# Craftsman table saw restoration



## dask (Dec 24, 2011)

To start off, on a weekly basis I have been visiting my recycling center where I live. I always find useful junk for woodworking and my metal projects (just bought a Lincoln HD140 welder on Craigslist). I had noticed months ago in the corner of the property there was what seemed to be the carcass of a table saw without the top placed upside down in high grass and dirt. Out of curiosity this past Sat I decided to go take a look at the TS for scrap parts. I tried lifting it and at first it wouldn’t budge…after a nice hard tug it revealed itself to me. The TS was sitting on a pallet, grass, dead leaves and dirt had made it virtually invisiblethat it had a top. It was missing the motor but it seemed to have all the makings of a great restoration project. The blade spun easily and without any gritty noise so the bearings must be fine. Its missing the motor mount plate and Sears sells them for $26 bucks +shipping, but since I have the welder I’m sure I could fabricate a motor mount for next to nothing. I’m either going to get a Delta fence system that runs in the mid 100’s for price or fabricate one on my own. The top was rusty so before I made any wild plans I wanted to see if there was any pitting or damage from the rust. Anyway, here’s a few pics: Took about 15 minutes with the wire wheel first and then the palm sander…the 3rd pic is to show that the rust didn’t create any recognizable damage. 

*How it looked when i got it home*









*After 15 min of working on it*










*Close up and shiny*









*BTW…its model #113.29940 and built in Dec of 1970. *
All comments and suggestions are appreciated.
Dask


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

"One man's trash can be another man's treasure" has been told to me since I was just a tadpole - unfortunately, my (late) dad thought many things that were simply trash could become his treasure. He kept too much junk - more than I ever realized as I am now cleaning-up his basement that is in the house he built in 1963. WHAT A MESS! There is some good stuff interspersed with true, worthless garbage! I will venture to guess that the floor had not been swept since 1972 when I married and moved-out!

As a result of my "recent gathering trips", I have recovered numerous rusty items. Many of these items hold potential to be quite interesting and some, even useful! A very good friend of mine, who restores many old items tells me that there is a product called "CLR" that will take-away rust down to bare metal - you can bet I will be giving it a try!


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Kyriakos, be sure to apply Johnsons paste wax to the cast iron to prevent further rust and make it easy for the wood to slide. Do not use automotive wax as these contain silicone which could effect finishing on your projects. No need to shell out big money for a fence; build some sleds that run in your miter slots. This way you get 100% accurate cuts. I highly recommend the Freud red saw blades for all circular and table saws; great value for your money. If you use a thin kerf blade (1/8") you are removing less material per pass which in effect gives you more cutting power. Make one sled for the left side of the blade; build another which uses both miter slots to guide it with 2x4"'s front and back and attach boards at 45° for quick and easy miter cuts.


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## 1tatonkajim (Sep 21, 2009)

*Renovated Table saw*

I am logged in but can't find your pics??


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## hilbilly (Dec 30, 2011)

*Recycled table saw*

Hi Dask,
Good for you!
Years ago I was hired to clean out a house following a fire. I found a Craftsman contractors table saw in the rubble. It looked just like yours. It had been burned, soaked with water, and was every bit as rusted as yours. After some rewiring, hard scrubbing and polishing, it worked like new. I used it for years. Those old Craftsman saws were bullet proof. I only gave it up when I moved cross country and there was no room for it in the truck. I bought another one at a yard sale that currently serves me well.
Good luck.
Hillbilly


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## dask (Dec 24, 2011)

OPG3, feel blessed that you have the opportunity to rummage through your late fathers belongings...all those items were probably last touched by him and hold a part of him...btw, sorry for his passing.
As for "CLR", CALCIUM, LIME, RUST, yes, the stuff works great. I used it to clean all the internal parts of a Wagner airless sprayer that had sat for over 15 years. Its parts were coated with rust and paint mixture and when i soaked them in a high concentrate of around 80% CLR to water it removed all the impurities to bare metal. I think I left them in the solution for about a week.

Mike, thanks for the wax tip. As for the sleds, last Dec I built a sled on my little skil saw and last night I completed a mortise sled also for the skilsaw. I really dislike that tool, so I look forward when this tank is operational. I'm actually going to build the supersled that's featured on eaglelake woodworking.

Hilbilly, yes, this saw is bulletproof...I've only gotten into woodworking in the past 6 months but I was in construction most of my life. I've seen the name craftsman referred to as "Crapsman", but if this is how crap is built, then give me more. I cleaned up the fence last night and reassembled the micro adjustment mechanism with a spring from a salvaged printer and it works fine. The fence grips very tight and has zero diflection...I'm in no hurry to build or buy a new fence.

Another thing I admire about this saw...look at the wording above the MFG DATE on the label.
MADE IN USA...not some crap built overseas and mostly made of plastic.
Built in 1970 when this country hadn't sold its manufacturing soul to China.


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## 57759 (Apr 8, 2011)

*craftsman aw restoration*

This thread of bringing an old abandon piece of equipment back to life is just what I enjoy reading about. It kind of reminds me of my saw that didn't have a stand to sit on or a motor mount but it did have a motor. My saw is about 20 years older and I don't believe it was ever made with a stand but the purchaser was to build his own and probably from lumber.

While finding it difficult to hinge a mounting plate for the motor, I happened to pick up an old Craftsman band saw on a stand for 5 ones at auction, abandoned the saw I didn't need and cut the stand down 5" in height for the saw. It only left about 4" at the rear to mount a motor so pictured is what I ended up with. It beats any hinged motor mount ever made because if you desire to take the motor off or change belts one just simply picks the motor up. Talk about set up for a thief.

It's just a shelf made of 3/4 cabinet birch ply and is doubled in front where the carriage bolts attach it to the steel stand. Two side pieces attached to prevent squirm and it just sets there running the old saw smooth as silk. If the belt stretches too much a loose shim is just added in front of the motor base to scoot it to the rear just a bit so the base doesn't touch in the rear allowing the motor weight to tension the belt. In those days a 1/2 horse motor was heavy enough to do just that. If you would like the tension removed from the belt when not in use just put a wood shim under the motor at the rear.

So if you need a inexpensive handy motor mount for anything this is one way to overcome your needs.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi 

I also like the old cast iron type one of my table saw is a 1/2HP Atlas made in the 1940"s just like the Craftmans in the pictures,I use it all the time for just everything.

Just a note the 1/2HP motor is all need.it will do all I ask of it,I did rework the top to rip 28" wide stock easy and true.

===


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## stan2602 (Jan 26, 2012)

Mike,
I found a great wax for my table saw, you guys dont laugh but I use murray's australian beeswax its for your hair but It works realy good and have been using it for years. I also use it on my old AMT lath chuck. I found it at family dollar for $3.50


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## dask (Dec 24, 2011)

Took off the base for some deep cleaning...dirt, clay some rust just caked on. This isn't gonna be easy and might take more time to clean than I thought.










First a nice hosing to knock everything loose and then laundry detergent and a steel brush and scrape away...man this stuff is dried in there pretty good..._btw, this pic was taken after I had already scrubbed it once. I rinsed it off, and now its sitting in my driveway in a solution of water and laundry detergent._










I was planning on adding a new padle switch anyway but once I opened up the old switch case I knew I didn't have a choice but to replace the switch  











*I'm thinking of taking the saw trunnion off the top for a better cleaning but I'm worried I might have trouble realigning the system properly once I take it off.
What do you guys think?*


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## dask (Dec 24, 2011)

*found a motor...*

I've been searching on craigslist and ebay for AC motors and have been overwhelmed at the prices. 1 HP motors ranging $100+then add delivery. At the price of the motor I can find a TS for almost the same price.
So back to the recycling center and I've had my eye on his motor for months that was attached to a pressure washer.
What do you guys think? Any suggestions? 
RPM are what is required. 
1 to 1.5 is recommended for HP, but I don't think 2 HP will cause any problems.
At 17A its gonna have a little more juice than the standard motors.
Dual capacitors!
5/8 keyed shaft.
So if this motor will fit my needs all that's missing is a a machined or cast iron pulley on the trunnion and motor, a link belt, a paddle switch and a motor bracket that go for $12 on eBay delivered.

BTW...cost of motor...$10 bucks


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## dask (Dec 24, 2011)

Alrighty...Im thinking of going with a double pulley and a link belt. Do you guys have any recommandations where i can find these items with the best bang for the buck?


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

Funny you should mention pulley's as I just had to replace one on my Craftsman table saw that is similar to yours. I didn't go with a double pulley, but I did buy one from grizzly.com. Grizzly.com® -- Product Categories I will say the pulley that I got from Grizzly was far better made then the original that came on the saw. The pulleys with a 5/8 bore fits perfectly.

I did also buy a linked belt from Harbor Freight. It is 5' long, and with their 20% off coupon, you can get it for under $20.


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## dask (Dec 24, 2011)

NiceG316 said:


> Funny you should mention pulley's as I just had to replace one on my Craftsman table saw that is similar to yours. I didn't go with a double pulley, but I did buy one from grizzly.com. Grizzly.com® -- Product Categories I will say the pulley that I got from Grizzly was far better made then the original that came on the saw. The pulleys with a 5/8 bore fits perfectly.
> 
> I did also buy a linked belt from Harbor Freight. It is 5' long, and with their 20% off coupon, you can get it for under $20.


Thanks for the info. I was looking for a link belt at a good price and HF's price is perfect. I haven't been able to find a 2.5" diameter pulley at Grizzly but i found some good cast iron ones at Grainger.
For cost purposes I think I'm gonna pass on the double groove pulleys for now.

UPDATE: found a double groove 2" OD pulley but my craftsman TS specs list a 2.5" pulley. If i change both pulleys to 2" will my table saw explode?  

Double-V-Groove-Pulley-2-Pitch-Dia-5/8Bore/G6263


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## boogalee (Nov 24, 2010)

dask said:


> Thanks for the info. I was looking for a link belt at a good price and HF's price is perfect. I haven't been able to find a 2.5" diameter pulley at Grizzly but i found some good cast iron ones at Grainger.
> For cost purposes I think I'm gonna pass on the double groove pulleys for now.
> 
> UPDATE: found a double groove 2" OD pulley but my craftsman TS specs list a 2.5" pulley. If i change both pulleys to 2" will my table saw explode?
> ...


2.5 with 5/8 bore @amazon.com
Amazon.com: 2.50" x 5/8" Double V Groove Pulley / Sheave # 2BK25X5/8: Home Improvement


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## dask (Dec 24, 2011)

boogalee said:


> 2.5 with 5/8 bore @amazon.com
> Amazon.com: 2.50" x 5/8" Double V Groove Pulley / Sheave # 2BK25X5/8: Home Improvement


As much as I want to I'm not willing to pay $12 bucks shipping for such a small item. 2 pulleys will run me $ 50 bucks total. Cnat justify that price, so I will be buying single groove.


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## Dmeadows (Jun 28, 2011)

dask said:


> As much as I want to I'm not willing to pay $12 bucks shipping for such a small item. 2 pulleys will run me $ 50 bucks total. Cnat justify that price, so I will be buying single groove.


Kyriakos, I think you are better off with a single pulley on that saw anyway!


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## bclarknc (Feb 28, 2012)

I don't know the difference in using single vs. double pulleys, but why not check OWWM.org, there's some good guys on there willing to help out. I may have one, but I have to get all my old machines back together!


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## Clouseau (Oct 12, 2009)

I have a similar saw and use a 1.5hp Baldor motor. The biggest disappointment you will have with it is the fence. Try to find a fence that locks in the front before locking in the rear. I installed a Delta Unifence on mine and couldn't be happier with it. It made a great difference. I think there is a Delta T2 available that others have said workd good also.
Dan coleman


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## dask (Dec 24, 2011)

OK...this restoration just took a slight turn. I bought a Craftsman TS on Sunday for $50 bucks.
Its model number 113.298840. I'm going to use the 2 cast iron pulleys that came with that saw and are in excellent condition. It has a 1 1/2 HP motor with an attached on/off switch and a base. So I will be stripping these items off the latest TS and fast tracking my restoration. I will also be building a biesemeyer fence from plans I found on the internet.
Also, the saw being restored comes with 10" aluminum extensions. The saw below comes with 12" cast iron web extensions...I will be exchanging the extensions and using the iron web ones.

Here's a pic of the new saw.


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

Good plan. I have often been tempted to buy another TS similar to mine to get some of the missing parts that I don't have on mine.


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## dask (Dec 24, 2011)

*Naval Jelly*

Took all the bolts, nuts and washers off the stand, motor, extensions and cabinet due to excessive rust. I pondered buying all new bolts and accessories but the stand carriage bolts are very hard to find cauz the bolt has grooves cut into the so they will tighten without slipping and where bolt meets head the the bolt is round and all the carriage bolts I find have a square. portion..so long story, short. I decided to try naval jelly and wow...im very impressed. I threw the hardware in a plastic container, poured some right into the container, shook well till all the hardware was covered. I let is sit for 30 minutes while continuously shaking every few minutes to help the process. I then rinsed all the jelly off, places the hardware on a towel to dry and then sprayed them with silicone to prevent further rust.


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## bclarknc (Feb 28, 2012)

Please keep us, or me at least, posted. I have three different Craftsman and one old Rockwell/Delta table saws that I planned to use the best parts to build my ideal machine, and fix up all the old ones to sell. I still haven't figured out what to do. I have multiple craftsman fences, one has the short, almost triangular arm but fits on a round guide, two are from the agled guides and the other is for the one with the shorter bed that I mainly bought for the motor. The Rockwell/Delta is all there as far as I can tell except the fence, but came with the round guides along with an old style Delta Unisaw fence and front rail. I have them spread out between three places and it's really ridiculous that I haven't got one going, I just have so much going on I haven't really figured out what to do. Maybe it's time to sit down and take pics of it all and ask on here under my own post


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## dask (Dec 24, 2011)

just took off the cast iron web extentions and noticed one of them had a curved surface. Guess I won't be using these extentions anytime soon. How the heck does a piece of metal that durable get such a pronounced curve running through it?


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## dask (Dec 24, 2011)

UPDATE: since finding that saw at the recycling center I've bought 3 more model 113 saws on CL of different varitions. I have become obsessed with this model 113 TS. Im going to make a custom PALS kit for it next week andfor will takeI pics ofand the process. I've already collected most of the steel to make a homemade beismeyer fence and have a set of real nice cast iron extensions that I might use on it instead of the aluminum ones that came with it. Although I now have 3 craftsman motors im still going to modify and use the 2 hp one. As for the base...im either going to wait to find the base for this TS (not standard size) or build a metal frame from scratch or a wooden cabinet.


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## Ironman50 (Jun 5, 2012)

Hats off to you Sir for bringing this tool back to its former shine and elegance. Sounds like a good plan with your update. It is always a delight for me stumbling upon people who have so much interest with what others might consider as “trash”.


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