Soundular Electronics: Fixing tools

I borrowed my Dad's table saw a few years ago. It came in quite handy while I was building shelves, and even more handy while I was making the 2x12 speaker cab. On the very last cut I had to make, something went wrong. The lights in my house dimmed, then I heard the circuit breaker pop. Then smoke started rolling out of the table saw motor.

To quote Rick Perry again, "Ooops."

Well, No matter, I took apart the saw and pulled out the motor. It took about an hour and some wrenches to figure it out. I typed the model number into google and found a website that offers replacement motors.

http://www.ereplacementparts.com/

For a mere $200, I can repair my Dad's table saw! I called up my pops to see if it was even worth it to go through the trouble. He said it's like 25 years old, (makes sense the motor burned out, especially with the original, dull blade still attached), and that it was a middle of the line product, which it turns out is still quite expensive. I looked around online and a new equivalent would cost about $1000. My dad didn't want the saw back, and said that if I replace the motor it's mine! Wooo!

New motor: $200
New 10'' blade: $30
The ability to cut off my fingers accidentally: Priceless

Anyway, here's some pics.

Disassembled table saw

When I take stuff like this apart, I put the nuts and bolts back where they should be and screw it in a few turns just to remember where they went. When you go months between taking apart and putting back together, it's easy to forget.

So I started by installing the new motor, and then bolting the chassis and motor mount back to the table.

New Motor!

Re-attach the wires. This follows standard home electrical wiring. Black = Hot, White = neutral, Green = ground. Notice that one white wire has a connector on it, and one is bare. The green and black wires have the proper connectors, so this one probably fell off at some point.

Good thing I just happen to have a spare!

I re installed the wiring box and the clips to hold the wires down.

Now it's time to turn it on and make sure everything works before I install the new blade and the rest of the base.

WARNING: I've learned a few lessons building and repairing things. Number one: Be safe. Always be safe. You don't want to lose an eye or a finger. I know I sound like an old codger, but seriously. I've tempted fate too many times. Circuits exploding. Razer blades snapping and flying at my eyes. I've gotten wires shoved under my fingernails. Metal shavings into my eye. I've seen people accidentally shove screw drivers into their hands. In this situation, the table saw has a fuse, so I don't need to worry about electrical hazards. The only thing left is to put on your safety glasses. Always put on your safety glasses.

I'm taking to YOU.

Well what do you know, I turned it on and it ran just fine. Nothing shook loose, nothing flew at my face. Huzzah! Now you take off your safety glasses.

Time to install the blade. This is the old blade. It's a 10'' blade, and has like 24 or 30 teeth... I don't really know. As replacement, I purchased a 40 tooth Diablo blade for about $30. All I know about saw blades is that the more teeth, the cleaner the cut.

25 years of gummy gummy crap

Left: Old and busted Right: New hotness

Odd tip... most circular saws I've used have a reverse thread where the blade attaches. It's righty loosey, lefty tighty. I put the blade in, and couldn't resist a Tim Tayler grunt or two.