PM66 Setup Questions

[Steve H Graham]

I got the mobile base put on my Powermatic 66. Now I have to put it together. I am having some trouble.

First of all, I have no problem getting the wings aligned with the top, but the left wing creeps upward as I tighten the bolt toward the front side of the saw. Is there a fix for this, or do I have to start out with the wing low and hope tightening it will bring it flat with the table? I tried using clamps and a straight piece of wood to hold things in line, but it does not seem to work.

Second, I'm confused about where to put the rails. Someone told me they line up with the miter slots, so that's how I have them, but the screw holes in the tube don't seem to align with the holes in the front rail the way you would expect. I figured the zero mark on the tube would be a little to the right of the saw blade, but it doesn't seem like the holes will cooperate. Am I putting the tube in the wrong place? The graduations are not like the ones on my portable saw, so it's no help.

Finally, the face of the tube which is toward the table has a lot of rust and accumulated crap on it. I think it will affect the saw's accuracy. I was considering removing it with a wire brush on a drill. Is this a good way to do it, or is there something else I should try?

Thanks for any help you can give.

[Ted Shrader]

Hi Steve -

Glad to hear you are making progress.

I got the mobile base put on my Powermatic 66. Now I have to put it together. I am having some trouble.

First of all, I have no problem getting the wings aligned with the top, but the left wing creeps upward as I tighten the bolt toward the front side of the saw. Is there a fix for this, or do I have to start out with the wing low and hope tightening it will bring it flat with the table? I tried using clamps and a straight piece of wood to hold things in line, but it does not seem to work.

Try dressing the surfaces around the holes with a file so there are no burs or rough casting areas for the bolt to grab on. Also washers on both sides might help too. Gradually tighten each bolt just a little bit in sequence to sneak up on the final torque.

Second, I'm confused about where to put the rails. Someone told me they line up with the miter slots, so that's how I have them, but the screw holes in the tube don't seem to align with the holes in the front rail the way you would expect. I figured the zero mark on the tube would be a little to the right of the saw blade, but it doesn't seem like the holes will cooperate. Am I putting the tube in the wrong place? The graduations are not like the ones on my portable saw, so it's no help.

The dips in the top of the bracket do line up with the miter slots. There is also a small V cut in the top of my L bracket that lines up with the saw blade. The tape measure starts well to the right of the blade since the cursor on the fence is to the right of the fence. The "0" on the tape on my fence tube is 5¾" to the right of the blade.

Finally, the face of the tube which is toward the table has a lot of rust and accumulated crap on it. I think it will affect the saw's accuracy. I was considering removing it with a wire brush on a drill. Is this a good way to do it, or is there something else I should try?

A wire brush will get most of it very fast. After that, try some 400 grit Wet-or-Dry on a sanding block and WD40 to clean up the last bit. That surface is where the fence adjusting pads/screws contact the tube to adjust the fence parallel with the blade. The surface does not have to be absolutely mirror flat, but watch for big pits and so forth. The contact area of the adjusting pads is fairly large and can withstand some roughness without sacrificing accuracy. The unpainted areas on the fence tube need to be waxed when you perform the routine cleaning and waxing of the top.

As you have figured out, cleaning up the fence tube before you mount it will be a whole lot easier than waiting until it is installed.

Good luck,
Ted

[Steve H Graham]

Thanks for the reply. I'm wondering if I should just strip the tube, clean it up, and paint it, but I can't figure out how to get the tape measure off, or how to replace it if I strip it. And I don't know what kind of paint to use.

I have found that I can clean up the tube, but I can't do it without messing up the paint along the bare areas.

[Ted Shrader]

Steve -

You could get some PM gold paint to repaint the tube and have it match. Do a Google on the paint. I'm sure other folks will have some recommendations, but I don't have any experience with sources for OEM color paint.

As far as the tape goes, you will need a new one. There are several self stick tapes that will work. I prefer Starret. Just mount the tube, put on the fence and position it against the blade. Note where the cursor line is in reference to the tube and start with "0" on the tape at that point. You don't have to get it exactly right (but pretty close) because there is a little adjustment in the cursor.

Regards,
Ted

[Steve H Graham]

Thanks for the info on the tape. That's a much bigger problem than the paint. I guess I can strip this thing down, sand the crud off, paint it, and bolt it back on.