Axminster TS250-2 modifications.
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RichardG
If at first you don’t succeed have a cup of tea.
Further TS-250 improvements.
Two simple mods that have transformed my saw.
The solution was to extend the shoulders using penny washers to run against the sides. Note that mine was not central so I had to use a odd number of washers. To remove loosen the lock nuts, support the motor, and then you can remove the pinion.
This simple mod has absolutely transformed the blade raising, I now can raise using just two fingers.
The other problem I had was that during 45 degree cuts you can’t lower blade to be flush with the table top as it fouls internally. I knew this was the internal blade shroud catching on the body. I first tried the saw with the shroud removed and the problem was cured but didn’t want to run it with the belt exposed. I also noticed that the dust sprayed everywhere with it removed. So I used my dremmel to cut the shroud as shown.
This solved both the internal catching and now shoots the dust straight out the back into the waiting dust port, perfect.
Two simple mods that have transformed my saw.
- Fixed blade raising / lowering resistance.
- Allowed 45 degree cuts to be made with the blade at low heights
The solution was to extend the shoulders using penny washers to run against the sides. Note that mine was not central so I had to use a odd number of washers. To remove loosen the lock nuts, support the motor, and then you can remove the pinion.
This simple mod has absolutely transformed the blade raising, I now can raise using just two fingers.
The other problem I had was that during 45 degree cuts you can’t lower blade to be flush with the table top as it fouls internally. I knew this was the internal blade shroud catching on the body. I first tried the saw with the shroud removed and the problem was cured but didn’t want to run it with the belt exposed. I also noticed that the dust sprayed everywhere with it removed. So I used my dremmel to cut the shroud as shown.
This solved both the internal catching and now shoots the dust straight out the back into the waiting dust port, perfect.
House and workshop now sold, the guy that bought is a French furniture restorer, got quite excited when he looked around and paid the asking price for the house, now back in the UK and glad we don't have to travel seven hours to our ex place, it was fun, but found ten years was enough.
Have you (or anyone) ever taken off the cast iron top.
I got my ts250 in an axminster clearance sale, and got it really cheap(Paid£300) because the top is squint to the frame, and its off by 5 or so mill.
What that means in real time is I can adjust the blade so it is aligned to the slots and fence for 90 deg cuts, but if I cant the blade to 45 deg, the leading edge of the blade impacts the table, and if i square it, its not going to align totally to the slots, and putting the blade back to 90 deg its well squint.
So what I think i need do to rectify it, is to remove the top, then elongate the holes into the frame, so I can actually align the table to the frame, before tightening it up. This would mean at that point the blade at either 45or 90 would align to the slots and the fence.
Anyone see that as the solution ?. I know you cant see what im seeing, and i think just opening up the holes on the frame is the answer, though at the same time I can see that id need washers underneath, and maybe fill in the excess gap with epoxy in case the table moves in use. I dont see that actually happening, but because im creating room for it to move, I think i should do something to prevent that from happening once Ive squared one to the other. Just eliminate the possibility
TBH, I think given the hassle its caused, and trying to avoid doing long mitres, id have preferred to spend that extra 200 quid. But hey ho, only had limited funds at the time and it seemed like a great deal then
Im intending on selling it, to be replaced with a 14" bandsaw and plunge saw. But it needs to be sorted before i can do so.
I got my ts250 in an axminster clearance sale, and got it really cheap(Paid£300) because the top is squint to the frame, and its off by 5 or so mill.
What that means in real time is I can adjust the blade so it is aligned to the slots and fence for 90 deg cuts, but if I cant the blade to 45 deg, the leading edge of the blade impacts the table, and if i square it, its not going to align totally to the slots, and putting the blade back to 90 deg its well squint.
So what I think i need do to rectify it, is to remove the top, then elongate the holes into the frame, so I can actually align the table to the frame, before tightening it up. This would mean at that point the blade at either 45or 90 would align to the slots and the fence.
Anyone see that as the solution ?. I know you cant see what im seeing, and i think just opening up the holes on the frame is the answer, though at the same time I can see that id need washers underneath, and maybe fill in the excess gap with epoxy in case the table moves in use. I dont see that actually happening, but because im creating room for it to move, I think i should do something to prevent that from happening once Ive squared one to the other. Just eliminate the possibility
TBH, I think given the hassle its caused, and trying to avoid doing long mitres, id have preferred to spend that extra 200 quid. But hey ho, only had limited funds at the time and it seemed like a great deal then
Im intending on selling it, to be replaced with a 14" bandsaw and plunge saw. But it needs to be sorted before i can do so.
How old is the saw, the ones on this thread have a plate under the table to take the adjustment bolts, this allows the top to be moved around quite a lot, if its a Mk1 then the adjustment bolts have nuts on them and are not as adjustable, have a look at the first two or three pages of this thread, after page three or so the thread gets messy with some that just like to post on every thread without giving any positive contributions and even post about a different saw renovation that never happens.
I bought a TS250 with the extras in 2017 & it then sat unused in its box for 3 years.
Spent the time to read this whole thread & learned much - thanks to all who contributed.
Just now starting to fettle it & so far, the only negatives are the crap dust extraction, hard to reach switch & not too brilliant blade.
Surprised me that the saw itself was set up very accurately out of the box.
Big Mouth hood ordered, aluminium plate ordered to make a ZCI & I'd welcome suggestions as to replacement blades - definitely need a rip which will handle 50-70mm oak & softwoods of similar thickness & one for sheet materials. Not sure if one blade would cover the latter plus cross-cutting?
Spent the time to read this whole thread & learned much - thanks to all who contributed.
Just now starting to fettle it & so far, the only negatives are the crap dust extraction, hard to reach switch & not too brilliant blade.
Surprised me that the saw itself was set up very accurately out of the box.
Big Mouth hood ordered, aluminium plate ordered to make a ZCI & I'd welcome suggestions as to replacement blades - definitely need a rip which will handle 50-70mm oak & softwoods of similar thickness & one for sheet materials. Not sure if one blade would cover the latter plus cross-cutting?
Definitely going for two new blades - one around 24t for ripping & 60 or 80T for crosscut & plywood.
The original blade is about to be tested cutting up three sheets of 25mm MDF.
Big mouth dust hood installed today - had to trim 5mm off two top rails on the stand for clearance.
Copious amounts of duct tape applied to seal up the obvious gaps in the saw & hopefully improve extraction (I've a 900 cfm extractor set up).
Decided I'm going to replace the stand with something which incorporates the RH table extension like you did.
Will try to remember to add photo's as things progress.
Hobbyist.Nice to see there is still some interest in this saw and the modifications needed to make it better for the hobbiest. Is that a word?
Spent a couple of hours fine tuning the sliding table, RH extension, truing the blade & rip fence to the T slot & zeroing the rip fence.
Last test square came out within 0.02-0.04mm on every dimension using digital calipers & my 150mm square & 64 year old eyes said it was square.
Now to start making stuff, like a cabinet to replace the leg stand...
40 year old, melamine coated chipboard kitchen cabinet sides - it moved but not by much.It would be an amazing piece of timber that would stay within that tolerance once cut.
Buying a couple of blades is proving difficult, as there's so many of the damn' things available, even if I restrict the two to 24t & 80t - the former for ripping & latter for fine cross-cutting & plywood.
Axminster do a pair but are they actually worth nigh in £140? That is almost double some other supposedly quality options.
Jameshow
Established Member
No get some from Saxon, Rennie, trend etc £15 each.
monster
Established Member
You might need to elaborate on that! 
After a pretty bad time (lost Mum aged 93 in march '23, then younger brother aged 64 suddenly in January this year) I pushed myself out to do something.
Never got the MDF but I DID have two, 8' lengths of 10"x3" pine beams, likely more than 150 years old.
Cranked the blade up as far as it would go & it JUST cleared as I began ripping the beams down to 30mm (beams were imperial but I'm mostly metric...).
The originally supplied blade made three, VERY slow cuts before it pretty much gave up.
Thankfully, my late brother gave me a set of three blades (40, 60, 80T from Rutlands) for Christmas 2022 & I finally put the 40T on the saw.
The TC tips are FAR bigger than the OE blade & it ripped the rest of the two beams at more than twice the speed , cleaner & with zero sign of wear, though I reckon a 24T would've been better. Feed speed was critical, as I do know I was pushing the saw to its limits, as this was old, tight grained pine & I had to back off on occasion as the motor clearly slowed (mostly on larger knots).
Once I've finished my Rob Cosman woodworking bench, I'll get back to modifying the saw.
nwc50
New member
Hello,
I just bought a TS-250M-2 on eBay pretty cheaply. Attracted by the cast iron top and previous experience of Axminster.
The seller did not have experience of the saw and it was my brother collecting, however he checked that the saw ran, and at the price I took a chance.
It’s now in bits getting cleaned and TBH it’s in good condition. The only bit missing is one of the brackets which hold the sliding table track in place; I’ve email Axminster for a spare (not holding out much hope) and before I get one welded thought I’d ask on here to see if anyone has a spare?
Yours with hope,
Pat
I just bought a TS-250M-2 on eBay pretty cheaply. Attracted by the cast iron top and previous experience of Axminster.
The seller did not have experience of the saw and it was my brother collecting, however he checked that the saw ran, and at the price I took a chance.
It’s now in bits getting cleaned and TBH it’s in good condition. The only bit missing is one of the brackets which hold the sliding table track in place; I’ve email Axminster for a spare (not holding out much hope) and before I get one welded thought I’d ask on here to see if anyone has a spare?
Yours with hope,
Pat
nwc50
New member
.
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