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Delta 36-725/5000 Rip Fence Handle Replacement

6K views 5 replies 6 participants last post by  hcbph_1 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Went to lock down my rip fence on my Delta 36-5000 and the handle snapped off, the bolt broke off with the threaded tip still embedded in the cam that locks the fence in position. Went online to see how much it would cost to buy a new one, checked the Delta website and almost every other single part supplier- not one of them offered the broken part. Delta and a few others offered the plastic handle part, but that part wasn't broken, it was the bolt going through the handle that broke. Here's a picture of that:
Bumper Automotive tire Rim Gas Nickel


I took the handle assembly apart to discover that the plastic handle is just that, a plastic handle, a metal rod going through the length of the handle, held in place with a hex key screw cap, and a thick end piece with two flat side enabling you to lock it with a wrench. The threaded stub that broke off seems very likely to break off like it did due to the design of having such a long shaft reduced down to such a small threaded area (8mm x 1.25). Picture of the guts here:
Material property Font Gas Automotive exhaust Tints and shades


I had to remove the threaded tip out of the locking cam, went to drill it out and it started rotating further into the cam. I thought this would be a problem, didn't realize the hole for the threads goes all the way through to the hole for the bolt that holds it in place, so kept moving it with the drill bit, it threaded itself all the way through and just need a nudge to eject it out. Bagged up all the pieces and went to my local Ace Hardware store, rummaged around for a bit, a clerk helped me locate the correct size both in diameter, thread pitch, and length (8mm x 1.25×4"). I bought two washers, a smaller one for the top under the hex head, and a larger one for the end of the plastic handle so I wouldn't crush the plastic when I tightened the whole thing up. Two pictures here, the pieces separate and the handle assembled:
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I then reattached the handle to the fence, two more pictures, first one unlocked, second one in locked position:
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Automotive tire Bicycle part Carbon Bumper Rim


I hope this helps anyone else who has this happen to them, seems pretty straight forward. Thanks for looking.
 

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#2 ·
Nice work! Sometimes it's great to just figure it out and fix yourself. By the time you found that bolt online, it would probably cost $28 dollars, take 3 weeks to ship, and still not fit right.

Pretty much posting this so when I eventually break mine I can find this thread again.
 
#4 ·
Went online to see how much it would cost to buy a new one, checked the Delta website and almost every other single part supplier- not one of them offered the broken part. Delta and a few others offered the plastic handle part, but that part wasn't broken, it was the bolt going through the handle that broke.
- bobfromsanluis
I'm constantly amazed at how a huge portion of the 'discontinued' parts out there are really just off the shelf hardware store items. And I am equally amazed at how the manufacturers don't seize on that fact in order to make some fast cash. Everyone knows that you can double or triple the price of a part just by slapping the manufacturers name/logo on the packaging. Throw a 5 cent bolt into a plastic bag with a logo on it and bam - it becomes a 35 cent item that you can then charge a bunch more for on shipping!!!

It used to be that companies would indicate the off the shelf items in their parts listings. Delta even labeled their parts with the "SP-" prefix to indicate a standard part. Fast forward to today and you are lucky if you even get a parts list.

Cheers,
Brad
 
#6 ·
Had a similar situation with a Delta 83-183 tenoning jig. Handle got bumped and the one handle got damaged. The thread was metric and I was able to find a bolt the right size. I turned a new handle and fitted it, it's worked out just fine for me. Of course the part was not available through Delta.
 
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