table saw: whats the handle under the table?

[Leo Zick]

on the front side of my saw (and i recall seeing this on most, if not all saws) right above the height adjustment wheel, there is a little handle that tightens clockwise, and loosens ccw, but i cant tell what it does. its connected to a spur gear that looks like it runs from front to back, but again i cant tell..

what is this thing!? is it supposed to be tight?

also, was cutting some hard maple tonight and got some smoke after a few cuts. i opened the hatch and didnt see much, im guessing a thin strip got hung up for a bit. not a fun site!

[Jim O'Dell]

on the front side of my saw (and i recall seeing this on most, if not all saws) right above the height adjustment wheel, there is a little handle that tightens clockwise, and loosens ccw, but i cant tell what it does. its connected to a spur gear that looks like it runs from front to back, but again i cant tell..

what is this thing!? is it supposed to be tight?

My guess is it is a locking mechanism so that your blade stays where you adjusted it. Especially helpful for dado cuts so the blade doesn't drop. Mine has one, but I've never used it. Jim.

[Jason White]

If it's like my RIDGID TS3650, it keeps the blade angle locked in position (i.e. 90-deg, 45-deg, etc.).

JW


on the front side of my saw (and i recall seeing this on most, if not all saws) right above the height adjustment wheel, there is a little handle that tightens clockwise, and loosens ccw, but i cant tell what it does. its connected to a spur gear that looks like it runs from front to back, but again i cant tell..

what is this thing!? is it supposed to be tight?

also, was cutting some hard maple tonight and got some smoke after a few cuts. i opened the hatch and didnt see much, im guessing a thin strip got hung up for a bit. not a fun site!

[scott spencer]

AFAIK it's a locking mechanism for the trunnions to make sure the blade stays put. I think it's unique to the Emerson contractor saws....Craftsman/Ridgid.

[Andrew Fewsmith]

i do believe it is for locking the trunnions

[Richard M. Wolfe]

As the others have said it's for locking the blade in place so it won't move after you've set it. My Delta saws have it mounted on the center of the height adjustment wheel.

[Chip Lindley]

Did your saw not come with a Users Manual?
Real men don't need directions, BUT Woodworkers love to pour over the literature included with their machines. The real "how-to" is buried somewhere behind the "how-not-to" safety rules.

[glenn bradley]

Yep, its the angle lock.

[Frank Drew]

Not unique to any particular brands -- my Ulmia had a handle to lock the blade tilt.

[Lee Schierer]

On Craftsman saws it locks the blade tilt. I' often forget to lock mine so I don't think it is really necessary, but it must be of benefit in some way. There isn't a similar lock for blade height.

[Curt Harms]

you can distort the side of the cabinet where the tilt wheel comes out if you REALLY try to tilt the blade without unlocking this handle first. No first hand experience, mind you but I've heard:o.

Curt

[Ken Fitzgerald]

you can distort the side of the cabinet where the tilt wheel comes out if you REALLY try to tilt the blade without unlocking this handle first. No first hand experience, mind you but I've heard:o.

Curt


Way to go Curt! I hope my monitor survives the huge spray of coffee!:rolleyes:

[Rick Moyer]

Thanks Curt, now I feel better. I did just that a few months ago and had to get a whole new piece as I distorted the thing about 3" in!

[Leo Zick]

well, it doesnt seem to lock the height or bevel wheels. the manual doesnt show it. i assume it could be to lock the bevel, but ive tightened it pretty well and can still move the wheel.

its not stopping me from doing anything, just annoying that i dont know what its for!

thanks for all the replies. :)

PS - its a grizzly g0478

[Larry Browning]

Ok, I went to the grizzly site and looked at a picture of your saw.
http://www.grizzly.com/products/2-HP-Hybrid-Cabinet-Saw/G0478

The 4th picture from the left shows a red handle up close the the bottom of the table. Is this what you are talking about? I think everyone was thinking about the knob in the center of the blade height and angle wheels. I know that what I was doing. I have a G1023SL and it doesn't have the handle. I have no idea what it does. It also seems pretty hard to believe that the manual doesn't mention it either.

I downloaded and looked at the manual and the only place I sat it mentioned was in the parts list. It looks to me like it has something to do with locking the blade angle. But that is just a guess.

[Orlando Gonzalez]

On page 1 of the exploded parts diagram it shows the handle (part 21) as going through the slot on the front trunion and attaching to the main trunion. Like others have said it locks the blade at the degree setting you chose. My Ridgid 3660 has it as well. Go here: http://www.grizzly.com/images/partslists/g0478_pl.pdf

HTH
OG

[Peter Quinn]

My makita portable TS has a handle to lock the blade tilt, which is oddly on the front of the saw though the tilt mechanism is on the side IIR, and a knob to lock the blade height. My PM66 has knobs at the center of of each corresponding adjustment wheel to lock their position, as does my shaper, and once tightened there is no moving them (and no apparent deflection when attempting to move a locked mechanism). Most machines with adjustable spindle heights or tilting spindles have some form of lock to secure each function and some designs work better than others.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Like Orlando, I went to the parts breakdown. The shaft passes through the front trunion block via a curved slot. It's the angle lock.

[Gene O. Carpenter]

If you go to the parts list it shows that the handle in question attaches to a shaft going into the front trunnion and it's called a "locking handle". Maybe the handle needs re-positioning on the locking shaft to allow it to be tightened more!

[Bill Huber]

On my Jet you can just push the handle in past the hex end of the bolt and then reposition it to the point it is tight and then will loosen with half a turn.

[Sonny Edmonds]

...Just like the handle on the toilet, that is the flush handle for the saw. :p

[Leo Zick]

well i took it off, looked it over, then put it back. its a trunnion lock for sure. the washer was a bit worn so i reversed it, then tried again. no luck, or im just too strong for a poor washer onto trunnion designed lock :p

(i do seem to warp some cutting boards with my clamping power. ha)

thanks for the help, mystery solved! (though, i dont see much need for this little guy)