Saw cuts out. Huh?

[dbhost]

Okay so back in 2012, I had the same issue, due to the shop remodel I hadn't used it much, but it WAS working, at least until I cleaned it back up and went at it again...

For reference, I have...

#1. Replaced the power cord and outlet box in the side of the housing.
#2. Replaced the brushes, and blown out all the sawdust that gets caked in the motor even with DC.

When I bought my saw, the member I got it from included a spare switch I have yet to install...

It is running well, and most of the time it works great, but from time to time it acts like something just comes, well disconnected... like power gets pulled and then plugged back in...

I am getting close to my wits end on what to look at here. I will probably try the replacement switch, but in all honesty, I have never heard of the BT switch failing occasionally open, although I have heard of many cases of them failing closed (welded together and thus making the circuit permanent...)

Can anyone suggest any other reason this might be doing this? What do I need to be looking at?

[JimD]

Can't you just unplug the saw from the switch and plug it directly to an extension cord? (To test the switch)

[dbhost]

Can't you just unplug the saw from the switch and plug it directly to an extension cord? (To test the switch)

See that would be a smart way to test it... Or in other words...

Hadna thunka that...

[leehljp]

See that would be a smart way to test it... Or in other words...

Hadna thunka that...

That is what we are here for . . . 10 of us together might make up for one good brain!

[LCHIEN]

intermittents are a b!tch.

You have to divide and conquer, try isolating to the switch or the saw using the teqnique suggested plugging the saw directly into the wall via extension cord.

Intermittents are frequently the product of a broken connection this is just barely touching and making contact. THis is frequently a broken wire or a fractured connection or a bad crimp/pressure joint. You need to wiggle all movable items in the suspected area of the intermittet to see if it is related to any of these pieces. Usually that means wiggling connectors and plugs and sockets and wires entering said plugs and sockets. Twisting plastic bodies of objects like switches and panels can also show up intermittents. Vibration and shock alos exacerbate intermittents, simply banging on the chassis or frame might turn them up.

Good luck, it can be hard.

[capncarl]

I agree with LCHIEN, keep a piece of wood the size of an ax handle nearby and simply give it a whack when you want it on!, clapping works for some lamps doesn't it? These POC switches are a real pain, every Delta tool I have use the same switch and have all failed over time. At least they put them in a large enough hole that I can replace them with a good size light switch.
capncarl

[mpc]

Got one of those 2-way or 3-way outlet adapters? Or a short extension cord? Plug it into the socket, then plug the saw and a small table lamp into the adapter. Next time the saw motor cuts out check the lamp:
If the lamp is still lit the bug is in the motor or the wires from the motor to the socket.
If the lamp goes out too, the bug is in the socket, the on/off switch, or the main power cord.

mpc

[dbhost]

Got one of those 2-way or 3-way outlet adapters? Or a short extension cord? Plug it into the socket, then plug the saw and a small table lamp into the adapter. Next time the saw motor cuts out check the lamp:
If the lamp is still lit the bug is in the motor or the wires from the motor to the socket.
If the lamp goes out too, the bug is in the socket, the on/off switch, or the main power cord.

mpc

The socket / main power cord assy was replaced thinking that was the problem. And it seemed to clear up for a while.. I need to go through and do that test bypassing the switch though. I am fearful it might be in the motor...

[JimD]

I've never had this problem in my BT3100 but my old table saw had an open induction motor. The stator would fill up with sawdust and the motor wouldn't work. The solution was to blow out the air gaps in the stator. If it isn't the cord and it isn't the switch and the brushes look good, I would try and blow as much sawdust as possible out of the motor. I had to disassemble my old saws motor to get to the area that needed to be cleaned.

[dbhost]

Okay so I tested by bypassing the switch with an extension cord. (Do NOT want to do that again!), problem persisted... Pulled the side panel and looked. While the cabinet was reasonably clean (belly pan does its thing pretty well) I did notice a little bit of visible dust caking in the vents of the motor, so I blew them out with my compressed air blow gun. The cloud of dust that came out was HUGE. I Just kind of kept blowing it out until the cloud dissipated into the ambient air filter. I re-tested and ran several passes through starting with 3/4" ply, and finaly ran a 1.5" thick hunk of old oak through it, while it did slow as I would expect a table saw hitting the workpiece to (Unloaded versus loaded...) but once it started cutting it just kept cutting...

[dbhost]

Okay I phrased that funny last night. I was stinking tired...

The process went thusly.

#1. Bypass the switch by plugging the male stub directly into an extension cord, saw comes on and won't stop until unplugged. A VERY nerve racking experience by the way...
#2. Make my test cut. A piece of 3/4" Aracuo plywood about 18" long. Once the blade was fully surrounded by the workpiece, the saw bogged, I had to stop the feed rate until it picked back up...
#3. Turn off the side, remove the side panel and inspect all the wiring and connections between switch, side outlet thing, and saw motor. All looked good.
#4. I know I have newer brushes in there, and did not see dust in the brush bores when I installed them, so that wasn't an issue at that time, however I DID notice several of the vent slots were caked across with dust. I really didn't expect to get much out of it, but I figured it couldn't hurt, so I blew the motor casing out while installed on the saw, using my compressed air blow gun. The amount of dust that came flying out of the motor casing was downright scary. By the time the dust cloud from that operation dissipated I had recharged the compressor tank (29 gallons) twice. I am going to vac out the saw tonight and blow the case out again to get any stragglers...
#5. Re-test, this time with a different piece of ply scrap (I like my fingers.) This one about 14x12. Made 6 passes cutting 3/4" off per pass (yeah I had the guard off). No bogging. I then picked up a hunk of sort of square ish 1.5" pin oak (stormfall log, I was going to use it for a turning, but REALLY needed to test my saw with hardwood). The block was about 8" x 4" x1.5", and not nearly as impressive as it might sound, Again, no bogging, just the normal slowdown that happens when the motor goes from unloaded to loaded.

At this point I am completely satisfied the issue was the dust caking. I am a bit shocked at the amount of dust in my saw though. With VERY few exceptions, my saw has been operated at least by me, with the dust collection connected and running, seemingly capturing the dust well. I did however obtain this saw used. The prior owner, although the saw had been through a shop incident (fire) it did appear undamaged except for the fence, and that fence damage was seemingly limited to the handle. And I am pretty sure the original owner used dust collection on the saw since he is the one that fitted it with a belly pan and port.

I am wondering though, I necked the port on the belly pan down from the 4" the original owner had rigged, to a 2.5", so that I can split the 4" feed from the DC into the 2.5" belly pan and the 2.5" blade shroud. I am wondering if that was a mistake... Any thoughts? Should I have merely tee'd off the 2.5" to the shroud and kept the 4" all the way tot he belly pan?

[Black wallnut]

I am surprised that you had so much dust in the motor. I would think that the belly pan would have made for a cleaner environment forcing the air to go through the gaps in the side panels, small as they are. I'm thinking that maybe I should proactively clean mine out as well.

[dbhost]

I am surprised that you had so much dust in the motor. I would think that the belly pan would have made for a cleaner environment forcing the air to go through the gaps in the side panels, small as they are. I'm thinking that maybe I should proactively clean mine out as well.

I would suggest it. Again no telling about prior maintenance from the original owner, but he seemed to have it fairly well maintained. I am thinking the 2.5" port might have been the culprit... I am going to try to go back to the 4" port and see how that works out... Might end up with trash in the blade shroud, but it should be tolerable.

[jdon]

Okay, I have a dumb question about the belly pan.

The rectangular opening in the locker bracket, on which the guide bracket rides, is fairly large. Is it possible that with a belly pan port, that sawdust is sucked through that rectangular opening, and getting caught in the motor, which is just on the back side of the guide bracket?

So could the belly pan actually increase the dust trapped in the motor? Just a thought, with no personal experience to back it up...

[dbhost]

The idea of the belly pan, which encloses the bottom of the saw, and provides a dust port in the middle, is to provide airflow to direct the dust that without fail bypasses the blade shroud, and builds up on everything in the saw.

Without airflow, a belly pan, or dust bag would make buildup on the motor much worse. And I admit to using the saw occasionally forgetting to run the DC, or like now, when the DC is disconnected due to the remodel... That will change back soon...

Due to the constant airflow not allowing the dust to settle much if at all, I wouldn't think there would be a buildup problem.

Don't get me wrong. I am VERY tempted to pull the belly pan, but I don't want to breathe this dust either! If it's my lungs, or the motor of my saw, I am going to sacrifice the motor...