Delta Table saw 34-426 with loose worm gear

[Graham Bowen-Davies]

Hello,

Aspirational hobby wood worker here. I recently bought a CL find, Delta 34-426 contractor saw that came with a Biesemeyer fence. Since getting it some, I'm learning the things I missed as a naive buyer.

Last night, I was checking it out and found that there is a dead zone in the vertical height adjustment. After getting to max blade height and coming back down, the wheel spins a few times before the blade drops with a clunk. If I watch the worm gear, I can see that while raising the blade, the worm gear is pressed up against the frame. However, on the way down, the worm gear rides on the teeth and pulls away from the frame, exposing the shaft. The handle/wheel is pulled into the frame (there is otherwise a 1/2" gap) until it bottoms out and the then the blade falls a bit, before retracting normally.

All that to say, has anyone has this experience and have suggestions on a fix? I'm tempted to add washers behind the handle to close the gap, but I don't want to hide the real cause, like a loose shaft collar or something. Any help on this?

I already carefully reinstalled the fence, level to the best of my patience. But I'm guessing that I should take it apart and clean and grease away. What's the best reference of how to proceed?

Thanks

[Bill Dufour]

On my Delta 12/14 you just loosen the handle set screw and push it in to take up the gap then tighten the setscrew. It has a black plastic washer behind the wheel to reduce friction. There are probably collars inside that I do not know about.
The way to deal with that backlash is to always drop the blade below desired height then raise it to height desired.
Bil lD

[Graham Bowen-Davies]

Bill,

Thanks. I think the wheel is on as far as it will go, but I'll check again in the morning. There is a steel washer on the shaft, but it isn't doing anything when cranking up. If need be it sounds like a couple of plastic washers to close that gap will do the trick.

I figured I can work around the backlash, but I'm worried about doing harm by ignoring this.

[Charles Lent]

I inherited an old Montgomery Ward table saw when I was still in high school that had this problem. I ended up adding a washer under the knob and a washer and collar with a set screw behind the panel so the shaft could still turn, but all of the end play was removed. Look at the worm gear and assure that whatever you do the center area of the worm gear meshes with the mating gear. Then do whatever is necessary to keep the shaft from sliding in and out. I was never certain if this collar that I added had been there originally or if another method had been used to hold the shaft from sliding, but this worked well for the several more years that I owned that saw. It was a contractor style table saw with the motor hanging out the back. It had an aluminum table and sheet metal wings, non standard sized miter slots, and the worst fence that I have ever used, making it necessary to use a framing square to check it each time that it was moved. It also had a 1/2" arbor, requiring me to use bushings in the centers of each 5/8 arbor blade that I bought to use on it, since 1/2" arbor hole blades weren't readily available.

Have you lubricated the saw? Not likely, as you said that you recently got it. I use Johnson's Paste Wax. I removed all of the old grease and then applied Johnson's Paste Wax, applied to the gears and ways of my Unisaw (curved grooves for tilting the arbor) using an old tooth brush. The wax stays in place, lubricates very well, and it's surface develops a hard crust that does not attract saw dust like petroleum greases. For the pivoting shaft bearing points, etc. I use a teflon based light machine lubricant like Triflon. I believe that 3-In-One also makes a similar product. Apply a few drops to the bearing surfaces. A dry Moly lubricant will work for this too. I re-lubricate my saw every couple of years, or when it feels like something isn't moving as it should. I also use the Johnson's Paste Wax on the table top, applied with a small rag that I keep in the wax can. When it dries to a haze I buff off the excess using a clean soft rag. I do this partially to minimize the chances of rust, but mostly to make the wood slide easily on the cast iron. I repeat the waxing whenever the wood doesn't seem to slide easily, or whenever I'm about to start a new project.

Whatever you do, totally avoid using anything containing silicone in your woodworking shop area. Silicone containing products have been banned from my shop. If silicone gets on your wood it will be impossible to apply finish over it. Fish eyes will appear in the finish wherever silicone has touched your wood. Car waxes and sliding lubricants frequently contain silicone. My car waxes stay in the garage at the opposite end of my home from my shop and the slipping lubricant for my aluminum storm windows live in the garage as well. I read the ingredients of everything that enters my shop and nothing containing silicone is ever allowed in there. Many years ago I had a very bad finishing problem, and the source was traced back to silicone. I ended up loosing several hundred board feet of hardwoods and several sheets of cabinet birch plywood, all wood that was in my shop at the time, because I couldn't be certain that the silicone had not gotten to it. Never again, for silicone in my shop.

Charley

[Mike Kees]

Graham ,I have owned several of the Delta contractor saws. There should be a collar and set screw set up on that shaft. It has been awhile since I played with one but there is an adjustment built in to this design. If you google it there should be pictures that you could compare your saw to.

[Graham Bowen-Davies]

Mike, thanks. I'm trying to decipher the parts list on ereplacement parts, I don't see a shaft collar. There is a (#205) set screw, but I'm guessing that might be for attaching the pointer (missing on my machine). There is a (#212) retainer, but that is a nut that looks like it just clamps the assembly. I might be missing the (#213) fiber washer on the worm gear side. I'll take a look next time I go out there.

Thanks for the input

[Graham Bowen-Davies]

Charley,

Thanks for the advice wrt lubrication. I got paste wax to wax the surface, so I'll go ahead and get to the guts as well. Starting to wish I had an air compressor to clear out the old dust and debris.

Graham

[Bill Dufour]

I still have the top off my delta 12/14 which is a unisaw copy. The height worm shaft has collars with set screws to adjust the slop out. I would take off the top and clean adjust everything. The top is only four bolts to remove. Make sure to adjust it square before using. Look for washers/shims at each bolt and keep them organized as to loactaion if it has them. My saw did not.
Also a good time to adjust the stop bolt for 90 degree tilt angle, if needed.
Bil lD

[Graham Bowen-Davies]

Bill,

Well you inspired me to take the top off of mine. A few more than four bolts, but not terrible. I found broken welds on the base frame that I'll look into repairing now that's it's lighter to move.

In this saw, there are two shaft collars on the angle adjustment shaft, but not on the height. Tomorrow I'll pull out the height adjust mech and see what degrees of freedom I have to play with. There might be an adjustment bolt head. I took apart the angle adjust tonight, with it's rusted and scored shaft, and missing washers, but it'll come back together nicely.

Anyone know what the fiber washers do, versus say a teflon, or plastic alternative? I see they are mostly used to prevent galvanic corrosion on plumbing. Why on a table saw?

Thanks again, I'm impressed with how responsive this forum has been.

Graham

[Graham Bowen-Davies]

So last night I was explaining my conundrum of not being able to work out how to remove the slop on the shaft without stacking washers to my patient wife. She cracked the case immediately suggesting that the shaft wasn't original. And it isn't! Seems to be a retrofit that is a little longer than spec. So, a couple of washers will work - but a part of me wants to source the right bits now.

[Bill Dufour]

My saw the washers are some kind of semi hard black plastic. I will punch new ones from a coffee can lid which is little too soft and will wear faster. It will probably last longer then I do. You could wrap the shaft in brass shim stock, teflon tape or, coffee can lids to build up the diameter to fit better in the bushing. You can make collars if there is some way to get them where they need to be. They make split two piece collars held together with two screws. You could make them from PVC pipe and hose clamps which is how I did my wheelbarrow wheel. I have no idea if a hose clamp setup would be tight enough to stay put under load.
You could even make them from a solid hardwood for a first try.
Bill D

[Jim Andrew]

Used to have a neighbor who would weld on shafts to build them up, then turn them down on his lathe to repair worn parts. See if you have a retired machinist in your neighborhood. He could have a metal lathe in his shop.