Arbor flange stuck again

[Matt Stewart]

I'm wondering if anyone has experience or suggestions on what to do with a very tight arbor flange. I have a Delta Hybrid TS and this is the second arbor flange. It seems that every winter the thing contracts so much that I have to pry it off the arbor by force and end up damaging it.

The saw is in a garage and it's pretty cold in Ohio right now. It's frustrating to try and change blades or align my new splitter when I can't even get the blade off.

Is it common for cold weather to make these things that tight to the arbor?

I haven't bothered with really trying to get this one off, but I don't want to be kept from getting things done until spring, so any ideas would be appreciated.

[Dick Bringhurst]

By flange do you mean the washer that goes next to the blade before the nut? Or do you mean the flange that is attached to the abor that the blade is placed up against? Dick B.

[Dan Barr]

i have a delta contractors saw. mine was not as bad as your apparantly. i took a round file and took off a little material in the hole. rounding out towards the edges as i went. you dont have to take off much, just a thin amount.

also, make sure there is no paint on the inside of the hole. scrub that off first with a round coarse file, then take a little metal off.

ciao,

dan

[Matt Stewart]

Yes Dick, I am referring to the outer washer that goes between the Blade and the nut.

Could this also be a problem of tightening the nut too far? I've tried tightening the nut on the less tight side like the Woodwhisperer recommends, but when I did that the blade was slipping very dangerously.

Am I safe to file of part of the inside diameter once I get the thing off?
What effect will it have on performance if I file off too much from the inside of the washer hole?

Thanks guys.

[Dick Bringhurst]

I'd just do what Dan recommended. Use a round file. With the blade in a vice, go aroud using both hands, one on each side of the blade. After three or four times try it to see if it fits better. This way you shouldn't have to worry about getting it out of balance. Dick B.

[Eric Haycraft]

You can apply some heat to it to make it expand. Something like a blow dryer, heat gun, or even a light bulb should work if given enough time. As long as you avoid heating the arbor as much as the outer washer, it should come off no problem. After that, you can take the other posters' advice and file that puppy down.
Before doing that, you may want to take some calipers to the arbor and see if it is oversized. If it is your arbor that is oversized, some strips of sandpaper on a spinning arbor should take it down a little and make things easier.

[Dave Falkenstein]

The washer should slide on and off easily. Are you also having difficulty getting blades on and off the arbor? If yes, then the arbor is a bit too big. If no, then the washer is the problem, and filing the washer hole would resolve the problem. IF you can get the washer off the arbor! Smile.

Good luck.

[Matt Stewart]

Thanks guys. All great replies. The Blade usually comes off well, so I think that it's definitely the washer. I'll file it down once I get it off. Looks like I'm off to the gym... gotta get stronger if I'm to get this baby off.

[Sean Kinn]

Just a tip I learned the hard way. I'm not very good at "taking off a hair" with a file, so I'd recommend some 150 or 220 grit sandpaper rolled into a tube. Just insert it into the hole, let it expand to fill the hole, then twist the washer to evenly remove material from all sides. Go slowly and check often.

[James Suzda]

I agree with Sean, on not filing the washer, but take a dowel, cut a slot in it and insert several strips of course sandpaper, chuck it in a drill and grind away. This way the sandpaper will remove the same amount of material all the way around the hole and not make an elongated hole.
BTW, I always keep my old "worn out" drum sander belts to cut up to make these flap sanders with.

[Matt Stewart]

Wow, all these tips are great. Unfortunately this is proving harder to get off than I thought it might.

I have one of those rockler engraving irons. What if I use the soddering iron part of it and touch it to the washer to try to heat it up? Will the thing expand enough or is it too dangerous? Will the thing be too hot to remove anyway?

This really stinks!

[Dave Falkenstein]

I would call Delta and ask their advice before applying heat. You want to avoid damage to the arbor and/or bearings. One thought I had was to use a small grinding disc to cut a slot in the washer to relieve the interference with the arbor, and then pry it open to get it off.

[Mike Goetzke]

Wow, all these tips are great. Unfortunately this is proving harder to get off than I thought it might.

I have one of those rockler engraving irons. What if I use the soddering iron part of it and touch it to the washer to try to heat it up? Will the thing expand enough or is it too dangerous? Will the thing be too hot to remove anyway?

This really stinks!

Heating the washer will actually make the problem worse. The washer will expand in all directions. You could try to cool the arbor shaft but it will take approximately 100 deg F temp differential to change the 5/8" shaft by 0.005".

I might try to epoxy a pipe to the washer so you can get some leverage. Might waste the washer but that's the least of your worries.

Then again, as suggested a call to Delta first won't hurt - I'm sure you aren't the first with this problem.


Mike

[Greg Hines, MD]

Just two cents worth, but I would probably try the hair drier first, and see if you can get it to expand just a bit. The branding iron I would worry might heat it too quickly. If that doesn't work, then call Delta.

Doc

[Bill Jepson]

Matt,
If you tried the "loose" method the last time you put the blade on you may have another problem. If the blade and the washer were real clean and you actually stopped the blade, you might have galled the washer and friction welded it to the blade. Not strongly but it is amazing how strong a bind can be formed with just a few molecules stuck together! Try one or all of these heating methods, you may find the washer is truly stuck to the blade. If so take a drift punch, (NOT a center punch), and using a light hammer tap the washer at 90 degree intervals to break it loose from the blade. (nut off already of course) Go easy you do not want to damage the arbor bearings. Once you get it off DO sand or file the inside a bit. Good luck!
Bill Jepson

[Davis Jefferies]

Try wrapping the arbor in a heating pad and leave it for a few hours. That way it heats slowly.
Goodluck

[James Suzda]

Matt, did you get that washer off yet?

[Matt Stewart]

I know everyone is holding their breath on this thread waiting to see what happens.

I finally got the flange off. I didn't mess with heating it, though I was about to use a heating pad. Instead I used brute force and a pipe wrench and unscrewed the washer from the arbor. What a pain.

Then the blade didn't slip right off, I had to sort of unscrew it too. How tight is the blade typically supposed to be? I'm a bit afraid to mess with the arbor too much, but should I sand it down a bit?

The Delta rep said: "The only scenario I can think of is you are over tightening the blade nut and rolling material into the flange hole causing it to become smaller over time."

This makes sense to me because I tend to overtighten quite a bit.

[Mike Goetzke]

I know everyone is holding their breath on this thread waiting to see what happens.

I finally got the flange off. I didn't mess with heating it, though I was about to use a heating pad. Instead I used brute force and a pipe wrench and unscrewed the washer from the arbor. What a pain.

Then the blade didn't slip right off, I had to sort of unscrew it too. How tight is the blade typically supposed to be? I'm a bit afraid to mess with the arbor too much, but should I sand it down a bit?

The Delta rep said: "The only scenario I can think of is you are over tightening the blade nut and rolling material into the flange hole causing it to become smaller over time."

This makes sense to me because I tend to overtighten quite a bit.

Was the blade hard to get off all the way?

Maybe try a new blade - see if it's tite too?

Get a caliper and measure the threaded arbor shaft and blade diameters in a few different places (PM me if you need me to do the same on my saw)?

Mike

[Dave Falkenstein]

Use a strip of emory cloth on the arbor. With the blade OFF the saw, turn the saw on and hold the strip by the ends. It will polish the arbor, and remove any burrs, without taking an appreciable amount of material off. Do a little polishing and then test the blade, until it fits. Most likely, you burred the threads forcing the washer off. Blades should be snug, but should slide on/off easily, unless you get the blade tilted, and then it will bind. There is no need to overtighten the arbor nut. The nut will tend to tighten itself as the saw works. Finger tight plus a small tug on the wrench is plenty tight. Buy a couple of spare washers - smile.

[Matt Stewart]

I'm not familiar with emory cloth. Is it similar to scotch brite?

Would you use a coarse, fine or what type of emory cloth to polish the arbor?

[Howard Acheson]

Matt, for the future, here is the way to ensure you have the blade sufficiently tight but not over-tightened. The rep from Freud published it a number of years ago. Use a leather glove and hold the blade with your fingers. Tighten the blade until it slips between your fingers. It's tight enough then.

Over-tightening the blade will deform the blade causing it to have a degraded cut.