Powermatic 66 blade height & tilt adjustment very hard

[don_chuwish]

Hello,

 

First post after joining, so hopefully I'm asking in the right place! ;-)

 

For years now I've enjoyed the Powermatic 66 in my father's shop - great cuts, large table & perfectly calibrated. But for years I've also been frustrated with how difficult it is to turn the blade height and tilt adjustment wheels. I don't even need to use the lock down knobs because I know nothing is moving unless I crouch down and put two hands on the wheel to crank it like some desperate submariner in a WWII movie.

I haven't yet had the guts to tear it all apart - partly because I can't afford the downtime right now, and mainly because of the worry about getting it all back together in good calibration. I don't remember it ever being easy to adjust, but I wasn't around for the first few years of it's use.

Does anyone else have this experience with the 66? It's from around '95 I think. Any known solutions? When I get the opportunity I want to take it apart for a good cleaning & lube job, but while there I'd like to have a game plan for fixing this problem!

 

Thanks,

- D

[wtnhighlander]

Welcome, Don! All I can offer is that the lead screws for adjusting the blade are very likely clogged with sawdust. Sometimes a thorough cleaning is the only fix. When you do, consider a dry lubricant to avoid attracting more dust.

[wdwerker]

You could try reaching up in there with a wire brush. Unplug the saw, remove any covers possible vacuum dust, clean lead screws and gear racks as good as possible

[Brendon_t]

I too would guess it's a grime issue. Enough build up will make the tolerances pay zero into preloaded territory making it a summ of a b to turn. I had the same issue on my delta when I picked it up second hand.

[Tpt life]

Old grease can dry out. I would carefully spray brake cleaner or electric motor cleaner (same idea, different solvents) directly onto the thread surfaces. Use a big rag to keep overspray off the other surfaces. Re-lube and test.

[drzaius]

Just to get you going for a while, good ol' WD40 will soften up that old grease & make things work well for a couple of weeks.

[CT Proctor]

I have a PM66 that was made about the same time as yours and last year I had the same problem. All it took was a clean and lube job and she was back to working smooth again.

[Tom King]

Clean and grease parts like these:   http://cdn1.thewoodwhisperer.com/wp-content/uploads/bens-rebuilt-tablesaw-6.jpg

 

If you can move it somewhere that drips won't stain anything, I've used carburetor cleaner more than a few times to get the gunk off the gears without taking the top off. You can reach in there with the straw in the nozzle, and aim it where it needs to go without being able to see every bit of what you are cleaning.  Don't let it bounce back in your eyes.

 

I don't remember what sort of lube I use.  It's in the "Tablesaw" toolbox and has lasted for many years, but it's some sort of dry lube-probably a Teflon.

[Spyrus]

I have the same PM66 and I just took a toothbrush to the gears and then added some grease to them and it moves super easy now.  I have to clean some of the sawdust off it every so often but it operates just fine now.