Blade nut on my table saw.

[Cooler]

I guess I am getting old and arthritic, but whatever the reason in recent months I have dropped the nut for the saw blade on my Delta table saw and it "disappeared" down the hose to the dust collector.

It was not a catastrophe but it did take about an hour to find the thing (including taking apart the hose and sifting through a lot of saw dust).

I had to buy some 1/2" x 1/2" welded fence mesh for another project and I cut a piece to rest on the tray leading to the dust collector. The dust easily falls through the mesh. I have not dropped the nut since I installed it, but I know it will not fall through. I will have to use it for a while to see if there are any issues. But it looks like its going to work.

[K. L. McReynolds]

Good idea.

I've dropped the nut and blade stiffener twice each. PITA to get, but using a magnet on a slide rod makes the job easier.

[Splinter Puller]

When I remove or replace an arbor nut I always screw or unscrew it onto or off of my finger. It helps prevent drops from happening.

[paarker]

I've done that numerous times. On my saw right where the dust goes is a 90° elbow so it always lays there. I just use my magnet on a stick to get it out when it happens.

[Trusty Rusty]

I always think that it's just a reminder to clean all the built up sawdust out of the cabinet
Rusty

[Steve N]

Sounds like a great short term fix, but if it is small enough weave to stop the arbor nut, it is small enough to also end up being something that dust will cling to, and cause a clog on. So the short term is that it may keep your nut from going down the DC tube, but will require fairly regular maintenance that you might not ordinarily have to do. The time interval will shorten if you saw more wood that isn't 6 to 8% dry, or pines, and other resinous woods.

I think in the end your net result will be about the same amount of messing around with it, maybe just not when you change your blades. I'd opt for just remembering to hold onto the arbor nut

[Herb G]

That's a good idea. I bought 2 spare nuts when I could still get them. I took a paper tag with the wire on it & marked what they were on the tag.
I looped the wire thru the nuts & put them in my tool chest.
If I ever lose another one, I'm covered.

I think they call those things "Parts tags".

[fredhargis]

There was a trick posted here about fastening a string to a small rare earth magnet with epoxy. The other end ot the string was fastened to a piece of wood. In use, before removing the nut you would put the magnet on the end of the arbor. The piece of wood would lay on the table and keep that end of the string secure. Then if you happen to drop the nut it was on the string instead of the DC hose. I saw another one where someone just epoxied the magnet on the end of the arbor, it would catch the nut before falling. I bought the Delta nut set that had the nut/flange in one piece and it would actually rest on the arbor after it was completely unscrewed. Those things are expensive, folks laughed at me for being so foolish, and they aren't even available for RT saws anymore. But they are (I think) around for the LT models. BTW, laugh at that nut set I bought if you want....it was worth every penny! This is the set.

[rwe2156]

If you cup your hand under the nut while removing it will fall into your hand.

You can also epoxy a rare earth magnet to the end of the arbor shaft.

[daddo]

Order a box of nuts.
After losing all of them, your bound to find at least one that hasn't gotten away.

A magnet connected to a 1/8" rod about 2" long will catch it before it gets away. Set it in the middle of the shaft sticking out, then slide the nut up to the shaft. If it gets loose, it will just fall onto the rod. I have two around here I made many moons ago.