"Fixing" my G1023SL wing...

[Wade Lippman]

I got a Grizzly TS 10 days ago. On assembly I found a wing was broken.

The wing attaches to the table with three bolts. The place where the bolt goes is about twice as thick as the rest of the wing. They (on my wings at least) cut out a plug and then weld in another plug. Then they grind it smooth and paint it. The weld on one of my plugs broke when I attached it. I can't imagine why they make it this way, and the guy at technical support didn't know what I was talking about.

They said they don't have any wings, but they would get me out a replacement just as soon as they did. I don't have any confidence I will ever see a replacement. In the meanwhile I have no table saw.

So, I glued the plug back in with JB-Weld (managing to align it perfectly with the old weld so it was actually flat!) and attached it to the table with an oversized washer. It went on okay, and I was able to level it (after shimming) just fine.
What do you think the odds are of this actually holding up?

One other problem is that it is offset from the table (front to back) by maybe a 16th of an inch. I don't think this has anything to do with my "fix"; they just drilled the holes in the wrong place. Hammering and clamping didn't help any; the holes just don't line up.
Since the overhang is in the front, it will cause the fence rail to be somewhat off. Is there enough adjustment in the fence to accomodate this?
I think I am finding out why Grizzlys are so well priced.

[Jim O'Dell]

From past postings, I think you'll find that Grizzly will take care of the situation. In fact, Shiraz will probably post in here with a solution in the next day or two. If you don't hear from him in a couple days, email him direct from the search engine here. In the mean time, can the wing be turned 180 degrees, clamped in place securely with it aligned up and level, then redrill? Would at least make it usuable in the interim. If it is off front to back, I'd say that would be a problem with the fence unless you could space the rest of the fence out the exact same amount. Other thing to do is to enlarge the holes on the fence so it will align, and use a couple washers on the fence side. Leafe the saw table side alone. Cast Iron drills pretty easliy, just use a drop or 2 of oil.
I'd like to see a picture of the plug. I bet Shiraz would too. Sounds like it was drilled wrong and "corrected" at the factory instead of being rejected. Jim.

[Wade Lippman]

I'd like to see a picture of the plug. I bet Shiraz would too. Sounds like it was drilled wrong and "corrected" at the factory instead of being rejected. Jim.

I think you must be right; it has to be rework, doesn't make any sense to do it otherwise. It would also explain why it is warped and the holes are off.

I had posted a picture in another thread and it won't let me post another.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=737120#poststop

I sent a copy to Grizzly, but they never replied (well, I suppose they did reply; they sent a form saying they would call me in a few days...) and I had to call them.

[Rob Blaustein]

... They said they don't have any wings, but they would get me out a replacement just as soon as they did. I don't have any confidence I will ever see a replacement...

I'm sure this is frustrating, and I'm guessing that's why you said this, but I can't imagine you really believe that they will never send you a new one. Although there may be several examples where people have had problems that took longer to fix than they would like, Grizzly's customer support is really excellent, as numerous posts (and enormous sales volume) will attest to. They will make it right, don't worry. They wouldn't be this successful and in business this long if they left people in the lurch as you fear they might. In a pinch, if you needed to use the saw, you could rig up a wooden extension table that would work fine--many people often attach them to the right wing, you could just attach one to directly to the table, in place of the wing. And if for some reason Grizz can't get their hands on a cast iron wing for a while, you could ask if they have a wooden extension table they could send in the interim.

[Jim O'Dell]

OOPS!! :o I just realized I posted on the other thread after going there to look at the picture instead of coming back here. It still plays in both threads. That really is amazing. Definately a drill and fill, then redrill. But it will be replaced. Sorry you have the extra down time waiting. Just use it to get everything else on the saw perfect! Jim.

[Chris Barnett]

I ordered a wing at the same time I ordered a 1023 SLW, which has the wing with features to add a router. Since my space was so severly limited, I wanted to add the router wing only when I wanted to use the TS, so I ordered the standard wing at the same time and would install it for normal usage. They said it was not in stock, and when available, they would ship it to me.
Relax.....Griz is telling you the absolute truth. I ordered my 1023 in September last year and I still am waiting for the wing to complete the order.
I plan to send Grizzly an anniversary card this September if it has not shown up by then :D. Castings take a while since they make them in runs, but I would expect that soon they will get a few even if they must take off existing machines. But....I could be wrong.

[Wade Lippman]

From past postings, I think you'll find that Grizzly will take care of the situation. In fact, Shiraz will probably post in here with a solution in the next day or two. If you don't hear from him in a couple days, email him direct from the search engine here. In the mean time, can the wing be turned 180 degrees, clamped in place securely with it aligned up and level, then redrill? Would at least make it usuable in the interim. If it is off front to back, I'd say that would be a problem with the fence unless you could space the rest of the fence out the exact same amount.

I had an old bandsaw blade (from a saw I no long own) that happened to be exactly the right thickness. I put one strip above the bolts and a second strip below the bolts. Seems to work fine.

I now have everything together and made my first rip. No problems. But of course, my original question is how long it will stay together? Between the JB Weld and the bandsaw blades, it is pretty ricketty.

I understand it is a very price competitive market, and you have to cut corners occasionally by using parts that should be scrapped; such as what I was shipped. It "might" hold up, and many customers don't level them anyhow, so they would never know.
But I used to be in manufacturing, importing components from Taiwan and China. I assure you we never ran out of anything like wings for months; a week would be a crisis. I don't think Grizzly does either.

[Greg Cole]

The seasoning of the casting is kind of important..... if you want a relatively flat wing. CI moves some after casting and then is machined flat... so the turn around time could be looooong, much like what Chris said.
The big bear will make it right, but it's easy to be patient from where I'm sitting. :D

Greg

[Ray Meche]

I waited over 6 months to get my G1023SLWX with the router table wing, but it was worth it. I was missing a few small parts like the dado insert, but Grizzly was quick to send more. I wasn't going to use it anyway as I made my own zero clearance inserts, but it was good to have another template and sets of leveling screws. Fortunately, it wasn't as major as the issues you are having. I agree with most people here that rest assured Grizzly will make it right. Waiting is painful, but I sympathize with you. Also, once you get over the initial headache, I think you will be happy that you didn't break the bank. GL

[Don Morris]

I also can't imagine Griz not making it right. But if the world colapses...and you really, really want a wing...when my 1023SL came I couldn't put the wing on the right side because I wanted to attach a table to it. The outside edge of the wing doesn't have the three holes and my shop is really, really narrow anyway. So I have an extra wing if you just can't live without an intact unmodified one.