DeWalt DW110 radial arm saw

[Iskariot]

Greetings!

I've searched high and low for a manual for a DeWalt DW110 RAS. I found some promising threads a few years old but the links in them are all dead.

A couple of questions:

• I've gathered this is pretty much the same as a DW111 and later a DW125; Are the bearings on the sled the same as these models? I'm thinking of ordering parts from Miles if I can get this confirmed.
• I've attached a picture of the crank on top of the arm. I'm trying to disassemble the saw to repaint and fix it up a bit before use but I haven't found a way to remove the crank. It looks like there's a spring pin forced into the middle, with just one entry hole. Anyone know?
• Are there any manuals and/or part lists to be found for this model? I get by watching other models mostly but now and then I hit something unexpected. (Like the crank)

I'm going to get it all sanded down and painted and then build myself a new table for it. Ordered the Mr. Sawdust RAS handbook the other day to teach me the ropes. When I'm up to it, I think I'm going to modify the terrible wiring to something not-so-terrible.

PS: Lovely forum!

 

[Muina]

I'm sorry I can't help you directly but have you given DeWalt themselves a ring?

That's obviously a really old model (Before they started with the bright yellow and black colour scheme, I think 1970's?) so maybe they'll have a back date of the manuals etc?

And lastly I'm no engineer but I'm guessing the bearings for things like this from the same maker would be the same sizes as modern designs?

P.S. We had a representative from DeWalt visit us at College today, some of the stuff they're bringing out now just takes the biscuit! They had a plunge blade for a jigsaw, try and figure that one out!

Sorry I'm not more help but maybe someone a bit more experienced will be a little more useful

Anthony

 

[Iskariot]

Thanks for replying.

I called the service center but they usually don't keep tabs on such old tools. They promised to dig around and give me a call if they found anything. I can manage pretty much everything myself if I can verify that the 110 uses the same bearings as the 125, or any other model carried by a shop like Miles. I solved the pin problem. By using a small screw I managed to attach the pin and yank it out. The rest of the dismantling was five minutes of work, tops.

A lot of old machines from 40s to 70s roughly are better tools than what you can get these days. Radial arm saws for instance got "watered" down during the 70s to cut cost. The last models produced by DeWalt (they stopped in 89 I think) are viewed as inferior to earlier models. You can get superb new RASes today, but you probably have to import an American Delta or get an Italian saw that costs as much as a house. Another example of fantastic old tools are table saws. To get the quality and amount of cast iron in the table, you would have to shell out massive money for a modern saw. Not a lot has changed anyway. You can mount brand new Incra attachments to a 50 year old saw as well as a brand new one.

The bearings problem is the only remaining issue I have. When this is solved, I can rebuild it to better than new. Going to modify some annoying bits in due time and build a nice stand and table. I will keep you posted.

 

[OPJ]

You may already know this but, you can view all the DeWalt radial arm saw manuals, here, at Miles Tools' website. There are a couple for the 125 but I cannot see the 110 listed? You could try contacting Miles Tools directly, to see whether they have any un-listed parts of if they would know how and where to source a manual for the 110. If anyone would know, and DeWalt themselves cannot help then, I imagine these guys would! ;-)

Just found a couple of old forum threads (via. Google!) that may be of assistance:

Here and here.

 

[Iskariot]

I sent Miles an e-mail asking if they kept the dimensions on the various bearings but they did not. I said I had a DW110 and that I couldn't find it on their list but either they don't know the model or they didn't think to mention it.

I live in Norway so any attempt to look at the UK DeWalt service center homepage redirects me to a Norwegian DeWalt page. The service center guys were helpful but they knew nothing about the 110 and they had to do a special order to get their hands on 125 bearings, which may or may not fit.

I don't really care if I find the DW110 parts list or a manual for this particular model, the 125 is close enough and I have other manuals describing how to set it up and use it correctly. It would be nice to have though. These things usually are.

My only concern now is the potential difference between 110 and 125 bearings. If anyone knows I would be eternally grateful for a confirmation.

 

[kirkpoore1]

My only concern now is the potential difference between 110 and 125 bearings. If anyone knows I would be eternally grateful for a confirmation.

I've got good news and bad news. First, the bad news--you're going to have to pull the carriage out of the arm and have a look. The good news is that bearings are (almost) always standard items and you can usually get new ones. (Please forgive me if this is a little elementary--most folks don't know this.) They will be marked with their type using some kind of code. For example, I'm changing the bearings on a lathe, and the code was 87505, which gives a 25mm bore, 52mm OD, and 15.875 mm thickness. Any bearing supply house will have an interchange chart which will show the equivalent bearing from a number of suppliers.

Now more bad news. Some RAS carriage bearings have spherical outer races, meaning the outer surface is curved. These bearings are much harder to find. You may need to talk to several bearing supply houses, and as always Google is your friend. More good news: If you can't find the bearings, these are low speed bearings that don't get much wear, so you may be able to regrease them. (I have never done this, but have read accounts of folks doing it.) You will need to pry up a corner of the seal or shield (seals are plastic or rubber, shields are metal), flush out the old grease with a solvent, and regrease them. Put the shield/seal back if you can--but you probably can't, so when you reinstall the bearings try to come up with some way to keep the sawdust out.

The Original Saw Company (http://www.originalsaw.com/) bought the Dewalt industrial RAS lines about 20 years ago, and still makes them. They don't support the smaller saws like yours, but may be able to help if you can't find bearings from any other source. Of course, they aren't cheap, either.

Oh--you should plan on changing the motor bearings, too--they're just as old, and have worked a lot harder.

Good luck, and let us know what you find.

Oh, I forgot--don't buy Chinese bearings. Their quality control is all over the map, and you don't know what you're going to get. Go with European, Japanese, or American bearings. They will cost a little more, but you don't want to be tearing this saw down again in a year or two, do you?

Kirk

 

[Iskariot]

Thanks a lot for the help, guys.

I've read a bit about this type of bearing on American forums and they are specially made for this era RASes. Miles and others carry the type (the curved outer ring) but as said, size matters. I've completely ripped the saw apart at this stage and the motor bearings are actually in very good shape. No play in them and I can feel grease inside of them when I spin them. The bearings on the sled are not broken but they were completely dry and protected by shields, not seals. I guess I could open them and get some grease in there but they would be short-lived due to the exposure to sawdust. An American thread discussed the Chinese bearings that are made to replace these and people claimed they are ok. No idea what brand Miles carry. The ones I have are SKFs apparently made in Italy. I'll dig up the model number on them tonight.

If the motor bearings do give out at some point, it's very easy to rip the motor apart. The hard job is getting the bearings off the rotor which is why I'm opting not to change them now as I don't have a press.

I read somewhere that Original Saw Company was closing doors. Perhaps it was just a rumor.

 

[kirkpoore1]

...The bearings on the sled are not broken but they were completely dry and protected by shields, not seals. I guess I could open them and get some grease in there but they would be short-lived due to the exposure to sawdust. An American thread discussed the Chinese bearings that are made to replace these and people claimed they are ok. No idea what brand Miles carry. The ones I have are SKFs apparently made in Italy. I'll dig up the model number on them tonight.
...
I read somewhere that Original Saw Company was closing doors. Perhaps it was just a rumor.

I'd say that Chinese bearings are better than old regreased bearings, and old regreased bearings are better than nothing, so do what you gotta do, I guess. I've had good luck with SKF's when I've used them.

Original Saw just stopped supporting the smaller saws, but as far as I know they're still in business--at least their web page is still up.

Kirk
who has a '63 Dewalt RAS in the queue for new bearings...

 

[Eric The Viking]

I think your model dates from around the time DeWalt took over Elu (late 1970s early 1980s).

It may be an Elu-designed model, and there may be manuals for it with the Elu-part number? (Miles Tools?).

I could be wrong though - often am these days.

 

[Iskariot]

I checked Elu RAS models earlier since that could be the case but no luck. Another thread here claims the 110 is the previous model of the 111 and later the 125 so that puts it at early 70s, I think.

SKF is a quality brand but on the OWWM forum someone claimed that a Chinese company was the only one making these types of bearings nowadays. http://wiki.owwm.com/DeWaltMBFRollerheadBearings.ashx

Most recent guides also suggest waxing or oiling the ways ever so slightly to reduce friction. The old DeWalt manuals were quite insistent on not lubricating the ways in any way.

 

[Eric The Viking]

Being made in China doesn't mean the suggested alternative bearings are all rubbish.

At the height of British manufacturing supremacy in the late 1880s, there were many firms around making rubbish, but there were also brilliant engineers too. I'd guess that when you do locate the information, and a source of parts, you'll be offered Japanese or Chinese bearings as replacements anyway.

As to lubrication, it won't really help. You might, I suppose, use something really slippery like PTFE spray, but in all cases, the clearance in the track is critical to a good smooth repeatable movement, and you really don't want to introduce anything that will encourage sawdust to settle there.

T'other thing is that, generally speaking, you probably have a better made saw than later ones. It won't be as robust as the one in the link you posted, but generally volume production goes hand-in-hand with cost reduction, (to improve profits). All power tools are less precise than they used to be, and I know the slider design on DW radials changed quite a lot down the years.

So, worst case, once you have changed the bearings, it's may well be quite a lot better than later models.

Miles T&M are really helpful. I'd guess if you send them a bearing, or even just pictures with vernier measurements, and the part numbers from similar DW machines (and there are quite a few of them from that period), they could find you alternatives. They seem to enjoy a challenge, and in my experience they're nice people.

Cheers,

E.

 

[kirkpoore1]

I think your model dates from around the time DeWalt took over Elu (late 1970s early 1980s).

It may be an Elu-designed model, and there may be manuals for it with the Elu-part number? (Miles Tools?).

I could be wrong though - often am these days.

No, I'm pretty sure it's an evolution of the standard 60's Dewalt square arm saws. Except for the step in the top of the arm casting, the whole arm mechanism looks identical to my '63 saw. Does the motor have a serial number on it? After about 1955, the first two digits of the motor serial number was the year of manufacture (at least on the American saws). Also on the American saws, here's a (approximate) date vs SN listing, through 1970:
http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/imagedetail.aspx?id=1244
As far as I know, nobody's tried to see whether Dewalt's European saws fit into this list.

Eric is right, don't lube the tracks, it will just gum them up. Get the bearing numbers and measurements and see what you can find. Also, OWWM.org is starting to cover European machinery these days, so you might get some answers over there, especially with a crossover variant like this one.

Kirk

 

[Streepips]

Couple of points:
I have a 110 and a 125 in my workshop both of which I recently stripped refurbed and rebuilt. The 110 is the older and the castings are noticably more substantial than the 125.
Externally the main differences are the switchgear, the 110 is on the end of the arm by a rocker switchon a solid alloy cap and the 125 is a plastic trigger unit on the yoke, and the blade guards, the 110 being a plain shroud with the anti kickback paul at the front locked by a wingnut and the 125 being the more recent auto drop and lift type.
I note on the pic from the OP that the machine has the plastic trigger unit which indicates its a 125 but the older guard which suggests a 110..
It would be possible to interchange the heads with some recabling but not possible to fit the trigger switch to a 110 yoke.
Has the whole carriage unit been swapped over at some time , or is this a later transitional model?
The 110 I am keeping, to replace a 721 ( for sale if anyone interested, little used from new) and the 125 I am giving to a friend.
One thing I did on both is the face the matting faces on the carriage, engineers blue and scraping, so that the switch from cross to rip positions are smooth as silk and dead true. Tedious but worth it.
As for lubing the trackways, any wet or sticky lube is obviously no good and I use dry graphite powder which reduces friction and does not hold dust.

 

[Iskariot]

Again, thanks a lot for the input, guys. Helps me piece together this puzzle.

The yolk looks like the 125 here: http://www.mtmc.co.uk/Spare-Parts/Dewal ... 18848.aspx

Piece number 41 I don't recognize. The large bolt fastening the two largest parts of the yolk is locked with a weird flower-like spacer above the handle. Can't see that piece in the drawing.

I didn't get a chance to check bearing numbers and serial number last night. I'll do that tonight.

Streepips: My saw could possibly be a "frankensaw". The guy I bought it from barely knew what a RAS was and I'm far from any expert on the matter. I only have the 110 markings from the plastic end piece on the arm to indicate model. Could you explain what you mean by "One thing I did on both is the face the matting faces on the carriage, engineers blue and scraping, so that the switch from cross to rip positions are smooth as silk and dead true. Tedious but worth it."? English isn't my first language so I'm sorry if I come off as a bit dense. Also, can you please verify/denounce that the yolk bearings are the same on the 110 and 125? I will post numbers later of course. Future 110 renovators will need to know.

By the way, was the 110 marketed as a 10" or 12" RAS? My saw came with a 12" blade but I expect the 1kW motor will struggle with thick wood and such a large blade.

More pictures and silly questions later tonight! (hopefully)

 

[kirkpoore1]

...
Piece number 41 I don't recognize.

From the position, it looks like something that goes on the top of the yolk or bottom of the carriage. That's my best guess.

...
Could you explain what you mean by "One thing I did on both is the face the matting faces on the carriage, engineers blue and scraping, so that the switch from cross to rip positions are smooth as silk and dead true. Tedious but worth it."? English isn't my first language so I'm sorry if I come off as a bit dense.

This would be the flat surface between the carriage and the yolk. If you smear on some engineers blue (aka Prussian blue) on the surface, then rotate the yolk as if you were changing from crosscutting to ripping, the points of contact will rub off the blue dye. You would then scrape down the high spots and repeat until all surfaces are level and in contact. Lots of trial and error, but it can produce a very precise finish if you take the time and know what you are doing. However, if you only use the saw for crosscutting, it probably isn't worth the time. I haven't ripped with my RAS since I got a table saw back in the mid 90's.

...
By the way, was the 110 marketed as a 10" or 12" RAS? My saw came with a 12" blade but I expect the 1kW motor will struggle with thick wood and such a large blade.

More pictures and silly questions later tonight! (hopefully)

Yes, 12" might be a bit big for this saw. If the guard is original and will fit the blade, then it's possible to use it, but as you indicate a 10" would likely do better in thick wood.

Keep up the good work.

Kirk

 

[Streepips]

Item 41 is a shim, not for spacing but to help reduce friction in the rotational movement when changing cutting angles from vertical to horizontal and the positions in between.

The "weird flower like " Item is a lock tab, multi positional. When you take up the slack on the yoke you bend over one of the "petals" into a corresponding slot to stop any loosening.

Kirkepoor correctly answered the question you asked of the comment I made earlier regarding fine tuning the yoke and carriage assembly.

I doubt that the unit was originally supplied with a 12" blade even if the guard fits and I would never use a 12" blade with one of these motors, they are far too underpowered and will struggle some times with a 10" blade if conditions are not optimal.

 

[Iskariot]

I don't have that shim between the carriage and yolk. When lubricated the movement is free and easy enough so I'm not concerned.

Glad to see the "flower" has a name. I figured out how to dismantle it a while ago. I think I would have preferred the old system on American DeWalt with a locking bolt but they both work.

I plan to cross cut and rip on the saw. I don't have room for a table saw and I need to keep tools portable so the RAS will serve both functions, at least for a while. (Designing the table to be detachable) Another forum put me off any notion of getting a contractor saw for detailed work so here I am. If the blade holds true 90 degrees in both cross cut and rip position, and I can move between position easily enough, there's no real need to level the carriage and yolk planes, right? And there's no wobble of course.

The yolk bearings are marked "SKF 614432 ITALY 2". Dimensions are: d = 15mm, D = 40mm, B = 11mm. The angle on the groove looks to be roughly 45 degrees. There is a slight curve to the angle. Same dimensions as on the 125, Streepips?

Too knackered to do any work tonight. The serial on the motor is CM78/3470. The arm has a stamp: There is a 1 over 7205 and a round stamp G.V. over an M.

Another issue; I would like to replace the massive capacitor that looks like it was made before WWII. It's marked WMP0409-20+700, 18uF -+ 5% 450V, 42/60Hz, 78-01. I hope I can find a new one that fits inside the motor shield so I can get rid of one of the wires running through the arm.

 

[kirkpoore1]

The yolk bearings are marked "SKF 614432 ITALY 2". Dimensions are: d = 15mm, D = 40mm, B = 11mm. The angle on the groove looks to be roughly 45 degrees. There is a slight curve to the angle. Same dimensions as on the 125, Streepips?

Too knackered to do any work tonight. The serial on the motor is CM78/3470. The arm has a stamp: There is a 1 over 7205 and a round stamp G.V. over an M.

Another issue; I would like to replace the massive capacitor that looks like it was made before WWII. It's marked WMP0409-20+700, 18uF -+ 5% 450V, 42/60Hz, 78-01. I hope I can find a new one that fits inside the motor shield so I can get rid of one of the wires running through the arm.

I tried Google using "SKF 614432 bearing" and got a number of hits. Of course, the first site listing actual bearings was Chinese. I also found some other ones besides SKF, so it looks like you can still get them.

Given the "CM78" on the saw motor, and the "78-01" on the capacitor, I'd say you have a 1978 saw. Good year, I graduated from high school that year. Your capacitor is 18uF, 450V, so you should be able to find an equivalent. I would hope it's a start capacitor, not a run capacitor.

Kirk

 

[Iskariot]

Could be it's made in 78. The arm digits suggest 1972, 05 but they don't have to be manufactured at the same time.

I drew a blank from googling the bearing as well. I got a hit on skf.com but they routed me to some weird bearings far from the ones I have.

I imagine the capacitor is a power factor correction capacitor. The motor looks to be designed for 3-phase and it's now running on 1-phase. I don't have the possibility for 3-phase at my house so I need the cap.

 

[kirkpoore1]

Could be it's made in 78. The arm digits suggest 1972, 05 but they don't have to be manufactured at the same time.

I drew a blank from googling the bearing as well. I got a hit on skf.com but they routed me to some weird bearings far from the ones I have.

I imagine the capacitor is a power factor correction capacitor. The motor looks to be designed for 3-phase and it's now running on 1-phase. I don't have the possibility for 3-phase at my house so I need the cap.

For the bearing, go to a bearing supply house and talk to somebody in person. Take the bearing with you. They should be able to help. If not, well, you're out an hour of time.

So it's a three phase motor? I missed that. That cap must be used as a jury-rigged static phase converter and may have been added later (as in 1978). You'll loose a third to half your power set up like that. Instead, you could buy a VFD (inverter) and set it up like God and Ray DeWalt intended. They aren't too expensive, and you can wire it up to use your existing buttons.

Kirk