Startrite tilt arbour sawbench - how to access v-belts?

[[email protected]]

Hello all, this is my first post here but I have visited the site as a guest many times and picked up a lot of useful information. I hope someone can help me this time. Sorry if this is an easy one, but I'm a bit lost...

I have inherited the 275 model of this fantastic saw and have opened up the front panel to investigate the interior...it was compacted solid with wood dust, obviously never emptied and cleaned. Upon clearing it all out I could see that the v-belts both need changing. I have the manual for this model which tells me which screws to undo for the removal and replacement of the belts on the wheels, but I cannot for the life of me figure out how to actually access the wheels, as the top section of this 'frontage' is welded on (by the manufacturer) and only the lower section has a removable panel...I can just see the lower wheel and state of the belts. Am I required to take off the entire top table and more in order to be able to access the belts on the top wheels?

Thank you in advance.

 

[deema]

Just lower the blade to the lowest point to improve access, slacken off the motor and push upwards. The belts will come off easily, buts it's fiddly with little access. Lying on your back is about the only way of getting your hands in.

 

[flh801978]

Its easy to take the top off and spin it over makes it easy to adjust after fitting
There's only the bolts holding the top on and the front are where the handle comes through to remove
Whilst you are in there clean and lube the trunnions and everything else that moves with a dry type lube
Ian

 

[[email protected]]

flh801978..... when you say take the "top" off, do you mean the table? And when you say the "front are where the handle come through"...do you mean the blade height control handle or the blade tilt control handle? Sorry, I'm not following.

deema....when you say "slacken off the motor and push upwards" can you tell me where I slacken it off? I'm really having trouble actually seeing any of it, the blade doesn't lower enough to give me access.

I've also undone all the bolts on the panel where the blade height control handle is, I was hoping if I could get that panel off then I'd be able to access from there, but despite removing a couple of bolts, the handle components, the dial pointer and a bunch of allen bolts, I still can't budge that panel.....

Thank you in advance.

 

[Ttrees]

Is it the older Startrite 275 with the solid wheels for blade adjustments?
On my machine ...the newer version with the crank style adjusters, the motor is mounted the opposite
way from the sounds of things, as you can easily get access to pulleys when the hood is opened.
I have very worn belts on my machine, one worse than the other, and have no issues with them slipping
I use a VFD for the saw so the startup is ramped, but never noticed any slippage when ripping.
To change belts its only a matter of "tracking" them on ... as there is no tensioner.
I would imagine it would just be a bit more awkward?

Tom

 

[[email protected]]

Thanks everyone, I finally managed it by getting awkward access from both the top with the blade dropped right down and a bit from the panel where the door is and tracking them on, which was tricky but do-able.

Thank you....big sigh of relief

 

[deema]

Here's a schematic of how it's arranged.

https://www.machinespares.net/products/ ... -platform/

 

[t72439]

I've come to this thread late but with the same issue of changing the belts. I thought I'd add how I managed to get it done, building on the advice here.

I have a startrite ta165 tablesaw.

Remove the blade.

I had to lower the blade mechanism fully and tilt to 45 degrees

From the side panel (where the sawdust falls from) I could reach up to hook the belt on the outermost pulley, where the blade connects.

I then pulled down on the belt as I hooked it over the bottom pulley

I had to "track" it by repeated pulling on one side of the belt with one hand and using the other hand to help track it onto the pulley fully. Eventually it went on!

Then I had to track the belt across at the top to the inner most pulley. This part was the most faff!

Eventually using the same technique I got the belt across and repeated the same for the bottom pulley. This seats the belt, both top and bottom, on the innermost pulleys.

Rinse and repeat the first step to fit the second belt on the outermost pulleys and you're eventually done!

Didn't need any special tools but needed a lot of persistence to track them both across. And plasters for my hands as it cut my knuckles up a bit lol

 

[eribaMotters]

The passing of time is a wonderful thing. I bought a TA175 about 20/25 years ago that needed a bit of care. I moved the riving knife assembly back and now run it with thin kerf 12" blades. The two worn V-belts were replaced with toothed versions, generic ones from Halfrauds. I cannot remember having an issue with the belt change, but as I said, the passing of time. I do recall it was possible to tension the belts up so that the blade would stop in 8 to 10 seconds. I was given this tip by the maintenance company we used on the machines at the school where I taught. I have not timed the stop on my saw since, but equally I have not adjusted the belts in those many years.

Colin

 

[Distinterior]

I've come to this thread late but with the same issue of changing the belts. I thought I'd add how I managed to get it done, building on the advice here.

I have a startrite ta165 tablesaw.

Remove the blade.

I had to lower the blade mechanism fully and tilt to 45 degrees

From the side panel (where the sawdust falls from) I could reach up to hook the belt on the outermost pulley, where the blade connects.

I then pulled down on the belt as I hooked it over the bottom pulley

I had to "track" it by repeated pulling on one side of the belt with one hand and using the other hand to help track it onto the pulley fully. Eventually it went on!

Then I had to track the belt across at the top to the inner most pulley. This part was the most faff!

Eventually using the same technique I got the belt across and repeated the same for the bottom pulley. This seats the belt, both top and bottom, on the innermost pulleys.

Rinse and repeat the first step to fit the second belt on the outermost pulleys and you're eventually done!

Didn't need any special tools but needed a lot of persistence to track them both across. And plasters for my hands as it cut my knuckles up a bit lol

I'm assuming you slackened off the motor tension Allen headed bolts and rotated the motor to give you the slack you needed...?

Incidentally, the motor mount and belt tensioning system is different on the 175/275 compared with the 145/165.

The 145 & 165 have a round motor mounting plate with an offset hole in the middle......Tension is adjusted by rotating the motor mounting plate.