Brian J Smith
01-24-2010, 10:51 PM
So I think I lucked out a few months ago and found a Powermatic 66 on craigslist.com and was quick enough to be the first person to show up to the seller. I got the saw and 7 various industrial carbide tipped blades and a dado set for $850.00
Its a PM 66, left tilt, 1985 52" 3-ph 5 HP model used in a cabinet shop, The rails are not currently installed, and I have the blade guard and he original miter gauge. I have spent the past 2 months getting it down into the basement, getting 100A subpanel in the basement, waiting for the inspection, running 25ft of 6/4 for a 50A circuit, installing a rotary power converter, re-wiring the saw for a power plug installing an outlet, cleaning the top.
It has been a bigger project than I had expected. (ok much bigger) But the saw finally got running this week and after some adjusting of the top it runs true within .002, and the new Incra 1000SE miter gauge let me cut a 1" block within those .002 and it is much quieter than my crappy 9 year old craftsman saw that I have hated (and been scared of because it was so wobbly).
The rails are pretty cosmetically beat up (as is the cabinet) but they work fine. I am thinking of getting the INCRA table fence so I haven't put them back on yet. I have a few small parts that need replacement (plastic nobs for the adjustment wheels).
But I have three problems that I am looking for advise on:
1. I think I might have to shim the right wing, but not sure because it droops starting from about 2 inches from the right of the blade (not from the wing) (I would guess the droop is 1/16 or less)
2. I can't for the life of me get the blade off. I have already completely destroyed a milescraft blade changer (that was a waste of 12 bucks) and quiet of few chucks of wood.
3. The blade height adjustment has a lot of play in it, I can make 1 or two turns without anything happening going up or down, the manual isn't really clear what you need to do to fix this up (page 13)
Any Powermatic 66 owners willing toss me some advise?
Its a PM 66, left tilt, 1985 52" 3-ph 5 HP model used in a cabinet shop, The rails are not currently installed, and I have the blade guard and he original miter gauge. I have spent the past 2 months getting it down into the basement, getting 100A subpanel in the basement, waiting for the inspection, running 25ft of 6/4 for a 50A circuit, installing a rotary power converter, re-wiring the saw for a power plug installing an outlet, cleaning the top.
It has been a bigger project than I had expected. (ok much bigger) But the saw finally got running this week and after some adjusting of the top it runs true within .002, and the new Incra 1000SE miter gauge let me cut a 1" block within those .002 and it is much quieter than my crappy 9 year old craftsman saw that I have hated (and been scared of because it was so wobbly).
The rails are pretty cosmetically beat up (as is the cabinet) but they work fine. I am thinking of getting the INCRA table fence so I haven't put them back on yet. I have a few small parts that need replacement (plastic nobs for the adjustment wheels).
But I have three problems that I am looking for advise on:
1. I think I might have to shim the right wing, but not sure because it droops starting from about 2 inches from the right of the blade (not from the wing) (I would guess the droop is 1/16 or less)
2. I can't for the life of me get the blade off. I have already completely destroyed a milescraft blade changer (that was a waste of 12 bucks) and quiet of few chucks of wood.
3. The blade height adjustment has a lot of play in it, I can make 1 or two turns without anything happening going up or down, the manual isn't really clear what you need to do to fix this up (page 13)
Any Powermatic 66 owners willing toss me some advise?