Total costs for the parts was minimal:

Tires $29
Power switch $14
Paint and stripper $25
Bearings (with 6 extra guide bearings) $45

Bearing Part No.
6200RS (guide)
6203 2NSENR (upper spindle)
6204 2RSNR (lower spindle)

Before:

After:

"Mini-Me's" new (old) little brother

Thanks for following along!

UPDATE:

The original blade tension spring would collapse before proper tension could be applied to a 1/4" blade. The spring acts as a shock absorber and allows for slight eccentricities in the wheels so it really needs to stay in it's linear region.

You can see the original has taken a set compared to the new factory spring.

With the new spring installed and the blade fully tensioned, you can see the spring is not fully compressed

Replacement choices for this saw are limited. The spring needs a 1/2" inside diameter to clear the tension rod. Most other 14" saws only use 3/8" rods so their springs would not fit.

Enter eReplacementParts.com
I have mixed opinions about this place. The good thing is they have a lot of parts, right down to washers and nuts. The part searches are based upon manufacturer parts diagrams so if you know where the part you need is located on the machine, chances are good you can reference it in the parts diagram and located the replacement. The web site also provides pictures of most parts, placed upon a 1" gridded background for size information.

The bad thing is their prices can get downright scary-high.

Back to the spring. Iturra Designs makes a nice replacement spring (out of stock when I looked) for $16. eReplacementParts charges around $30 for a similar tension spring on other common 14" saws. The listing for the Powermatic spring was under $9!

They have the part listed as a "spring clip" even though the picture shows the complete tension spring. Since they charge about that much for a retaining clip, I suspect the part is mislabeled. To my luck, I ordered the part and what I received was exactly what I needed.

Thanks for following along guys!

Art, sad thing is now that I'm done, it's back to the honey-do list. Painting and tiling is boring!
(and by the way it is "righty tighty lefty loosey" 8^)
Actually I guess I'm looking for distractions. Another blog post coming up on how I spent one hour fixing my drill press depth stop (done after I parked the BS into the corner)

Dee, I have a copy of the Iturra catalog (2010) that someone graciously scanned.I know these are nearly impossible to obtain otherwise. I have my eye on their spring for the 141, but was informed it's backordered. Since I don't anticipate going any bigger than maybe a 1/2" blade, the 'factory' spring should fill in nicely, at least until I decide to upgrade.

A ratchet handle? Hmmmm, Than gets me thinking, perhaps a speed wrench or maybe a bolt head so I can use my cordless drill with a socket adapter! 8^).

To be honest, I'm hoping the spring solves most of this, if I don't have to fully compress 3" of spring to get tension, it shouldn't be too much of a burden.

Mike, thanks for tuning in. I hadn't thought about re-tempering. I have access to my wife's glass kiln with the fancy temperature ramp controller. This may be worth trying, if nothing else just to see if it can be done 8^)

 

[Dee1]

Saw setup


(Note: updated with tension spring info at the end)


The saw is assembled and ready for adjusting all the parts that matter (to me!).

The Blade

Everything on the saw needs to be adjusted with respect to the blade. The table needs to be square to the blade, the guide bar needs to be square to the blade, the blade guides need to be set to the blade, etc.

Step 1: Get the blade installed

First thing is to install a blade. The saw had a 1/4" blade in good condition so I looped this over the wheels and cranked up the tension on the tension adjustment wheel.

This thing turns smooth…..! Originally the wheel was much harder to turn. The greasing during assembly really did it's job.

Minor gripe This wheel takes a lot of turns to tension the blade, it would be nice if it had a spinner handle!

I get the blade up to tension, but the tension spring is fully compressed. Given that this saw should be able to handle a much wider blade I can only assume the spring is shot. Not surprising given that the saw is over 50 years old and chances are it never was de-tensioned after use. None of the aftermarket springs I can find are correct. The closest, for a Jet 14", is the correct length (3"), but appears to fit around a 3/8" tension adjust shaft. The Powermatic measures in at 1/2". eReplacement parts shows the correct dimensioned spring, but lists it as a 'spring clip'. The price also indicates that what I see is not what I'll get. $8 will buy a $0.50 hardware store item from them, but not a spring.
I'm going to try anyway, at least the picture associated with the part number and price all agree.

Back to the blade install: With the blade under tension I can spin the wheel and adjust the top wheel tilt tracking to keep the blade centered. The tracking is exceptionally touchy, I'll probably have to crown the tire if I continue to use a narrow blade.

Blade is installed and running without drift, I can proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Square the table

This assures that the miter slot is running parallel to the blade. I feel a good way to get this reliably set is to use a straight edge and assume that if the blade is running on the wheels without drift, it is where it will be when cutting wood.

Here you can see I have a straight edge aligned with the back of the blade on both sides of the wheel. This cast iron frame allows for nice access like this!. I can now use a square and align the miter slot by twisting the table. Once the square says everything is perfect, I can tighten up the trunion bolts on the bottom of the table.

Step 3: Zero the table tilt

99% of my bandsaw use is with the table flat. This saw (and I assume most others) have a stop for setting the table at 0 degrees. I placed a square on the table (aligned with the blade) and tilted the table until all was good. At this point I locked down the tilt levers and set the table stop bolt.

I should now have a table set for a nice square edge and a miter slot that should have the same squareness on a cross cut.

Next up is the guide bar.

Step 4: Square the guide bar

The guide bar should run exactly parallel to the blade as it is raised and lowered. If it is not parallel, I'll have to readjust the upper blade guide bearings every time I raise/lower the bar. Not fun!
On this saw the bar slides in a cast iron 'box' that is bolted to the saw frame though some slightly oversized holes.
Alignment (to the table which is now square to the blade) is by setting the bar position and tightening the bolts.
The problem is the bar moves slightly as the bolts are tightened. Eventually I compensated enough to get everything to fall into alignment with the bolts secure.

Step 5: Crown the tire
I was hoping to avoid this since everything I read about crowning rubber tires involved some tedious setups and sand paper. Referring to the tire manufactures web site, I found that they recommended crowning for narrow blades and only doing it on the top wheel (only one wheel, half the work I had anticipated 8^).

They also said to use tape! This makes total sense, a layer of tape around the center of the wheel will raise a crown.

Instructions were to run a ring of duct tape 1/4" wide around the wheel

Easy enough! A full width wrap of tape and then I used a razor blade to trim it to 1/4" wide.

Next, another layer twice as wide (same method)

I re-stretched the tire over the wheel without disturbing the tape (again, fairly easy) and behold! A slight crown in the upper tire that takes the 'touchiness' out of the tracking adjust (nice!).

Step 6: The Guides

Part of any blade install. I had the guides removed while I aligned everything and it turns out that the lower guides really should be installed with the table removed. I had the trunions secure so I could just tilt the table out of the way, but it ended up being easy enough to get the lower guide mount installed without disturbing anything. The lower guides are much like the steel blocks on other saws except these are angled. I kind of like this since it keeps things further out of the way and kind of acts like a scraper. One side of each guide was worn so I just flipped them over. Replacements from eReplacementParts are $80 each (ouch!) so I'll baby these. At least they should be easy to regrind when needed.

The Good
This whole process was much easier and faster than these kind of things usually go! All the bearing presses and pulley/wheel removal/install went easy without the typical binding or something breaking. Everything other than tires, springs, and bearings was in good shape, no bad surprises. The entire process went quick, just three weekends and I still had time to attend to other issues during the days.

The Bad
I'm sure I'll find more things as I use this saw, but what I consider 'bad' are ergonomic factors. Mainly these are just gripes. The tension knob takes a lot of turns and there is no way to speed up this process. The guides are a pain to adjust, everything involved uses a different sized hex wrench and/or box wrench. The start/stop switch is in a ridiculous location. I could move it to the column, but I'm not in a hurry 8^).

The Ugly
How this saw looked before I began!

Future Items

Figure out some dust collection, make some table inserts, keep an eye out for a 'real' motor.

Total costs for the parts was minimal:

Tires $29
Power switch $14
Paint and stripper $25
Bearings (with 6 extra guide bearings) $45

Bearing Part No.
6200RS (guide)
6203 2NSENR (upper spindle)
6204 2RSNR (lower spindle)

Before:

After:

"Mini-Me's" new (old) little brother

Thanks for following along!

UPDATE:

The original blade tension spring would collapse before proper tension could be applied to a 1/4" blade. The spring acts as a shock absorber and allows for slight eccentricities in the wheels so it really needs to stay in it's linear region.

You can see the original has taken a set compared to the new factory spring.

With the new spring installed and the blade fully tensioned, you can see the spring is not fully compressed

Replacement choices for this saw are limited. The spring needs a 1/2" inside diameter to clear the tension rod. Most other 14" saws only use 3/8" rods so their springs would not fit.

Enter eReplacementParts.com
I have mixed opinions about this place. The good thing is they have a lot of parts, right down to washers and nuts. The part searches are based upon manufacturer parts diagrams so if you know where the part you need is located on the machine, chances are good you can reference it in the parts diagram and located the replacement. The web site also provides pictures of most parts, placed upon a 1" gridded background for size information.

The bad thing is their prices can get downright scary-high.

Back to the spring. Iturra Designs makes a nice replacement spring (out of stock when I looked) for $16. eReplacementParts charges around $30 for a similar tension spring on other common 14" saws. The listing for the Powermatic spring was under $9!

They have the part listed as a "spring clip" even though the picture shows the complete tension spring. Since they charge about that much for a retaining clip, I suspect the part is mislabeled. To my luck, I ordered the part and what I received was exactly what I needed.

Ok how about taking the spring or its measurements to your local machine shop they will measure it and order one just like it? I am pretty positive Powermatic did not make the original? Macmasters carr or Grainger is also your friend?
Dee

 

[splintergroup]

Saw setup


(Note: updated with tension spring info at the end)


The saw is assembled and ready for adjusting all the parts that matter (to me!).

The Blade

Everything on the saw needs to be adjusted with respect to the blade. The table needs to be square to the blade, the guide bar needs to be square to the blade, the blade guides need to be set to the blade, etc.

Step 1: Get the blade installed

First thing is to install a blade. The saw had a 1/4" blade in good condition so I looped this over the wheels and cranked up the tension on the tension adjustment wheel.

This thing turns smooth…..! Originally the wheel was much harder to turn. The greasing during assembly really did it's job.

Minor gripe This wheel takes a lot of turns to tension the blade, it would be nice if it had a spinner handle!

I get the blade up to tension, but the tension spring is fully compressed. Given that this saw should be able to handle a much wider blade I can only assume the spring is shot. Not surprising given that the saw is over 50 years old and chances are it never was de-tensioned after use. None of the aftermarket springs I can find are correct. The closest, for a Jet 14", is the correct length (3"), but appears to fit around a 3/8" tension adjust shaft. The Powermatic measures in at 1/2". eReplacement parts shows the correct dimensioned spring, but lists it as a 'spring clip'. The price also indicates that what I see is not what I'll get. $8 will buy a $0.50 hardware store item from them, but not a spring.
I'm going to try anyway, at least the picture associated with the part number and price all agree.

Back to the blade install: With the blade under tension I can spin the wheel and adjust the top wheel tilt tracking to keep the blade centered. The tracking is exceptionally touchy, I'll probably have to crown the tire if I continue to use a narrow blade.

Blade is installed and running without drift, I can proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Square the table

This assures that the miter slot is running parallel to the blade. I feel a good way to get this reliably set is to use a straight edge and assume that if the blade is running on the wheels without drift, it is where it will be when cutting wood.

Here you can see I have a straight edge aligned with the back of the blade on both sides of the wheel. This cast iron frame allows for nice access like this!. I can now use a square and align the miter slot by twisting the table. Once the square says everything is perfect, I can tighten up the trunion bolts on the bottom of the table.

Step 3: Zero the table tilt

99% of my bandsaw use is with the table flat. This saw (and I assume most others) have a stop for setting the table at 0 degrees. I placed a square on the table (aligned with the blade) and tilted the table until all was good. At this point I locked down the tilt levers and set the table stop bolt.

I should now have a table set for a nice square edge and a miter slot that should have the same squareness on a cross cut.

Next up is the guide bar.

Step 4: Square the guide bar

The guide bar should run exactly parallel to the blade as it is raised and lowered. If it is not parallel, I'll have to readjust the upper blade guide bearings every time I raise/lower the bar. Not fun!
On this saw the bar slides in a cast iron 'box' that is bolted to the saw frame though some slightly oversized holes.
Alignment (to the table which is now square to the blade) is by setting the bar position and tightening the bolts.
The problem is the bar moves slightly as the bolts are tightened. Eventually I compensated enough to get everything to fall into alignment with the bolts secure.

Step 5: Crown the tire
I was hoping to avoid this since everything I read about crowning rubber tires involved some tedious setups and sand paper. Referring to the tire manufactures web site, I found that they recommended crowning for narrow blades and only doing it on the top wheel (only one wheel, half the work I had anticipated 8^).

They also said to use tape! This makes total sense, a layer of tape around the center of the wheel will raise a crown.

Instructions were to run a ring of duct tape 1/4" wide around the wheel

Easy enough! A full width wrap of tape and then I used a razor blade to trim it to 1/4" wide.

Next, another layer twice as wide (same method)

I re-stretched the tire over the wheel without disturbing the tape (again, fairly easy) and behold! A slight crown in the upper tire that takes the 'touchiness' out of the tracking adjust (nice!).

Step 6: The Guides

Part of any blade install. I had the guides removed while I aligned everything and it turns out that the lower guides really should be installed with the table removed. I had the trunions secure so I could just tilt the table out of the way, but it ended up being easy enough to get the lower guide mount installed without disturbing anything. The lower guides are much like the steel blocks on other saws except these are angled. I kind of like this since it keeps things further out of the way and kind of acts like a scraper. One side of each guide was worn so I just flipped them over. Replacements from eReplacementParts are $80 each (ouch!) so I'll baby these. At least they should be easy to regrind when needed.

The Good
This whole process was much easier and faster than these kind of things usually go! All the bearing presses and pulley/wheel removal/install went easy without the typical binding or something breaking. Everything other than tires, springs, and bearings was in good shape, no bad surprises. The entire process went quick, just three weekends and I still had time to attend to other issues during the days.

The Bad
I'm sure I'll find more things as I use this saw, but what I consider 'bad' are ergonomic factors. Mainly these are just gripes. The tension knob takes a lot of turns and there is no way to speed up this process. The guides are a pain to adjust, everything involved uses a different sized hex wrench and/or box wrench. The start/stop switch is in a ridiculous location. I could move it to the column, but I'm not in a hurry 8^).

The Ugly
How this saw looked before I began!

Future Items

Figure out some dust collection, make some table inserts, keep an eye out for a 'real' motor.

Total costs for the parts was minimal:

Tires $29
Power switch $14
Paint and stripper $25
Bearings (with 6 extra guide bearings) $45

Bearing Part No.
6200RS (guide)
6203 2NSENR (upper spindle)
6204 2RSNR (lower spindle)

Before:

After:

"Mini-Me's" new (old) little brother

Thanks for following along!

UPDATE:

The original blade tension spring would collapse before proper tension could be applied to a 1/4" blade. The spring acts as a shock absorber and allows for slight eccentricities in the wheels so it really needs to stay in it's linear region.

You can see the original has taken a set compared to the new factory spring.

With the new spring installed and the blade fully tensioned, you can see the spring is not fully compressed

Replacement choices for this saw are limited. The spring needs a 1/2" inside diameter to clear the tension rod. Most other 14" saws only use 3/8" rods so their springs would not fit.

Enter eReplacementParts.com
I have mixed opinions about this place. The good thing is they have a lot of parts, right down to washers and nuts. The part searches are based upon manufacturer parts diagrams so if you know where the part you need is located on the machine, chances are good you can reference it in the parts diagram and located the replacement. The web site also provides pictures of most parts, placed upon a 1" gridded background for size information.

The bad thing is their prices can get downright scary-high.

Back to the spring. Iturra Designs makes a nice replacement spring (out of stock when I looked) for $16. eReplacementParts charges around $30 for a similar tension spring on other common 14" saws. The listing for the Powermatic spring was under $9!

They have the part listed as a "spring clip" even though the picture shows the complete tension spring. Since they charge about that much for a retaining clip, I suspect the part is mislabeled. To my luck, I ordered the part and what I received was exactly what I needed.

Ok how about taking the spring or its measurements to your local machine shop they will measure it and order one just like it? I am pretty positive Powermatic did not make the original? Macmasters carr or Grainger is also your friend?
Dee

- Dee1

Good advice on the McMaster Carr/Grainger. They have several speed crank handles I've eyed to replace the original tension knob. Maybe a luxury I'll try at some later date. The proper spring lies within their catalog pages, but at a price that is higher than what I currently have on order. Besides, I have no specs on the originals compression force which varies on the heat treatment used as well as the basic dimensions. Of course since I never plan to load up this saw to it's maximum limits, any spring would be acceptable if its length sits somewhere between no-load and fully compressed with a properly tensioned blade installed.
In a pinch, I have an ample supply of old engine valve springs that match the wire diameter and length, but I'm not in a rush.
That's part of the beauty of having this saw as a backup tool. Not being in a rush means I can bide my time.
Should the eReplacementParts spring fall through, I'd probably just wait for the Iturra part. The guy is a bandsaw Guru and I don't doubt the Iturra spring would be a perfect fit.

 

[Halbert9001]

Saw setup


(Note: updated with tension spring info at the end)


The saw is assembled and ready for adjusting all the parts that matter (to me!).

The Blade

Everything on the saw needs to be adjusted with respect to the blade. The table needs to be square to the blade, the guide bar needs to be square to the blade, the blade guides need to be set to the blade, etc.

Step 1: Get the blade installed

First thing is to install a blade. The saw had a 1/4" blade in good condition so I looped this over the wheels and cranked up the tension on the tension adjustment wheel.

This thing turns smooth…..! Originally the wheel was much harder to turn. The greasing during assembly really did it's job.

Minor gripe This wheel takes a lot of turns to tension the blade, it would be nice if it had a spinner handle!

I get the blade up to tension, but the tension spring is fully compressed. Given that this saw should be able to handle a much wider blade I can only assume the spring is shot. Not surprising given that the saw is over 50 years old and chances are it never was de-tensioned after use. None of the aftermarket springs I can find are correct. The closest, for a Jet 14", is the correct length (3"), but appears to fit around a 3/8" tension adjust shaft. The Powermatic measures in at 1/2". eReplacement parts shows the correct dimensioned spring, but lists it as a 'spring clip'. The price also indicates that what I see is not what I'll get. $8 will buy a $0.50 hardware store item from them, but not a spring.
I'm going to try anyway, at least the picture associated with the part number and price all agree.

Back to the blade install: With the blade under tension I can spin the wheel and adjust the top wheel tilt tracking to keep the blade centered. The tracking is exceptionally touchy, I'll probably have to crown the tire if I continue to use a narrow blade.

Blade is installed and running without drift, I can proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Square the table

This assures that the miter slot is running parallel to the blade. I feel a good way to get this reliably set is to use a straight edge and assume that if the blade is running on the wheels without drift, it is where it will be when cutting wood.

Here you can see I have a straight edge aligned with the back of the blade on both sides of the wheel. This cast iron frame allows for nice access like this!. I can now use a square and align the miter slot by twisting the table. Once the square says everything is perfect, I can tighten up the trunion bolts on the bottom of the table.

Step 3: Zero the table tilt

99% of my bandsaw use is with the table flat. This saw (and I assume most others) have a stop for setting the table at 0 degrees. I placed a square on the table (aligned with the blade) and tilted the table until all was good. At this point I locked down the tilt levers and set the table stop bolt.

I should now have a table set for a nice square edge and a miter slot that should have the same squareness on a cross cut.

Next up is the guide bar.

Step 4: Square the guide bar

The guide bar should run exactly parallel to the blade as it is raised and lowered. If it is not parallel, I'll have to readjust the upper blade guide bearings every time I raise/lower the bar. Not fun!
On this saw the bar slides in a cast iron 'box' that is bolted to the saw frame though some slightly oversized holes.
Alignment (to the table which is now square to the blade) is by setting the bar position and tightening the bolts.
The problem is the bar moves slightly as the bolts are tightened. Eventually I compensated enough to get everything to fall into alignment with the bolts secure.

Step 5: Crown the tire
I was hoping to avoid this since everything I read about crowning rubber tires involved some tedious setups and sand paper. Referring to the tire manufactures web site, I found that they recommended crowning for narrow blades and only doing it on the top wheel (only one wheel, half the work I had anticipated 8^).

They also said to use tape! This makes total sense, a layer of tape around the center of the wheel will raise a crown.

Instructions were to run a ring of duct tape 1/4" wide around the wheel

Easy enough! A full width wrap of tape and then I used a razor blade to trim it to 1/4" wide.

Next, another layer twice as wide (same method)

I re-stretched the tire over the wheel without disturbing the tape (again, fairly easy) and behold! A slight crown in the upper tire that takes the 'touchiness' out of the tracking adjust (nice!).

Step 6: The Guides

Part of any blade install. I had the guides removed while I aligned everything and it turns out that the lower guides really should be installed with the table removed. I had the trunions secure so I could just tilt the table out of the way, but it ended up being easy enough to get the lower guide mount installed without disturbing anything. The lower guides are much like the steel blocks on other saws except these are angled. I kind of like this since it keeps things further out of the way and kind of acts like a scraper. One side of each guide was worn so I just flipped them over. Replacements from eReplacementParts are $80 each (ouch!) so I'll baby these. At least they should be easy to regrind when needed.

The Good
This whole process was much easier and faster than these kind of things usually go! All the bearing presses and pulley/wheel removal/install went easy without the typical binding or something breaking. Everything other than tires, springs, and bearings was in good shape, no bad surprises. The entire process went quick, just three weekends and I still had time to attend to other issues during the days.

The Bad
I'm sure I'll find more things as I use this saw, but what I consider 'bad' are ergonomic factors. Mainly these are just gripes. The tension knob takes a lot of turns and there is no way to speed up this process. The guides are a pain to adjust, everything involved uses a different sized hex wrench and/or box wrench. The start/stop switch is in a ridiculous location. I could move it to the column, but I'm not in a hurry 8^).

The Ugly
How this saw looked before I began!

Future Items

Figure out some dust collection, make some table inserts, keep an eye out for a 'real' motor.

Total costs for the parts was minimal:

Tires $29
Power switch $14
Paint and stripper $25
Bearings (with 6 extra guide bearings) $45

Bearing Part No.
6200RS (guide)
6203 2NSENR (upper spindle)
6204 2RSNR (lower spindle)

Before:

After:

"Mini-Me's" new (old) little brother

Thanks for following along!

UPDATE:

The original blade tension spring would collapse before proper tension could be applied to a 1/4" blade. The spring acts as a shock absorber and allows for slight eccentricities in the wheels so it really needs to stay in it's linear region.

You can see the original has taken a set compared to the new factory spring.

With the new spring installed and the blade fully tensioned, you can see the spring is not fully compressed

Replacement choices for this saw are limited. The spring needs a 1/2" inside diameter to clear the tension rod. Most other 14" saws only use 3/8" rods so their springs would not fit.

Enter eReplacementParts.com
I have mixed opinions about this place. The good thing is they have a lot of parts, right down to washers and nuts. The part searches are based upon manufacturer parts diagrams so if you know where the part you need is located on the machine, chances are good you can reference it in the parts diagram and located the replacement. The web site also provides pictures of most parts, placed upon a 1" gridded background for size information.

The bad thing is their prices can get downright scary-high.

Back to the spring. Iturra Designs makes a nice replacement spring (out of stock when I looked) for $16. eReplacementParts charges around $30 for a similar tension spring on other common 14" saws. The listing for the Powermatic spring was under $9!

They have the part listed as a "spring clip" even though the picture shows the complete tension spring. Since they charge about that much for a retaining clip, I suspect the part is mislabeled. To my luck, I ordered the part and what I received was exactly what I needed.

Hey, I am feeling really stupid. I was beginning to refub my own Powermatic and now cannot get the blade guide assembly back on. No matter which way I turn it, the surfaces just don't align. I am pulling my hair out, at this point.
Any hints?

 

[splintergroup]

Saw setup


(Note: updated with tension spring info at the end)


The saw is assembled and ready for adjusting all the parts that matter (to me!).

The Blade

Everything on the saw needs to be adjusted with respect to the blade. The table needs to be square to the blade, the guide bar needs to be square to the blade, the blade guides need to be set to the blade, etc.

Step 1: Get the blade installed

First thing is to install a blade. The saw had a 1/4" blade in good condition so I looped this over the wheels and cranked up the tension on the tension adjustment wheel.

This thing turns smooth…..! Originally the wheel was much harder to turn. The greasing during assembly really did it's job.

Minor gripe This wheel takes a lot of turns to tension the blade, it would be nice if it had a spinner handle!

I get the blade up to tension, but the tension spring is fully compressed. Given that this saw should be able to handle a much wider blade I can only assume the spring is shot. Not surprising given that the saw is over 50 years old and chances are it never was de-tensioned after use. None of the aftermarket springs I can find are correct. The closest, for a Jet 14", is the correct length (3"), but appears to fit around a 3/8" tension adjust shaft. The Powermatic measures in at 1/2". eReplacement parts shows the correct dimensioned spring, but lists it as a 'spring clip'. The price also indicates that what I see is not what I'll get. $8 will buy a $0.50 hardware store item from them, but not a spring.
I'm going to try anyway, at least the picture associated with the part number and price all agree.

Back to the blade install: With the blade under tension I can spin the wheel and adjust the top wheel tilt tracking to keep the blade centered. The tracking is exceptionally touchy, I'll probably have to crown the tire if I continue to use a narrow blade.

Blade is installed and running without drift, I can proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Square the table

This assures that the miter slot is running parallel to the blade. I feel a good way to get this reliably set is to use a straight edge and assume that if the blade is running on the wheels without drift, it is where it will be when cutting wood.

Here you can see I have a straight edge aligned with the back of the blade on both sides of the wheel. This cast iron frame allows for nice access like this!. I can now use a square and align the miter slot by twisting the table. Once the square says everything is perfect, I can tighten up the trunion bolts on the bottom of the table.

Step 3: Zero the table tilt

99% of my bandsaw use is with the table flat. This saw (and I assume most others) have a stop for setting the table at 0 degrees. I placed a square on the table (aligned with the blade) and tilted the table until all was good. At this point I locked down the tilt levers and set the table stop bolt.

I should now have a table set for a nice square edge and a miter slot that should have the same squareness on a cross cut.

Next up is the guide bar.

Step 4: Square the guide bar

The guide bar should run exactly parallel to the blade as it is raised and lowered. If it is not parallel, I'll have to readjust the upper blade guide bearings every time I raise/lower the bar. Not fun!
On this saw the bar slides in a cast iron 'box' that is bolted to the saw frame though some slightly oversized holes.
Alignment (to the table which is now square to the blade) is by setting the bar position and tightening the bolts.
The problem is the bar moves slightly as the bolts are tightened. Eventually I compensated enough to get everything to fall into alignment with the bolts secure.

Step 5: Crown the tire
I was hoping to avoid this since everything I read about crowning rubber tires involved some tedious setups and sand paper. Referring to the tire manufactures web site, I found that they recommended crowning for narrow blades and only doing it on the top wheel (only one wheel, half the work I had anticipated 8^).

They also said to use tape! This makes total sense, a layer of tape around the center of the wheel will raise a crown.

Instructions were to run a ring of duct tape 1/4" wide around the wheel

Easy enough! A full width wrap of tape and then I used a razor blade to trim it to 1/4" wide.

Next, another layer twice as wide (same method)

I re-stretched the tire over the wheel without disturbing the tape (again, fairly easy) and behold! A slight crown in the upper tire that takes the 'touchiness' out of the tracking adjust (nice!).

Step 6: The Guides

Part of any blade install. I had the guides removed while I aligned everything and it turns out that the lower guides really should be installed with the table removed. I had the trunions secure so I could just tilt the table out of the way, but it ended up being easy enough to get the lower guide mount installed without disturbing anything. The lower guides are much like the steel blocks on other saws except these are angled. I kind of like this since it keeps things further out of the way and kind of acts like a scraper. One side of each guide was worn so I just flipped them over. Replacements from eReplacementParts are $80 each (ouch!) so I'll baby these. At least they should be easy to regrind when needed.

The Good
This whole process was much easier and faster than these kind of things usually go! All the bearing presses and pulley/wheel removal/install went easy without the typical binding or something breaking. Everything other than tires, springs, and bearings was in good shape, no bad surprises. The entire process went quick, just three weekends and I still had time to attend to other issues during the days.

The Bad
I'm sure I'll find more things as I use this saw, but what I consider 'bad' are ergonomic factors. Mainly these are just gripes. The tension knob takes a lot of turns and there is no way to speed up this process. The guides are a pain to adjust, everything involved uses a different sized hex wrench and/or box wrench. The start/stop switch is in a ridiculous location. I could move it to the column, but I'm not in a hurry 8^).

The Ugly
How this saw looked before I began!

Future Items

Figure out some dust collection, make some table inserts, keep an eye out for a 'real' motor.

Total costs for the parts was minimal:

Tires $29
Power switch $14
Paint and stripper $25
Bearings (with 6 extra guide bearings) $45

Bearing Part No.
6200RS (guide)
6203 2NSENR (upper spindle)
6204 2RSNR (lower spindle)

Before:

After:

"Mini-Me's" new (old) little brother

Thanks for following along!

UPDATE:

The original blade tension spring would collapse before proper tension could be applied to a 1/4" blade. The spring acts as a shock absorber and allows for slight eccentricities in the wheels so it really needs to stay in it's linear region.

You can see the original has taken a set compared to the new factory spring.

With the new spring installed and the blade fully tensioned, you can see the spring is not fully compressed

Replacement choices for this saw are limited. The spring needs a 1/2" inside diameter to clear the tension rod. Most other 14" saws only use 3/8" rods so their springs would not fit.

Enter eReplacementParts.com
I have mixed opinions about this place. The good thing is they have a lot of parts, right down to washers and nuts. The part searches are based upon manufacturer parts diagrams so if you know where the part you need is located on the machine, chances are good you can reference it in the parts diagram and located the replacement. The web site also provides pictures of most parts, placed upon a 1" gridded background for size information.

The bad thing is their prices can get downright scary-high.

Back to the spring. Iturra Designs makes a nice replacement spring (out of stock when I looked) for $16. eReplacementParts charges around $30 for a similar tension spring on other common 14" saws. The listing for the Powermatic spring was under $9!

They have the part listed as a "spring clip" even though the picture shows the complete tension spring. Since they charge about that much for a retaining clip, I suspect the part is mislabeled. To my luck, I ordered the part and what I received was exactly what I needed.

Can you post a photo of the guide assembly?

What do you mean by "just don't align"? (too loose/tight, sits proud of the guide block so the two cross bars clamp it instead of allowing it to slide freely?)

I can't think of anything that could interfere, the frame mounted block is machined to the dimensions of the bar with a small amount of slop so the lock knob can force it to the rear for alignment.
The two cross straps mount directly to the guide block (no shims under the straps).

I know these saws have "evolved" over the years and perhaps your unit used some shims in places that have been misplaced?

 

[Halbert9001]

Saw setup


(Note: updated with tension spring info at the end)


The saw is assembled and ready for adjusting all the parts that matter (to me!).

The Blade

Everything on the saw needs to be adjusted with respect to the blade. The table needs to be square to the blade, the guide bar needs to be square to the blade, the blade guides need to be set to the blade, etc.

Step 1: Get the blade installed

First thing is to install a blade. The saw had a 1/4" blade in good condition so I looped this over the wheels and cranked up the tension on the tension adjustment wheel.

This thing turns smooth…..! Originally the wheel was much harder to turn. The greasing during assembly really did it's job.

Minor gripe This wheel takes a lot of turns to tension the blade, it would be nice if it had a spinner handle!

I get the blade up to tension, but the tension spring is fully compressed. Given that this saw should be able to handle a much wider blade I can only assume the spring is shot. Not surprising given that the saw is over 50 years old and chances are it never was de-tensioned after use. None of the aftermarket springs I can find are correct. The closest, for a Jet 14", is the correct length (3"), but appears to fit around a 3/8" tension adjust shaft. The Powermatic measures in at 1/2". eReplacement parts shows the correct dimensioned spring, but lists it as a 'spring clip'. The price also indicates that what I see is not what I'll get. $8 will buy a $0.50 hardware store item from them, but not a spring.
I'm going to try anyway, at least the picture associated with the part number and price all agree.

Back to the blade install: With the blade under tension I can spin the wheel and adjust the top wheel tilt tracking to keep the blade centered. The tracking is exceptionally touchy, I'll probably have to crown the tire if I continue to use a narrow blade.

Blade is installed and running without drift, I can proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Square the table

This assures that the miter slot is running parallel to the blade. I feel a good way to get this reliably set is to use a straight edge and assume that if the blade is running on the wheels without drift, it is where it will be when cutting wood.

Here you can see I have a straight edge aligned with the back of the blade on both sides of the wheel. This cast iron frame allows for nice access like this!. I can now use a square and align the miter slot by twisting the table. Once the square says everything is perfect, I can tighten up the trunion bolts on the bottom of the table.

Step 3: Zero the table tilt

99% of my bandsaw use is with the table flat. This saw (and I assume most others) have a stop for setting the table at 0 degrees. I placed a square on the table (aligned with the blade) and tilted the table until all was good. At this point I locked down the tilt levers and set the table stop bolt.

I should now have a table set for a nice square edge and a miter slot that should have the same squareness on a cross cut.

Next up is the guide bar.

Step 4: Square the guide bar

The guide bar should run exactly parallel to the blade as it is raised and lowered. If it is not parallel, I'll have to readjust the upper blade guide bearings every time I raise/lower the bar. Not fun!
On this saw the bar slides in a cast iron 'box' that is bolted to the saw frame though some slightly oversized holes.
Alignment (to the table which is now square to the blade) is by setting the bar position and tightening the bolts.
The problem is the bar moves slightly as the bolts are tightened. Eventually I compensated enough to get everything to fall into alignment with the bolts secure.

Step 5: Crown the tire
I was hoping to avoid this since everything I read about crowning rubber tires involved some tedious setups and sand paper. Referring to the tire manufactures web site, I found that they recommended crowning for narrow blades and only doing it on the top wheel (only one wheel, half the work I had anticipated 8^).

They also said to use tape! This makes total sense, a layer of tape around the center of the wheel will raise a crown.

Instructions were to run a ring of duct tape 1/4" wide around the wheel

Easy enough! A full width wrap of tape and then I used a razor blade to trim it to 1/4" wide.

Next, another layer twice as wide (same method)

I re-stretched the tire over the wheel without disturbing the tape (again, fairly easy) and behold! A slight crown in the upper tire that takes the 'touchiness' out of the tracking adjust (nice!).

Step 6: The Guides

Part of any blade install. I had the guides removed while I aligned everything and it turns out that the lower guides really should be installed with the table removed. I had the trunions secure so I could just tilt the table out of the way, but it ended up being easy enough to get the lower guide mount installed without disturbing anything. The lower guides are much like the steel blocks on other saws except these are angled. I kind of like this since it keeps things further out of the way and kind of acts like a scraper. One side of each guide was worn so I just flipped them over. Replacements from eReplacementParts are $80 each (ouch!) so I'll baby these. At least they should be easy to regrind when needed.

The Good
This whole process was much easier and faster than these kind of things usually go! All the bearing presses and pulley/wheel removal/install went easy without the typical binding or something breaking. Everything other than tires, springs, and bearings was in good shape, no bad surprises. The entire process went quick, just three weekends and I still had time to attend to other issues during the days.

The Bad
I'm sure I'll find more things as I use this saw, but what I consider 'bad' are ergonomic factors. Mainly these are just gripes. The tension knob takes a lot of turns and there is no way to speed up this process. The guides are a pain to adjust, everything involved uses a different sized hex wrench and/or box wrench. The start/stop switch is in a ridiculous location. I could move it to the column, but I'm not in a hurry 8^).

The Ugly
How this saw looked before I began!

Future Items

Figure out some dust collection, make some table inserts, keep an eye out for a 'real' motor.

Total costs for the parts was minimal:

Tires $29
Power switch $14
Paint and stripper $25
Bearings (with 6 extra guide bearings) $45

Bearing Part No.
6200RS (guide)
6203 2NSENR (upper spindle)
6204 2RSNR (lower spindle)

Before:

After:

"Mini-Me's" new (old) little brother

Thanks for following along!

UPDATE:

The original blade tension spring would collapse before proper tension could be applied to a 1/4" blade. The spring acts as a shock absorber and allows for slight eccentricities in the wheels so it really needs to stay in it's linear region.

You can see the original has taken a set compared to the new factory spring.

With the new spring installed and the blade fully tensioned, you can see the spring is not fully compressed

Replacement choices for this saw are limited. The spring needs a 1/2" inside diameter to clear the tension rod. Most other 14" saws only use 3/8" rods so their springs would not fit.

Enter eReplacementParts.com
I have mixed opinions about this place. The good thing is they have a lot of parts, right down to washers and nuts. The part searches are based upon manufacturer parts diagrams so if you know where the part you need is located on the machine, chances are good you can reference it in the parts diagram and located the replacement. The web site also provides pictures of most parts, placed upon a 1" gridded background for size information.

The bad thing is their prices can get downright scary-high.

Back to the spring. Iturra Designs makes a nice replacement spring (out of stock when I looked) for $16. eReplacementParts charges around $30 for a similar tension spring on other common 14" saws. The listing for the Powermatic spring was under $9!

They have the part listed as a "spring clip" even though the picture shows the complete tension spring. Since they charge about that much for a retaining clip, I suspect the part is mislabeled. To my luck, I ordered the part and what I received was exactly what I needed.

Hi, again. I got through the last hurdle I asked about (replacing guides), and put on some urethane tires, but I cannot for the life of me get the blade to track. It will look fine, then all of a sudden walk off the edge. You mentioned it being touchy, but this is absurd. I have one successful cut so far.

My question is this: did putting a crown on the tire help?

This may be the last straw for me and this machine, frankly. I love the idea of fixing up old tools, but there is a limit.

 

[splintergroup]

Saw setup


(Note: updated with tension spring info at the end)


The saw is assembled and ready for adjusting all the parts that matter (to me!).

The Blade

Everything on the saw needs to be adjusted with respect to the blade. The table needs to be square to the blade, the guide bar needs to be square to the blade, the blade guides need to be set to the blade, etc.

Step 1: Get the blade installed

First thing is to install a blade. The saw had a 1/4" blade in good condition so I looped this over the wheels and cranked up the tension on the tension adjustment wheel.

This thing turns smooth…..! Originally the wheel was much harder to turn. The greasing during assembly really did it's job.

Minor gripe This wheel takes a lot of turns to tension the blade, it would be nice if it had a spinner handle!

I get the blade up to tension, but the tension spring is fully compressed. Given that this saw should be able to handle a much wider blade I can only assume the spring is shot. Not surprising given that the saw is over 50 years old and chances are it never was de-tensioned after use. None of the aftermarket springs I can find are correct. The closest, for a Jet 14", is the correct length (3"), but appears to fit around a 3/8" tension adjust shaft. The Powermatic measures in at 1/2". eReplacement parts shows the correct dimensioned spring, but lists it as a 'spring clip'. The price also indicates that what I see is not what I'll get. $8 will buy a $0.50 hardware store item from them, but not a spring.
I'm going to try anyway, at least the picture associated with the part number and price all agree.

Back to the blade install: With the blade under tension I can spin the wheel and adjust the top wheel tilt tracking to keep the blade centered. The tracking is exceptionally touchy, I'll probably have to crown the tire if I continue to use a narrow blade.

Blade is installed and running without drift, I can proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Square the table

This assures that the miter slot is running parallel to the blade. I feel a good way to get this reliably set is to use a straight edge and assume that if the blade is running on the wheels without drift, it is where it will be when cutting wood.

Here you can see I have a straight edge aligned with the back of the blade on both sides of the wheel. This cast iron frame allows for nice access like this!. I can now use a square and align the miter slot by twisting the table. Once the square says everything is perfect, I can tighten up the trunion bolts on the bottom of the table.

Step 3: Zero the table tilt

99% of my bandsaw use is with the table flat. This saw (and I assume most others) have a stop for setting the table at 0 degrees. I placed a square on the table (aligned with the blade) and tilted the table until all was good. At this point I locked down the tilt levers and set the table stop bolt.

I should now have a table set for a nice square edge and a miter slot that should have the same squareness on a cross cut.

Next up is the guide bar.

Step 4: Square the guide bar

The guide bar should run exactly parallel to the blade as it is raised and lowered. If it is not parallel, I'll have to readjust the upper blade guide bearings every time I raise/lower the bar. Not fun!
On this saw the bar slides in a cast iron 'box' that is bolted to the saw frame though some slightly oversized holes.
Alignment (to the table which is now square to the blade) is by setting the bar position and tightening the bolts.
The problem is the bar moves slightly as the bolts are tightened. Eventually I compensated enough to get everything to fall into alignment with the bolts secure.

Step 5: Crown the tire
I was hoping to avoid this since everything I read about crowning rubber tires involved some tedious setups and sand paper. Referring to the tire manufactures web site, I found that they recommended crowning for narrow blades and only doing it on the top wheel (only one wheel, half the work I had anticipated 8^).

They also said to use tape! This makes total sense, a layer of tape around the center of the wheel will raise a crown.

Instructions were to run a ring of duct tape 1/4" wide around the wheel

Easy enough! A full width wrap of tape and then I used a razor blade to trim it to 1/4" wide.

Next, another layer twice as wide (same method)

I re-stretched the tire over the wheel without disturbing the tape (again, fairly easy) and behold! A slight crown in the upper tire that takes the 'touchiness' out of the tracking adjust (nice!).

Step 6: The Guides

Part of any blade install. I had the guides removed while I aligned everything and it turns out that the lower guides really should be installed with the table removed. I had the trunions secure so I could just tilt the table out of the way, but it ended up being easy enough to get the lower guide mount installed without disturbing anything. The lower guides are much like the steel blocks on other saws except these are angled. I kind of like this since it keeps things further out of the way and kind of acts like a scraper. One side of each guide was worn so I just flipped them over. Replacements from eReplacementParts are $80 each (ouch!) so I'll baby these. At least they should be easy to regrind when needed.

The Good
This whole process was much easier and faster than these kind of things usually go! All the bearing presses and pulley/wheel removal/install went easy without the typical binding or something breaking. Everything other than tires, springs, and bearings was in good shape, no bad surprises. The entire process went quick, just three weekends and I still had time to attend to other issues during the days.

The Bad
I'm sure I'll find more things as I use this saw, but what I consider 'bad' are ergonomic factors. Mainly these are just gripes. The tension knob takes a lot of turns and there is no way to speed up this process. The guides are a pain to adjust, everything involved uses a different sized hex wrench and/or box wrench. The start/stop switch is in a ridiculous location. I could move it to the column, but I'm not in a hurry 8^).

The Ugly
How this saw looked before I began!

Future Items

Figure out some dust collection, make some table inserts, keep an eye out for a 'real' motor.

Total costs for the parts was minimal:

Tires $29
Power switch $14
Paint and stripper $25
Bearings (with 6 extra guide bearings) $45

Bearing Part No.
6200RS (guide)
6203 2NSENR (upper spindle)
6204 2RSNR (lower spindle)

Before:

After:

"Mini-Me's" new (old) little brother

Thanks for following along!

UPDATE:

The original blade tension spring would collapse before proper tension could be applied to a 1/4" blade. The spring acts as a shock absorber and allows for slight eccentricities in the wheels so it really needs to stay in it's linear region.

You can see the original has taken a set compared to the new factory spring.

With the new spring installed and the blade fully tensioned, you can see the spring is not fully compressed

Replacement choices for this saw are limited. The spring needs a 1/2" inside diameter to clear the tension rod. Most other 14" saws only use 3/8" rods so their springs would not fit.

Enter eReplacementParts.com
I have mixed opinions about this place. The good thing is they have a lot of parts, right down to washers and nuts. The part searches are based upon manufacturer parts diagrams so if you know where the part you need is located on the machine, chances are good you can reference it in the parts diagram and located the replacement. The web site also provides pictures of most parts, placed upon a 1" gridded background for size information.

The bad thing is their prices can get downright scary-high.

Back to the spring. Iturra Designs makes a nice replacement spring (out of stock when I looked) for $16. eReplacementParts charges around $30 for a similar tension spring on other common 14" saws. The listing for the Powermatic spring was under $9!

They have the part listed as a "spring clip" even though the picture shows the complete tension spring. Since they charge about that much for a retaining clip, I suspect the part is mislabeled. To my luck, I ordered the part and what I received was exactly what I needed.

Yes, you need a crown for the top wheel. The "tape trick" I used from the sulpher web site worked well. Some tires come with the crown moulded in (usually stock rubber replacements), but I've not seen any urethane tires with that.

 

[Halbert9001]

Saw setup


(Note: updated with tension spring info at the end)


The saw is assembled and ready for adjusting all the parts that matter (to me!).

The Blade

Everything on the saw needs to be adjusted with respect to the blade. The table needs to be square to the blade, the guide bar needs to be square to the blade, the blade guides need to be set to the blade, etc.

Step 1: Get the blade installed

First thing is to install a blade. The saw had a 1/4" blade in good condition so I looped this over the wheels and cranked up the tension on the tension adjustment wheel.

This thing turns smooth…..! Originally the wheel was much harder to turn. The greasing during assembly really did it's job.

Minor gripe This wheel takes a lot of turns to tension the blade, it would be nice if it had a spinner handle!

I get the blade up to tension, but the tension spring is fully compressed. Given that this saw should be able to handle a much wider blade I can only assume the spring is shot. Not surprising given that the saw is over 50 years old and chances are it never was de-tensioned after use. None of the aftermarket springs I can find are correct. The closest, for a Jet 14", is the correct length (3"), but appears to fit around a 3/8" tension adjust shaft. The Powermatic measures in at 1/2". eReplacement parts shows the correct dimensioned spring, but lists it as a 'spring clip'. The price also indicates that what I see is not what I'll get. $8 will buy a $0.50 hardware store item from them, but not a spring.
I'm going to try anyway, at least the picture associated with the part number and price all agree.

Back to the blade install: With the blade under tension I can spin the wheel and adjust the top wheel tilt tracking to keep the blade centered. The tracking is exceptionally touchy, I'll probably have to crown the tire if I continue to use a narrow blade.

Blade is installed and running without drift, I can proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Square the table

This assures that the miter slot is running parallel to the blade. I feel a good way to get this reliably set is to use a straight edge and assume that if the blade is running on the wheels without drift, it is where it will be when cutting wood.

Here you can see I have a straight edge aligned with the back of the blade on both sides of the wheel. This cast iron frame allows for nice access like this!. I can now use a square and align the miter slot by twisting the table. Once the square says everything is perfect, I can tighten up the trunion bolts on the bottom of the table.

Step 3: Zero the table tilt

99% of my bandsaw use is with the table flat. This saw (and I assume most others) have a stop for setting the table at 0 degrees. I placed a square on the table (aligned with the blade) and tilted the table until all was good. At this point I locked down the tilt levers and set the table stop bolt.

I should now have a table set for a nice square edge and a miter slot that should have the same squareness on a cross cut.

Next up is the guide bar.

Step 4: Square the guide bar

The guide bar should run exactly parallel to the blade as it is raised and lowered. If it is not parallel, I'll have to readjust the upper blade guide bearings every time I raise/lower the bar. Not fun!
On this saw the bar slides in a cast iron 'box' that is bolted to the saw frame though some slightly oversized holes.
Alignment (to the table which is now square to the blade) is by setting the bar position and tightening the bolts.
The problem is the bar moves slightly as the bolts are tightened. Eventually I compensated enough to get everything to fall into alignment with the bolts secure.

Step 5: Crown the tire
I was hoping to avoid this since everything I read about crowning rubber tires involved some tedious setups and sand paper. Referring to the tire manufactures web site, I found that they recommended crowning for narrow blades and only doing it on the top wheel (only one wheel, half the work I had anticipated 8^).

They also said to use tape! This makes total sense, a layer of tape around the center of the wheel will raise a crown.

Instructions were to run a ring of duct tape 1/4" wide around the wheel

Easy enough! A full width wrap of tape and then I used a razor blade to trim it to 1/4" wide.

Next, another layer twice as wide (same method)

I re-stretched the tire over the wheel without disturbing the tape (again, fairly easy) and behold! A slight crown in the upper tire that takes the 'touchiness' out of the tracking adjust (nice!).

Step 6: The Guides

Part of any blade install. I had the guides removed while I aligned everything and it turns out that the lower guides really should be installed with the table removed. I had the trunions secure so I could just tilt the table out of the way, but it ended up being easy enough to get the lower guide mount installed without disturbing anything. The lower guides are much like the steel blocks on other saws except these are angled. I kind of like this since it keeps things further out of the way and kind of acts like a scraper. One side of each guide was worn so I just flipped them over. Replacements from eReplacementParts are $80 each (ouch!) so I'll baby these. At least they should be easy to regrind when needed.

The Good
This whole process was much easier and faster than these kind of things usually go! All the bearing presses and pulley/wheel removal/install went easy without the typical binding or something breaking. Everything other than tires, springs, and bearings was in good shape, no bad surprises. The entire process went quick, just three weekends and I still had time to attend to other issues during the days.

The Bad
I'm sure I'll find more things as I use this saw, but what I consider 'bad' are ergonomic factors. Mainly these are just gripes. The tension knob takes a lot of turns and there is no way to speed up this process. The guides are a pain to adjust, everything involved uses a different sized hex wrench and/or box wrench. The start/stop switch is in a ridiculous location. I could move it to the column, but I'm not in a hurry 8^).

The Ugly
How this saw looked before I began!

Future Items

Figure out some dust collection, make some table inserts, keep an eye out for a 'real' motor.

Total costs for the parts was minimal:

Tires $29
Power switch $14
Paint and stripper $25
Bearings (with 6 extra guide bearings) $45

Bearing Part No.
6200RS (guide)
6203 2NSENR (upper spindle)
6204 2RSNR (lower spindle)

Before:

After:

"Mini-Me's" new (old) little brother

Thanks for following along!

UPDATE:

The original blade tension spring would collapse before proper tension could be applied to a 1/4" blade. The spring acts as a shock absorber and allows for slight eccentricities in the wheels so it really needs to stay in it's linear region.

You can see the original has taken a set compared to the new factory spring.

With the new spring installed and the blade fully tensioned, you can see the spring is not fully compressed

Replacement choices for this saw are limited. The spring needs a 1/2" inside diameter to clear the tension rod. Most other 14" saws only use 3/8" rods so their springs would not fit.

Enter eReplacementParts.com
I have mixed opinions about this place. The good thing is they have a lot of parts, right down to washers and nuts. The part searches are based upon manufacturer parts diagrams so if you know where the part you need is located on the machine, chances are good you can reference it in the parts diagram and located the replacement. The web site also provides pictures of most parts, placed upon a 1" gridded background for size information.

The bad thing is their prices can get downright scary-high.

Back to the spring. Iturra Designs makes a nice replacement spring (out of stock when I looked) for $16. eReplacementParts charges around $30 for a similar tension spring on other common 14" saws. The listing for the Powermatic spring was under $9!

They have the part listed as a "spring clip" even though the picture shows the complete tension spring. Since they charge about that much for a retaining clip, I suspect the part is mislabeled. To my luck, I ordered the part and what I received was exactly what I needed.

Nice, I saw that trick and thought about it. I needed one more nudge, thank you. Will let you know how it turns out.

 

[jeff.randbfan]

I am trying to source the "spring retainer" and now it shows "obsolete". any suggestions? thx

 

[splintergroup]

I am trying to source the "spring retainer" and now it shows "obsolete". any suggestions? thx

Jeff, seems the part has been bought out as you indicate. You are looking for the spring itself correct?

Best bet might be to check with Iturra Design, they don't have a web presence, but give them a call and see what they suggest.

Here is a link to a discussion that has the contact info (as of 2020)

Iturra Design

In an earlier post Bruce suggested I obtain a catalog from Iturra. It is a BS accessory catalog and much more. Iturra designs and manufactures their own parts. They also sell accessories from many other companies. What sets this catalog apart is all of the articles and reviews. There are reviews...

www.ncwoodworker.net

 

[jeff.randbfan]

Jeff, seems the part has been bought out as you indicate. You are looking for the spring itself correct?

Best bet might be to check with Iturra Design, they don't have a web presence, but give them a call and see what they suggest.

Here is a link to a discussion that has the contact info (as of 2020)

Iturra Design

In an earlier post Bruce suggested I obtain a catalog from Iturra. It is a BS accessory catalog and much more. Iturra designs and manufactures their own parts. They also sell accessories from many other companies. What sets this catalog apart is all of the articles and reviews. There are reviews...

www.ncwoodworker.net

Is this the part number you received?

This looks like good option.

 

[splintergroup]

Is this the part number you received?




View attachment 3858906


View attachment 3858911

This looks like good option.
View attachment 3858919

My receipt from June of 2016 shows that part number (6813029) and was listed as a "spring clip".

Price was $8.03 " $5.25 shipping.

I believe I considered the Cobra but the price back then turned me off (It's just a spring!)

The key thing I found is that most all of the aftermarket springs for 14" saws had 3/8" ID's where the old 141's needed the 1/2"

 

[rhodessam]

SG Thanks for taking the time to put this info out there. I am looking at an 80's model 141 at a local school auction coming up on the 23rd. It is not as bad looking as yours was. But it is 3 phase. I bought a 70's model Clausing 15" drill press years ago and converted it to single phase. I was curious to know what you think a fair price is for a PW 141 is. Condition is a variable as always and it is never known till you plug it in and try to use it.

 

[splintergroup]

I'm in a "dark zone" as to pricing, varies so much over the country and also day by day.
You've dealt with the 3-phase issues so you know what needs to be done, that might be a way to get a lower price since 3P is usually a deal killer for many.

Most any ready to run 14" BS will be in the low hundred of dollars since there are the most prolific size. Auctions can be tricky so I'd advise setting a top dollar amount and sticking to it. Consider what the cost of a phase convertor or motor swap will add to the total.
You can give it a once over by looking at the tires and spinning the wheels by hand. Usually the problem parts are the wheel bearings, guides, and the tires, the rest are generally lifetime parts.

 

[rhodessam]

I'm in a "dark zone" as to pricing, varies so much over the country and also day by day.
You've dealt with the 3-phase issues so you know what needs to be done, that might be a way to get a lower price since 3P is usually a deal killer for many.

Most any ready to run 14" BS will be in the low hundred of dollars since there are the most prolific size. Auctions can be tricky so I'd advise setting a top dollar amount and sticking to it. Consider what the cost of a phase convertor or motor swap will add to the total.
You can give it a once over by looking at the tires and spinning the wheels by hand. Usually the problem parts are the wheel bearings, guides, and the tires, the rest are generally lifetime parts.

Thanks SG. I missed some of these a few years ago and I try not to be stupid more than once. I swapped motors on the drill press but I am learning on the vfds.