Hey, not a close call of the standard woodworking table saw variety. I noticed that the trunnion on my 40 years old Delta contractor saw badly needed adjustment. Having previously done the adjustment with the 2x4, hammer method, I ordered a PALS tool and was able to start work on the saw yesterday. I had to remove some add-ons to the saw and, in the process of clearing everything, I noticed that the wiring to the switch was worn such that the two wires in the cable were exposed. It had been scraping against the sheet metal of the frame, despite the wires having been immobilized with cable ties in the past. I don't know why the breakers hadn't been tripped or even my suffering an electrical shock. Anyway, the finding shook me up since it was so unexpected. I repaired the wires and placed shielding over the rub spot (armored cable sheathing).
(I then tackled the trunnion adjustment with the PALS. Ended up using a 2x2 and a hammer to finish the job anyway, but I liked the PALS method of using a stud and a pair of nuts to lock down the trunnion. Turned out that there wasn't enough adjustment moving the rear trunnion and I had to loosen the front trunnion bolts also.)
So, what an I trying to say? It's always good practice to check the wiring of the saw, even when you think that the wiring is intact. In my case, the saw was 40 years old, but I've worked on maintaining the saw over that time so I was familar with the interior of the saw. The finding of the worn wiring was totally unexpected, since I had taken care to immobilize the wiring inside already. The wear occurred where the wiring crossed from inside the case to the rear-mounted motor, against the metal frame. Everyone, please check your 40 year old (or newer) equipment to stay safe.
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