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I went to use my table saw today & noticed the belt was way too loose for some reason.
I checked it out & the hex screw that holds the pulley on the motor had loosened up & the pulley itself almost fell off in my hands.
I got my hex wrenches & tightened it back up, making sure the key way was in it's proper place.
I tightened up the belt while I was at it.
Good thing I noticed the belt was too loose to use before I fired it up. If I had went ahead & just used the saw the way it was, it could have been a real disaster in the making.
Do yourself a favor. Check all the pulleys, belts, knobs, etc. before you use your power tools.
I narrowly avoided a real disaster. You might too.
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Good reminder. Did you put a dab of loctite on that screw? I recently serviced my Craftsman zip code saw and after aligning the motor pulley to the arbour pulley, put a dab of blue loctite on the motor pulley set screw to prevent it from coming loose.
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That's a good reminder, but not one many will heed other than maybe right now since you posted this. Your title really got my attention; then I read your posting and I think nothing catastrophic or life threatening would have happened had the pulley come off. At most the key, keyway, and pulley bore might have been damaged. The blade would have just stopped. But a disaster? I don't see it.
John
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Had the same problem with my TS. Not sure how many times I tightened the set screws. The thread lock is the right way to go.
John
Always use the right tool for the job.
We need to clean house.
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It is not only about my situation. Any machinery can cause injuries or death because of lack of simple maintenance or diligence. And a 1 lb. steel pulley flying at you at 100 mph (or whatever it is) can certainly cause death.
The point of the post was to remind people to check these things out BEFORE something can happen.
Disasters happen every day. It is lackadaisical attitudes that allow these things to happen.
I was lucky I noticed something wrong before I used the tool. How many people automatically just turn something on & have at it?
Famous last words. "It's no big deal." "I'll do it later." "I'll check it out after I'm done." Etc., etc.
Make sure it doesn't happen to you.
John: I am glad to see it isn't only me this happens to. But, I am not glad it happened at all.
I have a new tube of blue Threadlock here, ready to go.
It is definitely a good idea to use it.
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Is this thread a joke? I can't tell if its laden with sarcasm or if its serious.
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Must be you then. I fail to see any humor whatsoever.
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I see the humor. It's funny anyone can get anything done if they are constantly worrying about their lives being in danger.
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How exactly did you notice the belt was too loose? Visual inspection? Lack of power? Why do you think it was coming loose? Vibration? Do you think just tightening it up will prevent if from coming loose again? Do you have a contractor saw or a cabinet saw? Periodic preventative maintenance and inspections is a good thing. Knowing why it came loose and solving that problem is a better thing. As mentioned above, thread lock will help on the pulley, but it just may be that the motor mount or whatever you use to adjust tension on the belts might be the root cause of your pulley coming loose. You may be treating the symptom and not the disease.
Still Learning,
Allan Hill
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Herb G said:
And a 1 lb. steel pulley flying at you at 100 mph (or whatever it is) can certainly cause death.
I guess I thought that was the joke.
