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Thread: Lubing A Sawstop

  1. #1

    Lubing A Sawstop

    I noticed that it took a great deal of effort to retract my blade below the table top recently. The Sawstoiop manual details WHAT to grease but doesn't mention a specific product. What do you use on your table saw?

  2. #2
    I bought marine grease yesterday to do my saw this week.
    One of the how-to videos on the SawStop website their recommends marine grease.
    I also came across some website that seemed to have a lot of good sawstop information and he recommends marine grease (trentdavis.net)

  3. #3
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    Lubrication is fine, but you also need to insure that you remove any built up gunk...that's often what inhibits up/down movement in a table saw.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  4. #4
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    I had a bit of a lengthy discussion with SawStop tech support about his very thing. The preferred lube is wheel bearing grease, either regular or preferably marine. The thing he warned to definitely not use is any kind of dry lube. His explanation for this was that the dry lube makes things move easily, but it provides no high pressure lubrication & that parts will wear out much sooner. 'Course, you'll need to get in there with a brush & nozzle to get all the sawdust/grease gunk out out before lubing.

  5. #5
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    Ken,

    I had the same problem with my PCS a bit ago. I finally found that the elevation lock had tightened. Worth a look.

    Cliff
    The problem with the world is that intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.
    Charles Bukowski

  6. #6
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    Informational

  7. #7
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    Would the normal recommendation of dry graphite lube cause a problem with the sensor? I assume graphite powder would be electrically conductive. Dry teflon power should be ok. I think the carrier is alcohol which should be allowed to flash off before use
    BIll D

  8. #8
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    That is a great video showing how to get at the proper areas.

  9. #9
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    Are saw stops significantly different than other cabinet saws in design? I have always used Johnsons paste wax on the elevation and tilt screws in my cabinet saws. Way back when I used grease and it was an instant big wad of sawdust. Paste wax doesn't seem to attract the saw dust as bad as grease. Maybe I was using the wrong kind of grease? And yes, before anyone else says it, I am sure I probably used too much grease initially but had sawdust issues even after scraping off the initial wad of sawdust and grease leaving only a very light coat of grease.
    Last edited by Michael Schuch; 11-01-2021 at 10:52 PM.

  10. #10
    Thanks everyone for your suggestions and feedback. Cliff, I appreciate your heads up regarding the elevation lock. I'll be sure to check that. The Sawstop video is excellent and I'll probably have it handy on my iPad when I tackle this job.

  11. #11
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    I'm surprised this saw needs lubricating...

  12. #12
    Very helpful, thank you.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Schuch View Post
    Are saw stops significantly different than other cabinet saws in design? I have always used Johnsons paste wax on the elevation and tilt screws in my cabinet saws. Way back when I used grease and it was an instant big wad of sawdust. Paste wax doesn't seem to attract the saw dust as bad as grease. Maybe I was using the wrong kind of grease? And yes, before anyone else says it, I am sure I probably used too much grease initially but had sawdust issues even after scraping off the initial wad of sawdust and grease leaving only a very light coat of grease.
    Wax is a dry lube & won't give the wear protection that grease will. Too much is a bad thing though & will contribute to dust caking. I blow off the greased parts with compressed air nozzle periodically & it seams to keep the gunk from building up. My SawStop is about 5 years old & though it shows no signs of needing greasing, I'll be doing it anyway this winter.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Dufour View Post
    Would the normal recommendation of dry graphite lube cause a problem with the sensor? I assume graphite powder would be electrically conductive. Dry teflon power should be ok. I think the carrier is alcohol which should be allowed to flash off before use
    BIll D
    Those dry lubes only make it feel like it's properly lubricated. They don't provide the lubrication needed for long life.

  15. Marine grease is great except for the arbor. It makes threading the nut off/on quite hard relatively. I've been just keeping it clean with no grease. I'm not sure this is correct but much friendlier to use.

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