Arbor wrench

[Chris Barnett]

Need a flat 22mm open end wrench for a Grizzly 1023 SLW table saw, i. e. a flat wrench with 22mm jaw. Having read about a disaster when a blade came off an arbor, cinched mine down well. The wrench furnished with the table saw bent rather badly, because perhaps it's either made of mild steel or I tightened more than I thought [appropriately giving Grizzly benefit of doubt...it was probably me though].

Regardless of the cause, I would like to find a stronger flat wrench that is perhaps heat treated. I bent mine back into shape twice, and bent again both times. If a replacement is ordered (rather costly for just a wrench) the same problem could well occur. An alternative would be to purchase an open end wrench and grind it flat, or fab one from flat stock, which I could do but not heat treat, which is probably needed for strength, perhaps not done with the original tool.

Any ideas....or known source for a stronger wrench? I am making a spice rack for daughter, and might be between a rock and a hard place if I don't figure this out. Such a simple problem...aren't they all though.

[John Downey]

Got a crescent wrench? :D

[Jacob Reverb]

Why are you tightening it so tight? I've never worried about going crazy tightening the nut, since on my saw the nut gets tightened by the saw when you use it...

If I needed a new wrench, I think I'd just buy one from Sears or something.

[denis tuomey]

Chris, I've had the same thing happen with my 1023, I've had to pound it back many times but now I just snugg it up real good and so far its beendoing ok.

[Mike Cutler]

Go to your local "high end" bicycle store, or online, and order a Park Tools, 22mm Cone Wrench.

[Jeff Duncan]

What was this "disaster" your read about? Arbor nuts will tighten themselves in use and should not be tightened that hard. There's little to no chance of a blade coming loose with a simple snugging up in the nut. I use a shop rag for tightening and loosening the nut, grab the blade with the rag and use the wrench to tighten/loosen. If it's harder to loosen than what I can grip in my hand....it's too tight!

For now just loosen it up with a block of wood and an adjustable wrench. Going forward you should realize that if your bending even the weak metal wrenches your over-tightening the blade. Probably not good in the long run to get a stronger wrench and keep using the same practice;)

good luck,
JeffD

[glenn bradley]

First off I went to Sears and bought a 22mm tappet wrench (like any other open end wrench but, less than 1/4" thick which is what I needed). That was thin enough to fit behind the arbor flange which is what I think you are trying to accomplish(?).

Second, "snug" is plenty tight. The nut will self-tighten due to the blade direction. If someone implied that their arbor nut flew off due to it being a "little" loose . . . . well . . . . er . . . . consider the source I guess because, that ain't happenin'. Maybe if they didn't even finger tighten it and it was free-wheeling on the arbor maybe but even then . . . . . hmmmm . . . . er . . . . ;).

[jack forsberg]

here is a video i made on how to change a blade with a stick and one wrench. I have never used that thin wrench on the arbor. Note:::: this method is for saws with out braking


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v45jBhD7poA&feature=c4-overview&list=UUI6jpIs2zjN9DmVvK2ZAWXA

jack
English machines

[Doug Ladendorf]

Nice video Jack. Thanks for posting.

[David C. Roseman]

Chris, in case you haven't seen it, here's a link to another thread started yesterday discussing a similar issue. http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?205560-Bent-my-arbor-wrench-G1023 What are the chances? :)

Won't a standard-thickness 7/8" open-end wrench fit on the flats of your arbor? It works on the 22mm flats of my G1023, although that is a right-tilt saw, while yours is left-tilt. Actually, I always just use a scrap of wood or a push stick to jam the teeth of the blade when loosening or tightening the arbor nut.

David

[Ole Anderson]

I have NEVER had the need to hold the arbor on my G1023 with a wrench. I just hold the blade with my hand and use a wrench on the nut to tighten it. A 7/8" works fine. Currently I use the socket style wrench that came with my Freud dial-a-dado blade set. The nut will tend to tighten with use, so I need something better than my hand to hold it while loosening it. I use one of those orange plastic blade holders (Bench Dog Blade Loc) to hold the blade when loosening the nut. It doesn't work with the dado set, so I just use a rag to hold it, or if it is really stuck, I will jam it with a piece of wood.http://c.shld.net/rpx/i/s/pi/mp/31225/1197332310?src=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.mydoitbest.com%2 Fimagerequest.aspx%3Fsku%3D366204&d=d16d9c18545926a47f17b47741aefcf87e095d81

[John Conklin]

I don't understand why you specifically say you want a flat and open wrench. I "misplaced" the wrench that came with my Unisaw when I moved. I just bought a quality box/open end wrench and wish I would have done it long ago. I think the box end gives much better purchase on the nut and the angle keeps my hand away from the teeth. Don't know if that it would work on a Grizzly saw, but would think that the set-up would be similar.

[Rich Engelhardt]

If you bent your wrench using that much pressure, then along with a new wrench pick up a good forged arbor flange & while you're at it, new blades & new ZCI's.

Putting too much force on the arbor nut will distort the flange - it will bend blades - and those bent blades will tear up ZCI's.

Rather than posting DAMHIKT - (don't ask me how I know this) - I'd gladly volunteer my "rookie mistake".

As others have pointed out, the rotation of the blade will tighten the nut.
By the time I'd found out that piece of information, I'd already "gorilla -ed" my arbor flange out of whack, bent my thin kerf combo blade - which tore up the side of a Leecraft ($23.95 from Woodcraft) ZCI.
All told, it cost me close to $100 - just for being ignorant.

HTH- and hope it saves some other poor soul $100...

[Wade Lippman]

I'd already "gorilla -ed" my arbor flange out of whack, bent my thin kerf combo blade - which tore up the side of a Leecraft ($23.95 from Woodcraft) ZCI.
All told, it cost me close to $100 - just for being ignorant.


How did you fix a whacked flange for under $100?

I always finger tighten the nut and find it gets plenty tight when used.

[Rich Engelhardt]

How did you fix a whacked flange for under $100?
eReplacements - it ran under $5.00.
We may be talking about two different things. What I call the "flange" - is the washer that goes between the nut and the blade.
For anyone else that owns a Ridgid TS3660 like mine - - that washer is no longer available....I just looked it up...

[Mark W Pugh]

here is a video i made on how to change a blade with a stick and one wrench. I have never used that thin wrench on the arbor.

jack
English machines

Awesome tutorial. I read the other thread and never understood the tendency to WAY over torque the arbor nuts. If you are bending wrenches, you are WAY over tightening. JMO

[Chris Barnett]

Thanks for all the info....have been away and could not get back until now. The wrench is the open end for the shaft, not the closed end for the nut. I usually just snug but while putting in on last time, thinking about the post, I gave it an extra ugh, and noticed when I tried to remove the nut that the open end seemed to give. The two arms bent, which I straightened, but they again bent making the tool useless.

I remember that the nut spun on fine but tightening was a little unusual...maybe some dirt or dust on the threads. I have an old Sears 12 inch radial arm saw that has not been used for maybe 10 years or more, but cannot find the tools (placed so I could certainly find when I needed them).

The post that discussed a blade coming off the arbor was here, and I have been concerned ever since, although I have been using power saws for 40 years...never too old to learn. I think someone posted the size so I will recheck, but I think that was the nut size which may be different.

Again, thanks for the help.

[Ole Anderson]

On the other hand, I do remember always using two wrenches on the old RAS I had for years before I got my TS. They were flat stamped wrenches, but were hardened, so they never distorted.

[glenn bradley]

I think someone posted the size so I will recheck, but I think that was the nut size which may be different.

Again, thanks for the help.

Silly me. I just noticed that while my previous cab saw was 22mm (7/8") on either side of the blade, my current saw has different sizes . . . doh!