Table Saw Alignment

There are darn few good things that can be said about the economy these days.  One little ray of sunshine is the current availability of used woodworking tools and machinery on the market.  If you are considering buying a table saw, then think about helping out a contractor and getting a bargain in the process.  Be advised, job site table saws don’t get a whole lot of TLC!  Over the next several weeks (perhaps months) I will be rebuilding one such gem to show you what is possible and how it can be done.

The saw in question is a Delta contractor’s style saw (model 34-444) with a Jet X-Acta fence (Biesemeyer clone).  I spent about an hour talking to the contractor who owned this saw.  It has definitely seen better days!  But, in it’s time it has been used to make cabinets, furniture, decks, fences, framing, trim work, flooring, etc.  He kept an album of photos showing all the things that this saw has made.  It was truly inspiring.

Traveling in the back of a trailer hasn’t done this saw any good.  And, it has definitely seen it’s share of rain and snow.

I looked at several different saws before deciding that this was the best candidate for a rebuild.  I wanted to make sure it was in good enough shape to be worth while, but bad enough shape to demonstrate a lot of different procedures.  Believe me, this really is a diamond in the rough - real rough to be sure - but a diamond never the less.

Clearly, duct tape was unavailable at the time so the contractor improvised with this red tape.  Hopefully I can repair the starting capacitor cover so that it can be secured with a screw again.

I’m not sure if this is varnish or epoxy.  It won’t last long when I re-surface the table top.  The next time you feel like recycling boards from pallets or concrete forms, think about this table top!

Here’s what happens when you use your table saw as a saw horse!  I’ll have to consult with some of my welding friends to see if this can be filled.  One thing is for sure, it’s way to deep to machine out.

What to look out for

If you decide to go looking for a saw to rebuild, there are a couple of things you will want to keep in mind when searching for your ideal candidate:

• If you don’t have easy access to a machine shop, then consider the cost of machining the table top.  I’m expecting that the job will take me about 4 hours total.  At the average shop rate of $60 per hour, that would add about $240 to the cost of your saw.  It will cost even more if you decide to surface grind the table.  You might want to avoid a saw that needs to have any machine work done.  It is possible to flatten a table top by hand but it’s just not a task for the novice.
• Do some research on the various brands to see if parts are available.  You might discover a cracked casting or missing parts during disassembly.  Or, you might even damage a part accidentally.  So, unless you have a boat that needs a new anchor, it would be wise to choose a make and model that has a good supply of spare parts.

Stay tuned!  Each entry in this category will feature a step in the rebuild process.  In the end I hope to have a saw which performs better than when it was brand new.  Hopefully it will inspire others to restore a table saw to greatness.

Ed Bennett
ejb@tablesawalignment.com