New TS & Bittersweet Gloat

[Greg Cole]

I've been ooking for a PM 66 or Uni was testing my patience as all good deals are far from local... as usual.
So I find a Steel City 35361 in Craigslist without fence and extension table. I went to look at it and verified all adjustments work, flat table & wings etc etc etc...So I bought a new SC 35361 for $600.00. 3 hp, cabinet trunion mount hybrid. :D
I've had a trusty servant in a General Int'l 50-185 for 5+ years now. I've added more goodies to it than the saw was ever worth Incra fence & router package, linky belt, throat inserts galore. As ya can tell I've liked the saw across the board.... other than heavier stock rips. I was thinking of keeing both saws but the 2 car garage shop said no she just isn't big enough. So swapping the Incra stuff to the new saw and back in business by tomorrow.
A coworker is buying the General for $450, so I upgrade for next to nothing.
The bittersweet part for me is an odd attchement to tools.... and my old truck. Like saying goodbye to a friend.:rolleyes:
Pics Monday, as cell camera pics are eh... cell phone pics.

Greg

[scott spencer]

Congrats Greg...I know that feeling well! I've enjoyed and become attached to nearly all of my tools at some point. ;)

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Congrats and enjoy that new saw. I'll be checking back for the pics!

[alex grams]

Congrats, now get it up and running now that you have access to your 240 panel.

[Greg Cole]

Scott,
If ya put the router table on the other side, that's her. :rolleyes:
She's in shambles now..... but the new one is in the shop.
Unloaded with tornado sirens blazing in September???
Home made ramp to unload solo was interesting in the rain with an mdf "deck" on the ramp... if Kramer from Seinfeld ever moved a tool kinda situation.
I should have it running by nights end.

Alex,
I'm blaming Ike for the epic SLIDE down the ramp with the saw body strapped to a dolly, me on one knee laying the dolly flat on it's back. Perfect 10 landing too, nice n gentle. WHEW.

TIN coated top with Incra rails matches nicely.

Time for a cold one.

G

[Loren Hedahl]

So, what happened? Someone make off with your truck?

[Peter Quinn]

I love my PM66, but if a better saw came my way I'd throw her off the ship quicker than a monkey tosses a banana peal. Does that make me a monkey? I'm a tool junkie, but no particular attachment to machines here. Congrats on that new tool.

[Greg Cole]

The new saw is alive and well. I did a little custom drilling to put both CI extensions on the right side and put the router table on the left. The saw was amazingly well aligned to boot.
The Shark Guard from the GI fit perfect amazingly enough no mod's required. Having above and below table DC is nice along with the better DC with this style saw.
A couple test cuts to verify alignment left me impressed with the double DC.... and the saw alignment ease versus a contractor saw. I fiddled with the old one 2 or 3 times to get it better & better....
I don't think I miss it any longer.
Pics still forth coming....

Greg

[Jacob Mac]

Congrats on the upgrade. I was looking at that saw too, but decided to try and find a good bandsaw on craigslist instead. But KC's cl seems to be really streaky. Oh well, the joys of craigslist.

[Robert Meyer]

I purchased one of the first 3hp SC Hybrids (2 1/2 years ago) and have found the service to be outstanding though the saw is somewhat lacking. Here are a few things to look out for.
The raise/lower shaft and housing will squeal even when lubricated with lithium dry grease. I have found the only way to fix this completely is to take the assembly apart and reassemble using powder graphite to coat every part. This is harder than it first looks because of all the other parts in the way.
Be very careful when reinstalling the ribbed drive belt as it is easy to miss a few ribs. It is impossible to see the belt on the pulleys and you must feel them ... not so good.
Even with the ribs perfectly aligned the belt will squeal on start up after awhile. SC swears this is normal and can't be fixed. It never gets any worse and seems to always cut ok.
My switch had to be replaced recently. I spoke with two others having the same problem. SC sends replacements quickly and as I mentioned before they are the best!
Make lots of sawdust!

[Joe Scharle]

I used this stuff on my gears about 6 months ago and it's still working.
http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/classic-motoring_2018_31057614 (http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/classic-motoring_2018_31016234)

[Greg Cole]

Robert,
No squeaks nor squeals...yet. No ribbed belt, 3 standard "vee" belts...
I forget the brand-trade name of the stuff I use for lube, but it's a "dry chain" style lube that we've used on industrial machinery at the dry job on machines that are used in environments where daily washdown occurs & this stuff seems to do well in the dusty places too. I'll try to remember to look at a can of it tomorrow at work.
Jacob,
Deals do pop up once in a GREAT while and ya have to jump on them ASAP as if ya wait an hour or day they're gone. I had a 100% verbal agreement last fall on a brand new Grizzly 15" planer, and when I showed up to pick it up the day after the verbal agreement was made on the phone, the guy said "someone showed up an hour ago".:mad:

[John Callahan]

How do you like the Shop Fox, Scott? Any complaints?

[John Thompson]

Congratulations on the up-grade Greg. Parting with an old tool to me is like seeing your teen leave home. You miss em for about a week and then are totally elated they are gone. :D

With that Shark Guard (excellent stuff by Lee Styrone) you can now consider yourself "armed and dangerous'. :)

Good luck and happy WW'ing....

Sarge..

[Greg Cole]

Hi Sarge,
It was a deal I couldn't talk myself out of, I tried & tried all evening but found myself in the truck to go get it the next morning. The right tilt was something I kept coming back to as a "deal breaker". Never had a right tilt but I'll live with it now. Deals like these never last long..... the one thing I am a bit peeved at is the miter slot spacing from one to the other is about 3/8's different from one to the other. Other than that I think I got a helluva deal.
Having the Shark (hanging from the ceiling just behind the saw) simply swap over was a pleasant surprise for sure. Safety & above and below table DC is awesome. Just having gotten the shop sub panel back to life (shares breaker slots in the main house panel with a couple GFCi breakers for pool motor and another circuit for lights-outlets by the pool in the summer, until I change the main panel this winter to a 32 bay panel versus current 16 bay). It's nice to have the shop back and having the power for all the tools, especially the 220 stuff.
Dunno about "armed and dangerous"... but deer season is looming.;)
I got everything re-installed and dialed in nicely & spent some time Sunday in the shop putting the saw to good use. I don't think I really will "miss" the old saw for functionality or performance... but it's in the corner like a broken old toy on Christmas morning. :( Ah well, when I get the $ in hand for it I won't feel so bad as she's going to a good home.
I was going to repurpose the router table to a stand alone, but until I hook up with another positioner for the Incra system I can work with it.
Here's the pics for the police and anyone else looking.

Cheers.
Greg

[John Thompson]

Very nice set-up Greg. Please excuse my "Queen's English" but that "ain't no hybrid" table-saw. It's the Steel City standard cabinet saw with Titanium top that retailed for around $1800. You stole that puppy even without a fence.

Frankly that will most likely be all the TS you will ever need with no real need for upgrade. So... again congratulations on a deal and I mean a deal. BTW... once you get used to right tilt (you will use the saw in the standard 90 degree setting about 99% of the time most likely) you will never notice so be glad you didn't consider it a deal breaker. I would have purchased the saw at that price without a fence for re-sale.

I wouldn't be too concerned that the slots are spaced 3/8" difference on the table on opposite sides of the blade. When you find a reason that you will even notice.. please let me know. But... I don't expect to hear from you on that issue. Your stock will never notice the spacing and I douby you will either. :)

Regards...

Sarge..

[Greg Cole]

Hi again Sarge,
I wasn't sure about the deliniation between a cabinet trunion mount hybrid versus a cabinet saw (other than tha trunion is different I assume).... there's little info on the 'net about this specific saw. Once I put my eyes on it and verified all was good, I had to have it. I found some for about $1500 online, yes sir a deal was had.
My only "beef" with the miter slot spacing is that the sled I made for the old one is now relegated to going with the old one... all Incra t track, runners and Incra combo t-track/fence on it too... 'bout $200 bucks into it. I'll forget all about it once I get the saw out of the shop and pull the sled off the wall. Ah well... so I get a chance to make a new sled for the new saw. I already made an auxillary fence for the left side to use for panel raising etc with the right tilt. And no stock that sees that table will ever notice & I am not telling...LOL
I priced out the old saw today for grins and about fell out of my chair seeing the General 50-185 for a grand! Mine is 99,9% sold to a coworker for $450 with all the goodies to go with. So, a full on cabinet saw is a whopping $150 out of the wallet. :D:eek::D

Greg

[Joe Mioux]

congrats on the new saw.

I know how you feel about the GI 50-185. I have a different saw now, but there are times that I really miss the GI.

joe

[John Thompson]

In lieu of giving the old sled away.. I would simply re-position the track under-neath to fit the new saw...........

Or... you could pick up a "miter-track stretcher" and stretch it. I'm sure one of those Nigerian boy's who transfer millions of $$ to the U.S. daily on-line would be happy to find one for you if you just send them your personal e-mail address and some pertinent personal info. :D

Just kiddin' as I just deleted one from Nigeria from a Capt. in the U.S. Marines who needs help getting $11,000.000 back to the states. Have you ever seen a Marine start a conversation.. "Good Day.. Dear Friend" Not in a million years. Something to the effect of "how's it hangin' ***-hole" would be more appropriate. Those Nigerian boys are well... brilliant (in their own minds at least) ! ha.. ha... ha..ha..ha..

Sarge..

[Robert Meyer]

I can't find a model sc35361 on the Steel City site. The closest one is the 35630 which is a 3hp 3belt titanium table saw. Needless to say this is not a hybrid saw. If you got one of these for $600 (even without the fence) you got a real gloat! If your saw is a hybrid model I'm pretty sure it will have a ribbed belt.

[John Thompson]

I can't find a model sc35361 on the Steel City site. The closest one is the 35630 which is a 3hp 3belt titanium table saw. Needless to say this is not a hybrid saw. If you got one of these for $600 (even without the fence) you got a real gloat! If your saw is a hybrid model I'm pretty sure it will have a ribbed belt.

Definitely not a Hybrid Robert. Steel City never made a Hybrid with the Titanium top. That saw (Titanium top) will be dis-continued as not many were sold. Good idea with the Titaniium as it won't rust.. but nobody wanted to pay around $200 extra to get it. It's the same saw as the SC 3 HP cabinet with the cast iron table.

A small note to Greg. We poured water on a tabletop of that saw at the WW show in Atlanta about two years ago around 10 AM in the morning. We wiped it off around 4 PM that afternoon. NO RUST.. Than won' t happen on a standard cast iron top as the rust would have been deep if water stood on top that long.

Sarge..