Help, it's stuck!

[Wizard9999]

All

Embarrassing confession and yet another request for advice.



Until my workshop is finished I am storing my opportunistic table saw purchase in my garage. I've been keeping a close eye on it to make sure that at the first sign of anything like rust I deal with it. But, despite this I still managed to miss something until yesterday evening...

When I bought the saw the previous owner had made a zero clearance insert and this is what was in the saw when I picked it up. Well, my garage must be a little damper than where the saw was previously stored, or it is just the time of year, so I now find the insert has swollen and I can't take it out of the saw table, it is really, really, stuck. I tried getting a hair dryer on it for half an hour to try and dry it out, but no surprise that didn't work!

So a whole series of questions:
i) does it matter, could I just leave it in over winter, surely a timber insert will not actually damage the cast iron table?
ii) if you tink I do need to get it out now, suggestions for removal? My immediate thought is to chop it up in situ with, but maybe there are better options.

Terry.

 

[kirkpoore1]

I don't think it matters. Of course, it may not work if you need to tilt the blade.

You could also drill a finger-sized hole in the insert and then pull it straight up, or lever it out with a heavy screwdriver.

Are you sure it isn't screwed down somehow? The inserts on my saws have always had a provision for bolting in place. Maybe the previous owner did that.

Kirk

 

[Rod]

Mine has a finger hole and screwed in but they are very easy to make so if you are concerned prise it out - cut a couple of finger holes.
I don't think it will expand enough to damage the cast iron but it might attract rust?

Rod

 

[Wizard9999]

Kirk, Rod,

Thanks for your thoughts. Sadly you under estimate how stuck this is! The slot has deformed such that it would not be possible to raise the blade even at 90 degs, let alone put it on an angle; there are already two finger holes in it, it won't budge. I will check it isn't screwed in when I get home, but the other inserts for various combinations of the dado set have screws that are used to level it, but I don't believe anything to fix them in pace.

Terry.

 

[9fingers]

The original CI insert has a single screw to hold it in on that saw but I've never bothered to secure my alternative inserts.

Bob

 

[AndyP]

Kirk, Rod,

Thanks for your thoughts. Sadly you under estimate how stuck this is! The slot has deformed such that it would not be possible to raise the blade even at 90 degs, let alone put it on an angle; there are already two finger holes in it, it won't budge. I will check it isn't screwed in when I get home, but the other inserts for various combinations of the dado set have screws that are used to level it, but I don't believe anything to fix them in pace.

Terry.

I wouldn't hesitate in asking the seller , he's a good chap and I am sure would be willing to tell you how he fixed it in place.

 

[RogerS]

Can you not just chisel it out etc?

 

[Malcolm]

could you not switch the saw on and then raise it to cut itself a new slot in the insert?

 

[Wizard9999]

Well I got it out.

Would love to explain the sophisticated solution, but it was plain old brute force and ignorance. I managed to lever it out with a rather large and sturdy peg for holding down a marquee. To be fair I think I was lucky to get it out. I was explaining the problem to a good friend who had popped around, he had helped me when I collected the saw so I was checking my recollection the insert had not been fixed in was correct. He said he thought he had something at home that may lever it out, so he jumped in his car and left me heaving at it with my lump of metal. Well of course, as soon as he was half way down the road it popped out! If he hadn't headed off on that unnecessary journey I bet it would still be in there.

Anyway, the really good news was that the reason for removing it was to check for any rust, but it's clean as a whistle inside. Happy days.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Terry.