Table Saw blade changing

[Mark Rios]

What do all you folks change your TS blades with? In other words, how do you hold the blade while loosening and tightening the blade?

I have an eight year old Ridgid TS2424 so it doesn't have any kind of flat on the arbor or a hole through the arbor or anything like that (like you folks out there with those really nice TS's). I've tried the Bench Dog blade holder but is didn't work very well at all after three or four uses.

I'm currently using a SAW-JAW. It holds the blade well but will still let it slip if I apply enough force. However, I find that I probably have been tightening the blade more than I really need to. When I tighten it appropriately it works just fine.

Just wondering what everyone else uses.

[Vaughn McMillan]

Mark, my current TS uses two wrenches, so I no longer have to hold the blade while loosening the arbor nut, but with previous saws, I just always used a piece of scrap lumber, firmly but gently jammed into the blade teeth to keep it from turning.

If you find that whatever you're using to hold the blade is slipping when you try to loosen the arbor nut, it's likely you're torquing the nut tighter than it needs to be, IMHO.

HTH -

- Vaughn

[Jim W. White]

Peice of scrap wood pulled off the floor.

Pretty low tech, but it helps me feel better about the pile of cutoffs and trim peices that accumulate beside my saw for quite some time between cleanings ;)

[Jim Becker]

Two wrenches. One holds the arbor; the other gets the nut. (Jet LT Cabinet Saw)

[Steve Clardy]

I use my small skinny wood push stick. Hold it between the plate opening and a tooth on the blade

[Mark Rios]

Mark, my current TS uses two wrenches, so I no longer have to hold the blade while loosening the arbor nut, but with previous saws, I just always used a piece of scrap lumber, firmly but gently jammed into the blade teeth to keep it from turning.

If you find that whatever you're using to hold the blade is slipping when you try to loosen the arbor nut, it's likely you're torquing the nut tighter than it needs to be, IMHO.

HTH -

- Vaughn


Yeah, your right on Vaughn. Like I mentioned, I finally figured it out after the blade slipped the first time while using the Saw Jaw. Since then it's worked just fine. My bonehead factor continues to rear it's ugly head.


I've used a wood scrap before as well but it jsut made me feel kinda wierd putting all that pressure on the blade and bearings of the saw. Putting the blade on wasn't too big of a deal since the teeth dig in to the wood but taking it off I had to apply alot of prressure. Of course, like we talked about, I was probably tightening too much.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

The traditional way is to Jam a stick of wood between the trunion and the blade. Push against the cutting edge of the teeth while you torque the arbor nut.

The modern way is to buy a saw with an arbor lock or a two wrench setup.

Traditional works just fine.

[Ian Barley]

I'm pretty sure everybody will cringe at this but it works fine. I use a pair of mole grips or a C-Clamp - whichever comes handy. Adjust so that they lightly clamp the body (not the cutting teeth) of the blade and let them rest against the table. - Works a treat for me - never slip and has never damaged a blade.

[Bob Rufener]

When I first started woodworking, I took a table saw workshop through Rockler. The instructor was a cabinet maker. His thought was that you don't really have to crank down that hard when you tighten the blade as the blade turns the opposite way of the threaded nut (left hand thread). I follow his advice and much of the time, I don't need a piece wood stuck under the teeth. I just grip the blade with my free hand and loosen it. I have never had a blade come loose while sawing.

[Ray Bersch]

Mark,
I have the same saw - it uses two wrenches - those that come with the saw are flat steel. They are thin and a little uncomfortable to use, but work very well.....and no, you don't have to crank down the arbor nut, just snug it up.

I assume you do not have the originals, so let me know and I'll find out the size if you like so you can buy replacements - the arbor is an open end and the nut is a box end - they are of different size.
Ray

[Mark Singer]

A block of wood laying on the saw against the teeth to hold the blade to loosen.....holding the blade in my hand and tightening with one rench to tighten.

[Al Navas]

About a year ago I changed to the Blade-Loc tool, which I now prefer to the old stick method others mention above:

http://www.woodcraft.com/images/Family/web3686.jpg

But to tighten the blade I still prefer the stick method, as the Blade-Loc tool feels "backward".

[Greg Koch]

My old Rockwell uses a large Allen wrench in the center of the Arbor and an open wrench for the nut.

[Brent Harral]

I use the scrap wood method for loosening. As said, you really don't need a lot of torque to tighten so I just tighten the arbor nut by hand, then pull the blade forward so the wrench hits the front inside of the insert, then pull the blade snug with my hand towards me.

[Michael Gibbons]

I have a Delta cabinet saw with two wrenches.

[Mark Rios]

Mark,
I have the same saw - it uses two wrenches - those that come with the saw are flat steel. They are thin and a little uncomfortable to use, but work very well.....and no, you don't have to crank down the arbor nut, just snug it up.

I assume you do not have the originals, so let me know and I'll find out the size if you like so you can buy replacements - the arbor is an open end and the nut is a box end - they are of different size.
Ray
Your offer is very kind Ray, but maybe we have different vintages or something. I've owned the saw since it was new and I still have a plastic bag with all paperwork and accessories that came with the saw including the original wrench. The only flats for a wrench are on the nut itself. The arbor shaft itself is smooth and round. Thank you very much though.

[Tom Clevenger]

Hi Mark

Everybody seems to agree that a piece of wood is probably the best if you can't use two wrenchs.

My saw is hard wired and I can't unplug it when I change the blade. It makes me cringe when I grip the saw blade with my hands so I shut off the breaker at the panel to change blades. To make sure I always do this, I hang my blade changing wrenches on a peg next to the cabinet. I have to walk across the shop to get the wrenches so why not shut off the breaker while I am there.

Tom

[Tom Jones III]

I grab the blade with a towel. I think it was Charles from Freud ??? who responded to a post a long time ago saying that most people way over tighten their TS blades.

[Larry Browning]

Putting the blade on wasn't too big of a deal since the teeth dig in to the wood

This statement made me go Huh??? My saw is just the opposite, I think that is right anyway unless my rememberer is broken. The teeth dig into the wood as I loosen the nut by pulling the wrench to me. I have a left tilt Grizzly 1023. Does this mean that the left tilt saws loosen by pulling the wrench and right tilts by pushing the wrench? Well, I guess that would make since. Just one more thing that is different about the left tilt saws.

[Vaughn McMillan]

This statement made me go Huh??? My saw is just the opposite, I think that is right anyway unless my rememberer is broken. The teeth dig into the wood as I loosen the nut by pulling the wrench to me. I have a left tilt Grizzly 1023. Does this mean that the left tilt saws loosen by pulling the wrench and right tilts by pushing the wrench? Well, I guess that would make since. Just one more thing that is different about the left tilt saws.
I was thinking the same thing, Larry, but then again, my rememberer isn't as good as I seem to remember it being, either. I have a left tilt saw, too, so I also don't know if it differs on right tilt machines.

- Vaughn

[Mark Rios]

Larry Browning
Quote:
This statement made me go Huh??? My saw is just the opposite, I think that is right anyway unless my rememberer is broken. The teeth dig into the wood as I loosen the nut by pulling the wrench to me. I have a left tilt Grizzly 1023. Does this mean that the left tilt saws loosen by pulling the wrench and right tilts by pushing the wrench? Well, I guess that would make since. Just one more thing that is different about the left tilt saws.


Vaughn McMillan
Quote:

I was thinking the same thing, Larry, but then again, my rememberer isn't as good as I seem to remember it being, either. I have a left tilt saw, too, so I also don't know if it differs on right tilt machines.

- Vaughn


Sure, the threads go a different way on a left tilt, don't they? Why don't you left tilt guys grow up and get a REAL saw that tilts to the right, huh? :D :D :D

Just teasin', Just teasin'.......Please......don't hurt me. :D :D :D :D :D