Miter Saw Bevel Tilt Help!!

[jackellis]

I should have known better than to buy a used tool without trying it first but I did. It's a Delta 10" compound miter saw, model 36-075, that's old but appeared to be serviceable until I got it home and noticed a) the blade guard was badly damaged and would not stay in place, and (worse) b), the bevel tilt won't move. Apparently the trunion is stuck. I tried some WD40 but it still does not move.

Not being terribly familiar with miter saws, I'm looking for ideas on whether the bevel mechanism can eb made to work without spending $60 on a replacement part. It seems like these things ought to be bulletproof but lubrication didn't help.

A replacement blade guard is about $25 and would be worth the cost. If nothing else, I can salvage the blade, which is a Freud 60 tooth thin kerf that needs cleaning up but otherwise looks good.

[RayintheUK]

a) the blade guard was badly damaged and would not stay in place, and (worse) b), the bevel tilt won't move. Apparently the trunion is stuck. I tried some WD40 but it still does not move.

Not being terribly familiar with miter saws, I'm looking for ideas on whether the bevel mechanism can eb made to work without spending $60 on a replacement part. It seems like these things ought to be bulletproof but lubrication didn't help.

Sorry to hear this, Jack, but it should be possible to free the trunnion with a little dismantling. Presumably, there is some sort of lever or knob that is tightened to secure the setting and this knob or lever should be removable. Get it off, then get some penetrating oil (or a little drop of diesel fuel) between the trunnion and the saw body. Go and have a coffee and give the oil time to work, then hold a block of wood over the thread and give it a couple of sharp whacks to unseat it.

The blade guard was most likely damaged by the user not supporting the stock both sides of the cut. The unsupported stock - if unbalanced when cut by having more outside the support arm than inside - will then drop, swinging the cut edge upward, into the blade guard and blade. This is a frequent cause of guard damage.

I'd persevere with the trunnion, but given the apparent misuse the saw has had so far, if you're able to get it freed off, it sounds like a full dismantling, clean up and re-set is on the cards. Good luck!

Ray.

[jackellis]

Thanks, Ray. I'll work on the trunion tomorrow. This evening I was able to remove the blade, but not without some effort. The outside arbor washer has a nick in it, likely because it was installed incorrectly at the last blade change. A little persuasion was required to get everything apart.

It turns out the blade guard would be serviceable except for a small piece that fits in the slot of the washer that links the guard to the retraction mechanism. It has broken off, so either the blade guard is down all the way if the spring engaged, or the blade is totally exposed if I disengage the spring.

[RayintheUK]

The damage to the guard is exactly what happens when an unsupported piece pivots up into a running blade. Sounds like the previous owner did well to get rid, before he did himself an injury through poor working practice.

I found a parts breakdown site here if that's any help.

Good luck. Don't forget to report progress!

Ray.

[jackellis]

Thanks for the parts site. Just got the trunion freed up. As you suggested, a little penetrating oil, some patience and a few taps on the hammer was all it took to get the trunion moving, then taken apart. It's lubricated and back together again. Works very nicely now that it's gotten some proper maintenance.

That leaves the blade guard to be replaced. But first, I need to see if I can get the miter base to work a little better. It sticks, which makes the saw hard to use, and the left and right 45 degree stops don't yield the same angles. Could be that the blade needs to be centered properly first, though I've tried that once already. I suppose I could always use this one as a straight crosscut saw and forget about miter cuts.