Startrite 275 refurb

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Andy

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I pulled the trigger somewhat hastily on a Startrite 275 on ebay because I had been looking for one for a while and this came up at what seemed a very good price ( I bought it within 10 minutes of it being listed). It was described as having body work in poor condition but I didn't realise until I got it that the body is pushed out of shape - see photos. I'm guessing it has been messed about with but I would be interested to know how it would have been put together originally. There is sloping piece of sheet metal inside underneath the motor which fits in there snugly. The fact that this fits snugly and yet one of the sides is pushed out suggests to me that this was not originally there and the side has been pushed out to make it fit. Can anyone please confirm this?
Also, getting the blade off was tricky as there was only one nut and I couldn't see a way to lock the spindle - I had to jam a planer blade in the saw blade teeth to hold it still whilst undoing the nut. Can anyone confirm what the set up should be for fixing the blades on?
Thanks, Andy

IMG_4717.jpg

IMG_4721.jpg
 
I have had a couple of these saws and as i remember that sloping piece is to direct clippings/dust down to the extractor port
Take it out if you can and make it a tad shorter so it goes in and out nicely.
To lock the arbour there should be a hole in the table top and a hole in the arbour for a pin to go in
 
I pulled the trigger somewhat hastily on a Startrite 275 on ebay because I had been looking for one for a while and this came up at what seemed a very good price ( I bought it within 10 minutes of it being listed). It was described as having body work in poor condition but I didn't realise until I got it that the body is pushed out of shape - see photos. I'm guessing it has been messed about with but I would be interested to know how it would have been put together originally. There is sloping piece of sheet metal inside underneath the motor which fits in there snugly. The fact that this fits snugly and yet one of the sides is pushed out suggests to me that this was not originally there and the side has been pushed out to make it fit. Can anyone please confirm this?
Also, getting the blade off was tricky as there was only one nut and I couldn't see a way to lock the spindle - I had to jam a planer blade in the saw blade teeth to hold it still whilst undoing the nut. Can anyone confirm what the set up should be for fixing the blades on?
Thanks, Andy

View attachment 102978
View attachment 102979
I have owned the 175 version for 25 years which shares the same cabinet, table and mechanisms. As it has only a 1.5hp motor I run it with thin kerf blades that require less power as they remove less waste. It is a nice sawtable.
It looks like somebody has messed the body about on yours to to get extraction sorted. The side you show should have a protruding triangular box with louvers to offer airflow to the back of the motor and it to tilt. A solid panel sits below this where your photos show a panel with large hole. On the opposite side you should have a fixed panel at the top which a handwheel passes through. Below is a louvered lift off ventilation panel. Finally at the bottom, depending upon year of manufacture is a panel with horizontal slot across the bottom. This panel is usually adapted to take some form of extraction and when removed you should see the sloping base of the saw rising to the opposite side.
Extraction at the base only is not really very efficient and I also have a vacuum cleaner hose set up to the crown guard. Dust does send to settle on the sloping base of the saw but a good hand slap on the surface tends to get things moving.
I usually drop a long cross headed screwdriver through the hole in the table and through the one in the end of the spindle to lock it.

Colin
 
Hello Andy
Reckon you have it sussed already, but if you haven't, then you should be able to find more hits if you also search for Startrite tilt arbor into google.
Seems odd what was done to the machine, but hey ho, its only a bit of sheet metal.
Here's some shots of my machine, if it helps.
And a newer thread underneath.
Might also be worth looking for other shots of the machine on here, many folk have their '3 phase conversion' ones running with a VFD/inverter, so it might get you some more hits in the search box.
img_20170310_172555-jpg.54976

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/tablesaw-mobile-base-design.126720/
https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/3-phase-to-single-phase-startrite-275-conversion.91106/
I use a length of timber to lock the blade into place, and would be very wary of using something metal as you could damage the teeth.
Damage might not be noticeable, but you could end up with one of those welded carbide teeth flying at you at warp speed.

On my machine the Leyroy Somer foot mounted motor is sitting on a plate,
Yours looks a bit different, and the capacitor is hanging loose, if it was replaced then the new one might not have fitted.
Regarding the cabinet again, it shouldn't be a massive issue as the motor and arbor is mounted onto a cast iron part which is bolted to the table, and only a few screws into the sheet metal cabinet.
SAM_1700.JPG

Since you mentioned, have you problems getting the table in line with the motor, using the pick a tooth method?

(first one I seen on YT)

Plenty of owners here to answer any other questions on the machine.
Make sure that you are aware of dangerous American publications, if wanting to test it out.
i.e using a riving knife and having push sticks, or a shoe like what Steve Maskery of this parish uses... (one that is 450mm long to correspond with European safety standards, for certain jobs)
Sooo much really really dangerous things on youtube, really brainless designs of shoe style things.
Make sure you are aware of all this!
Look on this site for tablesaw safety if you care for your digits.
It's the most dangerous thing in the workshop.
Some figures thrown about regarding the TS, like FIFTY THOUSAND ACCIDENTS A YEAR IN THE USA!
Those are the only reported accidents!, apologies for shouting.
Even if you only take a quarter of those into account, its a heck of a lot.

Maybe some keywords/names like...complacent, complacency, two push sticks, riving knife, crown guard, and a good name would be Steve Maskery for a good start

And lastly make sure you take American TS videos with a pinch of salt
This one seems the best


Kelly Mehler has some OK videos, but watch out some of the stuff in this video is a bit misleading, alignment to table slots for instance, is backwards encouraging kickback.


It's not just the blade that can actually decapitate you.
If you look through the archives here, you might read of a seasoned woodworker who got their thumb chopped off from a sliver of timber harpooning into their hand.
Also..
Make sure the saw isn't going to roll away from you, if you decide to put it on wheels..
And make sure your timber is surfaced prior to cutting.
Be safe and all the best with your new machine.

Tom
 
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Thanks for all the useful info guys. Concerning your question about table alignment Tom, it's not something I had even considered yet. I have yet to get the machine wired up and I plan to tidy it up a bit. The main issue is going to be the fact that one of the sides has been bent out of place to make space for the oversized sloping sheet below the motor. I ideally want to bend it back into place, though how to do that without risking damaging the opposite side is going to be a challenge.
 
Have you thought of getting a donor saw? There’s one on eBay right now, with issues, but the cabinet looks fine; you could build one very good saw from the two, and sell any useable spare parts.


Thanks for all the useful info guys. Concerning your question about table alignment Tom, it's not something I had even considered yet. I have yet to get the machine wired up and I plan to tidy it up a bit. The main issue is going to be the fact that one of the sides has been bent out of place to make space for the oversized sloping sheet below the motor. I ideally want to bend it back into place, though how to do that without risking damaging the opposite side is going to be a challenge.
 

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