Missing an arbor washer

[lago]

I recently got a SawStop table saw and was changing the blade today. Old 'butterfingers' here dropped the arbor washer down the dust chute. My shop is on the 2nd floor so the DC ductwork goes down and across the shop before coming up to the DC.

I looked at what it would take to open up the duct work to retrieve the washer. I then checked SawStops website and found the washer for only $6. I did the checkout and with tax and shipping, it came up to $18. Guess I take another look at opening up the ducts.

Fortunately, I still had my old saw sitting in the corner and pulled the washer from it. Nest time, I will close the blast gate. That would have saved me.

Anyhow, I will be looking around in Austin, Tx to see if I can find a local parts place that might have a arbor washer for a table saw. If anyone has any suggestions, I would appreciate it.

Lago

[Pappy]

Woodcraft carries the Sawstop, or did. You might also give Jim Weatherford a call at Weatherford Tools. He was going to deal Sawstop at one time and might have a parts source.

[Brian G]

Tie a magnet on a long piece of string and "butterfingers" it down the chute. It may collide with your arbor washer and you're back in business.

[LCHIEN]

I might take a quick look at the local ACE hardware store. I know that they have the 5/8" left-hand thread arbor nuts... The arbor washers are very generic and almost all table saws use them. If ACE does not have one, I'd check any local tool store or tool repair places (like authorized Delta, Jet, Dewalt, Hitachi etc.) and see if they carry spare 5/8" arbor washers for any brand saw. I'll bet you can find one locally w/o having to order from SAWSTOP.

[cabinetman]

Just a shot in the dark, but since HD and Lowes sells tools, and saws, it's possible you could find one there. You're probably not the first one to need one.

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[lago]

I have thought about the string and magnet idea. I have some rare earth magnets I pulled from an old hard drive. I just need to find them.

If not, DeWalt has a service center and they should have one that would fit.

Lago

[sweensdv]

Definately take the duct work apart and find that washer. If it makes it way to the impeller on the DC it could do damage to that.

[cabinetman]

Definately take the duct work apart and find that washer. If it makes it way to the impeller on the DC it could do damage to that.

+1. It could be bye bye impeller. You'll likely hear it happen.

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[tommyt654]

$12 for tax and shipping on a $6 washer, just another reason for not purchasing a Sawslop, they could just stick it in an envelope sealed with tape and send it too you for free, but hey its run and owned by an atty what did you think was gonna happen. But yeh,get it out of your ductwork for sure otherwise this will snowball and next thing we'll here is how a $6 piece of steel wound up costin $600

[cabinetman]

$12 for tax and shipping on a $6 washer, just another reason for not purchasing a Sawslop, they could just stick it in an envelope sealed with tape and send it too you for free, but hey its run and owned by an atty what did you think was gonna happen. But yeh,get it out of your ductwork for sure otherwise this will snowball and next thing we'll here is how a $6 piece of steel wound up costin $600

It's hard to believe a washer could be $6, maybe stainless steel...but I doubt it. What a quirk it would be that the washer contains a material that is part of the "flesh sensing", and without that OEM washer, the hotdog gets severed.


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[LCHIEN]

$12 for tax and shipping on a $6 washer, just another reason for not purchasing a Sawslop, they could just stick it in an envelope sealed with tape and send it too you for free, but hey its run and owned by an atty what did you think was gonna happen. But yeh,get it out of your ductwork for sure otherwise this will snowball and next thing we'll here is how a $6 piece of steel wound up costin $600

That's pretty much par for the course for any replacement parts from any manufacturer. Plastic parts, metal parts that cost well under a dollar to stamp out or mold wind up costing 5-6$ and then shipping and handling $10 is not unusual.

For one thing they have you over a barrel for most of the machined or molded or stamped parts you can't get anywhere else. Even just being able to find a source for an odd part they purchased - and not having to purchase a minimum of 1000 of them sometimes.

OTOH, they do have expenses. The manufacturers are supposed to keep spare parts for something like 10 years. Some parts break and some parts don't break much - its hard to predict (but I swear some parts break all the time). All that inventory is expensive to keep, that's one reason why you are paying so much. Finally handling one part is as expensive as handling 100 much of the time. To be fair, there can be a lot of labor involved processing orders, pulling stock, packing and shipping small parts.

It used to be said that to replace a auto using replacement parts from the dealer would cost three times the price of the original car... not even including the labor to put it together.

I do wish some companies would better engineer their products so that little crap pieces wouldn't break and have to be replaced to keep a $100 or $200 tool working, but that's the way it is. Of course if you drop the washer then who's to blame???

I do frequently order two spare parts when I break something figuring if they haven't changed the design it will break again. Esp. when the part is like $1 and shipping is $6, shipping for 2 would usually also be $6. I figure Per Murphy's law, if you have a spare, then it will never break again.

[pelligrini]

If anyone has any suggestions, I would appreciate it.

Could try just giving Sawstop a call. I've read very good comments about their customer service, they might just send you one gratis.

[lago]

I wasn't concerned about the washer getting into the DC impeller. It's a HFDC but the washer would have to go about 10' horizontally, then up 3' and another 4' to get to the DC.

Anyhow, I did the magnet and string bit. Had an old HD magnet, tied to a string and on the 2nd try, was able to pull it back out.

I did call SawStop and asked for parts. The lady was very nice and asked what I needed. Told her the problem and she said that I could order the parts online. I could have ordered it then but was in the shop and didn't have the credit card available. It was later when I was able to get on the PC that I found out the price.

SawStop isn't the only one that does that to you on shipping. I have ordered from several different companies where the shipping cost more than the item being purchased. I do a lot of reloading and have had to order various parts. Ordered some parts from Lyman for a case trimmer; parts $6, total bill $12. Could have been shipped 1st class for $1. Then there is RCBS. You can break a part or even lose a part. Call them and it's in the mail, no charge for part or shipping.

Lago

[Pappy]

Good you were able to retrieve the spacer. Shipping is ridiculous with a lot of companies. what i hate is shipping based on price rather than weight/size.

[cabinetman]

Good you were able to retrieve the spacer. Shipping is ridiculous with a lot of companies. what i hate is shipping based on price rather than weight/size.

I wonder if shipping cost takes into consideration of what size box they use. I've gotten small stuff in large boxes with a huge amount of peanuts, or bubble wrap. The item isn't even breakable. Go figure.

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