HELP WITH MY GENERAL 350 TABLE SAW...

[BentonTool]

Hello Brothers,
I have a problem with my General 350 Table Saw.
I just cleaned and lubed it. I set the tilt stops to make no contact with the stops. Despite that, I cannot get the blade tilt to reach 90°. I can only get it to 89.8°.
I have checked it and checked it again, the stops do not contact the bosses, and are not interfering with the range of motion!
What the heck is going on? There are no obstructions that I can identify... no caked sawdust, wood chips, burrs, etc.
This is a stock photo. Mine has the Excalibur fence system.

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[Sideways]

From a quick google, these are Taiwanese machines sold as General International in the USA and maybe Canada.
The brand isn't one I've come across in the UK, though we might see the same saw under a different name.

If you are not making contact with the stops, what else could be stopping the tilt ?
Something is physically making contact elsewhere - the motor, lower blade case, ?, ?
Are a set of washers missing between the chassis and the top such that something on the spindle assembly is hitting the underside of the table ? Something on the top of the assembly where the riving knife attaches ?
If you drop the saw a little below max height, can you get it to 90 degrees then ?

Could you have run the tilt screw to the end of it's travel ?

And what are you measuring the angle with out of curiousity ? It sounds interestingly close. If there was a non adjustable stop, even just slop in some mounting bolt holes might be enough to account for a couple of 10ths.

 

[Inspector]

That one is one of the Canadian made Generals. You can tell by the logo. The General International tools were made in Asia to cut costs until the company went under a decade or two ago. Perhaps a member on the Canadian Woodworking Forum might know.

Pete

 

[Sachakins]

If it's a digital led gauge that is magnetic I wouldn't worry. I can get mine to change by a few tenths just by watching it. I can get it to 90°, turn away, turn back and its moved to 89.7.
Do a few cuts, make a few joints and check with a true square.

 

[BentonTool]

Do you know if the two bolts attaching the hand-wheels are designed to remove the slop from wear? Could adjusting them give me a few more thou of travel? That is the only thing I can think to do at present.
My Wixey digital angle gauge has been very reliable, but I always double-check with an engineer's square. Both are out by a few thou...
I am posting on the Canadian WW Forum now... thanks for that tip...

 

[BentonTool]

Hello Brothers,

Thanks for all the posts!

I was in the shop yesterday, scratching my head...

I put on my best "cheater" spectacles, grabbed some paper feelers/shims (to ID any spots that might be pinching/bumping), and took a good look around...
I did this w/o removing the top! I work alone and it would be a challenging PIA at my age. You know the drill; I would have had to remove most everything attached to the saw first. An all-day job.

In any case, I think I solved the problem... I found that the casting that supports the right side of the elevation handwheel (the "main bearing" casting) was bumping into the front trunion casting! It was just a tiny amount!
I took off the handwheel and used a Dremel to grind the area of obstruction down. I was then able to get the blade to 90° (and a few thou beyond)!

WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND now is why this problem was not evident sooner!
Did something shift around? I will have to re-check my blade alignment to the miter slots today.
I bought this 1987 General 350 table saw from the original owner in 1990 and have been using it ever since...
I had been able to reach 90° in all that time. The only adjustment I made recently was to the Excalibur rip fence.

Here is a pic of the area that was impairing the range of motion. I will post some better pictures tomorrow:

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[Sachakins]

Sounds like some general wear and tear, but you've only just discovered it.

 

[Cabinetman]

I suspect that maybe you are a bit too fixated on the 0.2%, does it matter? All these years all I’ve ever done is slide a square up against the blade and squint to see any daylight. No never measured it but I can’t say I’ve needed to, I wonder on a cut though a 3” thick piece of wood just how much that 0.2% measures?
Ian
Edit, maths isn’t my best suit, I reckon it’s about a quarter of a mil?

 

[Sideways]

While you're at it, push the stationary blade side to side and check there's no slop.
Then, if you have a dial indicator to measure precisely, check for parallel between the blade and the mitre slot.
Just in case of wear or in case it's taken a bump and something has moved.