Jet JTS 600 V Axminster AW10BSB2

[matthew]

Bob, many thanks again; and Brian, hope you have got yours all set up. Now I have mine also, I'm largely very happy with it - especially the fence, which I think is very good - but I wonder if either/both of you could check something I am having an ongoing discussion with Axminster about; actually two problems related to the rise and fall mechanism.

First, the lock lever seems a bit ineffectual to me. On mine, I pull the lever down to about the 4 o'clock position; this seems to bind it to stop you raising the saw; but it doesn't seem to stop winding it down. It's not really a big deal, I just wanted to check if I was missing something.

More annoying is that there is some movement in my saw blade between rise and fall. I wind it up, then use a square to set the tilt to 90 degrees and lock the tilt. Then, when winding it down, the blade moves away from the square (1mm or so), and also tilts slightly away from it (half a degree or so). So it would give a different cut. Taking the play between rise and fall and winding it up again returns it to the correct position - but it means I'd always have to raise it after lowering it to get a consistent cut. Are you seeing this? I've not yet found where I can adjust/resolve it...

 

[Duparcq]

Matthew,

I am away from home until end of next week, but will check my machine

I have not got very far with the final assembly stages as it took over 10 days for the saw to get to me then had to wait for the mobile base I designed to be welded up

I also had a number of minor issues with bolts being the wrong length - all of which Axminster delt with very rapidly

What is your opinion on the new style plastic blade guard - mine would not stay level as no mater how much I tightened it up -the red plastic would not grip tightly enough to stay level

Regards

Brian

 

[matthew]

I am away from home until end of next week, but will check my machine

I have not got very far with the final assembly stages as it took over 10 days for the saw to get to me then had to wait for the mobile base I designed to be welded up

I also had a number of minor issues with bolts being the wrong length - all of which Axminster delt with very rapidly

What is your opinion on the new style plastic blade guard - mine would not stay level as no mater how much I tightened it up -the red plastic would not grip tightly enough to stay level

Hi Brian, thanks for your reply - do check your saw when you get the chance and let me know. Currently I've been chatting with Axminster about it - they say the one they have in their shop does the same thing so it could be a design fault, I'm waiting to hear more back from them. Also am wondering if Bob has the same issue since perhaps ours are a newer revision to the design.

On the blade guard, I found the same thing as you. I got round it by taking it apart, then putting a washer through the bolt that hooks onto the riving knife, so it hangs in the gap between the two parts - it just needs teasing apart a little to get it back on there but it makes it more secure. My other issue is I find the rise and fall lock slightly ineffectual - it locks the rise fairly well, but lowering the blade just then loosens the lever. These are things that, for the price, I don't really mind tinkering with - but I do feel that this blade shift on rise vs fall is something fairly fundamental that should be right.

Oh, and on the base, I got the cheaper Axminster one. Seems fine!

 

[Nick.]

Currently I've been chatting with Axminster about it - they say the one they have in their shop does the same thing so it could be a design fault, I'm waiting to hear more back from them. Also am wondering if Bob has the same issue since perhaps ours are a newer revision to the design.

Hi Matthew - 'backlash' is probably the reason your blade goes off square after lowering.

there is really no way around the laws of mechanics - all machines will have this to some degree - golden rule is always drop then raise back to the height to minimise it.

linky here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backlash_(engineering)

hope this helps
cheers
nick

 

[matthew]

Hi Matthew - 'backlash' is probably the reason your blade goes off square after lowering.

there is really no way around the laws of mechanics - all machines will have this to some degree - golden rule is always drop then raise back to the height to minimise it.

cheers
nick

Hi Nick

Thanks for the reply, and the link. I may be missing something - I get there would be some play in there, but to my mind that should be in the same axis as the movement - ie the blade may not be at exactly the same hight for any given position of the rise/fall wheel, depending on if you'd just raised or lowered.

It does seem a bit of a design issue, though, that raising/lowering affects the tilt of the blade. At full height, I see about 1.5mm movement in the top of the blade - this, for example, makes a zero-clearance insert not as effective, so it can't be that common an issue. I'd be interested if anyone has a similar issue on a different saw (I didn't on my previous lowly Kity 419 clone).

 

[monkeybiter]

Just checked my AW12BSB2 with a GemRed equivalent, the tilt stays within 0.1 degrees during full range of vertical movement.

 

[matthew]

Just an update for anyone who may have been following this...

After a bit of a saga - 4 months between me and Axminster, with input from forum users Bob (who has had an AW10BSB2 for some time) and Brian (who got one about the same time as me) - it transpires this is a problem with the current batch/iteration of the saw, following revisions to the design. Their engineering dept determined it unfixable; and they weren't able to offer a replacement, since they apparently all exhibit it to a greater or lesser degree (mine was one of the better ones, apparently!).

Depending on one's perspective, it may not be a huge issue - lifting the blade sets it back where it should be. But the movement effectively precludes the use of a zero-clearance insert, which was the first thing I wanted to add to it. As such, I opted for a refund.

A bit disappointing... but back to the drawing board! Am thinking about a SIP or Charnwood... but until I decide, am going back to my Kity 419-alike for a bit..

Meantime, the saw in question was collected by Axminster and is now on eBay... might be a bargain if anyone is after one!