Delta Table Saw bogging down and overheating

[Chris Glatz]

Thanks Mike, I pulled out both caps and tested them. Results were confusing.

The run cap is fine. Rated for 40 MFD / uF and my meter read 41.
The start cap is rated for 324 MFD and I got a couple of brief, random nF (Nano, not Micro) readings before the meter settles on OL.

So it sounds like the start cap is failing... but the saw never fails to start. My next thought was that the meter is bad, but the readings have been repeatable and consistent, and it read the run cap accurately. What am I missing?

[andy bessette]

You failed to mention the blade.

[Chris Glatz]

You failed to mention the blade.

I mentioned it twice.

[Chris Glatz]

How wet is your wood and is the blade being pinched? How many teeth are on the blade you are using? It is common for construction grade lumber to pinch shut on the blade as the cut is made which will make the saw work harder and seem to not be cutting well.

Another thought. Has anyone checked the alignment of the blade to the miter slots and the fence to the miter slots? Misalignment will also slow down your rate of cut. A well aligned saw will perform far better.

Thanks Lee. Without a moisture meter I don't know how wet it is. I've always heard 15-20% for dimensional lumber which seems about right. Some of the boards do close up as they are cut, and on those I would expect the motor to bog down... however some boards open up, and they are no easier to push through.

Currently using a Freud 32T carbide tip. I aligned the blade and fence to the miter slots a few months ago, and checked today that they are still parallel.

[Chris Glatz]

I converted mine to 220 and I does indeed run better. It's like a different saw. I did it several years ago. I run a 10" Forrest blade.

I'll keep that in mind for my saw at home. Unfortunately this one is at work, boss man won't approve the cost of having an electrician run a 220 line over to this area.

[scott spencer]

You mentioned that you're using a 32T Freud blade, but I'm not familiar with such a blade, so am assuming you mean a 30T, which would likely make it one their Glue Line Rip blades....like an LM74 or LM75? The GLRs are actually only intended for materials up to 1". They have really tight side geometry that adds a lot of resistance....great for clean cut, not great for heavy bulk ripping. If my assumption is correct, you'd be way better of with a 24T TK blade like the LU87 for that task.

Also, I thought the 36-5100 has a 15 amp motor, which should handle what you're cutting with the right blade.

[andy bessette]

I mentioned it twice.

You referred to it, but never identified it.

Unsubscribed.

[Tom Bender]

Sometimes the answer is right there and you just don't see it. Is the blade installed backwards?

Done this once and seen it done once.

[Chris Glatz]

Thanks I'll look into that blade!

[Jim Andrew]

I used to have an old Craftsman table saw that had problems ripping 2x lumber. I made stakes and such from scraps on my jobsite. First changed it to 220, then started using smaller diameter blades. The motor got weaker over the years and last I used 7 1/4" blades, with success. The old motor got so weak I had to kick start it, and had so little power it would not turn a 10" blade, and I gave it to a friend and bought a new Unisaw. Bought the old cman saw used about 40 years ago, and the Uni in 05. The previous owner of the cman saw had put a delta fence on it, much better than the original cman fence.

[Charles Lent]

You should also check the motor to make sure it's set up to run on 120 volts. If somebody changed it to 240 volts the motor certainly would not behave well when run on 120 volt power. If it was mine and I was having problems like this I would replace the capacitors even if they tested good. How old is the saw? more than 10 years old deserves new capacitors. They are cheap when compared to the time wasted trying to find other causes of this problem. New ones would assure that they aren't the problem.

Put your nose near the hole that the capacitor wires come out through. Does it smell like someone let the magic smoke out? If so, It's time to take it to the motor shop to see if they can put the smoke back, or sell you a new motor.

Get a better blade for this purpose. Others have suggested this, and I agree with them.

Charley

[Rick Malakoff]

I have had 2 10'' contractors over the years 1974 -2008 and both sucked at ripping SPF 2x4's, we just went to the Skil 77 with a rip fence. Problem solved.
FWIW
Rick

[rudy de haas]

If you are working with fresh wood that has internal tension, and your riving knive (I believe that's integrated on these, but it's been some time since I have seen one) doesn't match the blade for thickness, it will cause the problems you describe because the wood will pinch the blade.

[Chris Glatz]

Just wanted to post a resolution in case anyone finds the thread through a search. I bought a riving knife and it didn't help (it's a worthwhile safety feature though), then I tried a cheap 24T blade and it made a world of difference. I assumed the 30T Freud rip blade was the best option, not for pine.

[Art Mann]

I used a saw similar to yours for decades. Contrary to popular opinion, that saw is perfectly adequate for ripping 2X4s if it is in good working order. Ont thing that helped me to compensate for the weaker motor is to go to a thin kerf blade. They require considerably less horsepower than a full kerf blade to do the same job.