My dad called me up a while back saying that he knew a guy getting rid
of an old table saw. I bought it sight unseen for $100CAD.
Brought it home. It's a Beaver Rockwell (6201, I think) with an open
web cast iron wing with the basic crappy fence, and the belt is shot.
Used it for a few basic cuts as it came. It worked, the arbor bearings
were good, but it was definately in need of some tuning (and the blade
probably needed cleaning and sharpening).
Went down to Lee Valley and picked up a rip blade, some link belt, zero
clearance insert, and micro splitter.
The previous owner had the extension on the left side, and it's a left
tilt saw. Go figure. Moved the extension to the right. The center
screw holding the back rail is sheared off in the saw table. Will have
to drill it out and re-tap the hole. For now the back rail isn't
perfectly tight.
Fit the link belt. While fiddling I realize it only has a 3/4HP motor.
Ah well.
Saturday I go to install the new blade, and realize its a 9" saw, not a
10". Whoops. Run the saw with the link belt on and no blade installed,
realize just how much vibration is coming from the unbalanced pulley.
Will have to let that slide for now.
Back to Lee Valley to return the blade, and start shopping around for a
blade. Discover that nobody carries 9" rip blades. One store carries a
9" combo blade, but they're industrial and are only open regular office
hours. Go in Monday lunch to pick it up. Power dies while I'm trying
to pay with my credit card.
Get home, look at insert, realize there's nowhere for the micro splitter
to fit behind the blade. Oops. Guess we'll have to figure something
else out.
Last night I cut the insert down to fit (it was about 3" too long) and
ran the blade up through it.
Blade is pretty sweet. Still have a tiny bit of blade wobble due to
arbor runout, but I can live with that.
Now I need to decide whether I want to drop the money on a decent fence,
or just save up for a better saw.
Chris
this website might be of some use to you (and it's Canadian too):
http://store.thesawshop.com/catalogue/default.php
Quentin.
"Chris Friesen" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> My dad called me up a while back saying that he knew a guy getting rid of
> an old table saw. I bought it sight unseen for $100CAD.
>
> Brought it home. It's a Beaver Rockwell (6201, I think) with an open web
> cast iron wing with the basic crappy fence, and the belt is shot. Used it
> for a few basic cuts as it came. It worked, the arbor bearings were good,
> but it was definately in need of some tuning (and the blade probably
> needed cleaning and sharpening).
>
> Went down to Lee Valley and picked up a rip blade, some link belt, zero
> clearance insert, and micro splitter.
>
> The previous owner had the extension on the left side, and it's a left
> tilt saw. Go figure. Moved the extension to the right. The center screw
> holding the back rail is sheared off in the saw table. Will have to drill
> it out and re-tap the hole. For now the back rail isn't perfectly tight.
>
> Fit the link belt. While fiddling I realize it only has a 3/4HP motor. Ah
> well.
>
> Saturday I go to install the new blade, and realize its a 9" saw, not a
> 10". Whoops. Run the saw with the link belt on and no blade installed,
> realize just how much vibration is coming from the unbalanced pulley. Will
> have to let that slide for now.
>
> Back to Lee Valley to return the blade, and start shopping around for a
> blade. Discover that nobody carries 9" rip blades. One store carries a
> 9" combo blade, but they're industrial and are only open regular office
> hours. Go in Monday lunch to pick it up. Power dies while I'm trying to
> pay with my credit card.
>
> Get home, look at insert, realize there's nowhere for the micro splitter
> to fit behind the blade. Oops. Guess we'll have to figure something else
> out.
>
> Last night I cut the insert down to fit (it was about 3" too long) and ran
> the blade up through it.
>
> Blade is pretty sweet. Still have a tiny bit of blade wobble due to arbor
> runout, but I can live with that.
>
> Now I need to decide whether I want to drop the money on a decent fence,
> or just save up for a better saw.
>
> Chris
"Chris Friesen" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> My dad called me up a while back saying that he knew a guy getting rid of
> an old table saw. I bought it sight unseen for $100CAD.
>
> Brought it home. It's a Beaver Rockwell (6201, I think) with an open web
> cast iron wing with the basic crappy fence, and the belt is shot. Used it
> for a few basic cuts as it came. It worked, the arbor bearings were good,
> but it was definately in need of some tuning (and the blade probably
> needed cleaning and sharpening).
>
> Went down to Lee Valley and picked up a rip blade, some link belt, zero
> clearance insert, and micro splitter.
>
> The previous owner had the extension on the left side, and it's a left
> tilt saw. Go figure. Moved the extension to the right. The center screw
> holding the back rail is sheared off in the saw table. Will have to drill
> it out and re-tap the hole. For now the back rail isn't perfectly tight.
>
> Fit the link belt. While fiddling I realize it only has a 3/4HP motor. Ah
> well.
>
> Saturday I go to install the new blade, and realize its a 9" saw, not a
> 10". Whoops. Run the saw with the link belt on and no blade installed,
> realize just how much vibration is coming from the unbalanced pulley. Will
> have to let that slide for now.
>
> Back to Lee Valley to return the blade, and start shopping around for a
> blade. Discover that nobody carries 9" rip blades. One store carries a
> 9" combo blade, but they're industrial and are only open regular office
> hours. Go in Monday lunch to pick it up. Power dies while I'm trying to
> pay with my credit card.
>
> Get home, look at insert, realize there's nowhere for the micro splitter
> to fit behind the blade. Oops. Guess we'll have to figure something else
> out.
>
> Last night I cut the insert down to fit (it was about 3" too long) and ran
> the blade up through it.
>
> Blade is pretty sweet. Still have a tiny bit of blade wobble due to arbor
> runout, but I can live with that.
>
> Now I need to decide whether I want to drop the money on a decent fence,
> or just save up for a better saw.
>
> Chris
If you are seeing runout now, and only 3/4 HP and 9" blade I wouldn't invest
in a quality fence. Almost every time I have known someone who upgraded a
lower quality saw with a new fence they have quickly wanted to buy a new
saw. They always say that they will use the fence on the new saw but find
that most saws come in package with the fence and if you want the saw only
you only save a few dollars.