Table Saw Maintenance

[Mike.C]

I have just opened the side door on my SIP table saw to hoover any saw dust out and I was surprised to find that all the movable parts that I spray with dry silicone were caked in sawdust which looks and feels like it would if I had covered them in grease or WD40 :shock:

As you know silicone spray dries almost immediately and after I do my regular maintenance I never use the saw straight away, so I see no reason why the silicone would end up as it has.

Has anyone else had this sort of thing happen? What sort of products do other members use?

Cheers

Mike

 

[awkwood]

I have had the same experiance with silicone. PTFE and all other sprays ive tried,
The manual for my sedgewick saw recommends white lithium grease for lubricating rise and fall an tilt threads, I saw a tin of s 3 in one spray grease in B&Q this week but havent tried it yet, i hope i wont regret it !!!

 

[Oryxdesign]

Sometimes you get static build up on plastic parts which then get covered in dust.

 

[Mike.C]

I have had the same experiance with silicone. PTFE and all other sprays ive tried,
The manual for my sedgewick saw recommends white lithium grease for lubricating rise and fall an tilt threads, I saw a tin of s 3 in one spray grease in B&Q this week but havent tried it yet, i hope i wont regret it !!!

That's the funny thing it has always worked and not attracted any dust until this time :roll:

Oryxdesign wrote:

Sometimes you get static build up on plastic parts which then get covered in dust.

Sorry but I should have made it clearer. It is all the metal parts that I am talking about, the parts that move or will go rusty. For instance the shaft/worm drive, the tilt or raise and fall assembly and the trunnion.

What do you use on parts like these?

Cheers

Mike

 

[jimi43]

I think it's a case of regular maintenance each time you use the saw.

It's mostly down to fine dust and proper extraction helps but I have given up with the Scheppach...it's just a nightmare.

Jim

 

[Digit]

In my experience any form of lubrication will retain saw dust. On my SIP the LH side panel has been removed and the machine is regularly vacuumed and blown clear of dust.

Roy.

 

[houtslager]

I just blow the crap out weekly and then sweep it out of the shop.
tried all the sprays ans none stopped the build up on the threads.

hth,

K

 

[Mike.C]

I think it's a case of regular maintenance each time you use the saw.

It's mostly down to fine dust and proper extraction helps but I have given up with the Scheppach...it's just a nightmare.

Jim

Hi Jim,

That's what I don't understand it has never been coated like this before. It must have been 1/2" deep. I thought that the whole idea of silicone was that it did not allow the dust to stick to it. It was as if someone had emptied a big tub of grease, folded in 2lb of sawdust and coated all the metal surfaces.

Digit wrote:

In my experience any form of lubrication will retain saw dust. On my SIP the LH side panel has been removed and the machine is regularly vacuumed and blown clear of dust.

Roy.

Roy the 12" model has got the same panel as yours on the left, but on the right hand side it has a proper door so that you do not need to go to the hassle of undoing 6 or 8 screws everytime you want to hoover it.

Houtslager wrote:

I just blow the crap out weekly and then sweep it out of the shop.
tried all the sprays ans none stopped the build up on the threads.

hth,

K

If no one can come up with an answer I may just have to do that :twisted:

Cheers

Mike

 

[Chems]

I cleaned mine out the other week, it was massivly deep all over, it just brushed off the screws as I haven't treated them with anything. I have good extraction too, but 50% of the dust must be getting away from the extraction.

 

[Mike.C]

I hear what you are all saying, but surely if the saw is not lubricated in someway, it will seize up and in the end some of the parts will rust?

Cheers

Mike.C

 

[Digit]

Rust will only occur where there is moisture, if the mechanical clearances are accurate there is no reason to expect seizure of any parts.
An example of this is where grease is used as a lubricant and some form of abrasive material, grit or dust for example, is present, the grease becomes in effect a grinding paste.
Oil has a similar problem but a slightly lesser degree.

Roy.

 

[Mike.C]

Thanks Roy I'll have to sort something out. I just cannot understand how after 3 years of continuous use silicone can turn into something that has the consistency of thick grease. :duno: It's the unknown that I hate.

Cheers

Mike

 

[Bluekingfisher]

Mike, I'm not sure of the chemical make up of the silicone spray you are using to lubricate the workings on your table saw but it may be that after 3 untroubled and dust free years of operation the silicone on the moving parts are starting to break down.

If you compare it to a cars engine oil the oil eventually breaks down causing wear. The molecules become serrated and stick to one another reducing lubrication. Although not exactly comparable with motor oil it maybe that the silicone particles are suffering the same fate. Perhaps a complete degrease (oil change) followed by a new coat of your silicone may do the job, for a while at least.

 

[Mike.C]

Mike, I'm not sure of the chemical make up of the silicone spray you are using to lubricate the workings on your table saw but it may be that after 3 untroubled and dust free years of operation the silicone on the moving parts are starting to break down.

If you compare it to a cars engine oil the oil eventually breaks down causing wear. The molecules become serrated and stick to one another reducing lubrication. Although not exactly comparable with motor oil it maybe that the silicone particles are suffering the same fate. Perhaps a complete degrease (oil change) followed by a new coat of your silicone may do the job, for a while at least.

Thanks BF, although I believe that I rub most of the previous silicone off every time I rub the surfaces down ready for the next spraying, I do certainly take your point, and there may be something behind it. I just wished that I had taken a photo :roll:

Cheers

Mike

 

[Digit]

I've never attempted to confirm it but I have been told that silicon will not stick to silicon.

Roy.

 

[misterfish]

I asked about this ages ago as my old Wadkin saw manual specifies certain types of lubricant. Having looked at the options I ended up using GT85 PTFE spray which works well and is not sticky. It is a hand spray bottle so no aerosols. Apparently it is ptfe suspended in solution which will penetrate all the slidy/turny bits and then evaporate leaving the ptfe adhering to the surfaces. I've not had a problem with anything sticking, though some sawdust doews tend to clump so I irregularly just give it all a good blowing, sucking and brushing and a respray of GT85 every now and again.

Misterfish

 

[Bluekingfisher]

Seems a strange one Mike, you haven't been cutting some unusual or resinous timbers of late have you? Could it be static/earthing issues? causing the dust to stick and build up. :duno:

Let us know if you solve the problem.

 

[Mike.C]

Do you think that it is just possible that I was in a rush and may have grabbed the..................................................... WD40 can? from the cupboard Once I am underneath the side extensions with my head inside the saw its pretty dark

I cannot think of any other possible way. Oh god no [-o< not sinility at my age [-o<

Cheers

Mike