Is there a tablesaw expert on here?

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I have an old crumby tablesaw. It works reasonably well but it does this on every cut I make. I hold the board tight against the fence so I don't think I'm wobbling as the blade enters the wood. I'm wondering if the bushings/shaft are worn and it takes a second for the blade to settle down. The blade has about .010" of run out and maybe another .010" of slop. Any ideas?
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Can you provide more info on the make and model of table saw.

We have many folks who work with mini table or craft size table saws, for hobby work larger standard construction size table saws don't get much use except to cut large boards down for final re-sawing with smaller saws.
 
Hi Don,
I am not an expert.
Has the saw always done this or is it a recent problem?
Is the fence supported at both ends?
Maybe a photo of the saw would be of help.

Cheers,
Stephen.
 
You guys ask hard questions. It's old, I didn't know there was a nameplate on it until I went and looked. The fence is kind of iffy. I put new bushings in it when I got it 10 years ago but I think the shaft is kinda worn. It's a belt drive and the whole arbor kind of hangs off one bolt. I'm going to do a Google search on it now that I know it's name. I have a separate DIY saw for cutting planks. It works a treat.
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Hi Don,

I would try slipping the belt off after un plugging and see if there is any movement of the arbor or bearings, also turn the blade by hand to feel if the bearings are rumbling.

Cheers,
Stephen.
 
Hi Don,

I would try slipping the belt off after un plugging and see if there is any movement of the arbor or bearings, also turn the blade by hand to feel if the bearings are rumbling.

Cheers,
Stephen.
Just finished doing that:). With the belt off there is some clunk in the arbor. Like I said I changed the bushings a few years back so I suspect the shaft is worn. I have a metal lathe so I could make a new one. The question is whether I can make one better than the old one. The blade does leave some tooth marks on the cut surface so maybe that's the problem.
 
Ok, sorry when you said bushings I though you meant the guide rails bushes, I assumed the saw would have ball bearings, this would be a good upgrade.
The bushings may be a standard size you can by from a bearing/industrial supplier.
 
On a tablesaw, tune up involves first align the sawblade to your miter slot. Use an alignment plate if you can, otherwise mark a tooth and use this tooth at the front and back of the blade slot to make the blade parallel to the miter slot. Then align your fence parallel to the miter slot. When ripping your wood, use a feather board to keep the wood tight to the fence. Use a support roller or table to support the wood on the outfeed side. And try your best to put straight, square lumber through the saw. Some woods have internal stresses and will curve when sawn. So use a riving knife or splitter behind the blade.
 
Dave Stevens is the guy to ask.

i do everything with a band saw i do not use a table saw for anything

but

if the saw cuts all along the board the way you show, it is a blade problem. the teeth on the blade are wacked out of alignment. Some woodworkers bend a few teeth to get that rustic saw cut look.

if it happens only when you start a cut it is the saw. But to make sure try cutting again with something thicker like a 3 x 3 to make sure there is no wiggle in holding the board against the fence and on the table.
things i would try

1 take a board the wider than the height of the cut and set the fence so you are just taking a surface cut . Feed the board in very slow and keep an eye on the blade see if it moves or you feel it is starting to bind.

theory here is like riding a motorcycle as long as the wheels are turning the bike will stand up right. As long as the blade is spinning it will stay true once you apply a force the blade moves.
so is the blade tight on the arbor?
is the arbor running ture?

i would rule out the power source because that would cause the cut to continue all along the board and not just at the start.

then the idea that tools do wear out and parts get loose. but that would cause the cut to continue along the board and not just at the start.

a tune up
with a band saw all tuned up and adjusted you can resaw a 6 x6 x 4 foot beam to within .020 thousandths the entire length and width.
the table saw may need a tuneup.

use a square on the table and against the blade, give the blade a slow spin and see if it is running square to the table.

is the fence parallel to the blade?

operator error if the width of the board is wider than the height of the fence when you first feed the board into the saw the board pivots at the top of the fence ever so slightly and kicks out at the table level. It is so slight you don't even feel it move.

and that was a bunch of randon thoughts
 
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The First thing that came to my mind was getting a new blade, but other than that, sorry, I do not know. My thought was that perhaps one or two teeth might be damaged.
 
Good Day Don....You can check to see if the table top is square with the blade..there bolts in each corner to centre the top.
 
Thanks for all the advice. I will double check everything. You've got me seriously thinking about a new bandsaw though. Anytime I've thought of a band saw before it was for bow making. That involved ripping up to 8" logs so a big expensive saw was needed. An 8" might not be so bad.
 
There should be no slop in the arbor. Start with repairing that first. Next, check to make sure that the blade itself is not bent or warped. Also remember that a dull blade will make things worse. Then check to see if the blade is parallel to the slot in the table. Then check to make sure that the fence is parallel to the slot in the table. It's an old table saw, but that is not a bad thing. These older power tools are sometimes built much better than the newer ones. Check online for tuning up a table saw. Good luck.
 
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