Craftsman 113.298240 tilting mechanism

[JohnRoy McVicker]

I bought this saw roughly two years ago from the original owner and it has been great for my needs right now. However I just ran into my first issue. I was going to build some French cleats in my garage for some tool storage and I tried to tilt the arbor to 45 degrees but it was super tough to move at first. With some heat and lubrication I got the crank moving pretty smooth but it will not go all the way to 45 degrees.


As I started investigating further I noticed the side of the case where the crank it located was bulging out.


It seems the screw gets to a certain point where it is super loose and the whole assembly will move. It is hard to describe but I did create a video of it. (https://youtu.be/pElDWGYCT_0)


I also noticed that the bearing retainer is loose and now appears to be bent. I wonder if this is the cause of all of my issues?

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Update

I found someone selling the same saw on the Facebook Marketplace for $25. It was left outside so the top is really rusty but I figured it would be a good parts saw. Thankfully the owner left the motor in the house so I figured that was worth it alone.


The tilt mechanism on the parts saw worked very smoothly and it went to 45 degrees so I figured I could just pull the tile screw and bearing retainer and install it in my saw. Well after doing that I still have the same issue where I can not get mine to 45 degrees and I’m still seeing the bulging in the case.


I was hoping to not to disassemble the saw but I’m wondering if I need a closer look but I’m not sure what to check. My first thought would be to also swap the saw base to see if that corrects my issue. It looks like it attaches to the table with a few bolts. But I’m not sure that will fix my issue.

[Lee Schierer]

I have the 113.298720 model saw which is nearly the same as yours. Here is a link to the owners manual and parts breakdown (https://www.searspartsdirect.com/manual/5nb2de1yz6-000247/craftsman-113298240-table-saw). There are two things to check. First check the tilt stops inside the base are properly set and that there is not an accumulation of sawdust and grease against the stops.
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Second, the saw tilt carriage rides on two die cast semicircular hangers (part #15). Sawdust can accumulate in the grooves and prevent the full range of motion.
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Your tilt handle and shaft should not move in and out as you show in your video, It appears that the bracket holding the ball on the shaft in place is bent.

These saws can be very precisely aligned for cutting, It does take some effort and patience, but you can dial them in to under .001" with a dial indicator and they hold the adjustment well. The factory fence and miter gauge are junk so look for an aftermarket fence and miter gauge. You'll want to switch to a link belt and machined pulleys for smoother operation. I routinely cut 1" stock of oak, hickory, cherry and maple with full kerf blades with no problem.

[Curt Harms]

It's been years since I had that saw but I had a similar issue. Mine worked perfectly once I loosened the tilt lock on the front under the table.

[glenn bradley]

It's been years since I had that saw but I had a similar issue. Mine worked perfectly once I loosened the tilt lock on the front under the table.

That's funny . .. and you are not alone in doing that ;-)

I added a piece of plywood to that panel on my 113. saw for a little reinforcement. It helped quite a bit with the tilt movement.

[Lee Schierer]

It's been years since I had that saw but I had a similar issue. Mine worked perfectly once I loosened the tilt lock on the front under the table.

I assume the OP knows to loosen it and that it is sort of a ratchet so you can loosen it more than 180 degree swing by pushing in on the handle while swinging it the other way.