HELP! Difficulty changing table saw blade
 

I have a NEW general international table saw, and I'm finding it exceeding
difficult to change the blade. The nut is way too tight, and the tools
provided for holding the blade stationary while turning the nut are
worthless. Any time I try to turn the nut, the whole mechanism and blade
turns as well and the nut remains as tight as ever.

Any tips, or special tools you would recommend?

"The Critic" wrote in message
...
I have a NEW general international table saw, and I'm finding it exceeding
difficult to change the blade. The nut is way too tight, and the tools
provided for holding the blade stationary while turning the nut are
worthless. Any time I try to turn the nut, the whole mechanism and blade
turns as well and the nut remains as tight as ever.

Any tips, or special tools you would recommend?


Will the wrench also fit the arbor on the other side of the blade? If so,
get another wrench.

Also remember, to loosen a nut, always spin it in the direction that the
blade turns when it is cutting. Typically left tilters turn counter
clockwise to loosen and right tilters turn clockwise to loosen.

"The Critic" wrote in message
...
I have a NEW general international table saw, and I'm finding it exceeding
difficult to change the blade. The nut is way too tight, and the tools
provided for holding the blade stationary while turning the nut are
worthless. Any time I try to turn the nut, the whole mechanism and blade
turns as well and the nut remains as tight as ever.

Any tips, or special tools you would recommend?


Any chance you are turning the nut the wrong way? They often have reverse
thread...

John

John Grossbohlin wrote:

Any chance you are turning the nut the wrong way? They often have reverse
thread...

John


"OFTEN"? don't you mean if it's a right hand tilt, John?

Dave

I think that, if it was me and the saw is brand new, I would be inclind to
take it back to the shop and have them demonstrate - you don't want to have
to put up with that for the saws life. That is is Leon's practical
suggestions don't easily work.

Cheers
Bill D
New Zealand

"The Critic" wrote in message
...
I have a NEW general international table saw, and I'm finding it exceeding
difficult to change the blade. The nut is way too tight, and the tools
provided for holding the blade stationary while turning the nut are
worthless. Any time I try to turn the nut, the whole mechanism and blade
turns as well and the nut remains as tight as ever.

Any tips, or special tools you would recommend?

"David" wrote in message
...
John Grossbohlin wrote:

Any chance you are turning the nut the wrong way? They often have reverse
thread...

John
"OFTEN"? don't you mean if it's a right hand tilt, John?

Dave

I figured I'd leave it up to him to decide if maybe he was turning it the
wrong way. I've found that often times the mere suggestion of an
alternative approach solves these kinds of problems...

John

"David" wrote in message
...
John Grossbohlin wrote:

Any chance you are turning the nut the wrong way? They often have
reverse
thread...

John


"OFTEN"? don't you mean if it's a right hand tilt, John?

Dave
Not necessarily so. My left tilt Craftsman has a left hand nut for the
arbor. The arbor should be designed such that normal rotation of the saw
tends to tighten the nut.
Jim

I had the same trouble with a new saw since I had oiled the arbor before
installing the blade... a no no.

Someone on the wreck advised a little liquid wrench and tapping the
nut(the metal nut, not the human nut that oiled the arbor) after
applying the liquid wrench. And find a longer handled wrench to fit the
nut if possible, while holding the other side of the arbor with another
wrench. I tried all and bingo... loose nut.

RonT

Then that would mean, by your definition, that your arbor was designed
incorrectly. My left tilt Craftsman has a right hand (standard) thread. I
think there is some terminology confusion happening in this thread. All
said, stick a block of wood against the blade, put the wrench on the nut and
pull toward you. Works for left or right tilt.

"Jim" wrote in message
. ..
Not necessarily so. My left tilt Craftsman has a left hand nut for the
arbor. The arbor should be designed such that normal rotation of the saw
tends to tighten the nut.
Jim

On Sun, 03 Jul 2005 21:36:09 GMT, The Critic
wrote:

I have a NEW general international table saw, and I'm finding it exceeding
difficult to change the blade.

My arbor (not a General) has a large round collar with small round holes
drilled into it radially. Although you could lot these with a straight
rod as a tommy bar, it's very awkward (and chews up the holes). Much
better was to forge a well-fitting C spanner, which locks more easily
and doesn't wobble.

In article , "CW" wrote:
All said, stick a block of wood against the blade, put the wrench on the nut and

stand in *front* of the saw and

pull toward you. Works for left or right tilt.

g

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

"Doug Miller" wrote in message
.. .
In article , "CW"
wrote:
All said, stick a block of wood against the blade, put the wrench on the
nut and

stand in *front* of the saw and

pull toward you. Works for left or right tilt.

My thoughts went along those lines also as I typically stand at the back
corner near the outfeed table while changing blades... before I put the big
outfeed table on I typically stood behind the saw. This because I'm right
handed with a right tilt cabinet saw.

John

I will echo Andy's comments. After years (yes it has been that long I
have to admit sheepishly) of struggling with not being able to remove
the blade, I finally got a spanner wrench that spans the round collar
and is able to keep it from moving while I use the long handle nut
wrench to loosen the nut. You can buy the right spanner wrench from
McMasterCarr after measuring the diameter carefully and buying the next
bigger available size, in case you size does not exactly match. Here
is a link to the McMaster page
http://www.mcmaster.com/nav/enter.as...3&pagenum=2589
I got the A style wrench. The best $ 13.69 investment I made for my
saw. Solved the years of misery. Highly recommended.

I have used a number of table saws from cabinet saws used in a commercial
shop to benchtop saw used on jobsites and I have never had a problem
removing the blade with anything more than a block of wood and a wrench.
Only exception was a benchtop that had flats for two wrenches that someone
decided they had to lean on it. Don't understand these stuck blades.

"Vijay" wrote in message
ups.com...
I will echo Andy's comments. After years (yes it has been that long I
have to admit sheepishly) of struggling with not being able to remove
the blade, I finally got a spanner wrench that spans the round collar
and is able to keep it from moving while I use the long handle nut
wrench to loosen the nut. You can buy the right spanner wrench from
McMasterCarr after measuring the diameter carefully and buying the next
bigger available size, in case you size does not exactly match. Here
is a link to the McMaster page
http://www.mcmaster.com/nav/enter.as...3&pagenum=2589
I got the A style wrench. The best $ 13.69 investment I made for my
saw. Solved the years of misery. Highly recommended.

I too have used a number of table saws both commercial and otherwise.

Except for this one I too have never run into troubles with removing
the nut.

But once in a while you will run across a hard nut to crack (sorry
about the pun)--this was the one for me! I tried jamming a piece of
lumber on the teeth, the teeth were too fine and started cutting the
wood. I tried putting a steel rod through the gullet and supporting
the steel rod on the saw table surface and tried removing the nut--it
bent the steel rod! And all the while the nut and arbor was drenched
in WD 40, Liquid wrench you name it.

Finally the only solution that worked was to use the aforementioned
spanner that I got from Mcmaster Carr and was able to prevent the
collar from turning. So CW count yourself lucky that you never run
across such a jammed nut!

Vijay wrote:
....
... count yourself lucky that you never run across such a jammed nut!

Only time I've ever seen such a case was a student thought to save some
effort and ran the nut only finger-tight then turned the saw on to let
it self-tighten--did a wonderful job of it... :(

(Took two days to get it, but finally the culprit 'fessed up...)