Delta Table Saw Problem

[jeff vanek]

my delta saw does not cut properly when the blade is at a 45. when the blade is a 90 deg. the saw cuts perfect, but when i tip the blade up to 45, the blade is binding in the back. the pieces of wood that i test always struggle to get thru the last couple of inches of the blade. this is not a new problem, it has been this way since i started using the saw, the model # is 36-454. anyone else have this problem?

[Dave Gaul]

Sounds to me like the blade is not parallel to the miter tracks, but you have your fence parallel to the blade.

[jeff vanek]

blade is parallel to the miter tracks. everything works great when the blade is at 90 deg. when its tipped to 45 deg, that when the problems start

[Cary Falk]

It sounds like the trunnion is not in the same plane as the table. You need to shim between the table and the trunnion. I forget if you have to shim the front or back for your situation. I am trying to find the place where I read it. Contractor saws are also known for going out of wack when tilting the blade. The 2 rod design of the trunnion is prone to rack when the blade it tilted. IT is probably slightly out when you move it back to 90.

[Dave Gaul]

If you are certain that the blade is true to the slots, and the fence is true to both, the only thing I can think of is something binding in the track of the trunions. Have you check to make sure all the gears & such are free & clear of dust and debris?

Or what Cary just said!

[Stan Krupowies]

There was just a post I saw the other day, pretty sure it was here but couldn't find it. Basically it said for this problem the table needs to be shimmed in, I'm pretty sure, the front to get rid of this problem. I will keep looking for that thread.

Edit: OK found it - http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?172757-Is-there-a-fix-for-this

[jeff vanek]

There was just a post I saw the other day, pretty sure it was here but couldn't find it. Basically it said for this problem the table needs to be shimmed in, I'm pretty sure, the front to get rid of this problem. I will keep looking for that thread.

Edit: OK found it - http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?172757-Is-there-a-fix-for-this

does the motor tilt up with the blade on a cabinet saw the same way it does with a contractor ?

[mickey cassiba]

Pretty common problem with the Delta contractors saws when tilting, the support bars do rack, unless the trunions are properly shimmed. We had lot's of returns due to this, the -454 as I recall was a Tupelo model, so it should be a little stouter, than the later off shore varieties. I've got some service notes here somewhere, if and when I find them I'll post them as a FYI thread if not a violation of the TOS. I'm no longer a Delta employee, so shouldn't be a conflict of interest, but, don't want to tick off any of the mods. They got enough on their collective plates. By thew way I have a -441B(lighter cousin of your model, and have no such issues.

[jeff vanek]

thanks mickey, appreciate. any info you can pass on. i called delta a few days ago when i was driving home from work, i didn't have the saw model with me at the time, the service tech said "yeah it's a common problem, just put a couple of washers under the front trunions"...i called back the next day, cause i didn't remember if he said to put them under the front or back trunion. i had my model number this time ( it was a different service tech) and he said to make sure the support brackets are parallel to each other, and didn't even mention the washers under the trunions...well the first thing i did was lay a piece of glass on the support brackets, and they are true, there is no play from corner to corner.

[Andrew Hughes]

Hi jeff,I have a delta cab saw about 8yrs now when i brought it home new i took the top off so i could move it out of the truck.I remember seeing a bunch of shims laying on the ground.I thought to myself wonder were these came from?So one day later i went to make a 45 and got the burn marks like you were described.And i did a little poking around figured out they did shim the top between the base cabinet and top.Mine took about1/16.From what i remember if the blade burns in the back shim the back.Wasnt too hard to do just need to keep your alinement tru.I use a master plate and dial indicater.Few differant ways that work .Hope this helps

[Jerome Hanby]

Sure would be good if we realized those shims were there in time to note where they were placed. I did basically the same thing when I was unloading my old Unisaw off my truck. Think I see a master plate in my future...

[Joseph Tarantino]

for those that are interested, this thread from the ridgid forum contains a paper on how to measure and quantify the amount of 45* bevel adjustment a saw might need:

http://www.ridgidforum.com/forum/t25836/

it was developed for the ridgid 4511, a hybrid that has cabinet mounted trunions, but the procedure and calculation will also work for contractor and cabinet saws.