I had picked up one of these saws for my Dad in about 1972. He used it for years until he got a UniSaw. He gave it back to me and I renovated it like this, especially the turned pulleys and linked belt. I built a movable cabinet from plans from Woodsmith and it was a terrific saw. I gave it to a Brother Mason when my new wife insisted that I buy a Sawstop. I have one of these Craftsman that I found abandoned at the local transfer station this summer, and I am going to restore it this winter. You did a fine job, here! Well done!
I have the same saw, my grandfather bought it brand-new in 73, used it for his cabinet making shop. when he passed away, my dad took it over and used it for his wood working business. Now my dad passed away a few months ago, Sept. 16th. And I have it in my garage! I have fully taken it apart, restored every piece/part, replaced the arbor bearings, replaced all nuts, bolts clips, o-ring, washers etc....put it all back together, and it's brand spanking new! It's 100% square, cuts super smooth, don't have to worry about adjustments or anything. These saws are absolutely amazing! Next up is to make a new fence using liner roller bars on tracks to have micro adjust for fine tuning!
Bill, if you still have the saw, something to consider. I've been using one of these for 40 years. Good saw if you take care of it. Use compressed air and blow out the motor after every several uses. It will get clogged and increases heat which will reduce the life of the Motor. Check the alignment of the pulleys. Craftsman designed this poorly with their original guide and many people made unnecessary modifications to the back of the saw, when all they needed to do was to move or reverse the pulley direction on the shaft. Lastly, use a heavier extension cord. Flexible cords deteriorate over time and result in greater restriction and heat due to the breakage that occurs inside the cord. You will not see it but it happens. I use a dedicated extension cord that is rated for heavy equipment (it was designed for a commercial refrigeration unit). It never overheats and ensures a consistent flow of electricity to the motor, increasing the life of the motor.
I agree with the extension cord upgrade. I also run my saws (plural) off a dedicated 20 amp outlet. ONE THING about those motors...they are an OPEN FRAME design, which means dust gets in. I have rescued many of those motors when they won't start, and just hum. THE REASON for this is...a fleck of dust got into the switch for the start windings. I discovered this a long time ago. You have two ways to cure this: 1) Take the motor apart, clean it, reassemble. OR.... 2) Take the belt off the pulley. Wind a cord around it like the ancient gas engines used, to be started. WITH THE POWER OFF, pull briskly on the rope IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION(!), and that will get the motor spinning. THEN turn on the power, this will get it running. Remember, all the starting circuit does it get the motor up to speed where the more powerful windings get it running fast. NOW blow out the dust with compressed air....even a small air can like for computers will work. THIS SHOULD WORK. If it doesn't, kill the power and try again. It has only taken me two tries to do this with every motor that has an internal startup winding switch set. If you ever go with a larger HP motor (and 1/2, 3/4 or 1 HP is fairly common), I suggest a double-pulley-and-two-belts setup for more torque and belt power. In that case I would recommend going with a 220V setup. My setup is TWO Craftsman saws bolted side-by-side. That way I have one dedicated blade for ripping, the other for cross cuts or using a molding head. That way I can mold with one head, then rip it off etc. BTW, both came from scrap yards, including the motors and one skeleton wing. I used to have two wings on it, but that took up too much space in my shop.
It's funny watching you do this restoration. I when through all of the same steps you did. Mine was totally rusted and loaded with mud dauber nests underneath the table. The wings were replaced with cast iron wings I found on ebay. The originals were bowed up so plywood wouldn't lay flat on the table. It's so satisfying to do a restoration on this classic table saw. It will probably out live me.
Caring for and using these fine old Craftsman table saws is very satisfying as they’re so much sturdier than modern saws. I still use my father’s from the early 60s.
Thanks Bill! Your video was the catalyst for me to restore/update my dad's old 113 series Craftsman table saw, date code 7247. In its day it built a lake house, a hand lofted 13 ft. sailboat and who knows how many cabinets and other woodwork projects of dad's. :-)
underneath the fence base is a nylon slider spring loaded that can be adjusted to increase tension on the fence to stay straight. That is of course assuming one has already loosened the two he bolts on top of the fence and adjusted the fence to be straight and square. waxing the slider and underside of the fence base along with waxing both rails also helps. Be sure the wheel at the end of the fence is still round and clean and spins freely. If you do all these things your fence will be much more accurate and operate smoothly.
I gave my old delta saw a spa treatment a week ago. Realigned, cleaned and lubed everything, cleaned and used Top-coat (now called Glidecoat) by bostich on the top. Still had some vibration, like a wobble, when the motor was starting up and gearing down. Put a link belt on and it all went away. Runs extremely smoothly and much quieter now. Best bang for your buck upgrade beyond a nice new or resharpened blade. As as one other person mentioned in the comments, use compressed air to blow out your motor, can’t believe the amount of sawdust that came out.
Very nice restoration job Bill Van Loo. Those Craftsman saws before 1990 are not loosing their value. In fact for shop based saws they are actually in relatively high demand because they are so easy to maintain. So upgrading your fence would be a sound investment that will make your work much more enjoyable.
Michael Olsen I agree completely-- I have a mid-70s Craftsman saw (it was my grandfather's). I put a new motor on it 17 years ago (Craftsman) a new Biesemeyer fence (12+ years ago) and it made a HUGE difference. Definitely worth the $. I've worn out the replacement motor and now have a Leeson motor on it. I've put more $ in it than it was new but the sentiment and quality make it worth it for me.
I love my 60s-era Craftsman. One piece of advice for anyone reading this: don't ever use oil or spray lubricants on the tilt or raise mechanisms, particularly the threaded shafts. They'll attract sawdust and crud thereafter and become almost unusable over time. I recently completely dismantled my saw to correct this mistake. The manual says to use a paste-type wax, but I ended up lubing it with a graphite wax I made by dissolving graphite powder in heated paraffin. The difference it made from how it had been was incredible.
@@dustypop123 I would say to look up the part number in the manual (Sears was always good about that, and you should be able to find the manual online if you don't have it) and then google that number. Somebody somewhere likely sells it.
I had an almost identical saw given to me last year. I've torn it completely down and repainted everything. I just ordered the same pulleys and belt that you installed. My original pulleys did not have woodruff keys and appear to have turned on the shaft. I copied you and used a wheel puller to get the pulley off the carriage. I just took the top out of a 24 hr vinegar soak which got rid of all traces of rust. All that's left is to paint the back of the top, sand the top and put everything back together. Thanks for the video and tips!
Your video came up on my homepage and glad I stopped to watch. "It's me!" LOL! Upsized my shop to a 3 hp cabinet saw and years later thinking about downsizing but being able to cut hardwoods. Picked up a 113 a few weeks ago and did the requisite clean up. Liked reading the comments re: a double belt pully. Putting an American made 1.5 220 volt motor on but rpm's hlf the current saw. Will change pully ratio. had this saw for a first saw in past. and sold it to buy a cabinet saw. old one had the cast iron wings. Important to make sure wings are level to the table.
Great of you to share this detailed experience. I did the same "in-line" upgrade to my Delta Contractor's saw over 10 years ago. Bought it as a kit with a blade at one of the shows that travel around. Definitely the best upgrade I ever made to the saw. A trick a mechanic showed me with the Gear Pullers is to use a small bungie or rubber bands around the jaws. That way you aren't fighting the jaws while trying to tighten the screw. It's not the greatest fence by today's standards, but I have noticed a few Delta Uni-fence setups on Craiglist in the past year. Because it's a T-Square style and only requires one rail, it's easy to adapt them to just about any saw.
Mine is a Craftsman Model 113.2990 and other than the fence, looks identical. My dad bought it in the early 60's. I upgraded the motor years ago to a 3hp model as the original was only a 3/4 hp. A couple of years ago I added a Delta T2-30 fence to it and bought some zero clearance inserts. Great saw and has cut miles of wood over the decades. Sadly, our last Sears store closed this April so I don't know if tools like this are available anymore. Lowe's seems to have picked up a lot of the Craftsman tools but they are not made in the US like these saws were.
Absolutely get a new rip fence and miter gauge for these saws it’ll turn them into a saw rivaling the precision of most cabinet saws. I’m currently working on a similar saw now, for our youngest son. I’ve done 2 older models in the past one for me and the other for a friend. All in including the saw around $500 cheap for a high precision saw. Now tackling a a 50’s UniSaw with a sliding table.
I have my grandfather's Craftsman table saw similar but older than yours. I am just getting ready to start using it but remembered the motor vibration when I tried using it a few years ago. Thanks for the info. I had already started to clean up the surface. The belt driven motor was foreign to me and therefore made me nervous. This saw was used to make boats and furniture before I was born...53 yrs, lol. It has a wood cabinet base and a box of parts, ie fence. I'm excited to get it up and running.
Bill, you will never regret the time you put in to this saw. I also have two of these beasts; one with an AccuSquare Fence and the other with a craftsman later model fence (I don't remember it's name and it's down in the shop) X 24 something that is very good. I did put a piece of UHMW on the fence which makes a super slippery surface. These were made by Emerson Electric in St. Louis MO decades ago and will probably outlast a lot of the saws built today. As someone pointed out they tend to come with different motors. One of mine came with a 1.5HP 120 v motor and the other has a 120-240 v motor. I've made the "big" one into a quasi cabinet saw by adding a base complete with dust collection. I cut a lot of oak, walnut and mahogany and it has never bogged down once. Peachtree has a nice set of hardware they call PALs that fit onto the rear of the trunion that make blade/table to miter/fence alignment super easy. There are a lot of excellent suggestion below, but I'm not giving up my old "Emerson Electric/Craftsman" Tablesaw. Just $10 of my 2 cents. Good Luck and make sawdust!
clutions, I have the same saw that you were referring to. 10" Contractor with Exact-i-Rip fence. It's off set to cut approx 45" to the right. I am the ONLY user of my saw & after 25 years it still looks brand new & the only noise when it runs is a quiet whistle. Love it!!😊👍
My only regret was one day just *after* I did all that work and spent all that money on the old Craftsman, I found a FWW open to a Powermatic ad on on my wife's desk. Turns out she had been thinking about getting me a Powermatic cabinet saw for Christmas that year. D'oh! :D
Mine looks like the saw in the video. It was my wife’s Grandfather’s saw. After he died my Father-in-Law retrieved it from the barn it was in and gave it to me. All I did was use some 3 in 1 oil to clean up the cast iron table and it’s a great saw. I have all the safety equipment it came with.
I have the same saw with the dual v motor it is setup for 220 don’t have the fence broke and no parts and don’t know if I will get on haven’t used it for 20 yrs it was my grand pas he got it from Emerson electric
The table came new with an as machined finish. Craftsman wasn't about appearance, it was cost effective function. To get a finish like a Unisaw, Powermatic, etc would require finishing with a stone cutter. I don't think the sand err r scratched the surface, rather it took the patina off the high part of the surface topography, while leaving the color in the pores, as it were. Great work and informative video
I have the same saw. It was dropped off the back of a work truck and apparently had sat for quite a few years. The original 3 hp motor had been replaced with a 1.5 hp, which I really don't like but haven't found a cheap used 3 hp 110v motor. Since it had been dropped of the back of a truck, I had to build a new stand for it. The top seemed fine. I had to take apart the entire blade adjustment system apart and clean clean clean. Was all rusted up. Old fence was totally junked, so later on I built my own fence and rail, with a 16 tpi threaded 5/8 rod _(3/4" would have been better)_ for the fence to "lock down" onto. Makes moving the fence by 1/16 inch at a time very easy. Its not a great saw, but its the best table saw I've ever owned and works for what I need.
this is exactly what I was looking for just one of these from my dad and then top is in bad shape, need to switch it to 110v and see how she's does. Pulleys and belt also make it seem way less harsh. great work!
I am the original owner of that identical saw. I refurbish it similar to what you did except that I did add a Delta T2 biesemeyer type fence and Got Fabulous results. I love this song and we'll never let go of it.
I bought a Delta T4 fence for my 113 and it is a totally different saw now. I found a 137 with align a rip fence for parts, and the T4 blows the align a rip out of the water. Interestingly, the 137 had a much better motor pulley with 2 Allen screws that reduced pulley wobble. The biggest downside is the weight of the saw, it is so heavy that I worry about it causing further structural movement of my basement wall below which has already been structurally repaired. But the saw is so fun. Next upgrade will be a kerf splitter. Have had a couple small kick backs and a splitter is really needed.
I inherited a similar old Craftsman saw that was built in 1973 and in about the same shape. I got a 4 inch paint and rust stripper wheel at Lowes for $13. Made by Shopsmith, it goes on your angle grinder. It cleaned off the top without removing any paint, and it's 5/8" width got into the miter gauge grooves and cleaned them down to the inside corners. I was done in about 15 minutes. I also prepped a 6ft piece of 3X2 1/4" tubing and a 3X3 angle iron 4 feet long for painting. It stripped all the color off those pieces and made everything shiny . 3M makes a good one too.
Another change that's really nice for the really old ones with the small plastic crank handles on the tilt and elevate is to get some 6" cast-iron wheels and handles from Grizzly. You'll have to drill 'em and tap 'em for set screws, and drill out the center hole, but those big heavy wheels make it SO much easier to crank the blade up and down and tilt tilt it.
Good job Bill. I have the same basic saw from the 70's but have upgraded it a lot. One of the best things I did was to add the Delta aftermarket beam fence ... Delta 36-T30T3 30" T-Square Fence and Rail System. The OEM fence was totally crap ... to the point that I had no confidence in the saw ... and when you don't have confidence in a table saw ... you might as well junk it.
I have an even older table saw and yes it was a TON of work. (I had to replace all the wiring inside the motor). It was satisfying to bring a 65 yr old tool back to life. I hope you find lots of satisfaction in its use. TIp: I installed a P.A.LS. to keep the blade aligned with the mitre slots. Still need to replace pulley and add a link belt.
Thanks for making this video! I just upgraded from a cheap Skil saw to a mid-70's Craftsman and you answered almost all the questions I had to get it in shape.
I think the next two things you want to do is oil the mechanism that locks the rip fence and add a splitter to your zero clearance insert. The rip fence knob is literally screaming for lubrication. A splitter will improve your personal safety to two big ways. For one, you will have fewer pieces of wood thrown at you. For two, when stuff is thrown back at you, if you happen to be hanging onto it (even via a push stick) your hand can be dragged back into the blade. Just about nobody runs their fingers through the blade. The kickback pulls them in. It happens instantaneously. Forget about just letting go. Watch some videos about table saw safety and splitters.
Ok, it’s time for me to go clean up my grandad’s 1964 craftsman. Link belt and new pulleys made a big improvement a few years ago. May have to upgrade the motor as I have some 8/4 walnut to rip.
The miter slots on my 1980's Rockwell were still crusty rusty after I had polished the top, so I put a big wire wheel on my drill and that took care of those. I didn't go crazy polishing the top. I used a red scotch brite pad and WD-40. I just laid the scotch brite pad on the top and then set my random orbital sander on top of it, sprayed the wd-40 and went to town on it. Afterwards I first sprayed the top with O'Reilly brake parts cleaner to get rid of the WD-40, then put a nice coat of Johnson wax on the top to keep the rust from returning. Wax, when buffed is slick as snot and it also naturally repels dust.
I have identical saw. When using the rip fence use a tape measure to check that measurements at near and far end of fence to the edge of the miter slot are the same. That way I always get accurate square cuts.
I watched your video a couple of days ago. So I took my da sander started at 80 grit sand paper. When I got finish sanding the table top, I ended at 220 and put some paste wax on. I should of done this years ago. Thank you for the great tips.
Good job. I have my fathers 50’s Craftsman table saw and did a major cleanup/setup and added a Biesemier fence, router station and upgraded to 2 HP motor. Also enclosed the bottom of the stand and installed a vacuum port. Fantastic upgrades! I like the saw and rarely need to tilt the blade but that is the weak point on mine. I have the same squeak when raising and lowering the blade. Can stop it for a day or so but it comes back. Wish someone had a replacement unit for the blade assembly but I’m not interested in replacing this saw.
Those pulleys didn’t look to be in line with each other - check that a straightedge touches both faces of each pulley, tap oneinor out to line them up. Also make sure that both shafts are parallel as well. Both these will prolong the life of the belt and pulleys. Tables exist on line to show the amount of belt deflection you need to give the correct tension, the belt will lose tension fairly quickly as it initially stretches during the first few uses. Look at Beisemeyer fences to see how they work, I made my own out of wood and it works very well.
I've cleaned up some pretty rusty tables with a wire wheel or cup brush on an angle grinder. It gets into the low spots of the uneven cast iron surface better than sandpaper. Back in the 1980s, I observed a shop rat using Butcher's Wax to condition and protect cast iron equipment and have been using it myself since then. It really makes the work slide easily across the table. BTW, those are not stamped pulleys. There is such a thing, commonly found on consumer-grade riding mowers, but those are die cast, not known for running true, but unlike stamped pulleys, they can be improved on a lathe. It's not the best idea to use a flat sander to clean up a shaft. Better to remove the key and use cloth-backed abrasive, wrapped around the shaft, to avoid creating flat spots on the shaft. You sure got that belt drive to work smoothly. I wish you had mounted the belt before swapping out the pulleys, so we could see how much difference the belt and the pulleys made, independently.
Glad I found this video. Gives me inspiration to rehab the 1960's Craftsman table saw I found on the side of the road. Motor still works but needs new pulleys and lots of TLC to the cast iron top. 👍🏽👍🏽 Great work! Cheers!
Adjusted correctly, that fence could be spot on. Just give a little push from behind before locking it in position. You can adjust that too. You'd want to put a sacrificial fence guide on there but mine is of a similar vintage and there's no real problem with it.
Added the pulley and segmented belt...went from A LOT of vibration to being able to balance a quarter on edge while running. still gotta refurbish the riser and tilt...too stiff...THANKS for a great tip...(20yo Grizzy contractor saw-threw the legs aways and built into a cabinet. I thought the motor was dying...hard time ripping...loosened the trundle bolts and realigned with the table slots. aligned with the fence...made all the difference. Make a simple jig with dial gauge for this. (Added a Vega 50" fence-Vega micro adjust is so much better than the "bump" method, Jessum router lift...)
My tips for this style saw. I just inherited a 113 in excellent condition. 1.) ziptie your cords up and use an extension cord. 2.) you didn't need to replace the belt. The original pulleys work fine. If you're getting vibration you need to work on aligning the pulleys and belt better. All in all this took me about 30 minutes yesterday and I was able to completely remove the vibration in the saw. 3.) on the cast iron top you should spray it with vinegar. Let it set soaked for 30 minutes to an hour. Then take steel wool and brush off the rust. Wipe it off, rinse repeat a couple more times if necessary. Then spray with an oil. Gun oil or olive oil should work. Let that soak overnight. Then wipe it clean the next day. You do not need to polish the top. That's overkill. Like your zero cut insert. I'll need to make one of those for mine.
Hey buddy, I have the exact same saw except that I have the cast iron wings. Today, after watching your video, I did the exact same thing. I still need to get the pulleys and belt but can’t wait for that. Also, I want to take apart my motor and clean it completely out. Thanks so much for this.. my cast iron top is now like ice!
Great video. will be replacing pulley and belt soon. Naval jelly works great for removing rust. Paint it on surface, let set for awhile, then wipe it off with moist towel. Wax surface to complete job.
When cleaning up residue, use acetone, mineral spirits, or denatured alcohol. It dissolves the residue instead of moving it around (ie, with solvents like WD40 which are a bit oily)... from years of painting and also gun cleaning.
Thanks for saying this. When I saw him using WD40 I was immediately scratching my head. The problem is with our American society is people believe in popular ads which leads to trusting family/friends, ie WD40 is a penetrating oil which its NOT. Use a real one like PB Blaster or other great ones. OR that Armorall is great for a vehicle's plastic, rubber, or vinyl parts; its only great at making everything greasy/oily. Use products that do what they claim such as 303 or whatnot (do your homework). That said, WD40 isn't a penetrating oil, barely a lubricant, and definitely isn't a cleaner. That's why the steel was still dirty after it was "cleaned" with WD40. Now don't get me wrong, if it's all you have then, I get it.
When I did this I found the trick was to bathe the table top in PB blaster for about an hour. Then I went to town with scotch brite and elbow grease, periodically spraying more blaster. Once I got through most of it, there were a few stubborn spots left. I switched to 1200 grit wet/dry paper to clean those spots.
Just use a tape measure from fence to edge of a track. if distances at front and back of fence are identical then the fence is parallel to the blade. Just takes a minute. I check mine for every cut. Works great and saves money for some expensive new fence.
I just picked up a vintage table saw a week ago. Just got the motor running beautifully. Ready to tackle the surface next. Looks like I will be stocking up on sandpaper before hand =)
I had the same Craftsman saw, upgraded to SawStop last year (while I still have my fingers). Great saw for the price, never had an issue, sawing hickory, oak or locust. 3 HP motor was in the 240 volt mode, otherwise 1.5 HP. Liked the factory fence with it's micro adjust dial.
SawStop is pretty cool. It's a last-ditch kind of safety mechanism, but I guess it's good to have it when you need it. Sometimes you can do everything right and the [bad word redacted] saw will STILL try to eat you for breakfast! I was ripping trim one hot humid summer day. Had all the hold downs, anti-kickback finger guides, push stick, the whole nine yards. But it was hot, I was sweating a lot, and my hand just slipped, and before I could catch myself I'd run a nice neat 1/8" kerf right down the middle of my thumb. With the SawStop, I probably wouldn't have gotten more than a bit of a cut on the tip. I've still got the thumb, but it's skinnier than the other one by the width of one Forrest Woodworker II :D :D :D
I see that this video is a few years old by now but in case someone else is reading the comments, the fence will work fine if you just use your hands only on the T side of the fence. Apply pressure with your thumbs against the rail and it should square up nicely. I used to square it up like you showed but after changing methods it squares up nicely every time. I learned that from another video, can't remember who to give proper credit.
Awesome bro, I myself picked up a almost mint early 90s I think 3HP Craftsman table saw with the skeleton cast iron wings. After putting the saw together motor switch wings and fence it ran quite well. I’m adding a delta t2 fence, Rockler stop switch, also the inline industries pullys and link belt. Top I started with 150 as well and worked my way up added wax and top is like glass now. After the holidays are over tearing it all down and going to paint the wings, and a base don’t lie the legs and it will be a work horse. Way worth the investment for me. Great video!
I just saw your video. Great tips. Those old Craftsman Emerson built saws are good units. The linked belts really help the vibration issue. I just purchased a lightly used late model unit that has the XR2424 fence. Like you I went through a lot of sandpaper and scotch brite to clean the top. The XR2424 is a great fence and does these old saws justice. My next upgrades are a zero clearance insert, thin kerf blade, and a micro jig splitter. The factory splitter and guard are a pain. I may add a PALS alignment tool also. Again thanks for the video. You have a great working saw that will serve you well.
I recently bought the same saw for 40$ and the pulley on the blade drive shaft actually fell off the second week I had it . The table on mine was rusted worse than this one and I hit it with a angle grinder with a wire wheel . I like your upgrades thanks for posting.
I know you have heard this before but wanted to reiterate. I have an old craftsman cast iron top and wings TS which had the turn handle crank fence and angle iron rails like yours. It never was accurate even when measuring twice from both ends of the blade to fence. Unfortunately it made me compromise my woodworking with a "close enough" attitude and hopes that no one would look to close at my completed projects. After 15 years of frustrating compromise using my fence, I had had enough and bought the Delta T2 fence system because of the great reviews and under $200 cost. I am being very honest when I say It was the best money I have spent in my shop and I would do it again. It slides smooth and more importantly, when I put it on a measurement through the sight gauge, it Is dead on and gives me a perfect cut every time without having to measure blade to fence. I look forward to and enjoy using it every time I go into the shop! Oh and BTW, I'm proud of my work now and happy to have someone look closely at the joinery!
MRrwmac I added the same fence on my old 113 TS and you %100 correct, no more adjust the front, then the back, adding a clamp to the back of the fence, tap tap remeasure, arggg. Now just set and lock down and saw. Turned an ok saw into a great saw.
Nice video! I just picked up an old Craftsman 315 table saw. My previous was a crappy old table top Craftsman like your old Ryobi, and it literally had nothing going for it except it spun a blade. The motor wasn't parallel to the miter slots and there's no adjustment (or maybe the adjustment bolts were just seized), so you really couldn't cut anything straight. This new one is like going from a Geo Metro to a brand new Lexus!
Awesome upgrade!!! I just got one of these from my father in-law, I had a hard time getting it to 45deg (only can get to about 43 deg), seems like the miter/angle screw rod doesn't have enough room (even with the collars off it) to push to 45deg. I am able to hit a 90deg with no issues, and about 2inches overhang (on the other side of the collar)... First time working on an older saw, and so I'm not sure if i can just unscrew the rod (the rod is shown at 2:33) all the way out?... Then re-insert when it's close to 90 so I would end up with more room when it's at the 45 deg... Or if that'd cause more issues. Any insights?
Just saw your video. I've an old 10" Contractor's saw that has a full sized cast iron table. I sand my top 3 times a year and recoat with wax. Well, I did. Now I use Glidecoat, a product that was developed for NASA. The difference is amazing. There is a companion product for saw blades but I just used it for the first time and can't report on its effectiveness yet. I plan on doing the pulley upgrade soon.
Good "how to fix it up" video. I have a 1969 113 I inherited from my dad in better shape than yours, but still needed help. The cast iron only had a little rust and I was able to fully remove it. I cleaned it up in much the same way and added In-Line Industries PALs to make alignment of the blade much easier. I'm waiting on them for a set of pulleys and belt (out of stock currently). I highly recommend the Delta T3 fence system... it made a huge improvement and was not too hard to install. Along with some extra cast wings I got via eBay and a router table from Peachtree, it now is a super good table saw. 10" rips to the left and 36.5" to the right.
Nice upgrades, Bill. Adding a quality fence is worth it just for the ease in cutting to an exact size. Or, if you can weld, building one - you can find multiple videos on TH-cam on building you own Biesemeyer style Fence. A quality fence moves effortlessly, and locks to the exact size you want it to, no muss, no fuss. The thing to realize is that if you do eventually upgrade, you can take the fence with you & install it on your next saw. The only thing I might suggest is to make sure the two pulleys are in alignment with each other. It looked like the motor pulley might need to be on the shaft a little further in (or the motor might need adjusted). It might have been the camera angle, but it looked like the belt wasn't in a straight line across the two pulleys (hope that makes sense). That will also cut down on vibration & reduce stress on the motor. Thanks for posting your video.
John Benedetto Thank you, John! I definitely want to upgrade the fence if I can; it's the least enjoyable part of using the saw. I also agree about the pulley alignment; I think they are not quite coplanar with one another. Thanks for the comment!
Nice pulleys...yup, the old ones leave a lot to be desired. I have the exact same saw. I never liked it until I decided to buy a Vega fence. It transformed the saw from near junk to a very nice, accurate, smooth saw. I built an extension table on the right since the fence has a long reach. Highly recommend this. BUT, if you are going to cut 45 degree angles, the motor mount will hit the back bar. Having hit the forums and talked to Vega, one needs to cut a small wedge out of the back square stock. The stock is just to keep the back of the fence off the table and where the cut goes, it has no effect on the fence itself. Enjoy.
Any cast iron top table saw that is belt driven is worth investing in a Biesemeyer fence system. Have you seen the junk that is sold these days? I just bought a used Delta contractor's saw with the Delta fence and cast iron top and cast iron extensions I bought my Craftsman table saw in 91 for less than $200.
Well this is great information! Love the gear pulley rental ahahhaha. So I have an old craftsman 10” 113.12070….it has three holes on each side for extension tables but I can’t seem to find the right ones? Help me please!
My dad bought a Craftsman table saw as an upgrade from the one HIS father had bought; my dad's is likely from 1965. In the 1990's, he bought an upgraded fence from an aftermarket company, and put a mobile base underneath it. (that aftermarket fence surely cost more in 1990 dollars than the saw itself did in 1965). So my best guess is that the saw is two years older than I am, and it runs like a tank. I was able to find some automotive V-belts that fit pretty close, and that solved a lot of the vibration problems immediately. I'm interested in getting a riving knife installed, because that's the one thing which is missing that gives me some pause.
Another important upgrade before it’s too late: install some angle aluminum to the back of the frame vertically on each side and the install with angle or flat bar at a 45 degree angle in the lower left corner (facing the back of the saw). I presently have 3 saws in my garage and 2 of them had bent rear frames, it’s the weakest point in the saw. Not convinced? Do this, with the blade at 90 degrees check the fear opening for square. Crank the blade over to a 45 degree bevel and check for square. You’ll be heading to the store to get that flat bar to create a brace 😳 since the trunnions is mounted to the bottom of the table none of this will affect the cut but you’ll know you reinforced the weakest part of the saws support system and that’s a good thing.
If you still have this saw please take a few minutes every so often to BLOW OUT YOUR MOTOR! A little compressed air will save you the cost of your motor etc. I have an older one of these and taken care of will outlast most others! Mine is still GREAT!
DEFINITELY. I've done the same set of changes, all of which improved things, but what turned it from a curiosity into a usable tool was that Delta T-Square fence. It's a solid, accurate, relatively inexpensive fence. One other thing I did that you might consider. Contact Sears Parts. You never know, they might still stock cast iron extensions for that table. Another 50lb of iron helps further reduce vibration (at the cost of making the saw beastly difficult ot move if it doesn't have casters!, and large pieces of wood move more smoothly than with those stamped steel extensions.
Have you made an improvements since this video? I have this same saw and am deciding wether it’s better to buy new pulleys and fence or just get a new saw
Beautiful restoration! I recently restored a very similar saw. For the fence, try adjusting the plastic tab on the clamping side of the fence (should be held in with a couple screws). That's what holds your fence perpendicular to the rails while it's loose. I also put some paste wax on the bottom of the fence where it contacts the rails and it made a world of difference.
I have this exact saw, the fence is adjustable, loosen the two bolts on the top of the fence near the handle then you can swing the fence a degree or two in any direction. Also, if you make it to when you have to press in on the handle as you tighten it you can get accurate settings of the fence every time. Also spray the internals of the fence with some good lubricant, you shouldn't hear it squeak when you toque it down. Do you have a link to a replacement fence?
I just removed my arbor pulley and ended up using a long motorcycle tire iron to pry it off after I completely removed the set screw. The leverage of the tire iron made short work of it. I have a set of gear pullers but it never came to that.
Have the identical saw. You don't need a square to be sure the fence is aligned...just use a tape measure from fence to nearest crosscut guide groove. Measure at front of fence then again at back to be sure it's aligned. Saves spending $200. on some big fancy fence, which I would check the same way regardless...lol
I had a NEW one and gave it to my Father in Law in 1985. In 2013 went looking for a replacement. Bought the saw, a planer jointer and a DeWalt miter saw from the same person. Found on Craigslist. The saw was tipped over onto the motor at one point by HIM. So the original belt fell off. TMI again. Anyway what every Craftsman table saw owner should do: Take the motor and arbor off, disassemble them and replace the BEARINGS. A sleeve of 10 is really cheap. Just an FYI. The numbers on the bearings can be deceptive. I had to buy another set of bearings because they come in 1/2 AND 5/8 sizes. As with anything, measure twice and cut once. That motto needs to be laser engraved in my eyeballs. Near the end of the video 9:49 heard some squeaking. There are a couple of points to grease for that. If you take the arbor out to do it justice, download at manual library. Google your model and add PDF to the search.
Great tips. I also bought a Vega fence for my vintage Rockwell table saw that I picked up on Craig’s list. The fence cost more than the saw but it’s worth it. I figure if I ever upgrade the saw I’ll still have the fence. Also In-line industries doesn’t answer email or the phone! No bueno!
Well done. I have three of these saws that I've restored and actually bolted together to make one large surface for my sawing. I also retrofitted a router into one end. They are fantastic saws and easy to maintain. A couple of hints that I've found work well: 1.) Craftsman made a 3hp motor for some of the versions of this saw. After swapping this motor into where the smaller motor was, it made a HUGE difference in power and smoothness. You can sometimes find these saws on Craigslist where you can sometimes find them with the 3hp motor. 2) The best way I've found to clean the tops is to use a brass brush in a grinding tool. The brass won't scratch the cast iron and it will take off all of the rust and crap you are trying to remove. This also makes the job of the rails and extensions much easier. 3) a must-have improvement is a better fence. I hesitated to upgrade mine as well, but once I did, I was wondering why I hadn't done it right away. It completely makes the saw a better tool. The craftsman fence that comes with the saw is a joke to me now. Good luck
I have the same table saw from the mid 80s I was a kid when my dad bought it from Sears. I have built my kitchen and bathroom cabinets on this saw very reliable and solid but lacking on the fence I would love to upgrade the fence and add an outfeed table
My 45+ yr old Craftsman Delta table is actually /flatter/ than the new one - there's little reason to not use one of these wonderful workhorses. Pulleys, link belt, 3rd party T bessemeyer style fence, good blade = great saw. And you can make a router table insert for the right side space and there you go.
I had picked up one of these saws for my Dad in about 1972. He used it for years until he got a UniSaw. He gave it back to me and I renovated it like this, especially the turned pulleys and linked belt. I built a movable cabinet from plans from Woodsmith and it was a terrific saw. I gave it to a Brother Mason when my new wife insisted that I buy a Sawstop. I have one of these Craftsman that I found abandoned at the local transfer station this summer, and I am going to restore it this winter.
You did a fine job, here! Well done!
I have the same saw, my grandfather bought it brand-new in 73, used it for his cabinet making shop. when he passed away, my dad took it over and used it for his wood working business. Now my dad passed away a few months ago, Sept. 16th. And I have it in my garage! I have fully taken it apart, restored every piece/part, replaced the arbor bearings, replaced all nuts, bolts clips, o-ring, washers etc....put it all back together, and it's brand spanking new! It's 100% square, cuts super smooth, don't have to worry about adjustments or anything. These saws are absolutely amazing! Next up is to make a new fence using liner roller bars on tracks to have micro adjust for fine tuning!
Bill, if you still have the saw, something to consider. I've been using one of these for 40 years. Good saw if you take care of it. Use compressed air and blow out the motor after every several uses. It will get clogged and increases heat which will reduce the life of the Motor. Check the alignment of the pulleys. Craftsman designed this poorly with their original guide and many people made unnecessary modifications to the back of the saw, when all they needed to do was to move or reverse the pulley direction on the shaft. Lastly, use a heavier extension cord. Flexible cords deteriorate over time and result in greater restriction and heat due to the breakage that occurs inside the cord. You will not see it but it happens. I use a dedicated extension cord that is rated for heavy equipment (it was designed for a commercial refrigeration unit). It never overheats and ensures a consistent flow of electricity to the motor, increasing the life of the motor.
Thank you for this extra info! It is all going into my little black book of "Good to Knows!" 📐🤓👌💯⭐
Yes agreed! Thank you
Yes most people use inadequate extension cords.
I agree with the extension cord upgrade. I also run my saws (plural) off a dedicated 20 amp outlet.
ONE THING about those motors...they are an OPEN FRAME design, which means dust gets in. I have rescued many of those motors when they won't start, and just hum.
THE REASON for this is...a fleck of dust got into the switch for the start windings.
I discovered this a long time ago.
You have two ways to cure this:
1) Take the motor apart, clean it, reassemble. OR....
2) Take the belt off the pulley. Wind a cord around it like the ancient gas engines used, to be started. WITH THE POWER OFF, pull briskly on the rope IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION(!), and that will get the motor spinning. THEN turn on the power, this will get it running. Remember, all the starting circuit does it get the motor up to speed where the more powerful windings get it running fast.
NOW blow out the dust with compressed air....even a small air can like for computers will work.
THIS SHOULD WORK. If it doesn't, kill the power and try again. It has only taken me two tries to do this with every motor that has an internal startup winding switch set.
If you ever go with a larger HP motor (and 1/2, 3/4 or 1 HP is fairly common), I suggest a double-pulley-and-two-belts setup for more torque and belt power.
In that case I would recommend going with a 220V setup.
My setup is TWO Craftsman saws bolted side-by-side. That way I have one dedicated blade for ripping, the other for cross cuts or using a molding head. That way I can mold with one head, then rip it off etc.
BTW, both came from scrap yards, including the motors and one skeleton wing. I used to have two wings on it, but that took up too much space in my shop.
OH...and one of my saws is from the early 50s, the other from the late 60s.
It's funny watching you do this restoration. I when through all of the same steps you did. Mine was totally rusted and loaded with mud dauber nests underneath the table. The wings were replaced with cast iron wings I found on ebay. The originals were bowed up so plywood wouldn't lay flat on the table. It's so satisfying to do a restoration on this classic table saw. It will probably out live me.
Caring for and using these fine old Craftsman table saws is very satisfying as they’re so much sturdier than modern saws. I still use my father’s from the early 60s.
Thanks Bill! Your video was the catalyst for me to restore/update my dad's old 113 series Craftsman table saw, date code 7247. In its day it built a lake house, a hand lofted 13 ft. sailboat and who knows how many cabinets and other woodwork projects of dad's. :-)
Spend the money for the fence, totally worth it!
Nothing more satisfying than taking an old tool and cleaning it up and giving it a new lease on life! 😉
underneath the fence base is a nylon slider spring loaded that can be adjusted to increase tension on the fence to stay straight. That is of course assuming one has already loosened the two he bolts on top of the fence and adjusted the fence to be straight and square. waxing the slider and underside of the fence base along with waxing both rails also helps. Be sure the wheel at the end of the fence is still round and clean and spins freely. If you do all these things your fence will be much more accurate and operate smoothly.
I gave my old delta saw a spa treatment a week ago. Realigned, cleaned and lubed everything, cleaned and used Top-coat (now called Glidecoat) by bostich on the top. Still had some vibration, like a wobble, when the motor was starting up and gearing down. Put a link belt on and it all went away. Runs extremely smoothly and much quieter now. Best bang for your buck upgrade beyond a nice new or resharpened blade.
As as one other person mentioned in the comments, use compressed air to blow out your motor, can’t believe the amount of sawdust that came out.
Very nice restoration job Bill Van Loo. Those Craftsman saws before 1990 are not loosing their value. In fact for shop based saws they are actually in relatively high demand because they are so easy to maintain. So upgrading your fence would be a sound investment that will make your work much more enjoyable.
Michael Olsen I agree completely-- I have a mid-70s Craftsman saw (it was my grandfather's). I put a new motor on it 17 years ago (Craftsman) a new Biesemeyer fence (12+ years ago) and it made a HUGE difference. Definitely worth the $. I've worn out the replacement motor and now have a Leeson motor on it. I've put more $ in it than it was new but the sentiment and quality make it worth it for me.
I love my 60s-era Craftsman. One piece of advice for anyone reading this: don't ever use oil or spray lubricants on the tilt or raise mechanisms, particularly the threaded shafts. They'll attract sawdust and crud thereafter and become almost unusable over time. I recently completely dismantled my saw to correct this mistake. The manual says to use a paste-type wax, but I ended up lubing it with a graphite wax I made by dissolving graphite powder in heated paraffin. The difference it made from how it had been was incredible.
Hi. Do you still recommend this method?
@@adamthewoodworker2571 I do. It's been several years since I dismantled and lubed my saw and the mechanisms still function very well.
I just got one of these does anyone know of a good motor mount for this? Mine is broke off
@@dustypop123 I would say to look up the part number in the manual (Sears was always good about that, and you should be able to find the manual online if you don't have it) and then google that number. Somebody somewhere likely sells it.
@@dustypop123se puede soldar, el mío estaba bien, se me cayó y rompió porque estaba ya fisurado, pero con un buen soldador se soluciona.
I had an almost identical saw given to me last year. I've torn it completely down and repainted everything. I just ordered the same pulleys and belt that you installed. My original pulleys did not have woodruff keys and appear to have turned on the shaft. I copied you and used a wheel puller to get the pulley off the carriage. I just took the top out of a 24 hr vinegar soak which got rid of all traces of rust. All that's left is to paint the back of the top, sand the top and put everything back together. Thanks for the video and tips!
Your video came up on my homepage and glad I stopped to watch. "It's me!" LOL! Upsized my shop to a 3 hp cabinet saw and years later thinking about downsizing but being able to cut hardwoods. Picked up a 113 a few weeks ago and did the requisite clean up. Liked reading the comments re: a double belt pully. Putting an American made 1.5 220 volt motor on but rpm's hlf the current saw. Will change pully ratio. had this saw for a first saw in past. and sold it to buy a cabinet saw. old one had the cast iron wings. Important to make sure wings are level to the table.
Great of you to share this detailed experience. I did the same "in-line" upgrade to my Delta Contractor's saw over 10 years ago. Bought it as a kit with a blade at one of the shows that travel around. Definitely the best upgrade I ever made to the saw. A trick a mechanic showed me with the Gear Pullers is to use a small bungie or rubber bands around the jaws. That way you aren't fighting the jaws while trying to tighten the screw.
It's not the greatest fence by today's standards, but I have noticed a few Delta Uni-fence setups on Craiglist in the past year. Because it's a T-Square style and only requires one rail, it's easy to adapt them to just about any saw.
Mine is a Craftsman Model 113.2990 and other than the fence, looks identical. My dad bought it in the early 60's. I upgraded the motor years ago to a 3hp model as the original was only a 3/4 hp. A couple of years ago I added a Delta T2-30 fence to it and bought some zero clearance inserts. Great saw and has cut miles of wood over the decades. Sadly, our last Sears store closed this April so I don't know if tools like this are available anymore. Lowe's seems to have picked up a lot of the Craftsman tools but they are not made in the US like these saws were.
Absolutely get a new rip fence and miter gauge for these saws it’ll turn them into a saw rivaling the precision of most cabinet saws. I’m currently working on a similar saw now, for our youngest son. I’ve done 2 older models in the past one for me and the other for a friend. All in including the saw around $500 cheap for a high precision saw.
Now tackling a a 50’s UniSaw with a sliding table.
I have my grandfather's Craftsman table saw similar but older than yours. I am just getting ready to start using it but remembered the motor vibration when I tried using it a few years ago. Thanks for the info. I had already started to clean up the surface. The belt driven motor was foreign to me and therefore made me nervous. This saw was used to make boats and furniture before I was born...53 yrs, lol. It has a wood cabinet base and a box of parts, ie fence. I'm excited to get it up and running.
Bill, you will never regret the time you put in to this saw. I also have two of these beasts; one with an AccuSquare Fence and the other with a craftsman later model fence (I don't remember it's name and it's down in the shop) X 24 something that is very good. I did put a piece of UHMW on the fence which makes a super slippery surface. These were made by Emerson Electric in St. Louis MO decades ago and will probably outlast a lot of the saws built today. As someone pointed out they tend to come with different motors. One of mine came with a 1.5HP 120 v motor and the other has a 120-240 v motor. I've made the "big" one into a quasi cabinet saw by adding a base complete with dust collection. I cut a lot of oak, walnut and mahogany and it has never bogged down once. Peachtree has a nice set of hardware they call PALs that fit onto the rear of the trunion that make blade/table to miter/fence alignment super easy. There are a lot of excellent suggestion below, but I'm not giving up my old "Emerson Electric/Craftsman" Tablesaw. Just $10 of my 2 cents. Good Luck and make sawdust!
clutions, I have the same saw that you were referring to.
10" Contractor with Exact-i-Rip fence. It's off set to cut approx 45" to the right. I am the ONLY user of my saw & after 25 years it still looks brand new & the only noise when it runs is a quiet whistle. Love it!!😊👍
My only regret was one day just *after* I did all that work and spent all that money on the old Craftsman, I found a FWW open to a Powermatic ad on on my wife's desk. Turns out she had been thinking about getting me a Powermatic cabinet saw for Christmas that year. D'oh! :D
Mine looks like the saw in the video. It was my wife’s Grandfather’s saw. After he died my Father-in-Law retrieved it from the barn it was in and gave it to me. All I did was use some 3 in 1 oil to clean up the cast iron table and it’s a great saw. I have all the safety equipment it came with.
I have the same saw with the dual v motor it is setup for 220 don’t have the fence broke and no parts and don’t know if I will get on haven’t used it for 20 yrs it was my grand pas he got it from Emerson electric
The table came new with an as machined finish. Craftsman wasn't about appearance, it was cost effective function. To get a finish like a Unisaw, Powermatic, etc would require finishing with a stone cutter. I don't think the sand err r scratched the surface, rather it took the patina off the high part of the surface topography, while leaving the color in the pores, as it were. Great work and informative video
I have the same saw. It was dropped off the back of a work truck and apparently had sat for quite a few years. The original 3 hp motor had been replaced with a 1.5 hp, which I really don't like but haven't found a cheap used 3 hp 110v motor. Since it had been dropped of the back of a truck, I had to build a new stand for it. The top seemed fine. I had to take apart the entire blade adjustment system apart and clean clean clean. Was all rusted up. Old fence was totally junked, so later on I built my own fence and rail, with a 16 tpi threaded 5/8 rod _(3/4" would have been better)_ for the fence to "lock down" onto. Makes moving the fence by 1/16 inch at a time very easy. Its not a great saw, but its the best table saw I've ever owned and works for what I need.
this is exactly what I was looking for just one of these from my dad and then top is in bad shape, need to switch it to 110v and see how she's does. Pulleys and belt also make it seem way less harsh. great work!
I am the original owner of that identical saw. I refurbish it similar to what you did except that I did add a Delta T2 biesemeyer type fence and Got Fabulous results. I love this song and we'll never let go of it.
I bought a Delta T4 fence for my 113 and it is a totally different saw now. I found a 137 with align a rip fence for parts, and the T4 blows the align a rip out of the water. Interestingly, the 137 had a much better motor pulley with 2 Allen screws that reduced pulley wobble. The biggest downside is the weight of the saw, it is so heavy that I worry about it causing further structural movement of my basement wall below which has already been structurally repaired. But the saw is so fun. Next upgrade will be a kerf splitter. Have had a couple small kick backs and a splitter is really needed.
I inherited a similar old Craftsman saw that was built in 1973 and in about the same shape. I got a 4 inch paint and rust stripper wheel at Lowes for $13. Made by Shopsmith, it goes on your angle grinder. It cleaned off the top without removing any paint, and it's 5/8" width got into the miter gauge grooves and cleaned them down to the inside corners. I was done in about 15 minutes. I also prepped a 6ft piece of 3X2 1/4" tubing and a 3X3 angle iron 4 feet long for painting. It stripped all the color off those pieces and made everything shiny . 3M makes a good one too.
Another change that's really nice for the really old ones with the small plastic crank handles on the tilt and elevate is to get some 6" cast-iron wheels and handles from Grizzly. You'll have to drill 'em and tap 'em for set screws, and drill out the center hole, but those big heavy wheels make it SO much easier to crank the blade up and down and tilt tilt it.
Good job Bill. I have the same basic saw from the 70's but have upgraded it a lot. One of the best things I did was to add the Delta aftermarket beam fence ...
Delta 36-T30T3 30" T-Square Fence and Rail System. The OEM fence was totally crap ... to the point that I had no confidence in the saw ... and when you don't have confidence in a table saw ... you might as well junk it.
Thanks for the info. I just installed the new pullies and belt on my old Craftsman table saw. What a difference! It took me less then 10 minutes.
I have an even older table saw and yes it was a TON of work. (I had to replace all the wiring inside the motor). It was satisfying to bring a 65 yr old tool back to life. I hope you find lots of satisfaction in its use. TIp: I installed a P.A.LS. to keep the blade aligned with the mitre slots. Still need to replace pulley and add a link belt.
Here it is 2020 and I ran across this video. I just picked up a Craftsman 113 saw. Good information, thanks.
Thanks for making this video! I just upgraded from a cheap Skil saw to a mid-70's Craftsman and you answered almost all the questions I had to get it in shape.
I wiped mine with vinegar before sanding it it did most of the heavy lifting. This is a great video, thanks for sharing your experience.
I think the next two things you want to do is oil the mechanism that locks the rip fence and add a splitter to your zero clearance insert. The rip fence knob is literally screaming for lubrication. A splitter will improve your personal safety to two big ways. For one, you will have fewer pieces of wood thrown at you. For two, when stuff is thrown back at you, if you happen to be hanging onto it (even via a push stick) your hand can be dragged back into the blade. Just about nobody runs their fingers through the blade. The kickback pulls them in. It happens instantaneously. Forget about just letting go. Watch some videos about table saw safety and splitters.
Ok, it’s time for me to go clean up my grandad’s 1964 craftsman. Link belt and new pulleys made a big improvement a few years ago. May have to upgrade the motor as I have some 8/4 walnut to rip.
The miter slots on my 1980's Rockwell were still crusty rusty after I had polished the top, so I put a big wire wheel on my drill and that took care of those. I didn't go crazy polishing the top. I used a red scotch brite pad and WD-40. I just laid the scotch brite pad on the top and then set my random orbital sander on top of it, sprayed the wd-40 and went to town on it. Afterwards I first sprayed the top with O'Reilly brake parts cleaner to get rid of the WD-40, then put a nice coat of Johnson wax on the top to keep the rust from returning. Wax, when buffed is slick as snot and it also naturally repels dust.
I have identical saw. When using the rip fence use a tape measure to check that measurements at near and far end of fence to the edge of the miter slot are the same. That way I always get accurate square cuts.
I watched your video a couple of days ago. So I took my da sander started at 80 grit sand paper. When I got finish sanding the table top, I ended at 220 and put some paste wax on. I should of done this years ago. Thank you for the great tips.
Same here.
Good job. I have my fathers 50’s Craftsman table saw and did a major cleanup/setup and added a Biesemier fence, router station and upgraded to 2 HP motor. Also enclosed the bottom of the stand and installed a vacuum port. Fantastic upgrades! I like the saw and rarely need to tilt the blade but that is the weak point on mine. I have the same squeak when raising and lowering the blade. Can stop it for a day or so but it comes back. Wish someone had a replacement unit for the blade assembly but I’m not interested in replacing this saw.
Those pulleys didn’t look to be in line with each other - check that a straightedge touches both faces of each pulley, tap oneinor out to line them up.
Also make sure that both shafts are parallel as well.
Both these will prolong the life of the belt and pulleys.
Tables exist on line to show the amount of belt deflection you need to give the correct tension, the belt will lose tension fairly quickly as it initially stretches during the first few uses.
Look at Beisemeyer fences to see how they work, I made my own out of wood and it works very well.
I've cleaned up some pretty rusty tables with a wire wheel or cup brush on an angle grinder. It gets into the low spots of the uneven cast iron surface better than sandpaper. Back in the 1980s, I observed a shop rat using Butcher's Wax to condition and protect cast iron equipment and have been using it myself since then. It really makes the work slide easily across the table. BTW, those are not stamped pulleys. There is such a thing, commonly found on consumer-grade riding mowers, but those are die cast, not known for running true, but unlike stamped pulleys, they can be improved on a lathe. It's not the best idea to use a flat sander to clean up a shaft. Better to remove the key and use cloth-backed abrasive, wrapped around the shaft, to avoid creating flat spots on the shaft. You sure got that belt drive to work smoothly. I wish you had mounted the belt before swapping out the pulleys, so we could see how much difference the belt and the pulleys made, independently.
Glad I found this video. Gives me inspiration to rehab the 1960's Craftsman table saw I found on the side of the road. Motor still works but needs new pulleys and lots of TLC to the cast iron top. 👍🏽👍🏽 Great work! Cheers!
Adjusted correctly, that fence could be spot on. Just give a little push from behind before locking it in position. You can adjust that too. You'd want to put a sacrificial fence guide on there but mine is of a similar vintage and there's no real problem with it.
Added the pulley and segmented belt...went from A LOT of vibration to being able to balance a quarter on edge while running. still gotta refurbish the riser and tilt...too stiff...THANKS for a great tip...(20yo Grizzy contractor saw-threw the legs aways and built into a cabinet. I thought the motor was dying...hard time ripping...loosened the trundle bolts and realigned with the table slots. aligned with the fence...made all the difference. Make a simple jig with dial gauge for this.
(Added a Vega 50" fence-Vega micro adjust is so much better than the "bump" method, Jessum router lift...)
Thanks for the video. Spend the bucks on a new fence. Rebuilding and using an old saw has soul...
More videos like this, are needed
Nice work! Maybe a fence upgrade is in order too. I upgraded my Craftsman saw with a Shop Fox and it made a huge difference.
Looks like it was well worth the effort and the mountain of sandpaper
Matthew Cremona lol, no doubt!
Matthew Cremona .x,
I didn't think Matthew would condone the use of sandpaper on cast iron table saw top.
I am looking at this from a machinist standpoint
Have this same table, and thank you for the advice on the pulleys and belts. I was needing to adjust the belt tension. Bravo!
My tips for this style saw. I just inherited a 113 in excellent condition. 1.) ziptie your cords up and use an extension cord. 2.) you didn't need to replace the belt. The original pulleys work fine. If you're getting vibration you need to work on aligning the pulleys and belt better. All in all this took me about 30 minutes yesterday and I was able to completely remove the vibration in the saw. 3.) on the cast iron top you should spray it with vinegar. Let it set soaked for 30 minutes to an hour. Then take steel wool and brush off the rust. Wipe it off, rinse repeat a couple more times if necessary. Then spray with an oil. Gun oil or olive oil should work. Let that soak overnight. Then wipe it clean the next day. You do not need to polish the top. That's overkill. Like your zero cut insert. I'll need to make one of those for mine.
Hey buddy, I have the exact same saw except that I have the cast iron wings. Today, after watching your video, I did the exact same thing. I still need to get the pulleys and belt but can’t wait for that. Also, I want to take apart my motor and clean it completely out. Thanks so much for this.. my cast iron top is now like ice!
Great video. will be replacing pulley and belt soon. Naval jelly works great for removing rust. Paint it on surface, let set for awhile, then wipe it off with moist towel. Wax surface to complete job.
When cleaning up residue, use acetone, mineral spirits, or denatured alcohol. It dissolves the residue instead of moving it around (ie, with solvents like WD40 which are a bit oily)... from years of painting and also gun cleaning.
Thanks for saying this. When I saw him using WD40 I was immediately scratching my head. The problem is with our American society is people believe in popular ads which leads to trusting family/friends, ie WD40 is a penetrating oil which its NOT. Use a real one like PB Blaster or other great ones. OR that Armorall is great for a vehicle's plastic, rubber, or vinyl parts; its only great at making everything greasy/oily. Use products that do what they claim such as 303 or whatnot (do your homework). That said, WD40 isn't a penetrating oil, barely a lubricant, and definitely isn't a cleaner. That's why the steel was still dirty after it was "cleaned" with WD40. Now don't get me wrong, if it's all you have then, I get it.
Great video! Just adding the link belt helps a lot with the vibration. I need to wax my table again. It's nice when the wood just glides across it.
That’s what she said
+
By adding the link belt, the Saw will pass the "nickel test" when running. The nickel stays solidly standing.
This was a very well made and enjoyable video. Thank you, Bill.
When I did this I found the trick was to bathe the table top in PB blaster for about an hour. Then I went to town with scotch brite and elbow grease, periodically spraying more blaster. Once I got through most of it, there were a few stubborn spots left. I switched to 1200 grit wet/dry paper to clean those spots.
Just use a tape measure from fence to edge of a track. if distances at front and back of fence are identical then the fence is parallel to the blade. Just takes a minute. I check mine for every cut. Works great and saves money for some expensive new fence.
I just picked up a vintage table saw a week ago. Just got the motor running beautifully. Ready to tackle the surface next. Looks like I will be stocking up on sandpaper before hand =)
Great work!
I had the same Craftsman saw, upgraded to SawStop last year (while I still have my fingers). Great saw for the price, never had an issue, sawing hickory, oak or locust. 3 HP motor was in the 240 volt mode, otherwise 1.5 HP. Liked the factory fence with it's micro adjust dial.
SawStop is pretty cool. It's a last-ditch kind of safety mechanism, but I guess it's good to have it when you need it. Sometimes you can do everything right and the [bad word redacted] saw will STILL try to eat you for breakfast! I was ripping trim one hot humid summer day. Had all the hold downs, anti-kickback finger guides, push stick, the whole nine yards. But it was hot, I was sweating a lot, and my hand just slipped, and before I could catch myself I'd run a nice neat 1/8" kerf right down the middle of my thumb. With the SawStop, I probably wouldn't have gotten more than a bit of a cut on the tip. I've still got the thumb, but it's skinnier than the other one by the width of one Forrest Woodworker II :D :D :D
I use a belt sander and some penetrating oil works great, without so many orbital sandpaper pads !! Cuts the rust removal to just minutes. Good luck 🥴
I see that this video is a few years old by now but in case someone else is reading the comments, the fence will work fine if you just use your hands only on the T side of the fence. Apply pressure with your thumbs against the rail and it should square up nicely. I used to square it up like you showed but after changing methods it squares up nicely every time. I learned that from another video, can't remember who to give proper credit.
Awesome bro, I myself picked up a almost mint early 90s I think 3HP Craftsman table saw with the skeleton cast iron wings. After putting the saw together motor switch wings and fence it ran quite well.
I’m adding a delta t2 fence, Rockler stop switch, also the inline industries pullys and link belt. Top I started with 150 as well and worked my way up added wax and top is like glass now. After the holidays are over tearing it all down and going to paint the wings, and a base don’t lie the legs and it will be a work horse. Way worth the investment for me.
Great video!
read your manual. it's not 3hp. no saw that runs at 110V is 3hp. it's "3hp max developed," but that's just sears lying. it's a 1.5 hp saw.
Exactly, so hook it up to 220 guy and there you go get full capability! I have a manual spiral printed full spec sheet for my exact model.
Thanks
I just saw your video. Great tips.
Those old Craftsman Emerson built saws are good units. The linked belts really help the vibration issue. I just purchased a lightly used late model unit that has the XR2424 fence. Like you I went through a lot of sandpaper and scotch brite to clean the top. The XR2424 is a great fence and does these old saws justice.
My next upgrades are a zero clearance insert, thin kerf blade, and a micro jig splitter. The factory splitter and guard are a pain. I may add a PALS alignment tool also.
Again thanks for the video. You have a great working saw that will serve you well.
Have watched this video a number of times. Very well done and helpful. Just noticed your Detroit t-shirt. I grew up near the airport.
I recently bought the same saw for 40$ and the pulley on the blade drive shaft actually fell off the second week I had it . The table on mine was rusted worse than this one and I hit it with a angle grinder with a wire wheel .
I like your upgrades thanks for posting.
I know you have heard this before but wanted to reiterate. I have an old craftsman cast iron top and wings TS which had the turn handle crank fence and angle iron rails like yours. It never was accurate even when measuring twice from both ends of the blade to fence. Unfortunately it made me compromise my woodworking with a "close enough" attitude and hopes that no one would look to close at my completed projects. After 15 years of frustrating compromise using my fence, I had had enough and bought the Delta T2 fence system because of the great reviews and under $200 cost. I am being very honest when I say It was the best money I have spent in my shop and I would do it again. It slides smooth and more importantly, when I put it on a measurement through the sight gauge, it Is dead on and gives me a perfect cut every time without having to measure blade to fence. I look forward to and enjoy using it every time I go into the shop! Oh and BTW, I'm proud of my work now and happy to have someone look closely at the joinery!
MRrwmac I added the same fence on my old 113 TS and you %100 correct, no more adjust the front, then the back, adding a clamp to the back of the fence, tap tap remeasure, arggg. Now just set and lock down and saw. Turned an ok saw into a great saw.
Nice video! I just picked up an old Craftsman 315 table saw. My previous was a crappy old table top Craftsman like your old Ryobi, and it literally had nothing going for it except it spun a blade. The motor wasn't parallel to the miter slots and there's no adjustment (or maybe the adjustment bolts were just seized), so you really couldn't cut anything straight. This new one is like going from a Geo Metro to a brand new Lexus!
That's the exact saw I bought in the 70s. You've inspired me to fix it up! Thanks for a great video.
thanks for this video! I have an old delta table saw that needs some work. This video gave me some hope that my saw can be improved!
Awesome upgrade!!!
I just got one of these from my father in-law, I had a hard time getting it to 45deg (only can get to about 43 deg), seems like the miter/angle screw rod doesn't have enough room (even with the collars off it) to push to 45deg. I am able to hit a 90deg with no issues, and about 2inches overhang (on the other side of the collar)...
First time working on an older saw, and so I'm not sure if i can just unscrew the rod (the rod is shown at 2:33) all the way out?... Then re-insert when it's close to 90 so I would end up with more room when it's at the 45 deg... Or if that'd cause more issues. Any insights?
Just put one new steel pulley on the arbor ( Grainger only had one ) and the new belt on my 32 y/o saw, made a lot of difference.
Just saw your video. I've an old 10" Contractor's saw that has a full sized cast iron table. I sand my top 3 times a year and recoat with wax. Well, I did. Now I use Glidecoat, a product that was developed for NASA. The difference is amazing. There is a companion product for saw blades but I just used it for the first time and can't report on its effectiveness yet. I plan on doing the pulley upgrade soon.
Good "how to fix it up" video. I have a 1969 113 I inherited from my dad in better shape than yours, but still needed help. The cast iron only had a little rust and I was able to fully remove it. I cleaned it up in much the same way and added In-Line Industries PALs to make alignment of the blade much easier. I'm waiting on them for a set of pulleys and belt (out of stock currently).
I highly recommend the Delta T3 fence system... it made a huge improvement and was not too hard to install. Along with some extra cast wings I got via eBay and a router table from Peachtree, it now is a super good table saw. 10" rips to the left and 36.5" to the right.
Nice upgrades, Bill. Adding a quality fence is worth it just for the ease in cutting to an exact size. Or, if you can weld, building one - you can find multiple videos on TH-cam on building you own Biesemeyer style Fence. A quality fence moves effortlessly, and locks to the exact size you want it to, no muss, no fuss. The thing to realize is that if you do eventually upgrade, you can take the fence with you & install it on your next saw.
The only thing I might suggest is to make sure the two pulleys are in alignment with each other. It looked like the motor pulley might need to be on the shaft a little further in (or the motor might need adjusted). It might have been the camera angle, but it looked like the belt wasn't in a straight line across the two pulleys (hope that makes sense). That will also cut down on vibration & reduce stress on the motor.
Thanks for posting your video.
John Benedetto Thank you, John! I definitely want to upgrade the fence if I can; it's the least enjoyable part of using the saw. I also agree about the pulley alignment; I think they are not quite coplanar with one another. Thanks for the comment!
Nice pulleys...yup, the old ones leave a lot to be desired. I have the exact same saw. I never liked it until I decided to buy a Vega fence. It transformed the saw from near junk to a very nice, accurate, smooth saw. I built an extension table on the right since the fence has a long reach. Highly recommend this. BUT, if you are going to cut 45 degree angles, the motor mount will hit the back bar. Having hit the forums and talked to Vega, one needs to cut a small wedge out of the back square stock. The stock is just to keep the back of the fence off the table and where the cut goes, it has no effect on the fence itself. Enjoy.
Any cast iron top table saw that is belt driven is worth investing in a Biesemeyer fence system. Have you seen the junk that is sold these days? I just bought a used Delta contractor's saw with the Delta fence and cast iron top and cast iron extensions I bought my Craftsman table saw in 91 for less than $200.
Well this is great information! Love the gear pulley rental ahahhaha. So I have an old craftsman 10” 113.12070….it has three holes on each side for extension tables but I can’t seem to find the right ones? Help me please!
My dad bought a Craftsman table saw as an upgrade from the one HIS father had bought; my dad's is likely from 1965. In the 1990's, he bought an upgraded fence from an aftermarket company, and put a mobile base underneath it. (that aftermarket fence surely cost more in 1990 dollars than the saw itself did in 1965). So my best guess is that the saw is two years older than I am, and it runs like a tank. I was able to find some automotive V-belts that fit pretty close, and that solved a lot of the vibration problems immediately. I'm interested in getting a riving knife installed, because that's the one thing which is missing that gives me some pause.
I sure wish the link still worked, I was ready to purchase these parts.
Another important upgrade before it’s too late: install some angle aluminum to the back of the frame vertically on each side and the install with angle or flat bar at a 45 degree angle in the lower left corner (facing the back of the saw). I presently have 3 saws in my garage and 2 of them had bent rear frames, it’s the weakest point in the saw. Not convinced? Do this, with the blade at 90 degrees check the fear opening for square. Crank the blade over to a 45 degree bevel and check for square. You’ll be heading to the store to get that flat bar to create a brace 😳 since the trunnions is mounted to the bottom of the table none of this will affect the cut but you’ll know you reinforced the weakest part of the saws support system and that’s a good thing.
If you still have this saw please take a few minutes every so often to BLOW OUT YOUR MOTOR! A little compressed air will save you the cost of your motor etc. I have an older one of these and taken care of will outlast most others! Mine is still GREAT!
I have to disagree on the fence issue, adding a Delta t-square fence ($159) would turn this into a very nice saw.
Mark A right exactly! Spend more time adjust the original fence. Worth the upgrade for sure. 💯
DEFINITELY. I've done the same set of changes, all of which improved things, but what turned it from a curiosity into a usable tool was that Delta T-Square fence. It's a solid, accurate, relatively inexpensive fence. One other thing I did that you might consider. Contact Sears Parts. You never know, they might still stock cast iron extensions for that table. Another 50lb of iron helps further reduce vibration (at the cost of making the saw beastly difficult ot move if it doesn't have casters!, and large pieces of wood move more smoothly than with those stamped steel extensions.
@@mrz80 You can find the cast iron extensions on ebay. They add 21 lbs per extension to the saw.
@@YSYEOKid Never did weigh the things before I attached them to the saw. Fixed my earlier entry for a more realistic appraisal of the added weight. :D
Have you made an improvements since this video? I have this same saw and am deciding wether it’s better to buy new pulleys and fence or just get a new saw
Beautiful restoration! I recently restored a very similar saw.
For the fence, try adjusting the plastic tab on the clamping side of the fence (should be held in with a couple screws).
That's what holds your fence perpendicular to the rails while it's loose. I also put some paste wax on the bottom of the fence where it contacts the rails and it made a world of difference.
I have this exact saw, the fence is adjustable, loosen the two bolts on the top of the fence near the handle then you can swing the fence a degree or two in any direction. Also, if you make it to when you have to press in on the handle as you tighten it you can get accurate settings of the fence every time. Also spray the internals of the fence with some good lubricant, you shouldn't hear it squeak when you toque it down. Do you have a link to a replacement fence?
Hi Billy, nice video... I too just got one of these saws. Do you know which dado stack can be used on this saw? thanks
Good restoration man.
I just removed my arbor pulley and ended up using a long motorcycle tire iron to pry it off after I completely removed the set screw. The leverage of the tire iron made short work of it. I have a set of gear pullers but it never came to that.
Have the identical saw. You don't need a square to be sure the fence is aligned...just use a tape measure from fence to nearest crosscut guide groove. Measure at front of fence then again at back to be sure it's aligned. Saves spending $200. on some big fancy fence, which I would check the same way regardless...lol
I had a NEW one and gave it to my Father in Law in 1985. In 2013 went looking for a replacement. Bought the saw, a planer jointer and a DeWalt miter saw from the same person. Found on Craigslist. The saw was tipped over onto the motor at one point by HIM. So the original belt fell off. TMI again. Anyway what every Craftsman table saw owner should do: Take the motor and arbor off, disassemble them and replace the BEARINGS. A sleeve of 10 is really cheap. Just an FYI. The numbers on the bearings can be deceptive. I had to buy another set of bearings because they come in 1/2 AND 5/8 sizes. As with anything, measure twice and cut once. That motto needs to be laser engraved in my eyeballs. Near the end of the video 9:49 heard some squeaking. There are a couple of points to grease for that. If you take the arbor out to do it justice, download at manual library. Google your model and add PDF to the search.
Nice improvements Bill! I use Johnson's paste was on my saw top all the time, works great!
Lane Bros WoodShop thanks! I am loving the ease with which wood glides across the top now :)
Love the video. Don't forget a splitter or riving knife.
Great tips. I also bought a Vega fence for my vintage Rockwell table saw that I picked up on Craig’s list. The fence cost more than the saw but it’s worth it. I figure if I ever upgrade the saw I’ll still have the fence. Also In-line industries doesn’t answer email or the phone! No bueno!
In-line industries suck. I tried calling and the phone just rings and rings. Multiple emails go unanswered.
Thanks for the link to thepulleys, good one.
I use a wire wheel that i put on my gringer, gets in all the groves. You can get a wire wheel set for like $10.00 at harbor freight.
I used brasso with some #0000 steel pads with about 10 mins of work it cleaned it perfectly
Well done. I have three of these saws that I've restored and actually bolted together to make one large surface for my sawing. I also retrofitted a router into one end. They are fantastic saws and easy to maintain.
A couple of hints that I've found work well:
1.) Craftsman made a 3hp motor for some of the versions of this saw. After swapping this motor into where the smaller motor was, it made a HUGE difference in power and smoothness. You can sometimes find these saws on Craigslist where you can sometimes find them with the 3hp motor.
2) The best way I've found to clean the tops is to use a brass brush in a grinding tool. The brass won't scratch the cast iron and it will take off all of the rust and crap you are trying to remove. This also makes the job of the rails and extensions much easier.
3) a must-have improvement is a better fence. I hesitated to upgrade mine as well, but once I did, I was wondering why I hadn't done it right away. It completely makes the saw a better tool. The craftsman fence that comes with the saw is a joke to me now.
Good luck
+ayrow69 3 saws? I thought I was bad with two of them.
I have the same table saw from the mid 80s I was a kid when my dad bought it from Sears. I have built my kitchen and bathroom cabinets on this saw very reliable and solid but lacking on the fence I would love to upgrade the fence and add an outfeed table
My 45+ yr old Craftsman Delta table is actually /flatter/ than the new one - there's little reason to not use one of these wonderful workhorses. Pulleys, link belt, 3rd party T bessemeyer style fence, good blade = great saw. And you can make a router table insert for the right side space and there you go.
My dad has the same exact table saw. It is from the mid 1980's. The motor quit working, but it was only a capacitor issue.
Whoa. There's a LOT of lateral play in that motor shaft.