Blade wobble - Can't figure why

chipmaster · Post by **chipmaster** » Thu Dec 01, 2011 8:09 pm

As I power down the SS in saw mode, I notice a wobble to the blade. I can't feel any play in the quill; the arbor seems to be running true (I rested a tool on top of it running with no blade attached and got no chatter); and I tried changing the blade. What is your best guess on the cause? Arbor face not true? Quill wobble too subtle for me to feel?

v/r,

Rick

wa2crk · Post by **wa2crk** » Thu Dec 01, 2011 10:11 pm

Warped blade?
Bill V

chipmaster · Post by **chipmaster** » Thu Dec 01, 2011 11:10 pm

I changed the blade once to test that--unless I got two warped blades in a row?

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 4:58 am

chipmaster wrote:I changed the blade once to test that--unless I got two warped blades in a row?

If you have wobble, whether it is caused by the arbor, shaft or bent blade, the kerf will be wider than the blade is thick.

How wide is the kerf?

Some blades appear to wobble but do not. Same with drill bits.

Do you drill clean round holes?

foxtrapper · Post by **foxtrapper** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 6:32 am

If you see it at certain spin rates as it slows down, you're simply seeing some harmonics. Nothing to worry about.

pennview · Post by **pennview** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 6:32 am

As Dusty said, if the blade wobbles, the kerf will be wider than the blade. To check take a piece of scrap wood and set the blade to cut about half way through the piece of wood. Make a cut as if cutting a dado and then compare the blade width to the width of the kerf. With a standard blade the kerf should be about 1/8" wide.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 8:47 am

This thread may shed some light on your wobble.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 3:06 pm

dusty wrote:This thread may shed some light on your wobble.

Start Here!https://forum.shopsmith.com/viewtopic.php?p=46542&postcount=10

chipmaster · Post by **chipmaster** » Mon Dec 05, 2011 2:08 pm

I used a much more low-tech method: I held a sharpie on the table up close to the blade and turned the blade by hand. The warp was noticeable via the skipping circular pattern. To check the runout of the shaft itself, I set the table up underneath the shaft almost touching it and turned the shaft by hand. There was no rubbing. If there is runout, it is beyond my eye's ability to detect. I'm convinced my problem is with my blades. One was an old one from the SS's PO; the other was a cheapie Chinese job straight out of the blister pack but it has been kicking around for years. I'm going to get a good blade soon--probably a Marathon.

The PO included some 10 inch blades BTW. Those could only be used if the saw is run beside the table, not under it, as best I can figure. Not the safest configuration, of course. Do other folks do that?

chipmaster · Post by **chipmaster** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 11:26 pm

Finally determined through various means that the problem was likely in the arbor. Did a couple of things: pressed the nut/washer combo together more tightly in my vise, and cleaned up some gunk from the washers. I still see a very slight variation when I hold a machinist's rule on the table while turning the blade by hand, but it is much, much less pronounced than before. Between that and truing up my table and rip fence, I'm getting much smoother cuts.

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Blade wobble - Can't figure why

Blade wobble - Can't figure why

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