I’ve got a craftsman 10″ miter saw that I bought about 5 years ago. At the time I was considering a Delta like the one we use at work. however, there are some flaws in the Delta wich I wasn’t happy with and for $20 more I could get this craftsman that would also cut a compound miter.
I haven’t used the saw a ton. only for small side jobs and the occasional use at home. Therefore I have never had the need to change the blade. Finally recently I wanted to change the blade prior to some trim work I was about to use it for. But for the life of me I could not get the arbor nut off that holds the blade in place!
I used the factory blade wrench that came with the saw. I used a 6 point socket and even vise grips. It would not budge!!
I was so frustrated. I called up sears and they said cause it’s no longer under warranty it would cost $100 to fix..or they would give me $50 credit towards a new saw.
Thats ridiculous!! there’s nothing wrong with the saw – just one little bolt!!
I went out and bought a bolt extractor, and thought ok…this will solve all my problems. When I went to remove the bolt, to my horror i discovered that I was tightening it!!!
I went back to the vise grips, since now I knew I had to turn the other way, but of course now it was tighter than ever and fianlly the head started to strip.( I’d always be very carefull not to strip the head) The $40 bolt exctractor is useless, because it only goes in one direction – reverse.
I’ve e mailed craftsman, and am waiting to hear from them. But I’m afraid that I’m stuck eternally with the factory blade. Who in there right mind designs an arbor nut with a reverse thread!!!
Any ideas?
Replies
Who in there right mind designs an arbor nut with a reverse thread!!!
Someone that does not want the nut to come loose while your sawing!!!
That's why the nut is reverse threaded
Doug
and probably everybody who makes a miter saw! Have you tried a piece of pipe over a ratchet handle, give ya a little more oomph...or about any machine shop...or just learn to sharpen the blade on the saw? Don't worry, we can fix that later!
Oh, Doug - you're being too nice...ROFLMAOPhat
Never underestimate your ability to overestimate your ability
They make EZ outs for lefty threads..drill it and try that.
I'd spot weld a tommy bar and give it a whack with a mallet..still, y aneed a new bolt.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"Yup, I really bought this place, wanna shoot me? Please?
wd 40.
lather ... rinse .. repeat.
that don't work ... then heat.
btw ... Like Doug said ... they're all "wrong" ...
Jeff
Take a nut the same size or slightly larger and weld it(on the inside) to the one you are trying to take off, then turn it the right way.
Don't feel too bad. I did the same thing on the fan clutch (a very expensive fan clutch) on a BMW I owned. The worst part was I knew better but I was working "backwards" to reach the nut and so even though I knew it was a reverse thread..well... anyway...BTDTSHTCTRM (Been There Done That Still Have The Clutch To Remind Me)
then turn it the right way.
You mean... wrong way?
aw heck slather it in peanut butter and let it sit in the sun for two weeks it'll come right off
"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man." - Mark Twain
Support the shaft. Preferably with a hefty piece of metal that then rests on the concrete floor. Take a good, sharp chisel and set it across the flat in line with the shaft. Avoid hitting the threads. Whack firmly and repeatedly with a three or four pound engineers hammer. Setting this up is the most difficult part.
Of course a good nut splitter does the same thing without the fun. Try the rental shops and diesel mechanics to see if you can borrow one at a reasonable price. Using a nut splitter eliminates the need for support and the danger of bending the shaft.
If the chisel, either the hand held one or the one within the splitter, is sharp you might cut all the way through the nut. No big deal. You can buy another. And don't worry too much about damaging the threads under. As long as you kept the chisel parallel with the shaft and didn't reset the cut the damage can be easily dressed or filed out and should not weaken the holding power of the threads much. Interrupted threads are a common fixture in machine shops.
More than likely you won't cut all the way through unless you go nuts on it. You will just pound a groove into the nut. This stretches the nut and will usually cause it to be quite loose. Be sure to replace the nut even if the mark is not deep and seems insignificant. The groove causes stress that can cause it to give up at any time.
Of course you can also try a torch to heat the nut. Sometimes helps to wrap the shaft, and other parts you don't want to heat, in a wet rag. With the nut still hot try backing it off. Sometimes it also helps to heat and douse the parts in penetrant, like liquid wrench, and then repeat and try to torque it off while hot. Usually after a few cycles like this it will give up.
Wow.... to be honest I never heard of a reverse threaded bolt before. I thought this was something unique to my saw. At work I never had the fortune of being the guy to change the blade, so I never had to deal with it.
I change blades on skill saws all the time and it's always been the standard clockwise to tighten, counter to loosen. I never even bothered to think about the physics of it.
I couldn't find my manual, so no help there. And when I talked to the guy at Sears I guess he didn't know either 'cause he said make sure I was turning it counter clockwise. But that should be expected. I had tried turning both ways, but I guess after 5 years it would get tight, and then I only made it worse.
Just goes to show, sometimes it pays to use your brain rather than your muscle.
signed, lesson learned the hard way,
nails2
impact driver.... should zip right off after a good soaking w/ liquid wrench.
Thought of that, I do need to get one. I tried the heat and liquid wrench method, but it's siezed up good. My frustration is at it's end, so today I dropped it off at a machine shop. I'm good and ready to pay someone else to get it off. right away he tried an impact wrench. he said it wouldn't budge. So I left it with him.
This is why I like working with wood and i'm not a mechanic!
I wonder if a socket in an impact driver would loosen it. If not, you can take a piece of flat metal and drill a 1/4" hole in it. Put the hole over the head of the nut and hit it real quick with an arc welder. Once it cools, you can use the piece of metal like a wrench to turn the bolt off. Another thought would be to borrow a left handed drill bit or extractor set. Obviously you're going to need a new arbor bolt...
Ever wonder why you have to click on "Start" to stop Windows?
Yup, I concluded awhile ago that I'd need a new bolt....LOL.
Too bad I actually like the saw (better than the Delta I use a work) otherwise I'd just say time to buy a new saw.
Well...my grief is at an end! Machine shop got it off. Said something about cutting it and welding another nut to it. I'm not sure why both cut and weld. But I no longer care...it's off. And I'm all the wiser, I now know about left threaded bolts. It's only too bad I couldn't have learned from someone elses mistake rather than my own.
PS Thank's to all you guys with your helpfull ideas. 'cept you phatbrain lol
EDIT: I picked up my saw and I guess I wasn't following what the guy said on the phone. They didn't have to cut anything just weld a new nut on the old one. WOW it's welded on solid - I will save it as reminder of my lesson..lol
Edited 5/19/2005 1:50 pm ET by nails2
Edited 5/19/2005 10:04 pm ET by nails2
Glad you managed. Remember that when your barbeque cylinder regulator seems to get stuck!
Ridgid has a really nice set of screw extractors for the next time you forget about this. And unlike those backward spiral stud extractors that everybody seems to have, these actually WORK. The set consists of a set of splined shafts of various sizes with matching splined double nuts and drill bits. You drill a hole into the stud or bolt, drive in the splined shaft with a hammer, and slide on the matching splined nut with a doubled head. With two wrenches of the same length to provide even torque, you twist out the stud and voila- out it comes. Penetrating oil is of course a standard accessory.
Our machinist has a set, I borrowed it and took out some snapped off exhaust manifold studs from the head of my old Honda CRX. If it could shift those bastards, rusted into the head by 350,000 km of hard living and dissimilar metal corrosion, it can remove just about anything. If I ever lay eyes on that set anywhere I'm buying it, regardless what they're charging. The set I borrowed saved me $500 in a single use.
I don't remember if it is RIDGID or RIGID...but, Do not call the 1-800 XXXXXXXX number by chance...it is a phone sex line.
I called about my Bandsaw one afternoon , quite the conversation.
Them: " well, how big is it?"
Me: " uh, 14".."
Them: " ooooooh, you ARE a big boy"
Me: "no, just 6'4" "
Them: "would you like me to ........(deleted)
Me : " what the hell?"
It was real funny...............
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"Yup, I really bought this place, wanna shoot me? Please?
Don't know. Might have been helpful. Shock the lady on the other end when he says he has tried beating it with a hammer and heating it with a torch and still can't get it off.Of course then again she may just forward the call to 'Mistress Helga's House of Pain'.Re: 14"And she didn't immediately ask for a date?
At least it wadant my 10'' table saw..LOL
Mighta caused an Aerosmith flash back.
"yeah, we have toys in the attic"..
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"Won't choo listen , while I play, My Green Tamboureen"