Sawsmith Carriage Assembly

[lioneldobie]

Hello fellow Shopsmithers!

So hit a bit of a snag and desperately need some help...not looking for a handout will purchase

Restoring my Grandpas 1959 Sawsmith...just got it shipped across the US (1300+ miles) and needless to say she didn't make it. I don't think it was dropped I just think this journey was the straw that broke the camels (or yuba's) back!

Part 700014-carriage Assembly is fully broken on one of the bearings and is cracked and ready to break at any time

Not sure if a good welder can remedy or if I just have to hope someone either has an extra one or a roached one they'd be willing to part with

Looking for some advice or the part itself

Posting pictures in a few

Any help will be greatly appreciated

[everettdavis]

If it is cast iron piece (which I think it is) a good welder will know to remove the piece and fully heat it up to several hundred degrees before attempting to weld it back.

It is done a good bit on large equipment valves and so on, so a commercial welding shop likely knows how to handle it pretty straightforward.

If I am not mistaken, the roller bearings that it travels on along the guide are the very same ones on the Craftsman RAS that Sears sold for decades. I think I remember them being the same size.

Everett

[rpd]

I was just nosing around in Yahoo groups, looking for something else, and found there is one for Sawsmiths, someone posted there that they have one for parts. Could be worth checking out, you will have to join in order to post.
Sawsmith aficionados

[lioneldobie]

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[lioneldobie]

Thanks for the information

The Sawsmith aficionados just doesn't have much activity these days but I threw some messages out hoping for something to stick

Worst case I find a welder who understands cast

Leaving this thread active as someone could come across this and want to sell me theirs!

[everettdavis]

If you find a welder that can do it, obviously you will want the bearings off.

If I were attempting it, I would take the bearing out and secure the piece in place with a large fender washer and bolt through it to hold it in place, but not torque it down so it could expand a bit when heated, and that would allow me to grind away material for penetration if needed with it exactly in place it needed to be.

Obviously it would have to be very clean before welding. Cast Iron can be a crap shoot based on the mix they used when casting, but Magna was all about quality back in the day. Your welder will know what rod or wire to use if he has a MIG / TIG setup. All I have seen done on cast iron is rod, because that's what they had.

Last thing I saw done had a flame coming out of what I could only call a weed burner that was placed a good bit below the item to heat it. I have seen ovens used very successfully as well. This is small enough it would fit in an oven quite nicely I suspect.

Good luck with it, and show us photos both after the repair and as you restore it. Inquiring minds want to know....

Everett

[Hobbyman2]

I have seen things fixed with JB weld,,,, not sue if I would trust getting it all straight again,

Check Craigs list
Hope you can find a replacement or a part machine.

[lioneldobie]

Found one! Thanks to all for the help and recommendations!