Help with table saw

[nate379]

I have an older (early 90s) contractor table saw. Pretty much like what you find at Lowe's for $150 or so.

Works fine other than the blade drifts. I was slicing 2x4s today to make 1.25" squares, and it was really fighting me. Start out the cut good and it would move enough to bind the blade enough to almost stall the saw. Pull the wood back, run it through and it would have a new (straighter) path.

The blade I have on there is just a Dewalt contractor blade. It's fairly thin and flexible. Did I pick the wrong blade??

Fence is square, blade is square to fence and the bearings in the drive are ok. It was moving same blade each time oddly enough... 1.25" at the start and it would angle so teh piece was wider, like 1.5" in 4-5 feet.

 

[1NRO]

Using a piece of wood about 3 ft long, feed into the saw about half way against the fence allowing (no forcing against fence) it to take it's path. Stop the saw mid cut with wood insitu and then adjust the fence (if it's possible) to be the same angle as the wood is sitting. Tighten up and see if the wood runs straight through the saw now.

Nik

 

[nate379]

I probably should have mentioned I tried that and it didn't work.

I got what I needed by flipping the wood around and cutting it the other way, just took more time (cut 20 "spindles")

 

[cdent]

I'd bet the fence is flexing with your feed pressure, be real careful it's going to kick back on you. If you're happy with how the fence is set, try a clamp on the edge of the outfeed side of the table. Just touch it to the side of the fence away from the blade so it can't flex away from the blade while you're pushing.

If the alignment is off somewhere, it'll burn the wood, but won't cut a taper. Good luck with it.

 

[cdent]

..........

 

[nate379]

It would probably kick back if I didn't hold the wood. I don't normally stand behind the work if possible, so worse case it would fly threw the woods

The fence isn't moving for sure, it's actually fairly beefy on this saw.

I might just pick up another blade and see what that does. I had another one for it, but I think I tossed if after I cut a bunch of aluminum with it.

 

[jkeyser14]

I just bought a series of different low cost blades to test for my contractor saw. The best I found was a Freud LU87 series blade I got off of amazon for $40. It's a 24 tooth thin kerf blade but it does a pretty decent job cross cutting as well.

If it is the blade, your blade must be pretty dull if it's side loading enough to bind it.

 

[Underdog]

Blade warp is my guess. Cheap blades heat up fast then warp and bind up the saw. Change the blade to another brand and see if that helps.

 

[nate379]

Blade is fairly new, bought it about 2 months ago and have maybe 2 hrs of use on it. Dewalt something or another.

jkeyser14 your idea of a cheap blade and my idea are not close to the same. Cheap blade $10. Expensive blade, $40!

I'd cry if I hit a nail with a $40 blade!