# Preventive Maintenance on Saw Stop



## Multiwood (Feb 24, 2013)

I have had a Contractors Saw Stop for almost 3 year and have had two problems for some time. The blade goes up and down very hard. I called saw stop and they sent me a pdf of the gears that are the problem. I couldn't load the picture. They are by the adjustment for the blade height. Very hard to get at since I have the saw on a cabinet. I did clean out the gears with air and brush helped some but still quite hard to raise and lower blade. Other problem is motor makes funny noise sometimes when I turn on saw and getting more frequent. Turn saw off and back on and runs fine. Last week belt came off and when I went to put it on the motor was very hot. Took motor to repair shop was full of sawdust and start switch was not sliding do to sawdust build up. 
1st picture saw on cabinet, no socks or skivies Vance.
2nd picture two set screws one was loose (made belt come off)
3rd picture cut hole in back of cabinet to access easier cleaning.
4th picture have rubber mat to help contain sawdust (have to lift it up to tilt blade.)
Last picture is outfeed table and vacuum hose.
Saw Stop Contractor owners check set screws and if your saw makes funny noises when starting clean motor. I have had a Craftsman 12" table saw since the late 70's no problems, but it was made in the USA not Taiwan.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

cleaning the gears/mechanisms and dry lubing them may help...


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

How did the motor get sawdust in it Larry? It should be a totally enclosed fan cooled (TEFC) design. If it's an open face drip proof (OFDP) that is the wrong application for it. In an OFDP you can see the windings. On a TEFC all you see is casing.


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

Did you post pictures?

Herb


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## cocobolo1 (Dec 31, 2015)

Herb Stoops said:


> Did you post pictures?
> 
> Herb


Not yet apparently. Interesting to see that this saw isn't as good as it's cracked up to be. Let's hope the difficulties can be solved.


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

cocobolo1 said:


> Not yet apparently. Interesting to see that this saw isn't as good as it's cracked up to be. Let's hope the difficulties can be solved.


In his post he listed pictures, I was wondering if he tried to post them and they didn't go thru.
As far as his post, I am surprised at these problems as I have heard about what top of the line this tool is. 
I'm with Chuck, on the motor. This is the first negative post I have read on Saw Stop, other than marketing.

Herb


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## cocobolo1 (Dec 31, 2015)

Stick486 said:


> cleaning the gears/mechanisms and dry lubing them may help...


That's usually the cure. I had a Ryobi for several years and it would get gummed up with sawdust on the raise/lower mechanism. It needed cleaning about once a year. A lengthy job to do, more than an hour every time.


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## cocobolo1 (Dec 31, 2015)

Herb Stoops said:


> In his post he listed pictures, I was wondering if he tried to post them and they didn't go thru.
> As far as his post, I am surprised at these problems as I have heard about what top of the line this tool is.
> I'm with Chuck, on the motor. This is the first negative post I have read on Saw Stop, other than marketing.
> 
> Herb


I realize you were looking for the pictures Herb, just as I was. Something went astray I guess. Maybe they will be forthcoming a little later.

I too am really surprised the motor doesn't appear to be a TEFC. That's a big negative for a tool that costs close to $5,000 in Canada.


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## Ray Newman (Mar 9, 2009)

Think we really need to see pictures of the cabinet. 

My SWAG (Scientific Wild Arsed Guess) is the design of the cabinet and problems with air flow might be the culprit(s)

As for the Saw Stop Contractors saw motor,_ it is a TEFC_. See:

SawStop | We are the contractor Table Saw of choice | SawStop

Since the belt came off, the first thing to check are the motor and arbor pulleys coplanar? If they are not, that could cause problems with the belts and motor over heating. Is the belt guard interfering with the belt?

As for blade elevation difficulty, is the lock knob on the elevation crank assembly working properly? Does it bind up/rotate freely? Agree with what Stick posted about lubricating and cleaning.


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## Multiwood (Feb 24, 2013)

Before I posted article I had all the pictures in place. Don't know why they didn't appear.
I have used dry lube several times, no help,
The motor is totally enclosed.


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## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

Methinks it's time to disassemble, clean, inspect mating surfaces, thrust washers, bearings, threads, etc


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Nickp said:


> Methinks it's time to disassemble, clean, inspect mating surfaces, thrust washers, bearings, threads, etc


I want to know how a TEFC gets impacted unless it's the bearing(s) that was impacted and not the motor it's self...


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## Multiwood (Feb 24, 2013)

Ray I don't think the design of the cabinet has anything to do with air flow. The motor has a fan that blows air around the motor. The motor is outside the cabinet. The belt came off because a set screw came loose and there was some play in one of the motor mount pins. There are two motor mount pins and a sew screw for each pin. 
Charles I asked the guy at the repair shop how sawdust could get in the motor since it is fully enclosed. He said the sawdust was very fine and somehow gets in and the other problem the motor was made in Taiwan.


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## Multiwood (Feb 24, 2013)

Stick the start switch inside the motor was not sliding due to the fine dust on the shaft.


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## Multiwood (Feb 24, 2013)

I tipped the saw up on its side so I could get to the gears that raise and lower the blade. I gave them a very good cleaning
with compressed air and brush than applied dry lube. It still raises and lowers hard, but is better.


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## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

Problem may not be in gears but maybe in the pivot points or other bushinged areas...?


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## cocobolo1 (Dec 31, 2015)

Nickp said:


> Problem may not be in gears but maybe in the pivot points or other bushinged areas...?


That makes sense. On the Ryobi previously mentioned, the saw blade assembly slides up and down completely independently of the gears. 

There is a flat section of metal, with both ends captured between two end caps for lack of a better word. This area is the area of concern. The fine dust would get in there over a period of time and bind the vertical movement of the sawhead.

I wonder if the Sawstop has something similar which might be the cause of binding. Strictly a guess, of course, but it could be something like that.

The actual gears on the Ryobi were wide open to anything flying through the air, you know 2 x 4's, dead eagles, whatever...but the gears themselves are so coarse that they didn't seem to clog.

Smooth as silk when clean, nearly impossible to move when clogged.


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## MEBCWD (Jan 14, 2012)

Larry,

We had 2 SawStops where I worked and *every day* we brushed off the tables and used compressed air to blow out the cabinets at the end of the shift. We never had problems like you describe.

Preventative maintenance helps avoid buildup of saw dust and helps your dust collector keep air flow through the cabinet at a maximum which helps prevent saw dust buildup which helps keep gears clean which helps make adjustments easier and avoids binding parts that cause set screws to loosen that cause other parts to loosen .......


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## Ray Newman (Mar 9, 2009)

Are you running a dust collection system? 

On page 34 of the Saw Stop on-line contractor saw manual, Saw Stop recommends a dust collection system hook up and gives information about the needed system requirements.

Did you buy this saw new?

Is it wired for 110 or 220?


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## Multiwood (Feb 24, 2013)

Yes the saw is hooked up to a dust collection. I bought the saw new. It is wired to 220


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

It doesn't matter how fine the sawdust is it shouldn't be going inside the motor. TEFC motors should be good for everything short of chemical or washdown duty. i would be looking for the entry point and fixing it.


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