# RIP Craftsman Flex Drive (113.241691)



## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

I knew that one day this would happen....and that day was today. The flexible drive shaft on my saw broke and now I am out of commission. I did everything to make this misfit saw have a comfortable life. When i first purchased her, I disassembled, inspected, and lubricated the cable to the mfr spec. I removed all of the surface rust from the table and waxed it. I installed a zero clearance blade insert and Micro Jig splitter. Just today, I picked up a digital blade height unit on clearance ($20, a steal!). All of my efforts were not enough it seems, as today she threw in the towel. At $100+, I don't think I'll be replacing the drive cable. Don't get me wrong, I will continue to scour the internet for a replacement cable shaft...but I know in my heart that this is the end. RIP 1985 Craftsman Flex Drive table saw, you provided a great service on a budget. We had a good run; you will be missed.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Have you seen this?*

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f12/sears-1986-flex-drive-10-table-saw-29819/

If you get a different Cman saw use the table as an extension as I have done. I bolted several together to form a wide table saw. See My Photos Triple 12". 
Granted it ain't the best answer to a drive a table saw, but there seems like the flex is still available somewhere. Others here have tried to convert it to belt drive unsuccessfully if I recall. There a long thread here on that also.

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f12/sears-craftsman-10-flex-drive-table-saw-3363/

I had a '60's Model 100 that I nursed for about 50 years and finally saved the table for an extension. Not a flex drive tho.
Keep us posted. :yes:


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

At this point, I think the plan is to part out the wings, height/tilt wheels, base, etc. And get a different CL saw. I don't know if a used ZCI has any value, but we'll see about that as well.


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

That's a shame. 

How does this look for $100? It's got a fence upgrade, guard, and rusty top! http://spokane.craigslist.org/for/3324865786.html

This might be worth a call too: http://spokane.craigslist.org/tls/3359729526.html

Several others near Spokane....


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## J Thomas (Aug 14, 2012)

woodnthings said:


> I bolted several together to form a wide table saw. See My Photos Triple 12".


Aha.. You've answered a question I've been mulling for some time:thumbsup:
Not to hijack the thread I'll drop ya a PM..
..Jon..


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

I came, I saw, I bought another saw. Photos and details to come...


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

Yippee! :thumbsup:


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## toolguy1000 (Oct 4, 2012)

gotta love those emerson 113 series saws. i have two of them and sold a rehabbed unisaw instead of one of the emersons for lack of room. what's the HP rating on that motor with what looks like two capacitors? looking forward to your set up pics.


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## vinnypatternmaker (Mar 27, 2011)

Hi!
Those 113. Emersons were very cool! Still use 2 of 'em!
Happy for you!
Best,
Marena and Vinny


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

Here are a few teaser photos and a bit more info. The new saw is a 113.298762. As for hp, the motor says 1.5 and the front of the saw says 3.0 ...so 1.5 hp. The saw is a "one owner" and really has seem very little use. The cast iron top is in good shape with some pretty mild surface rust. I will be hitting it with a brass wire wheel either tomorrow or Monday. 

As can bee seen, I had to remove the base and motor to get the saw into the RAV4. While I had the saw apart, I took the opportunity to make a franken-saw with the best of both. I kept my base, but removed the Craftsman wheels. I then put this base on a home-made wheeled platform that the new saw came with. I then stripped down the rest of the old Flex Drive saw. I kept the metal elevation/tilt wheels from the old saw in favor of the cheap plastic wheels on the new saw. I also am using the table from the old saw as a 20" left wing. It bolted on solid and provides a nice solid surface as well as integrated throat plate storage. While I am on the subject, I think that I can can make my zero clearance insert work from the old saw. I will tackle this tomorrow, but I should just be able to loosen the front and rear trunnions, mount the insert with the blade at full height, verify that the blade spins freely, and then re-tighten everything. Any thoughts why this wouldn't work?? 

As a bonus, I have a pile of extra parts that may have enough ebay value to pay for the new saw! I will post better photos as I get things finished up. Already, though, this saw is far more smooth when running and starting.

Any belt recommendations?


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*curious*

Why put the solid extension on the left. Doesn't the fence want to be on the right to allow for wider crosscuts? 

Now all you need is a Cast Iron router extension (Bench dog Pro Max :thumbsup: ) and you be "solid" iron. Ditch the webbed extensions on Ebuy and buy the router extension.... 

Frankensaw...well I never. Wait 'til you get the 3rd one bolted up.


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

woodnthings said:


> Why put the solid extension on the left. Doesn't the fence want to be on the right to allow for wider crosscuts?
> 
> Now all you need is a Cast Iron router extension (Bench dog Pro Max :thumbsup: ) and you be "solid" iron. Ditch the webbed extensions on Ebuy and buy the router extension....
> 
> Frankensaw...well I never. Wait 'til you get the 3rd one bolted up.


I knew you'd like that.

I'd definitely have the extension on the right side, but I still have the crappy Craftsman fence. Actually, now I have two crappy Craftsman fences. If I can get enough out of the saw parts, maybe I can find a new fence... :shifty:


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## toolguy1000 (Oct 4, 2012)

if and when you decide to take that step, one vote here for a delta t2 from tools-plus. best new fence value @ ~ $160.


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

toolguy1000 said:


> if and when you decide to take that step, one vote here for a delta t2 from tools-plus. best new fence value @ ~ $160.


I was just drooling over that. $158 with free shipping. We'll see how the auctions go.


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

Phaedrus said:


> I knew you'd like that.
> 
> I'd definitely have the extension on the right side, but I still have the crappy Craftsman fence. Actually, now I have two crappy Craftsman fences. If I can get enough out of the saw parts, maybe I can find a new fence... :shifty:


If the Cman saw with the updated fence is still available for $100, buy it and swap fences, then clean up and resell the whole saw for $100. The guard, motor, wings, and other parts make it worth $100. 75 minutes worth of sanding adn scrubbing means a free fence upgrade! :thumbsup: You could upgrade from that one someday, but you may not feel the need.


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

knotscott said:


> If the Cman saw with the updated fence is still available for $100, buy it and swap fences, then clean up and resell the whole saw for $100. The guard, motor, wings, and other parts make it worth $100. 75 minutes worth of sanding adn scrubbing means a free fence upgrade! :thumbsup: You could upgrade from that one someday, but you may not feel the need.


Not a bad idea. The only downside is all of the time involves and extra driving. That saw is about a 180 mile round trip :-/. I will keep my eyes peeled...


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

Alright, I got a couple of hours of quality time with my saw today. I was able to align the blade to parallel with the miter slots and also position the blade to use my existing ZCI (with MJ Splitter already installed). :thumbsup::thumbsup: That's $50 saved! As I went to loosen the trunnions, I found that all 6 bolts were basically finger-tight. Woa. I guess it is easy to understand why the positioning was so far out of shape. When I was looking at the saw, I pulled the belt off to spin the blade and motor while checking it over. The pulley on the arbor slid right off of the shaft as well. Needless-to-say, I've been checking every bolt I can find.

I worked on the rust some with a razor blade, brass wire wheel, and Scotch-brite pad w/ WD-40. I've got a little more of this work to do and then a few coats of wax. I hope to get that done tomorrow. 


















While at work tonight, I made 7 eBay listings for salvaged parts from my Frankensaw project. They are all scheduled to start Monday night at 6pm PST and run for one week. Everything starts at $0.01, which usually gets a few hopeful followers. With a little luck, this will make this whole saw ordeal free--and maybe I'll have enough left over for a saw-toy. 










http://www.ebay.com/sch/bensandness/m.html?item=290807276515&ssPageName=STRK%3AMESELX%3AIT&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562
---


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Now...*

Just find another saw like the one you just got and you will have the "ultimate" set up. Leave a dado blade in one, Or a rip blade and put a 60 tooth crosscut OR 50 tooth Combo in the other....WOW.  I'm backin' you on this, Pal!:yes:


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

Nice work on the Frankensaw.

I almost purchased a flex drive saw decades ago. I thought the drive cable would be the achilles heel.

Nice recycle of the old top. Having extra table is handy. :thumbsup:

I am not seeing any reinforcement / support other than the bolts on the joining side. That is a lot of stress on the casting. I would add temporary bracing if the later fence rail is the final support.


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

Dave, I was debating about needing additional support under the side. I don't know what the weight difference is, but it only hangs out an additional 8" further than the stock wings. I've removed the housing underneath as well as all of the rest of the old hardware. I have an extra set of fence rails from the old saw that I could bolt to the front and back (basically just angle iron). Do you think that'll be sufficient?


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

Phaedrus said:


> Dave, I was debating about needing additional support under the side. I don't know what the weight difference is, but it only hangs out an additional 8" further than the stock wings. I've removed the housing underneath as well as all of the rest of the old hardware. I have an extra set of fence rails from the old saw that I could bolt to the front and back (basically just angle iron). Do you think that'll be sufficient?


I think the old angle iron rails would add sufficient support. 

It may only hang out another 8in than the stock wing, but the engineer in me would not want to risk the casting from breaking at the present few bolt locations.


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

Dave Paine said:


> I think the old angle iron rails would add sufficient support.
> 
> It may only hang out another 8in than the stock wing, but the engineer in me would not want to risk the casting from breaking at the present few bolt locations.


Good call, I'll bolt those extra rails on. I had been trying to look at cast iron router extensions since I figure they'd be around the same weight, but it is difficult to tell how most are mounted. Better safe than sorry!:gunsmilie:


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

I bolted on the extra fence rails that I had. I shortened the front one so that the holes would line up. I feel better about that extra weight hanging off the left side now. I didn't get to work on the table surface today like I wanted to :-(, but I plan to attack it tomorrow (Tuesday) and get it either ready for wax or waxed. 

With the extra weight on the left side, the saw is easier to tip in that direction. I wouldn't say that it is tippy or even unstable, because it isn't, but if given a good hard shove it would fall left before it fell right. I guess that is a good reason to get a big 'ol router table on the right side...

More photos to come as I make progress


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

You're making good progress with it. :thumbsup:


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

No pics today, but I got the last bit of rust removed and a few coats of wax put on. I also ordered a kit with machined pulleys and a serpentine belt that supposedly works with this saw.

Item: Ridgid Craftsman Table Saw Serpentine Belt and Pulley Kit Belt 417J # 816439-3

Alt URL: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ridgid-Craf...d-Pulley-Kit-Belt-417J-816439-3-/200765837090


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

Phaedrus said:


> No pics today, but I got the last bit of rust removed and a few coats of wax put on. I also ordered a kit with machined pulleys and a serpentine belt that supposedly works with this saw.
> 
> Item: Ridgid Craftsman Table Saw Serpentine Belt and Pulley Kit Belt 417J # 816439-3
> 
> Alt URL: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ridgid-Craf...d-Pulley-Kit-Belt-417J-816439-3-/200765837090


I think you'll like the serpentine belt kit. It's less prone to taking a set than a v-belt, is more aerodynamic and quieter than either a link belt or a v-belt, and should have more efficient power transfer.


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

Alright, here are some photos of the Craftsman Frankensaw in her ready to use condition. I am excited for my pulley kit to arrive and will forego and coin tests until then. The belt drive setup is already leaps and bounds ahead of the flex drive in terms of smoothness. The top is waxed and the and flat, the blade is square to the table and parallel to the miter slots, and the ZCI is installed. I am all ready to make some sawdust later today. 

In the bottom photo, you can see the home made somewhat wheeled platform that came with the saw. It is a little awkward, but solid. I am not a fan of the Craftsman pop-up wheels, so I decided to try this one out for now. I seldom move the saw more than a few feet anyway. 

I have been drooling over fence options, so I sure hope that these auctions go well. There are bidders on a few items and a solid stream of views and watchers on all of them. C'mon folks, show me the money! Daddy needs a Delta T2!


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

Nice progress. :thumbsup:

+1 about loving the serpentine belt. This should help the unit run smooth and with no belt noise.

I would not have been patient enough to wait for the kit though, after all this work I would have wanted to do make some sawdust.


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

If that the outlet strip is going to stick around, turn it sideways so it doesn't fill up with dust.


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

Dave, I will be making saw dust before the belt and pulley kit, probably this evening still! 

As for the power strip, it is a 15' corded one that I move around the garage. Maybe I will make a little shoe for it to screw in to so it stays horizontal.


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

I got my serpentine belt kit yesterday and installed it. Wow, what a huge improvement! The old belt was in sad shape. It really didn't change shape when it was taken off of the pulleys. The kit shipped with two 2.2" pulleys as well as two 2.5" pulleys. It I ever get crazy and decide that I need to gear up/down the blade slightly, I now can. I just installed both larger pulleys. I really can't believe how much different the saw is. The old belt would buck a bit when powering up and down, but now it is like a new saw. 


















Additionally, I started working on a router table extension from 3/4 melamine particle board and walnut. I will either be bracing the bottom of the table with strips of walnut or an additional layer of the melamine particle board. I have two strips of Incra 4' T-track (clearance from a local hardware store that is closing out their Incra stuff) and a 4' section of miter slot. I am not sure about what router plate that I will get yet, though I like the look of the Bench Dog Pro Plate. I will wait until I have that in hand before I worry about cutting a hole for it or the tracks. I have an extra power switch from my table saw chop shop that I can use for the router. In hindsight, I probably should have had some hard wood edging to keep the material from chipping. I have the matching white edging, but that won't offer much help from this. I may try to rip a narrow strip off of the outside edges and glue up some narrow pieces of matching walnut. I need to look at it again and see if my screws will get in the way of making a cut like that. I'm not crazy about doing it, but I know it will be the best for durability. 

Any pointers for cutting out the hole for the router plate? Any other plate recommendations?



















Sent from my DROID RAZR using Woodworking Talk


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## troyd1976 (Jul 26, 2011)

Dave, the saw is really coming along..i also ordered that ebay belt/pulley kit and it is awesome! also considering a pals kit for it, as well as i am right now building a base for it because you can get outstanding storage under these saws via that method. plus IMO those sheet metal legs craftsman put these things on are a joke.

As far as your router plate cutout, the method that always works for me best is to claim/double sided tape some scrap around your plate on the top of the surface, than remove it and use a flush trim bit with the bearing on the shank end of the bit, set to your outer rim hight of your plate than drilling/jig sawing out the center.

you'll love the difference when you get a T2 on the saw, IMO a 113 series with an upgraded fence are better than a lot currently on the market.


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

You've pretty much got the same guts and drive system as the Ridgid 3650, which a lot of folks love. It'll be a really slick setup with the cast iron wings, router table, and T2. :thumbsup:


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## Joeb41 (Jun 23, 2012)

I have that same saw, who sells that serpentine belt/pulley combo?


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

Joeb41 said:


> I have that same saw, who sells that serpentine belt/pulley combo?


I believe that they are Ridgid parts. I bought mine packaged together on e-bay (the link is in a previous post on this thread). I paid $28 with free shipping. I would highly recommend it.:thumbsup:


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

knotscott said:


> You've pretty much got the same guts and drive system as the Ridgid 3650, which a lot of folks love. It'll be a really slick setup with the cast iron wings, router table, and T2. :thumbsup:


I am honestly less rushed about the fence anymore. Clearly it still leaves much to be desired, but the fence that came with my belt drive saw (though materially identical to my previous fence) seems to work correctly. By that, I mean that it locks down and stays put. Thus far, it seems to be quite square and, unlike my old one, the tail end of the fence doesn't move either. I think that I can deal with awful craftsman fence a while longer...unless these auctions go REALLY well. Two days left and we're at about $90. I'm not in the black until I cover the $150 saw and whatever fees from ebay. I'll know more Monday at 1800 PST when they all end. I'll have another cast iron wing to list, but I plan for that one to pay for the router plate :yes:.


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## Pirate (Jul 23, 2009)

toolguy1000 said:


> gotta love those emerson 113 series saws. i have two of them and sold a rehabbed unisaw instead of one of the emersons for lack of room. what's the HP rating on that motor with what looks like two capacitors? looking forward to your set up pics.



I've had a few 113 saws, and if I had 4 or more of them, and also had a Unisaw, I would get rid of the 113's, before the Unisaw. A no brainer for me. But, to each, his own.


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

Phaedrus said:


> Any pointers for cutting out the hole for the router plate? Any other plate recommendations?


Terrific progress. :thumbsup:

I knew the new belt would be a big improvement. I can imagine how smooth it starts and runs. A good deal for $28. Perhaps the best value upgrade.

As for router plates. Rockler sell them, but I am not providing a link since they are all sold out. This is my frustration with Rockler. I swear anything I have wanted to purchase from them has been out of stock.

Peachtree USA have some plates. I think the best selections in a single site.

Scroll down and they have a clear Lexan plant for $23 or a Rousseau phenolic plate for $45, or a no-name "Delux" phenolic plate for $30 or an aluminium plate for $70.

http://www.ptreeusa.com/routerPlates.htm

Some sites sell templates for the bases they sell, but I am not seeing on the PT site.

Making a template is a two step process. Use the plate to route a piece of plywood, which will have a larger hole. Then use this piece of plywood to rout another piece of plywood which should have the correct size hole.

I guide bushing and 1/8in router bit work well, but since the router bit has some thickness, this needs to be two steps.

http://www.woodcraft.com/product/20...-solid-brass-router-inlay-router-bit-set.aspx


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

Not to put any pressure on you, but Tools-plus is having a sale offering 10% off the already great price on a T2...$142.20 shipped.


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

Dave Paine said:


> Terrific progress. :thumbsup:
> 
> I knew the new belt would be a big improvement. I can imagine how smooth it starts and runs. A good deal for $28. Perhaps the best value upgrade.
> 
> ...


Thanks Dave, I'll be looking at those other plates as well. That brass guide bushing and bit cost as much as some of the plates! 



Knotscott said:


> Not to put any pressure on you, but Tools-plus is having a sale offering 10% off the already great price on a T2...$142.20 shipped.


Ha, no pressure. That sale ends 2 hours after my auctions. No pressure, right??


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## vinnypatternmaker (Mar 27, 2011)

woodnthings said:


> Just find another saw like the one you just got and you will have the "ultimate" set up. Leave a dado blade in one, Or a rip blade and put a 60 tooth crosscut OR 50 tooth Combo in the other....WOW.  I'm backin' you on this, Pal!:yes:


And I'm backin' YOU on this, pal :thumbsup:!
Best, Vinny


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## vinnypatternmaker (Mar 27, 2011)

Pirate said:


> I've had a few 113 saws, and if I had 4 or more of them, and also had a Unisaw, I would get rid of the 113's, before the Unisaw. A no brainer for me. But, to each, his own.


Hi!
The Unisaw is King, no doubt :thumbsup:!
But we have a few 113's along with a Unisaw. While the 113's can't touch the Unisaw (probably the best in class, ever!), they (113's) work well enough for blades that we don't use too often (we cut a wide variey of stock) :blink:. That's iff (if and only if) you have the space :huh:! That last statement means we *NEED* mo' tools :thumbsup:! Yeah, 113's are better off with a Shop Fox fence, etc.
Best,
Marena and Vinny


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## Andrew120 (Jun 30, 2012)

Ben, I just read thru this post for the first time. Im lovin it, thats a nice setup and gettin better all the time. Taking what you can find/have and making an amazing set-up, I dig it. Nicely done!
Let me know how you like the router table on the saw, I have a stand alone router table atm but im seriouslly considering doing a router extension on my Tsaw when I buy my new saw just to save on space(or maybe so I have two router spaces, dont tell the wife  ) 
Andrew


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

Andrew120 said:


> Ben, I just read thru this post for the first time. Im lovin it, thats a nice setup and gettin better all the time. Taking what you can find/have and making an amazing set-up, I dig it. Nicely done!
> Let me know how you like the router table on the saw, I have a stand alone router table atm but im seriouslly considering doing a router extension on my Tsaw when I buy my new saw just to save on space(or maybe so I have two router spaces, dont tell the wife  )
> Andrew


Andrew, thanks. I really enjoy breathing some new life back into old tools, especially those that are well made and able to last for a good long time. This is usually something that I do with hand tools more than power tools, but these old Craftsman table saws are so simple that there isn't much to go wrong. Most of them are usable with a bit of clean up and some mild rust removal. In the case of my current Frankensaw, it is becoming a bit more elaborate than just bringing it back to its original glory. We'll see how the rest of the router table project goes. I am excited to get it finished and installed. 

My parts auctions are about 16 hours from being done and I am just shy of breaking even on the cost of the belt drive saw ($150). Anything after that is profit (more toys). Now I just have to sit back and wait some more...


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

Well, the eBay auctions are done. Here's the break down of the math:

-$50 Craftsman Flex Drive Saw purchased a year ago or better
-$150 Craftsman Belt Drive Saw purchased a couple of weeks ago.
+$201.81 eBay auctions for the leftover parts from my "Frankensaw" project. 

The moral of the story? I have a free table saw. I didn't turn a profit large enough to upgrade the fence (at least not without being spotted on the wife's spending radar), but I am still happy with the outcome. 

_As a disclaimer, there are some other expenses to be considered. For one, I won't know for a little while what all of the eBay seller fees are or PayPal's fees. Additionally, I have put some money into the saw (Onsrud blade, LeeCraft ZCI, Micro Jig Splitter SteelPRO, serpentine belt and pulley kit, materials for router extension, my time, etc.) 
_


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

I'd figure ~ 10%-12% for Ebay and PayPal fees. You've done very well with very little cash outlay. :thumbsup:


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## troyd1976 (Jul 26, 2011)

depends how you measure profit, id say if your going on joy of use, you came out way ahead compared going from an ole' flex drive to the rig you have created.:thumbsup:


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

knotscott said:


> I'd figure ~ 10%-12% for Ebay and PayPal fees. You've done very well with very little cash outlay. :thumbsup:


Yeah, that sounds about right. I may come out smelling a little sweeter than that since I had an additional handling fee included with the shipping of a few items that required extra care to ship...like the pair of cast iron wings that were sold together that I built a crate for. 

I'm finishing up some big frames tomorrow that I need to ship out. Hopefully after that I'll be able to return to the router extension project. Right now I am leaning toward the Rousseau 3509 router base plate ($36.41 on Amazon). I've been researching router fences to see what people like and what designs are out there. I plan to have the router fence perpendicular to the TS fence so that I have a longer surface to feed any long material onto. I am going back and forth between more simple solid fence designs and more elaborate split fences. This being my first router table, I don't entirely know what I need. I may build a solid simple fence to start with and see how it suits me. I do, however, like the idea of being able to do some jointing. 



troyd1976 said:


> depends how you measure profit, id say if your going on joy of use, you came out way ahead compared going from an ole' flex drive to the rig you have created.


Very true! I've enjoyed the process and really feel like I know the machine through and through, even though parts of this are relatively new to me. There is definitely a different experience between refurbishing old tools versus buying new. I feel like the saw is "mine" as opposed to just a tool that I paid for. :thumbsup:


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

...and here is the last bit of the Flex Drive saw. Meet my new Craftsman grey scrap bin from the former saw's cabinet.

I cleaned up the garage this morning and will be hard at work on the router extension project soon. I am at a bit of an impasse until have a router plate purchased and in front of me. I can, however, decided if I am going to put matching walnut banding around the edge to reinforce against chipping, finish reinforcing the bottom, and drill holes for the side mounting bolts. 

Lots to do!

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Woodworking Talk


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

LOL....justice is served! :laughing:


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## troyd1976 (Jul 26, 2011)

LOL nice! not many can say there scrap bin has a serial number..:laughing:


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

It has been a while since I have been able to work on my TS rourer extension, but I got a little time in today and hopefully more this week. I cut a rabbet on both sides so that I could add some walnut edge banding to reduce chipping of the melamine. I used my new Bosch 1617 to do this and am so far very pleased. This is also basically my first free-hand routering. The walnut that I had planned to used was just too wild. Without a jointer, it just wan't going to happen. I picked up some straighter grained 8/4 Walnut at the local DoItBest ($12.65 /bf-- highway robbery!) and things went more smoothly. The new saw plowed through the 8/4 as though it wasn't even there. I have the edging clamped and glued now. I hope to get the other end done tomorrow and then re-drill the side mounting holes through the edge band. After that, then it is on to the precision business of mounting the router plate, miter slot, and T-tracks. I went with a Rousseau router plate that I scooped up on eBay for $30 shipped. It turns out that Rousseau is based out of Washington, about 30 miles from where I live. 

I plan to add a 3/4" layer of plywood below the melamine particle board while I am doing the T-track and miter slots, so that I can just use longer screws and have them grip into something more solid. 

I haven't played with the plunge base much yet, but I really like the fixed base. The micrometer adjustments seem to be very accurate. I don't know if I can expect the same kind of accuracy with the plunge base. I am keeping an eye out for a spare fixed base so that I can leave one on the table and still have one to use free hand.

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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

Thanks for the update. I have the Bosch 1617EVS. My unit was when they were first on the market. The shiny magnesium body soon became a dull grey in the table. Apparently some reaction to MDF vapours. I read this was fixed in later versions. I am merely oogling at your shiny magnesium body. Looks better than my unit from the start.

I only have the fixed base. When I purchased my unit, Bosch sold either the fixed base or plunge model. In the recent years they started to sell both bases. Very useful for hand routing.

You are correct the DoItBest price on the walnut was highway robbery. Looking good on the router table though.


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

Dave Paine said:


> Thanks for the update. I have the Bosch 1617EVS. My unit was when they were first on the market. The shiny magnesium body soon became a dull grey in the table. Apparently some reaction to MDF vapours. I read this was fixed in later versions. I am merely oogling at your shiny magnesium body. Looks better than my unit from the start.
> 
> I only have the fixed base. When I purchased my unit, Bosch sold either the fixed base or plunge model. In the recent years they started to sell both bases. Very useful for hand routing.
> 
> You are correct the DoItBest price on the walnut was highway robbery. Looking good on the router table though.


My "Wood Guy" is only open two days a week, so I was forced to buy the expensive stuff. Happily, I was able to pick up a small chunk of about 2bf of 8/4. The grain is very straight and the board was fairly square to start with. So far so good, but the more precision work is still ahead of me. I think I've got a system in mind to make the router plate fit perfectly...but more on that when I do it!


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## toolguy1000 (Oct 4, 2012)

shopnotes and wood magazine have each done several articles on applying router plates to tables. it's apparently not really all that difficult.


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

toolguy1000 said:


> shopnotes and wood magazine have each done several articles on applying router plates to tables. it's apparently not really all that difficult.


I have read the shop notes plans for this, but I don't have a bushing or template bit like they show to use. I have a plan that should work well and be just as good, if not more precise. In theory, it should be very simple, but I'm quite new to router usage so I take my time and test/measure/test a lot! :yes:


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

Alright, the remaining edge band is glued and clamped. Now I just need to let it be for a while before getting started on the top and reinforcing the bottom.

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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

Well, the rest of the day was productive. I got some sanding done on the walnut edging and routed the opening for the router plate. In hindsight, I probably should have waited and purchased a guide bushing set or template bit for this job. The opening is not as precise as I would like it to be. Alas, it is cut now and seems to be fairly flat and flush. I hope to get the router base mounted to the insert tomorrow, amongst other things. I also cut the dados for the miter track and T-tracks. These went fairly well and all fit snugly. Once I have the router mounted to the plate, I will work on the plywood under layer, cut the tracks to length, and mount them. Once that is done, I will need to redrill the side mounting holes. I was originally going to use T-nuts like I used on the edge facing the saw, but I think just nuts with washers will be better on the sides so that I can better fine tune the rails to get the table mounted level. At some point, I will put a coat or two of wipe-on poly on the bare edge wood to help keep it stable. Once that is all done, it will be time to start on the fence!

I have mentioned this before, but I am very new to router usage. I am using my new Bosch as much as possible during this and learning a lot. Thus far, I am very pleased with both the fixed and plunge bases. There is a great deal of adjustability and fine tuning controls for both. I didn't realize until today that a router can turn wood into wood chips/dust more quickly than about any other tool. I have added the Bosch dust extraction kit to the wife's Amazon cart. Hopefully this will help. I am also eyballing the edge guide kit with micro-adjust that Bosch also makes. Hmmmmm, how much do I dare try for this holiday...?

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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

Wow...you've been productive! :thumbsup:


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

Today was another productive day on the TS router extension. I started by mounting the fixed base to my table insert. The concentric circle patter on the back of the insert plate made it easy to line up. This process would undoubtedly have been easier with a drill press, but as always, I made due. I drilled the four mounting holes and the larger hole for the above table height adjust. There was a bit of chipping around the height adjust hole, so I decided to counter sink that one as well. It only looks stupid if you know what you're looking at. 

Next, I cut the T-track and miter track to length with a metal blade and :jigsaw. I clamped all three together and cut them in one pass and ended up with a pretty smooth cut. With these ready, I re-drilled the the side holes and began reinforcing. I had thought that I had some leftover 3/4" plywood, but I only had 5/8". Regardless, I added a layer across most of the bottom. This layer was epoxied to the back of the melamine particle board. I also attached some walnut cross braces with glue and screws. The screws from the top surface that hold the T-track and miter track in place extended through the particle board and into the plywood layer. 

I did a bit more hand sanding on the trim and incidentally sanded off a bit of the melamine at the end getting things flush and smooth. Part of me wanted to cut a shallow grove in the top and glue in a layer of walnut. I stopped myself and remembered that this is a tool be used. It will show wear eventually and that will not matter. If there weren't already other imperfections, I may have gone ahead and patched it up, but I have already deviated from perfection. Instead, I put my energy into setting up the plate mounting and applying finish to the trim. When I did the plywood layer, I was sure to have it extend into the center opening by about an inch. The plan is for there to be T-nuts in the plywood layer that the plate will mount to in the corners. The included machine screws were not long enough, so I put this on hold and applied the finish to the trim. I have longer screws now and will hopefully take care of that tomorrow. After that, it should be ready to bolt on. There is still the matter of a fence...but one step at a time.

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## Joeb41 (Jun 23, 2012)

Great job Ben, coming along good. You are going to love that router. Being able to tweak your adjustment above the table is nice.


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

This morning, I got the plate mounted and the table attached to the saw. I also attached my spare power switch from the old saw to connect the router to. 

I will have to get to the fence next.

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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

Oops, these were supposed to be attached...

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