Scratches

[maxxie]

Does anyone have problems with the aluminum components (i.e., table tops, fence, etc) scratching or gouging on the Craftsman 218290...especially the coating on the table tops? If so, any recommendations for repairing them? Replacement tops are half the price of the saw.

Thanks,

Maxxie

[pelligrini]

I haven't had any scratching or gouging problems with mine, but I have worn off the coating on the right edge of the top. As long as I keep it waxed I'll get very little grey marks on my wood. Waxing sure does make cutting easier too.

[Ed62]

Welcome aboard. The only problem I've had with scratches was with the anti-kickback pawls, which were removed shortly after I bought the saw. Of course, with the pawls removed, you have to be aware that you are removing a safety item.

Ed

[Bill in Buena Park]

I'm seeing some very minor wear (but not worn through) in the surface in spots, but no deep scratches or gouging (from the materials I cut).

What is the source of the gouging, and how bad is it? If minor and cosmetic (i.e., does not cause drag during cutting, leaves no marks on wood), repair is probably not needed; in any case, the paste wax should help.

[maxxie]

Scratches

Gouging is probably too strong of a word. I mainly have the issue ED62 spoke of concerning the anti-kickback mechanism, but I have also had minor scratching on the fences from the wood and wear marks on the table surface. I also discovered a knotch being worn behind the Riving Knife below the insert. Apparently the it has very little clearance and can easily rub the table lip as the blade is raised and lowered. I have had the saw about 1 1/2 years and have noticed slight tension when raising and lowering the blade, but didn't realize it was the Riving Knife rubbing. Frankly, I think the blade guard mechansim on this saw is terrible . It is hard to adjust, gouges soft wood and scratches the table. Anyway, I guess I will not worry until I start having drag problems or the finish wears off. Thanks for the feedback!

Best regards,

Maxxie

[Hoover]

Maxxie, if you are having problems with the original blade guard, you might want to try the Sharkguard. It is made by Stytooner, a member of this forum. It is a very well built product, and the blade guard can be removed in seconds, leaving you with the riving knife. I have one, and it is a 10 out of 10.

[Bill in Buena Park]

...I mainly have the issue ED62 spoke of concerning the anti-kickback mechanism...Apparently the it has very little clearance and can easily rub the table lip as the blade is raised and lowered.

My pawls also scratch some, but they are ridiculously sharp on the stock guard, and the springs are redundant (IMO). One of the first things I did was to cut the springs, which stopped the problem with scratching wood; then as discussed by some users here, I dulled those razor points a bit.

I haven't moved to the Shark yet, but am strongly considering it - as Hoover mentions, its a good solution, and gives you the DC option on the guard, a great feature especially if you've installed the ZCTP. I believe pawls are optional on the Shark, but should be considered for the safety feature they are meant to be.

[maxxie]

Scratches Follow-up

Thanks Hoover and Bill for the insights! I have a Shark on order from Skytooner because I finally got fed up.

I looked a little closer tonight at the gouges/scratches. I guess the best way to describe them is as shallow grooves along the edges of the front and back of the main table and a few along the side edge of sliding miter table. Odd thing is that the top coat is prefectly fine and shows no signs of chipping from the grooves. The grooves are deep enough that I can feel the uneven surface when I run my finger over them and can see them. I have mostly cut plywood, pine, and masonite on the saw since I have owned it. I guess I am just expecting a solid top and probably should consider that it is made of aluminum and not cast iron. This is my first table saw and I am a little picky I guess the positive side is that I haven't had any drag problems except when the guard catches.

Thanks,

Maxxie

[poolhound]

Thanks Hoover and Bill for the insights! I have a Shark on order from Skytooner because I finally got feed up.

You will love it and wonder why you didnt get one earlier. I got fed up with having to take the stock guard on and off when I wanted to do non through cuts. Its a doddle with the SG.

[maxxie]

Bill,

I released the spring on the pawls and it made a huge difference in smoothness of cut and eliminated scratching of the wood. Thanks for the recommendedation! I should have done it a long time ago.

Regards,

Maxxie

[cgallery]

You know, I've looked closely at Nahm's Unisaw (well, as closely as you can look on TV), and it has scratches parallel to the fence as well.

And I've seen pictures of Inca saws (that are hard anodized and very hard aluminum tops), and most of them have parallel scratches, too.

So I wouldn't sweat it. I would keep it waxed. I would avoid scratching it carelessly. I think removing the springs for the kickback thingys is a good idea, too. But I wouldn't stay up at night worrying about it. The more marks, the more it has been used, the more fun you've had.

[LCHIEN]

i can see how a perfectionist woud be disturbed by the wear marks on the 21829 table tops.

The original BT3000 had hard anodized table tops with grooves and the top of the ridges were machined flat after anodizing.

The flat machining did away with the high spots near the front edges that show wear on Maxxie's table top and the overall grooves reduce friction somewhat and camoflage any wear lines. While the aluminum is still soft the any scratch lines are parallel to the grooves and just don't show.

I'm sure the anodized and machined tops were more expensive to produce than the powder-coated ones, that's one way they reduced the price so much to make the BT3100 (original powder coated tops) sell for $300 when the orignal BT3000s were $500.