Awl --
How do you know when to junk it, and just get another one?
I've had two main problems: Blade tracking (jumping off the wheels), and
wildly non-vertical cuts.
Now, I know the blade tracking can be adjusted by a kind of camber screw on the top wheel, and that the blade guides can be rotated for cut perpendicularity, but neither of these seem to be helping.
The blade wheels don't seem to be worn, altho I'm not sure if the blade surface of those wheels is supposed to be exactly parallel to the rotation axis, or have a slight rake toward the back flange, to help keep the blade on the wheel. Would it be useful to put a rake on this face, on the lathe?
Next, how much play in the blade guide bearings is acceptable? The ones I replaced had very little play, but replacing them seemed to solve the problem.
Now, the perspicacious amongst 4x6 owners will be asking: Wtf did MOI get replacement parts from ????
Ahhhh, li'l Grasshoppers...... My machine tool supplier had literally dozens of these saws (and their "sister" drill presses) in various states of return, and one month I just scavenged zillions of parts, so that I could in fact make complete saws. Plus I didn't sweat any of the small stuff, like those bullshit guards, protectors, stands, wheels, I just threw alladat shit out.
If you want a nice stand, spend $50 on one of them wheeled/shelved wire carts from Sams/Costco.... good rolling cart, with good storage. I actually have TWO 4x6's mounted side by side on one of these carts, one for alum, one for steel -- vastly reduced belt/blade changing, you really get spoiled by this, AND your blades last a lot longer.
But, the Q remains: If one does not have that type of parts bonanza (which moi no longer has), just how DO you get parts?? You can find all kinds of help/tips for these saws, but no real parts source. Which suggests that this is, essentially, a throw-away tool, after a while. I wonder how many sep. factories there are for this tool, in Taiwan/China, because some saws seem to be made a bit better than others. Is there a known outlet for the better saws?? I can't imagine it would be effingHF.....
I essentially gave up on these saws, let them sit for about 2 years, since I do little steel cutting these days, and discovered the RAS for aluminum, even 3" bar. But, the RAS can requires some testosterone (and boucou ear plugs), and I'm running low on the former. Plus, tough to use the RAS at 3 a.m.....
But on a massive cleanup of the shop, I decided to take care of bidness, but still, the problems were curious in their intractability, and I don't know if brute-force parts replacement was the best solution, altho it appears to be A solution.
I like the tip about an oil drip, for the blade. I made a pretty sophisticated (well, at least for THIS saw) recirculating coolant system/stand, which eventually got stolen (a left handed compliment, if there ever was one), but realize that the oil drip idear may be a lot more practical. Inyone done this?
Idears, experiences, war stories on repairs??
How do you know when to junk it, and just get another one?
I've had two main problems: Blade tracking (jumping off the wheels), and
Now, I know the blade tracking can be adjusted by a kind of camber screw on the top wheel, and that the blade guides can be rotated for cut perpendicularity, but neither of these seem to be helping.
The blade wheels don't seem to be worn, altho I'm not sure if the blade surface of those wheels is supposed to be exactly parallel to the rotation axis, or have a slight rake toward the back flange, to help keep the blade on the wheel. Would it be useful to put a rake on this face, on the lathe?
Next, how much play in the blade guide bearings is acceptable? The ones I replaced had very little play, but replacing them seemed to solve the problem.
Now, the perspicacious amongst 4x6 owners will be asking: Wtf did MOI get replacement parts from ????
Ahhhh, li'l Grasshoppers...... My machine tool supplier had literally dozens of these saws (and their "sister" drill presses) in various states of return, and one month I just scavenged zillions of parts, so that I could in fact make complete saws. Plus I didn't sweat any of the small stuff, like those bullshit guards, protectors, stands, wheels, I just threw alladat shit out.
If you want a nice stand, spend $50 on one of them wheeled/shelved wire carts from Sams/Costco.... good rolling cart, with good storage. I actually have TWO 4x6's mounted side by side on one of these carts, one for alum, one for steel -- vastly reduced belt/blade changing, you really get spoiled by this, AND your blades last a lot longer.
But, the Q remains: If one does not have that type of parts bonanza (which moi no longer has), just how DO you get parts?? You can find all kinds of help/tips for these saws, but no real parts source. Which suggests that this is, essentially, a throw-away tool, after a while. I wonder how many sep. factories there are for this tool, in Taiwan/China, because some saws seem to be made a bit better than others. Is there a known outlet for the better saws?? I can't imagine it would be effingHF.....
I essentially gave up on these saws, let them sit for about 2 years, since I do little steel cutting these days, and discovered the RAS for aluminum, even 3" bar. But, the RAS can requires some testosterone (and boucou ear plugs), and I'm running low on the former. Plus, tough to use the RAS at 3 a.m.....
But on a massive cleanup of the shop, I decided to take care of bidness, but still, the problems were curious in their intractability, and I don't know if brute-force parts replacement was the best solution, altho it appears to be A solution.
I like the tip about an oil drip, for the blade. I made a pretty sophisticated (well, at least for THIS saw) recirculating coolant system/stand, which eventually got stolen (a left handed compliment, if there ever was one), but realize that the oil drip idear may be a lot more practical. Inyone done this?
Idears, experiences, war stories on repairs??
--
EA
EA
