Help Requested with Table Saw

[Bryan Youmans]

I have a Grizzly G1023 that has been acting strangely lately. I first noticed that I couldn't lower the blade all the way down so it was lower than the top. Then just yesterday I was lowering it to cut 1/4" plywood and it wouldn't spin when low. It has to be above a certain height for it to spin correctly. This is extremely worrying to me. I have no idea how to go about troubleshooting something like this. I've looked inside for obstructions and I don't see anything. Does anyone have any tips or suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

[glenn bradley]

Is this the version with the riving knife? Either way if the blade does not spin free when fully lowered, something is hitting the works; the mechanisms are just a bit different. If you are not running a ZCI and your DC doesn't have enough suck, it is easy for small chunks of material to fall into inconvenient places. Murphy being alive and well, this can happen no matter what :D. I think careful inspection will find the pulley/belts or blade itself coming to rest on something that shouldn't be there. Let's check that first and then move on.

[David Helm]

What Glenn said; and clean out sawdust from around the gears.

[Randy Red Bemont]

What Glenn said; and clean out sawdust from around the gears.

I was wondering if the sawdust built up enough to interfere with the saw.

Red

[Bryan Youmans]

OK Thanks for the replies. Like I said, I took a look around and didn't see anything obvious, but I didn't get all the way in there. It's actually kind of hard to get access to some of the internals but I'll try harder. This is the version with a riving knife (just bought it new in 2014), and I do use a ZCI. I cleaned out a lot of sawdust when I was looking around, but I'll look for more. I noticed the sawdust on some of the gears was a grimy paste, presumably due to grease on the gears; if I clean that off should I replace the grease (and if so, with what?)?

[Joe Kieve]

Quote: "I noticed the sawdust on some of the gears was a grimy paste, presumably due to grease on the gears; if I clean that off should I replace the grease (and if so, with what?)"

That could be what's causing an obstruction. Even if it's not the problem: Yes...clean off all the sawdust and grease on the gears. No...don't put grease back in there. Use some type of dry lube like spray graphite, Teflon, or even Johnson's paste wax. You want to use something that will dry and not gum up things again.

[Mike Wilkins]

I don't have that particular machine, but had a similar problem a few months ago. I got a flashlight and went inside the cabinet to find saw dust had caked on the operating screws, preventing movement upwards. Cleaning with a plastic-tipped brush and some lithium lube got things moving again.
This is now part of my yearly maintenance routine.

[glenn bradley]

I use a spray teflon that dries quickly or a spray silicone. Things like white lithium grease are great but, not so much on things that are in the path of flying chips.

[Bryan Youmans]

OK well I found the problem... a part in the motor that runs the arbor (part 37, "key 5x5x45" on page 83 http://cdn0.grizzly.com/manuals/g1023rl_m.pdf) came out and was bent...

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Does anyone know what this part does? If I had to guess I would say it was part of the arbor brake maybe? How, uh, safe would you think it would be to run without it while I ordered a replacement part? I have a ton of work on it I need to be doing... ugh. :(

[Howard Acheson]

The damage part pictured is called a "key". It goes into the slot you can see in the other picture and prevents the pulley from spinning on the motor shaft. The key is too damaged to use. Go to a hardware or machine shop and get a new key. Line up the slot on the motor shaft with the slot on the pulley and insert the key. You should have to lightly tap with a hammer.

[Mike Kees]

That key will be held in place with a set screw. It probally was not tightened . Look for a "hole " in the pulley somewhere in the belt grooves,there should be a allen srcew to tighten after the new key is inserted.

[Bryan Youmans]

Thank you both for your responses! I've ordered a new part from Grizzly but it will take about a week to get here. I'll look for the place to tighten it, thanks!

[Jerry Miner]

Any decent hardware store will have "key stock" on the shelf. IOW, you don't have to wait for a replacement part to ship. Allen screws, too.

[Bryan Youmans]

Doesn't look like it's available in my area, but thanks for the idea.

[Ronald Blue]

I don't know where your area is but look for a Fastenal. They keep keystock on hand. The metric dimension might make it not so easy to find.

[Bryan Youmans]

The damage part pictured is called a "key". It goes into the slot you can see in the other picture and prevents the pulley from spinning on the motor shaft. The key is too damaged to use. Go to a hardware or machine shop and get a new key. Line up the slot on the motor shaft with the slot on the pulley and insert the key. You should have to lightly tap with a hammer.

So I have the new key... the hole in the pulley and shaft is not lined up. Do you know how I can align it? Do I need to loosen the pulley do you think?

[Garth Almgren]

So I have the new key... the hole in the pulley and shaft is not lined up. Do you know how I can align it? Do I need to loosen the pulley do you think?
You'll need to pull the pulley off the shaft in order to get things lined up. You also will most likely need a 3 jaw puller to get the pulley off without damaging it or the shaft:
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Edit: Just about any auto parts store should be able to loan/rent you a puller for not a lot of money.

[Jerry Miner]

Without the key, the pulley should spin fairly freely on the shaft. Yours probably got a bit mangled as the key slipped out and the pulley spun.

I would (make sure the set screw is removed, then) pull the pulley off and clean up any burrs that have developed-- with a small stone or some emery cloth. Then re-assemble and line up the slots by eye and slip in the key. Then use a little Loctite on the set screw and tighten.

[Lee Schierer]

Then use a little Loctite on the set screw and tighten.

Good idea to use Loctite, but for this application you want to use the Blue colored Loctite not the red or green. Loctite is available at most hardware stores and both the blue and orange borg stores.

[Bryan Youmans]

Without the key, the pulley should spin fairly freely on the shaft. Yours probably got a bit mangled as the key slipped out and the pulley spun.

I would (make sure the set screw is removed, then) pull the pulley off and clean up any burrs that have developed-- with a small stone or some emery cloth. Then re-assemble and line up the slots by eye and slip in the key. Then use a little Loctite on the set screw and tighten.

So apparently what happened is that the set screws came out completely. Which would explain why when trying to follow instructions on how to release the pulley I couldn't get my allen wrench to find anything to turn... Anyway, found one in the bottom of the cabinet. No idea where the other is. I will try the blue loctite when I put them back in.

Is it common for normal operation to loosen them like that? Seems a bit scary. Only had it for a year and it's not like I'm cranking out projects all day every day. I guess I'll have to make a habit of checking and tightening the screws on a regular basis.

[Don Sundberg]

Most pulleys will have two setscrews, neither will typically line up with any hole in the shaft. One will be above the key to retain it. This is probably loose or missing on your saw. The second will be at some angle to the one lined up with the key. This makes sure the shaft is seated in a "corner" of the hole so there is not play between the shaft and pulley. Some pulleys will have 2 setscrews per hole, a primary one and a second one to jam the primary one. Think double nutting a bolt.


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[Justin Ludwig]

It's common for some Taiwanese assembly plants to miss small attention to detail items like this. They are few and far between, but still exist.


I guess I'll have to make a habit of checking and tightening the screws on a regular basis. Not necessary if you use the blue loctite.

I have a Griz planer that dropped a nut a couple years ago, I still can't find where it goes. :confused: Runs like a top and stays in alignment, so meh! I spent a whole day tearing it apart and putting it back together and perusing the schematic - I came to the conclusion that the nut was an "extra". I taped it to the side, just in case.