# Hitachi C10FL Project saw



## Tricktech (Feb 2, 2012)

Picked up a Hitachi C10FL Hybrid off CL this week for $100. Mechanically solid, but ridden hard and put away wet.










Best I can tell, the only thing wrong with it is the need for a good clean-up, maybe a little paint, and a good tune-up. (Love it when people think it's a good idea to move a saw around the shop by yanking on the rails.)

By the time I thought to take a picture I had already hit the left wing with the RO Sander and part of the Cast iron with a chemical rust and stain remover.


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## Tricktech (Feb 2, 2012)

*Part 2*

Took the time to go through it mechanically with a fine tooth comb and really had a hard time finding much to fix.

There is a poorly designed gear for the tilt wheel that can clog with dust easily and make rotating the handle difficult and clunky. It was jammed up with old pitch and dust - cleaned it out and all was well.



The previous owner obviuously didnt mind a missing part here and there... 

The throat plate was missing all four of the height adjustment screws so he had it shimmed up with random washers rather than picking up a few M5 flat heads.
End caps on all four corners of the rails, missing ($2.80 for all four, I ordered replacements, but it may be a while before I see them)
Cushions on the legs... gone ($.80 ea. - on order)
Rear corner bolts between the rear rail and the wings - gone on both sides. The rails hold things from flapping in the wind, but certainly not flat.
Most annoyingly; Neither Hitachi or any third party vendors have made a zero-clearance insert for this saw until recently - so as a fix the previous owner had placed a 3/8" iron washer on the arbor effectively moving the blade to the right 3/8" and within 1/16 of the opening in the stock insert. Although this may have giving him a nice tight set-up on the right, it left a gaping hole to the left. As a result I found several random pieces wedged in the lower shroud... actually running against the blade. Now logic says that changing the blade or simple inspection would prompt the average Joe to dig them out relatively quickly - but one of the pieces I found was not just burned, but "glazed" where it had run against the blade for what had to have been a long time.
PART 2 of this arbor set-up was the fact that the 3/8" washer didn't properly fit on the 5/8" Arbor! When we tested the saw as I took delivery I had noticed a vibration, particularly when spinning down. I wasn't sure what I might have to replace. I am overjoyed to report that the removal of the washer completely remedied any vibration, and upon further inspection of the arbor shaft and bearings - there is zero run out. Whew!
Past the mechanical - on to the Clean-up.:thumbsup:


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## Tricktech (Feb 2, 2012)

*Part 3*

Removed the wings and rails for clean up. Hit everything with Acetone to remove any oil/Grease, random filth, and wood stain. and started in on the more drastic cleaning methods, namely RO sander with 800 grit pad and a shot of WD-40.

The wings cleaned up nicely and were hit with a round of spray primer.

The Table itself was another matter. T9 Rust Free may stink like Uncle Edward letting loose after Thanksgiving dinner, but wow, what a job it does! After a couple rounds of T9, it was back to the RO sander with a higher grit pad, and a fine wire wheel in the miter tracks.

I opted for black enamel on the wings. I would have liked the dark metallic grey found elsewhere on the saw, but it was not to be found at H-Depot. Black would have to do. I sprayed the wings on day two of the process... twice.

The rails are going to be a challenge. There were scratches and gouges in the areas that needed to be smooth for smooth operation of the fence. Unless someone can suggest a better method, all I could do is sand or grind down the rough edges. This of course leaves a mirror finish where matt should reside. - more on this later.

Day 3 found me replacing the wings and rails and fitting a new Freud GP blade.


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## Tricktech (Feb 2, 2012)

*Part 4*

So as you can see from the image above, I still have shiny spots where gouges were removed from the rails. Everything works the way it is, but it kind of unsightly.

So why detail all of this for my friends on the forums? *Because Im looking for some input...*

Have a friend who would be willing to anodize all the rails on the cheap - but what color... natural? Black? (he doesn't have all the colors of the rainbow in his dyes, but he does do black.) But would it look alright? Would anodizing be a good surface for this application? Supposedly its more durable and has better lubrication characteristics - Guess we'll see, only one way to find out.

The fence is set up to accept face boards - so I was also thinking about getting some 1/2" material - maybe even phenolic and doing both sides with some connection bolts running between both sides, counter-bored flush.

I'm also looking for a set of Cast Iron wings that will fit this saw - the extra mass would be a benefit - but after the time spent on refinishing the steel wings, im not sure CI would be worth the expense?

Last but not least, the legs on this saw are weak. They are so flimsy I spent extra time tracking down the manual to see if they were improperly installed - they are not.  Anyone have any ideas of how to beef them up?

TIA!


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

Tricktech said:


> ...The rails are going to be a challenge. There were scratches and gouges in the areas that needed to be smooth for smooth operation of the fence. Unless someone can suggest a better method, all I could do is sand or grind down the rough edges. This of course leaves a mirror finish where matt should reside. - more on this later...


What are the rails made of? If they are a softer metal and the gouges have a bur, you should be able to burnish it down with a burnisher (or anything that is hard and has a smooth, curved surface....i.e. smooth screwdriver shaft that you don't care about, etc.) If the marred area of the surface are relatively small, you might have luck with a rotary tool.


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## Tricktech (Feb 2, 2012)

Phaedrus said:


> What are the rails made of? ....


Extruded Aluminum. I'm not familiar with the burninshing process - can this be done with Aluminum?


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

You should be able to burnish Aluminum. Basically, you use a curved, harder surface (burnisher) and slide it against a softer surface (in this case, your gouged up rails). This action will smooth out raised, irregular areas of the softer surface. It can take some time, but should work fine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnishing_(metal)


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

Nice job with the restoration. I don't really have any input for your upgrades, other than to offer that the current Porter Cable PCB270TS has a lot in common with this saw, so some of the parts should be interchangeable. Note that the guts are different though, as the PCB270TS was designed to accept a riving knife.


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## Tricktech (Feb 2, 2012)

knotscott said:


> Nice job with the restoration. I don't really have any input for your upgrades, other than to offer that the current Porter Cable PCB270TS has a lot in common with this saw, so some of the parts should be interchangeable. Note that the guts are different though, as the PCB270TS was designed to accept a riving knife.


THANKS! Not done yet, but getting there.

Looks like the Porter-Cable is pretty much the same machine, but enough changes to call them different. Looking at the parts diagram on the PC I noticed some changes I liked, and some I didn't. For one, the lift/wheel system is a vast improvement. I knew of the existance of the PC, but to be honest, I had not explored any cross parts compatibility because for the most part, the Hitachi parts availability is excellent - very few parts are no longer available.

The Hitachi has a knife as well - also a part of the safety/anti-kickback assembly that does not have to be used with the shroud. Of course, I didn't get one with this particular purchase.


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## Tricktech (Feb 2, 2012)

One thing I just noticed - that I like about the PC: Different rails.

The design is pretty much the same, but the Porter-Cable is offset to the right like so many other saws are now. The Hitachi has equal length rails left and right allowing for a 24" left and right cut. The PC allows for 18" left and 30" right by shifting some of the length to the right.

Im sure the rails would bolt right up to the Hitachi - but at roughly $100 for the parts, I'd rather mount up a Delta T2 for $150.


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

I think the Hitachi came with a stationary splitter that should tilt with the blade, whereas the PC has a true riving knife that tilts plus raises and lowers with the blade...thus the difference with the insides. Both do the same task, but a riving knife has some advantages.

+1 on the T2...


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