I have pulled the old Craftsman out of hiding and building it a new
table.

As part of the process, I tried elevating the blade with the existing
crank and found it most difficult to take it through the range. I am
thinking of adding a longer/larger handle to increase my leverage. ut
thought to ask here if anyone had any suggestions based upon personal
experience with this issue and might offer a serious resolution
thereto.

Also, has anyone had any success finding part descriptions or manuals
for older Sears RAS on the net?

Thanks in advance.

On Mon, 2 Jun 2008 08:12:13 -0700 (PDT), Hoosierpopi
wrote:

I have pulled the old Craftsman out of hiding and building it a new
table.

As part of the process, I tried elevating the blade with the existing
crank and found it most difficult to take it through the range. I am
thinking of adding a longer/larger handle to increase my leverage. ut
thought to ask here if anyone had any suggestions based upon personal
experience with this issue and might offer a serious resolution
thereto.

I wouldn't try a longer, "cheater bar" handle. That just, ahem,
elevates the risk of overtorquing some invisible, yet vital part. I've
squirted penetrating oil (or, quelle horror, WD-40) around the
junction between the column and the column insert (or column and
column sleeve, depending on how you look at it) and letting it sit for
a while. Then try running it up and down. You might need a few
applications, depending on how long and under what conditions it's
been sitting around.

Also, has anyone had any success finding part descriptions or manuals
for older Sears RAS on the net?

Try the old standby, http://www.owwm.com and just like Sears table
saws, the RASes have much in common with predecessors and successors
over the years (particularly so long as you stick with an Emerson
built model, man # 113), so if you don't get an exact manual, you
should at least find some useful part names (see "column" above) and
their relationships with one another.



--
LRod

Master Woodbutcher and seasoned termite

Shamelessly whoring my website since 1999

http://www.woodbutcher.net
http://www.normstools.com

Proud participant of rec.woodworking since February, 1997

email addy de-spam-ified due to 1,000 spams per month.
If you can't figure out how to use it, I probably wouldn't
care to correspond with you anyway.

David Starr wrote:

try the old woodworking machines website (OWWN.com).

I get a "This domain name is for sale" message.

On Jun 2, 12:57*pm, Richard Evans wrote:
David Starr wrote:
try the old woodworking machines website (OWWN.com).

I get a "This domain name is for sale" message.

Try www.owwm.com

Dave

Hoosierpopi wrote:
I have pulled the old Craftsman out of hiding and building it a new
table.

As part of the process, I tried elevating the blade with the existing
crank and found it most difficult to take it through the range. I am
thinking of adding a longer/larger handle to increase my leverage. ut
thought to ask here if anyone had any suggestions based upon personal
experience with this issue and might offer a serious resolution
thereto.

Also, has anyone had any success finding part descriptions or manuals
for older Sears RAS on the net?

Agree w/ the soak advice and no cheaters. Depending on the model, there
may be an adjusting sleeve around the column which can be let off some
while you're playing. Be sure to work some penetrating
oil/kerosene/etc. into the gearing as well. Is it direct drive or belt
driven (so the crank is at the front)? Be sure the shaft(s) don't bind
as well.

If there's any rust/dirt/etc. on the column, use fine emery/steel
wool/etc. to shine it up as well.

As for parts/manuals/etc., at least try the Sears site w/ your model
number--there's quite a lot of info on much even if not all.

--

On Mon, 2 Jun 2008 08:12:13 -0700 (PDT), Hoosierpopi
wrote:

I have pulled the old Craftsman out of hiding and building it a new
table.

As part of the process, I tried elevating the blade with the existing
crank and found it most difficult to take it through the range. I am
thinking of adding a longer/larger handle to increase my leverage. ut
thought to ask here if anyone had any suggestions based upon personal
experience with this issue and might offer a serious resolution
thereto.

NO NO NO!!
You stand a great chance of damaging the saw..

Take anything you can apart and clean and lubricate it, then see how all
adjustments work out...

Over stressing any part, but especially an old part, with more force than
intended is the fast lane for buying expensive replacement parts for an old
saw.. DAMHIKT

If you have a rusty bolt, you soak it and try later, not put a pipe on the
wrench and force it, right?


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

In article 5443e8ad-c6b4-46b4-9b87-14568b91b461
@l42g2000hsc.googlegroups.com, says...
I have pulled the old Craftsman out of hiding and building it a new
table.

As part of the process, I tried elevating the blade with the existing
crank and found it most difficult to take it through the range. I am
thinking of adding a longer/larger handle to increase my leverage. ut
thought to ask here if anyone had any suggestions based upon personal
experience with this issue and might offer a serious resolution
thereto.

Also, has anyone had any success finding part descriptions or manuals
for older Sears RAS on the net?

Thanks in advance.


Likely culprits:
Dried out grease,
dried out grease mixed with sawdust and set like concrete,
rust.

What they said: use penetrating oil, kerosene, or the stuff
that mechanics use to clean engine blocks to try and clear the
obstructions. Especially what you said about taking it through
the full range being difficult makes me think 'foreign matter
in the column'.

-P.

--
=========================================
firstname dot lastname at gmail fullstop com

Peter Huebner wrote:
In article 5443e8ad-c6b4-46b4-9b87-14568b91b461
@l42g2000hsc.googlegroups.com, says...
I have pulled the old Craftsman out of hiding and building it a new
table.

As part of the process, I tried elevating the blade with the existing
crank and found it most difficult to take it through the range. I am
thinking of adding a longer/larger handle to increase my leverage.
ut thought to ask here if anyone had any suggestions based upon
personal experience with this issue and might offer a serious
resolution thereto.

Also, has anyone had any success finding part descriptions or manuals
for older Sears RAS on the net?

Thanks in advance.


Likely culprits:
Dried out grease,
dried out grease mixed with sawdust and set like concrete,
rust.

Bingo. This would be the first thing I would check. On many a RAS, the
crank drives
a gear in a small box that elevates the column rack. This frequently gets
packed with crud
and sawdust.

What they said: use penetrating oil, kerosene, or the stuff
that mechanics use to clean engine blocks to try and clear the
obstructions. Especially what you said about taking it through
the full range being difficult makes me think 'foreign matter
in the column'.


Instead of oiling the column, I'd take whatever appropriately fine grade of
abrasive pad or sandpaper and remove any rust and debris that have bonded
to
it. If your column isn't clean, it will bind. Try to access the base collar
for the
column, look there for accumulations.

Should things still move with resistance after cleaning, perhaps the
lightest coat of Teflon
spray lube would be something to consider.

Regards,

Edward Hennessey

On Jun 2, 8:12*am, Hoosierpopi wrote:
I have pulled the old Craftsman out of hiding and building it a new
table.

As part of the process, I tried elevating the blade with the existing
crank and found it most difficult to take it through the range. I am
thinking of adding a longer/larger handle to increase my leverage. *ut
thought to ask here if anyone had any suggestions based upon personal
experience with this issue and might offer a serious resolution
thereto.

Also, has anyone had any success finding part descriptions or manuals
for older Sears RAS on the net?

Thanks in advance.

I have a Sears RAS that I bought in 1975 that I use all the time. It
gets a little stiff to raise sometimes. When that happens take the
back panel of the table off and below that you will see the shaft that
you are turned to lift the saw. Where it connects up with the column
that raises up there is a little metal box. On the top or the front
of the box is a little hole. A few drops of machine oil in that hole
will do wonders for making it raise easier.

All the information that you got concerning cleaning and lubricating
the column is good advise also. I made a sleeve out of an old sock to
fit around the column where is slides into the frame to help keep that
area clean.

Regards,

Al

"LRod" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 2 Jun 2008 08:12:13 -0700 (PDT), Hoosierpopi
wrote:

I have pulled the old Craftsman out of hiding and building it a new
table.

As part of the process, I tried elevating the blade with the existing
crank and found it most difficult to take it through the range. I am
thinking of adding a longer/larger handle to increase my leverage. ut
thought to ask here if anyone had any suggestions based upon personal
experience with this issue and might offer a serious resolution
thereto.

I wouldn't try a longer, "cheater bar" handle. That just, ahem,
elevates the risk of overtorquing some invisible, yet vital part. I've
squirted penetrating oil (or, quelle horror, WD-40) around the
junction between the column and the column insert (or column and
column sleeve, depending on how you look at it) and letting it sit for
a while. Then try running it up and down. You might need a few
applications, depending on how long and under what conditions it's
been sitting around.

Every 10 years or so, I find I have to clean out sawdust that builds up in
crevices of the column. It can pack in quite tight and prevent movement in
the extreme positions.

On Tue, 3 Jun 2008 11:27:03 -0400, "EXT"
wrote:


"LRod" wrote in message
.. .
On Mon, 2 Jun 2008 08:12:13 -0700 (PDT), Hoosierpopi
wrote:

I have pulled the old Craftsman out of hiding and building it a new
table.

As part of the process, I tried elevating the blade with the existing
crank and found it most difficult to take it through the range. I am
thinking of adding a longer/larger handle to increase my leverage. ut
thought to ask here if anyone had any suggestions based upon personal
experience with this issue and might offer a serious resolution
thereto.

I wouldn't try a longer, "cheater bar" handle. That just, ahem,
elevates the risk of overtorquing some invisible, yet vital part. I've
squirted penetrating oil (or, quelle horror, WD-40) around the
junction between the column and the column insert (or column and
column sleeve, depending on how you look at it) and letting it sit for
a while. Then try running it up and down. You might need a few
applications, depending on how long and under what conditions it's
been sitting around.

Every 10 years or so, I find I have to clean out sawdust that builds up in
crevices of the column. It can pack in quite tight and prevent movement in
the extreme positions.

I wonder if you have a two piece column sleeve. Mine is a single cast
iron piece. They changed that in the mid '70s (mine is a 1972).



--
LRod

Master Woodbutcher and seasoned termite

Shamelessly whoring my website since 1999

http://www.woodbutcher.net
http://www.normstools.com

Proud participant of rec.woodworking since February, 1997

email addy de-spam-ified due to 1,000 spams per month.
If you can't figure out how to use it, I probably wouldn't
care to correspond with you anyway.

Thank you all. I appreciate all teh tips and liked that sock idea! My
column is relatively clean - saved where it was exposed (I had it
cranked way down for shipping, but it left two inches or so "exposed")
abnd that area shows some corrosion. Nothing steel wool & elbow grease
won't cure.

I had already soaked the column in penetrating oil and let it sit,
soaked again (after raising and lowering) and soaked it again. I was
getting ready to dismantle the thing and doo some serious cleansing
but thought to ask first lest I get myself in deeper than I should for
less benefit than hoped for. I learned my lessons years ago, before
you start a new venture, seek expert advice - on an old Toyota, the
sequence of removing the old calipers/brake pads can mean the
difference between a hour per side and 10 minutes or so - learned
after spending an hour on the driver's side and - after friend and pro
mechanic Roscoe tipped me off - tem inutes doing the other side.

Thanks again.

If the "sleeve" is the piece at the base into which the column
descends and from which it rises, I recall it appeared to be a single
casting. - w/o looking at it again before posting this reply I
need to collect the model numb er and look it up at Sear Parts to see
what I can find there - save all significant parts are "unavailable!"


I wonder if you have a two piece column sleeve. Mine is a single casting
iron piece. They changed that in the mid '70s (mine is a 1972).