Upgrade Motor on Older Delta Table Saw

[JeepDad]

I purchased on older Delta Contractor Table Saw 10 years ago - Model 34-444 - and I love it. Up to now it has performed without fail or issues with basic cross-cutting and stuff.  But, over the past year my woodworking ability and projects have improved and developed to where I am working with 8/4 stock (Walnut, Maple, etc....) and making basic furniture.  While ripping even 4/4 domestic hardwood it boogs down and to where I have to slow the feed rate - which in turns burns the wood.  A larger cabinet saw is what I ultimately want - but the budget says otherwise right now.  So in the mean time I was thinking that maybe I need to just upgrade the motor.  Before I started down this road I wanted to see what - if any - pitfalls or issues I will have to deal with. 

Thanks

[Brendon_t]

A new motor will cost more than the saw is worth.  You've been dealing with it for a year, put the money in the coffee can and get to the new saw sooner.

[drzaius]

Something tells me there is more of an issue than motor power. Even a 3/4HP motor will cut through 4/4 without much trouble. Do you have a thin kerf rip blade? If not, then go get one. Freud makes good blades for reasonable prices & they're available anywhere.

With a low power saw, it's important to not rely on a combo blade for everything.

I don't know how just good a saw that is, but for sure I wouldn't spend much money on it if you do find that motor power is the issue. Maybe a used 1.5HP motor?

[JeepDad]

I think the motor is a 1-1.5 Hp.  And good point about the saw blade.  I think I have a 60 tooth blade currently in there now.  I'll look into thin kerf blades.  Makes sense - less blade material less friction through the wood.  And cheaper than a motor.  

What tooth count would you recommend?  30-40? 

 

 

[gee-dub]

drzaius is heading in the direction I would go.  A 60 tooth blade is a crosscut blade.  Even those who try to use one blade for everything will run a 40 tooth.  I'd offer up a 20 - 30 tooth for ripping, 40 - 50 tooth for general and a 60-80 tooth for crosscutting.  If you are under 2 HP I would definitely go with thin kerf cutters.  The motor is the only thing I did keep when I dumped my Delta contractor of a similar model.  It had been used as a contractor saw though and was in rough shape.

[Tom King]

Sounds like the saw blade is dull.   The Forrest 20T thin kerf ripping blade is a great blade.   I have one of each, and several of some, of all types of saw blades.  When running some raised panels on a 3hp cabinet saw recently, I tried several blades, and this one did the best job while allowing us to push the pieces right through.  Others could have done a good job, but would have taken exponentially longer. 

Get one of those for ripping, and a good blade with more teeth for crosscutting.

[knotscott]

Get a decent 24T 3/32" thin kerf ripping blade for fast efficient ripping without burning...it'll pose a lot less resistance, making the motor seem more powerful.  Infinity 010-124, Freud LU87.  

Get a good 60T to 80T for crosscuts....Infinity 010-060, Freud LU88.

[wdwerker]

I use a Freud LM75R010 30 tooth thin kerf glue line rip blade all the time, I've got 2 so one can be out for sharpening. My Old UniSaw has a 1 1/2 hp 120v motor and after a day of ripping 8/4 stock the motor was screaming hot. The thin kerf and the coating made a big difference. With a pair of blade stabilizers I get glue line ready rips with a straight line rip jig and close attention. I can't joint 7' and longer boards consistently on my jointer.

Micro jig splitters also help with ripping on a lower hp saw.

[knotscott]

10 hours ago, wdwerker said:

I use a Freud LM75R010 30 tooth thin kerf glue line rip blade all the time, I've got 2 so one can be out for sharpening. My Old UniSaw has a 1 1/2 hp 120v motor and after a day of ripping 8/4 stock the motor was screaming hot. The thin kerf and the coating made a big difference. With a pair of blade stabilizers I get glue line ready rips with a straight line rip jig and close attention. I can't joint 7' and longer boards consistently on my jointer.

Micro jig splitters also help with ripping on a lower hp saw.

It's worth pointing out that the Freud 30T GLR blades are really intended for stock that's 1" or less.  Their objective is smooth edges, not low resistance and efficiency in thick stock...to achieve that goal Freud uses very tight side geometry on the GLRs which creates more heat to burnish and polish the edge, much like a higher tooth count blade.  The thin kerf version (LM75) will obviously pose less resistance than the full kerf version (LM74), but will still be as prone to burning as a higher tooth count blade, and is not a great candidate for thick ripping.   There's never a free lunch!

 

[wdwerker]

I might get a little burning on 8/4 stock but the joints glue up just fine for me. I probably read about what you refer to and 8/4 stock is not that common for me to need long glue lines. One or 2 passes through the drum sander takes care of the burn. The rest of the time it's ripping 4/4 or 5/4

[Robby W]

I have the Rockwell predessor to your saw. I remotered mine with an industrial quality 2hp motor and it handle 8/4.without problems. However, something you mentioned made me think.

First the burning: As mentioned, a 60 tooth blade is a crosscut blade, not a rip blade. I suggest a 24 tooth blade for ripping and a 40 for crosscut. The blades need to be kept clean, so invest in the Rockler blade cleaning kit and use it.

Second, you need to make sure the blade is aligned to the miter slot an vertical. It doesn't take much to cause burning. 

Finally, make sure your blade.is parallel too. If it isn't, the wood will touch the trailing edge of the blade and burn. Get a splitter from Shark and it will both help with the burning and keep your fingers safer.

Do all of these and I will bet the motor will cease to be an issues.