No spare parts for Axminster / Kufo sliding table saw - "what do you expect from something that's 12 years old"

[rgrfr]

We have the Axminster sk250ts-L and I've attached some of the parts list should anyone need it. That number "sk250ts-L" corresponds to a table saw from BAPILON in Taiwan; sold by KUFO (Santa Fe) and others that we can't find.

The sliding table sk250ts-L needs some bearing parts to fix it (photo below). These are angled plastic strips with needle rollers (referenced as NR5 in the manual). To put a name on them I'd call them 5mm flat plastic caged needle roller bearings and we need 12 of them.

The UK seller Axminster told us that at 12 years old we're expecting too much, (which one feels is shabby). So we are stuck seeking a spare. Should anyone have some ideas or advice do please reply soon.

 

[Doug B]

Have you tried contacting Bapilon direct, I’ve just googled them they appear to have an active web site in English with an inquiry page, worth an email particularly as they still list the saw.
Axminster used to sell a lot of very good quality Taiwanese machines but sadly moved their buying to China & the quality plummeted. Pretty poor on their part though that they can’t source the spares from a company they used to buy from that is still making the machine you have, then again their customer service isn’t a patch on what it used to be.

 

[Sideways]

I would always assume that products like your saw will be made using generic parts to save money rather than custom made parts.
So there should be other sources for the component you need.

The products offered on this site suggest to me that short strips of caged rollers are a commodity and the cages are designed to clip together to make longer lengths :

https://www.enrgtech.co.uk/category...bearings-housings-blocks/flat-cage-assemblies

 

[deema]

The problem with maintaining spares for obsolete stuff is multi fold.
Firstly it’s capital tied up with a stock turnover that’s stupidly low……think years.
Second it takes up a lot of space, that’s expensive.
Thirdly when you come to sell it, recognising the silly costs to maintain it, the customers feel your ripping them off because you charge for all the costs associated with maintaining the spates.

It’s an absolute lose lose for a manufacturer.

 

[rgrfr]

Have you tried contacting Bapilon direct, I’ve just googled them they appear to have an active web site in English with an inquiry page, worth an email particularly as they still list the saw.
Axminster used to sell a lot of very good quality Taiwanese machines but sadly moved their buying to China & the quality plummeted. Pretty poor on their part though that they can’t source the spares from a company they used to buy from that is still making the machine you have, then again their customer service isn’t a patch on what it used to be.

Thanks for looking up their credible website. I'm helping my chippy friend and so far our messages have gone into the ether. Perhaps there are outlets for their products and I'll search on.
And thanks 'Sideways' for finding those generic parts ... an idea a dealer might have suggested. That's promising - those INA bearings could indeed work and hopefully save this everyday tool from the bin. I'll order some samples.

 

[rgrfr]

The problem with maintaining spares for obsolete stuff is multi fold.
Firstly it’s capital tied up with a stock turnover that’s stupidly low……think years.
Second it takes up a lot of space, that’s expensive.
Thirdly when you come to sell it, recognising the silly costs to maintain it, the customers feel your ripping them off because you charge for all the costs associated with maintaining the spates.

It’s an absolute lose lose for a manufacturer.

Yes indeed. We hear a lot more talk about 'sustainability' these days. One approach to that is using generic parts. Another is charging the customer for the warehousing or whatever.

You got me thinking about domestic appliance brands - one comes with a promise to supply parts for a long time and they don't sell those parts at charity prices. I once found Miele had a website with STL files that one could download to get 3D printed. The table saw bearing case I'm looking for is very 3D printable... and sure in this table saw case that's not going to be provided for free or for money .
However, as the guy who helps fix his chippy mate's stuff, I appreciate his expectations and surprise when a bit of plastic has led to his saw failing him.

 

[Sideways]

Loose ball bearings are really cheap. Maybe loose rollers too.
If you have a 3d printer the idea of printing your own cage might be very feasible.

 

[Doug B]

The problem with maintaining spares for obsolete stuff is multi fold.
Firstly it’s capital tied up with a stock turnover that’s stupidly low……think years.
Second it takes up a lot of space, that’s expensive.
Thirdly when you come to sell it, recognising the silly costs to maintain it, the customers feel your ripping them off because you charge for all the costs associated with maintaining the spates.

It’s an absolute lose lose for a manufacturer.

I agree with the points you make but in this case the machine isn’t obsolete & Axminster weren’t the manufacturer just the seller, they clearly just can’t be bothered helping this chap as I’m sure they could source the part if they wanted to & make a profit from its sale.

 

[Doug B]

A bit of a long shot @rgrfr but it might be worth getting in touch with mwmachinery as it appears they sell some Kufo products https://mwmachinery.co.uk/product-category/brands/kufo/
I’m not saying they sell your saw but they might be able to source spares.

 

[Jameshow]

Are any other machines similar? Charnwood itech, record kity etc?

Could you get a local model engineering group to make you something to fit?
If you posted some pics we could think of a solution I'm sure!

 

[Amplidyne]

I would always assume that products like your saw will be made using generic parts to save money rather than custom made parts.
So there should be other sources for the component you need.

The products offered on this site suggest to me that short strips of caged rollers are a commodity and the cages are designed to clip together to make longer lengths :

https://www.enrgtech.co.uk/category...bearings-housings-blocks/flat-cage-assemblies

One thing is certain. These parts are not made specifically for that particular job. Somewhere there is a generic source.
They look remarkably like some heavy duty drawer slides from memory. Not sure where I've seen that partic type though.

 

[Kayen]

Have you tried contacting Bapilon direct, I’ve just googled them they appear to have an active web site in English with an inquiry page, worth an email particularly as they still list the saw.
Axminster used to sell a lot of very good quality Taiwanese machines but sadly moved their buying to China & the quality plummeted. Pretty poor on their part though that they can’t source the spares from a company they used to buy from that is still making the machine you have, then again their customer service isn’t a patch on what it used to be.

Yes, I too have been very disappointed with their customer service. I bought their AP260SPT Planer Thicknesser - it's a lovely bit of kit accept it dubs the first and last 60mm of whatever you put through the thicknesser by around 0.3mm. They basically wear you down with requests for videos and other delaying tactics until you give up. You would think that their support for 'Professional' machines would be a bit more professional!

 

[Sideways]

Loose ball bearings are really cheap. Maybe loose rollers too.
If you have a 3d printer the idea of printing your own cage might be very feasible.

I wondered more about this and the next idea would be to buy some plastic sheet of the appropriate thickness, template rout it or get it cnc routed through with lines of rectangles to retain the rollers and basically make it yourself.
Routed pockets might need the ends squaring up with a hand file, but it's a slightly tiresome job, not a difficult one.
Either delrin or that grey loaded nylon would be my first thought for suitable plastic sheet to make the cages. The cages would just slide along the metal bearing surfaces while the rollers take all the weight.
Rout it as a sheet for stability and then tracksaw to rip it into strips of the correct width.

 

[rgrfr]

Are any other machines similar? Charnwood itech, record kity etc?

Could you get a local model engineering group to make you something to fit?
If you posted some pics we could think of a solution I'm sure!

Thank you for a bunch of ideas in this thread.

The sk250ts-L table saw (by Kufo/Bapilon/Axminster) looks like this.
Many more photos on a UK 1st machinery auction (2014)


with credit to an old post on this forum: https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/axminster-kufo-sk-250ts-l-panel-saw-help.114474/

 

[Jameshow]

Have you dissembled the saw is do you have a pic of the part needed?

 

[rgrfr]

Have you dissembled the saw is do you have a pic of the part needed?

Yes. It's this 200mm right-angled polythene-like strip with 5mm needle roller bearings x 12

 

[Mike Fletcher]

Maybe try someone like Simply Bearings.

 

[rgrfr]

Maybe try someone like Simply Bearings.

I will, thank you - Simply Bearings looks like a promising source for a generic bearing.

Rolling up the advice so far (haha), with thanks to @Sideways, I've attached something that needs more measuring on the saw and some decoding of
the product number FF3555-ZW-0-2 at enrgytech in Bradford, UK

I'm looking for double flat plastic caged 5mm rollers, 25mm across and 50mm opened out. Two or three can link together to make 200mm and twelve 200mm lengths may be needed. Inside the right-angle fold I measured 21mm.

https://www.enrgtech.co.uk/category...bearings-housings-blocks/flat-cage-assemblies

 

[ThornOfCamorr]

if you have a 3D model or STL file of the part, I’m happy to 3D print it for you.