Toolheads..

[xprime]

I was curious if anyone can offer a solution to this problem.

I have a contractor table saw that has some vibration, too much for my needs. The saw sits on a mobile base so i can roll it around. It also has cast iron wings, something not usually found on contractor saws and is one of the reasons why I bought it.
I has a standard v-belt, I have heard that someone sells a belt that helps reduce the vibration, but I don't know anyone using one.
I have tried locking down the tilt mechanism, changing the blade and tightening the arbor nut. The result is the same. Removing the saw from the mobile base is not an option.

Any ideas?

[{OF}BadDaWg]

I would not necessarily blame the belt.
Yes, it sounds like something is running out of balance.
But, have you checked for a bent pulley?
If it is running out of round, it will vibrate.
Or, did the lock nut fall out of the pulley?
Also the blade?
Do you get the same vibration with a different blade?
If the belt has a spot where the blade bound up and the motor pulley burned a spot on the belt..... yes it could cause vibration.
Hope it is this simple!!

[xprime]

Alright.
I checked the blade, it is balanced with minimal run out.
The belt looks good, although it has 'grooves' or 'teeth'. I am not sure why, it seems the belt would make less contact with the pulleys. All lock nuts are tight.

One thing I noticed is that the motor pulley and the arbor pulley are not in perfect alignment. The pulleys themselves however are straight and rotate in round.

Also, I can pick the motor up in the back to remove or replace the belt. It does not tighten into position to run but rather sits there using it's own weight to apply belt tension. Picking the motor up 1/8" to 1/4" while it is running reduces the vibration 40-50%. But there is no way to adjust it to that position permanently.

[Smiley]

Does the vibration go away if you remove the belt so that the motor is only spinning it's own pulley?

Have you tried replacing the belt with a new one?

[{OF}BadDaWg]

Perfect alignment of the pulleys should not cause it, when you angle the blade the pulleys are no where near lined up.
Unless like you think , it might be the belt.
Take the thing off and see if there are any hard spots or spots where a pulley has caused a "divot" in the belt.

Other than that, maybe a bearing in the arbor or the motor??

Gosh, now ya got me puzzled.

[{OF}Blong]

the belt has "grooves" cut into it to make it grip better. It makes the belt form tighter around the pulleys. Sounds like you have the wrong belt because you said if you lift the motor up just a small amount the vibration goes away. If a belt is too tight it will cause a great deal of vibration. I have only seen 1 case where I work where a belt needs to be extremly tight and the machine was designed that way. If it is too loose you will get slippage (obviously hehe).

[slinki]

Does it vibrate when the saw is turned on or all the time? If it vibrates all the time I would call a priest.

Like smiley said, take the belt off and run it. If it vibrates it may be the motor armature. If it vibrates this way maybe removing the motor and running it completely seperate from the saw will tell you if the armature is bent. Make sure you hold on tight though, be careful.

Can your remove the saw from the cart? Have you tested it that way? Are all wheels on the cart firmly on the ground or is the cart warped or wanked?
You mentioned that raising the motor helps the vibration but could it just be you are stabilizing the entire thing?

Have you ran the saw without the blade and the nut/washers that hold it on but with the belt attached?

Can you adjust the pulley to better align with the pulley at the blade armature? Often times they have a set screw that allows you to slide the pulley on the armature.

[dudio]

Originally Posted by slinki

Does it vibrate when the saw is turned on or all the time? If it vibrates all the time I would call a priest.

ahhh ... the dudio School of Troubleshooting !

[xprime]

I called the priest a few doors down to see he could vanquish the demon from my power tool. He told me that he does not specialize in possessions of this nature, but for $200 he would take a look at it and see what he could do. He then referred me to a psychiatrist.

I removed the belt and ran it. The vibration stopped. I put the belt on and ran it without the blade. Still there.
Have not removed it from the cart or aligned the pulleys yet. Watching it run, I noticed the vibration originates from the rear, the motors 'hops' a bit.
When I remove the belt and hold it up, I can see the belt may have some 'memory' of either previous position or from being stored on the pulleys for some length of time until the machine is sold.

Anyone use one of these: http://www.rockler.com/ecom7/product...ctgroup_id=555

[Smiley]