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ldh wrote:Jack,
You will need the .0625 shim for clearance and you may still find that you have to remove a bit of metal to allow the bearing to move freely. Make sure you have removed the upper blade guides and have the auto-trak assembly installed and a bit of tension on the blade. Raise the height lock handle to the high position then to the low position and note where the blade is in relation to the lower bearings. If you see a change from high to low you will need to adjust the upper guide. If the blade position in relation to the bearings does not change you will need to further elongate the adjustment holes in the lower bracket. As I said earlier it takes a bit of finesse to get it all working together, but you will be pleased with the results.
Larry
Larry,
Thanks for your help. I think I have a pretty picture in my mind of what I need to do. Using a combination of grinding where the bearings mount and elongating the mount holes I show be able to get it to align properly. I also wondered about that shim and you answered the question that it is needed for bearing clearance to bracket so it has to stay.
ldh wrote:Jack,
You will need the .0625 shim for clearance and you may still find that you have to remove a bit of metal to allow the bearing to move freely. Make sure you have removed the upper blade guides and have the auto-trak assembly installed and a bit of tension on the blade. Raise the height lock handle to the high position then to the low position and note where the blade is in relation to the lower bearings. If you see a change from high to low you will need to adjust the upper guide. If the blade position in relation to the bearings does not change you will need to further elongate the adjustment holes in the lower bracket. As I said earlier it takes a bit of finesse to get it all working together, but you will be pleased with the results.
Larry
Larry,
Did the mods to the upper and lower bearing mounts yesterday and got them installed and aligned. Turned on briefly yesterday evening and man is it much quieter!!! Still have to get the table re-installed and my new ceramic guides. I attached pictures to show the extent of the filing/grinding etc needed to make the bearings align with the blade.
Jack,
Looks like it is coming together for you. Does your Guide Column Bracket have the nylon bolt to adjust for side play? If it does not you will find that mod helpful.
Larry
ldh wrote:Jack,
Looks like it is coming together for you. Does your Guide Column Bracket have the nylon bolt to adjust for side play? If it does not you will find that mod helpful.
Larry
Larry,
Yes it does. It did not need any adjustment. I got finished the install yeasterday and took about 20 min to fine tune the column adjustment. The upper bearings were touching the blade before the bottom bearings. About 1/4 turn on each vertical adjustment screw and it is good to go.
My bearing install works like a charm except when I installed and aligned the new bearings I was using a 1/2" blade. I took the 1/2" blade off and installed a 1/4" blade this week and the 1/4" blade rides further away from the upper and lower guide bearings than the 1/2". When I aligned the bearings with the 1/2" blade the back of the blade was about the thickness of a couple dollar bills from the upper/lower bearings and riding against the guide bearings by the tensioner. The 1/4" blade also rides against the guide bearings by the tensioner but is about 1/8" (maybe closer to 1/16" but still much further than the 1/2") of an inch off the upper/lower bearings.
Shouldn't the back of the blade track the same regardless of the width of the blade since the reference point is the back of the blade?
claimdude wrote:Larry or any other of the many experts here....
My bearing install works like a charm except when I installed and aligned the new bearings I was using a 1/2" blade. I took the 1/2" blade off and installed a 1/4" blade this week and the 1/4" blade rides further away from the upper and lower guide bearings than the 1/2". When I aligned the bearings with the 1/2" blade the back of the blade was about the thickness of a couple dollar bills from the upper/lower bearings and riding against the guide bearings by the tensioner. The 1/4" blade also rides against the guide bearings by the tensioner but is about 1/8" (maybe closer to 1/16" but still much further than the 1/2") of an inch off the upper/lower bearings.
Shouldn't the back of th regardless of the width of the blade since the reference point is the back of the bladee blade track the same?
Jack
"Should".
If it is not, a possible cause is the tires. They may have a groove that is displacing the blade.
You did back the guides off the 'tooth' area.
The back of the blade should 'self align' to the guide bearings AND the lower guide bearing. Neither of those is 'adjustable'(front to rear of the blade). The upper guide bearing is adjusted by way of the 'column' adjustments. Changing a blade size should not require a repositioning of the blade guide, but the guide blocks need to be readjusted to clear the tooth set.
Question is, why did the 1/2" blade NOT ride against the lower guide bearing(s)? Shoulda!
Could the upper wheel 'cant' be excessive?
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╟JPG ╢
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Goldie(Bought New SN 377425)/4" jointer/6" beltsander/12" planer/stripsander/bandsaw/powerstation /Scroll saw/Jig saw /Craftsman 10" ras/Craftsman 6" thicknessplaner/ Dayton10"tablesaw(restoredfromneighborstrashpile)/ Mark VII restoration in 'progress'/ 10E[/size](SN E3779) restoration in progress, a 510 on the back burner and a growing pile of items to be eventually returned to useful life. - aka Red Grange
If it is not, a possible cause is the tires. They may have a groove that is displacing the blade.
You did back the guides off the 'tooth' area.]
JPG,
Thanks for the feedback. When the 1/2" blade was aligned the back of the blade distance from the upper and lower bearings was the same (a couple of dollar bill thicknesses). I haven't looked that close at the tires though you may have good idea on that. I'll check it tomorrow. I checked the upper guide all the way up and all the way down and found no variance front to back so there is no 'cant' that I can tell.
It does seem though that if the back of the smaller blade rides against the guide bearings near the tensioner that the tire would not keep the blade from aligning properly with upper and lower bearings.
1) There should not be any clearance from the back of the blade to the lower guide bearing. The lower guide bearing positions the back of the blade as it approaches the lower wheel. If the blade is not touching the lower guide bearing, something else is positioning it.
2) The upper wheel is canted and beveled. The top of the wheel 'leans' inward toward the base(cast aluminum 'side') . The bevel allows the blade to rest flat on the wheel(the inside edge of the wheel has a larger diameter than the outside edge. The guide bearings next to the tension spring bar positions the back of the blade on the upper wheel.
3) I am 'guessing' that IF the cant of the upper wheel is excessive, it could cause the blade to track further out than the lower guide bearing. This is conjecture on my part.
4) If the guess is not the case, something else is preventing the back of the blade from constantly contacting the lower guide bearing. The guide blocks are the first thing that comes to mind, but I would think they would also be causing the blade to drag as it passes between them.
I would retract the blocks completely and observe where/what the back of the blade may be contacting.
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╟JPG ╢
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Goldie(Bought New SN 377425)/4" jointer/6" beltsander/12" planer/stripsander/bandsaw/powerstation /Scroll saw/Jig saw /Craftsman 10" ras/Craftsman 6" thicknessplaner/ Dayton10"tablesaw(restoredfromneighborstrashpile)/ Mark VII restoration in 'progress'/ 10E[/size](SN E3779) restoration in progress, a 510 on the back burner and a growing pile of items to be eventually returned to useful life. - aka Red Grange
We are speaking of the bearings as though they all have the same function and all perform in the same manner with equal effect on the blade. This is not the way it works.
The bearing(s) on the left is(are) the AutoTrak Bearing(s). This bearing has the primary task of positioning the blade on the wheels. When properly installed, this bearing arrangement will cause the blade to track just to the rear of center on the upper wheel. Width of the blade makes little (if any difference). The rear edge of the blade is the "reference surface".
As long as you do not attempt to cut anything, a blade (regardless of size) should track properly even without either of the other bearings installed.
The Lower Backup Bearings (right side) works in tandem with the AutoTrak Bearing to maintain the blades proper position as it comes off the upper wheel. This bearing should be brought forward so as to just barely contacts the blade as it rotates.
The Upper Backup Bearings (right side) don't have a task to perform until you start cutting. This bearings prevents the blade from being pushed too far back when pressure is applied to the blade while cutting. When using the larger blades (like resawing), this bearing hardly even comes into play. Unless you force the material into the blade (feed fast), it is possible to cut without these bearings ever engaging.
Bottom Line: Make sure that the AutoTrak Bearing is doing its' job before you worry about the Backup Bearings.
"Making Sawdust Safely" Dusty
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