Craftsman table saw fix advice

[jives]

Hi all:
I've got a CM table saw from the mid 90's, model 113.***. The tilt arbor screw does not work because the outside bearing retainer is worn. In the first pic below is a tilt screw like mine that shows the inside bearing retainer plate. The outside retainer is the saw cabinet itself (pic 2). Again, not mine, but just like it. The outside retainer, which is really nothing more than a flanged hole, has widened or worn out. The giant 'ball' on the tilt screw no longer is held in place by the hole. Aside from getting a used cabinet, which may have the same problem, have you any advice on squeezing down the hole or somehow making it smaller? Other thoughts?

 

[The Cobbler]

no pictures

 

[454ragtop]

Pretty simple fix if you have metal fab and welding skills/tools. If not, can you get another of those inner retainer plates and use it against the inside of the cabinet? Of course, you might be better off looking on CL or whatever for a working saw, that one looks to be pretty low end. If you were closer I could hook you up with a better saw pretty reasonable.

 

[KenC]

Maybe order another inside retainer plate and sandwich the ball between the two, inside/outside.

Ha, ragtop and me typed at the same time.

 

[jives]

Maybe order another inside retainer plate and sandwich the ball between the two, inside/outside.

Ha, ragtop and me typed at the same time.

This was my first thought as well, but the inside bearing retainer shown in the pic is different than mine. It looks as if my saw has a different style and I cannot find a match anywhere. The retainer shown in the pic seems easy to come by and I just may fab up something using one of those.

At some point I'll be upgrading the saw, but to not get the current saw in solid working order would be a waste. At minimum my son would take it when he finally gets a garage!

 

[rsanter]

Don’t over think this.
You can get a piece of metal and make a similar plate to what is shown that would go on the outside where worn out. You could also use a nylon/Delran material. Hell you could even use a hardwood. There is not that much stress on that and the wear factor won’t be that much to hold you till you get another saw.
If the ball can be removed you can even replace it with a cheap flange bearing

 

[risc]

Those saws pop up for $50 on CL all the time, sometimes less if they are missing the fence.