Did I break my Makita LS-1013? Won't slide...

[Nathan Conner]

Someone who owns one of these - will you let me know what I did to it?

I'm a maroon, I know - not sure why, but it stopped sliding. I can get it to slide if I pick it up and shake it... Uhh, I don't think that's how it's supposed to work.

I remember about 4 or 5 months ago, I was "tuning" it - just setting square and making sure 45 was lined up, and I remember tightening a few bolts here and there that seemed loose to me. Somehow, I locked the slide. I didn't slide it after tightening, just left the shop, and it sat for a couple of months with no need for sliding.

Tried to use it, and the slide won't move without standing on it or shaking real hard and really putting your back into it. I'm sure there's a slide lock somewhere, but I know I didn't tighten anything by flipping the saw over - I think every tightening was from the top.

So, someone has one of these, and is chuckling. Can you tell me what I did to it? I've had 3 people look at it, none of us can figure it out, but they don't grow 'em real smart in this part of the country. It's gotten some moisture around it, but it always has, and the slides look clean and new. I threw some drops of oil in there to make sure... I'm sure hoping it's some butterfly covered by a housing, or something like that.

[Chuck Lenz]

Dig the manual out, and start going over what you did to it when you tightened everything up. And for gawds sake, quit prying on it !

[Dick Adair]

The lock for the slide is the black knob behind the handle to move the turn table.

[Nathan Conner]

Wow. You said that with such confidence, I just had to run down and check. Sure enough. I thought that was just one handle (I think I've always turned both at once).

Sir, I owe you a steak dinner. Next time you're in town, look me up.

I'm going to go hide in the corner and read my tool manuals and keep the stupid questions to myself from now on...

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Nathan....don't be too hard on yourself. You are not the first person who didn't read the operator's manual......:)

[Phil Thien]

Nathan....don't be too hard on yourself. You are not the first person who didn't read the operator's manual......:)

Yeah, I guarantee he's at least the second. ;)

[Steve Clardy]

Yeah, I guarantee he's at least the second. ;)


Naw. He's the third one. :o ;) :D :D

[Ken Fitzgerald]

You guys better learn to count better....How else would I know he wasn't the first?........So that makes Phil 2nd......Steve 3rd......Nathan might....Might be 4th....:rolleyes: :D

[John Gornall]

Long ago when I was a junior engineer I went to a company maintenance meeting and a subject came up about a long running machine problem. There was a discussion for about an hour on this problem which was costing the company a lot of problems and money. As I was junior and supposed to listen and not speak I picked up the manual for the machine in question which happened to be on the table in front of me and looked through it. From the manual I got a hint about the problem which lead me to look in another manual for one of the machine's components. After the meeting I finished reading this second manual and went to the plant manager to tell him I thought I had found a solution to this problem. He immediately called the meeting again and put me up front to tell my story introducing me as the young engineer that just saved us 4 million dollars a year and that the rest of them must be illiterate jerks. And he added that if he found anyone that hadn't read all machine manuals he would fire them. He gave me a raise and treated me very well for the rest of the time I was with that company. So I always read manuals and have them carefully available including parts lists for all tools in my shop.

[Chuck Lenz]

Good story John. I have a experience also and thats why I get a little upset when people don't read the manual before asking me to help solve their machinery problem. A friend of mine had a brand new Powermatic Contractors tablesaw, He called me up to comeover and figure out why his saw had a vibration. Well at the time the new gadget out was the Fenner Drives PowerTwist link belt, and a set of machined pulleys. So I thought well he must have some out of balanced cast pulleys. So we proceeded to try to get the pulley of the saws arbor, it didn't come off, even with a gear puller. By the time we gave up the pulley was so mangled up he was going to have to take the saw back to the Contractors supply store that he got it from and have the service department replace the pulley. But before he did that I really felt bad about being a part of mangleing up his new saw. Then it hit me about an hour too late, ummmmmmm Gary, did you read the manual ? What does the manual say about vibration in the trouble shooting section ? He says no, I never looked. In the manual it stated that vibration can occur if the bevel wheel on the side is not locked. It was not a good day. So from now on I allways ask first, did you read the owners manual ?

[glenn bradley]

Nathan, I work in a world where RTFM (Read That Fine Manual) is like a mantra. I too however sometimes fall into the pit of wasting half an hour and THEN reading the manual. No such thing as stupid questions.

[Gary Herrmann]

In my world, F doesn't stand for Fine, but developers are a bit testy...

[Nancy Laird]

You guys better learn to count better....How else would I know he wasn't the first?........So that makes Phil 2nd......Steve 3rd......Nathan might....Might be 4th....:rolleyes: :D

Nope. Knowing what I know about men in general and my LOML in particular, I'd say he's about #98,765,432,109 in line!! :D Men don't like reading directions any more than they like asking for directions. And to be perfectly honest, most women I know are the same way.:eek:

Nancy (124 days)

[Charles McKinley]

Hi Nathan,

A very wise old mechanic told me if it isn't moving like it should don't force it. (not easy for me see sig line)

Glad it was an easy fix. Now recheck you alignment after all that pulling.

Don't be afraid to ask questions, especially here.

[Steve Rowe]

Long ago when I was a junior engineer I went to a company maintenance meeting and a subject came up about a long running machine problem. There was a discussion for about an hour on this problem which was costing the company a lot of problems and money. As I was junior and supposed to listen and not speak I picked up the manual for the machine in question which happened to be on the table in front of me and looked through it. From the manual I got a hint about the problem which lead me to look in another manual for one of the machine's components. After the meeting I finished reading this second manual and went to the plant manager to tell him I thought I had found a solution to this problem. He immediately called the meeting again and put me up front to tell my story introducing me as the young engineer that just saved us 4 million dollars a year and that the rest of them must be illiterate jerks. And he added that if he found anyone that hadn't read all machine manuals he would fire them. He gave me a raise and treated me very well for the rest of the time I was with that company. So I always read manuals and have them carefully available including parts lists for all tools in my shop.
That reminds me of a similar story in my engineering career. I was in my second week on the job and was sent out to resolve an ongoing maintenance problem with a particular check valve. So, I go pull the technical manual which was one page long and nothing more than a drawing of the valve. There it was, the answer in bold letters: "WARNING - DO NOT USE FOR RECIPROCATING AIR COMPRESSOR SERVICE". And the application in case you hadn't guessed by now: A check valve in the main line coming from the 200 HP Ingersoll Rand air compressor. No kudos and no raise though.
Steve

[Nathan Conner]

I work in the computer world - I'm sure a lot of us do, and have seen so many repeatedly mistaken, off, or just plain wrong manuals in the past 15 years or so (all this overseas dependence seems to have taken quite a toll on the manuals!) that I hardly trust them any more. I always read the addendum sheets, or the bright yellow WARNING signs...that's about as much of my attention as th...oh, look! A puppy!