# Tablesaw question



## ryanfire (Nov 22, 2011)

I recently got an older rockwell table saw and I was trying to take the blade off but was having difficulty. Does anyone know if they have reverse threads on them?


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## Dak (Mar 9, 2011)

Probably


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

the arbor on my saw is on the left side of the blade and is regular thread. Since the blade rotates forward, the nut on the right side tightens opposite to the blades' rotation, so it can't come loose.
Some older saws are right tilt, so the arbor is on the right side of the blade and the nut will be on the left. The blade is still rotating forward, so the nut should tighten opposite to that.  bill


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

If you have the factory wrenches, you may be able to hold on one side and untighten/tighten on the outside of the blade. Remove blade guard or lift...depending on the saw. If you are standing in front of the saw, and the arbor points to the left, hold the inside, and turn the nut towards you. 

If you don't have the factory wrenches, You could use an adjustable wrench and a correctly sized tappet wrench. With the saw unplugged, or the breaker off, run the blade all the way up. Stick a piece of wood into the front of the blade (on the teeth), and place the wrench on the nut and pull the handle towards you.

When replacing the blade, clean the arbor and the washers on both sides of the blade. Slide the blade all the way to the stop. Install the washer and nut and turn it towards the rear. When near tight , hold the blade between thumb and fore finger and tighten the nut. That's all that's necessary. Plug in saw, or turn on the breaker.












 









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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

All table saws have an arbor that's threaded to self tighten when the blade spins. Pulling the wrench toward the front of the saw should always loosen the nut. If the saw is right tilt and the blade mounts from the left side of the flange, it'll have reverse threads. If it's left tilt and the blade mounts from the right, the threads will have normal orientation. 

Once you get it loosened, it really doesn't require much force to snug it down. Overtightening can bend the blade.


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## eagle49 (Mar 22, 2011)

Be careful of those threads, I striped mine and had to replace the hole arbor.$$$


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## Hammer1 (Aug 1, 2010)

Yes, it's reverse threads. Unplug the saw and remove the throat plate, raise the blade, place a piece of scrap wood on the table and against one of the gullets in the blade, attach the wrench so it's straight up, then pull the wrench toward you, the block of wood keeps the blade from turning. When putting on a blade, you don't tighten it tight, just lightly firm.

Until a few years ago, most all saws were right tilt except Powermatic. All the vintage Delta and Rockwell saws have reverse threads, right tilt.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Above is spot on, all rotary blade cutting tools are the same for the reasons above... Turn the wrench the same direction of cut to loosen opposite to tighten.

~tom ...it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt...


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## Thadius856 (Nov 21, 2011)

knotscott said:


> All table saws have an arbor that's threaded to self tighten when the blade spins. Pulling the wrench toward the front of the saw should always loosen the nut. If the saw is right tilt and the blade mounts from the left side of the flange, it'll have reverse threads. If it's left tilt and the blade mounts from the right, the threads will have normal orientation.
> 
> Once you get it loosened, it really doesn't require much force to snug it down. Overtightening can bend the blade.


This exactly. You'll want to hold a hard piece of wood against the front of the blade while you turn the nut clockwise to loosen (as seen from the left side of the saw). Every arbor I've ever seen is left-handed, including my radial arm saw and circular saws, so it's not just table saws. It's so the nut would vibrate loose or fall off during normal use.

I learned about this hard way a buddy and I spent the better portion of a day replacing the bent up flywheel in a BMW M5 he'd smashed the front of. You have to buy a special tool that bolts from the "arbor" to the block (so it doesn't spin), and then you wrench the left-handed nut. We didn't know, so we spent hours thinking we were wimps or forgot some step in the procedure. Ugh, that was a long day!


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