Miter Saw work

yard mongrel

yard mongrel

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I have a Dewalt compound miter saw that just won't hold true anymore. Is there anybody local to me, or is there a Dewalt licensed repairman, or even anybody here that can help?

It's been around for over a decade, tossed around and used heavily. It's good enough for slapping together butt joints, but you ain't making no pretty miters, not even after adjusting the angle guides, etc.
 
Dewalt has a factory store and repair center in Greensboro. Probably a little far for you but it’s there.
3402 W Wendover Ave
Ste E
Greensboro, NC 27407
 
Does the motor shaft move in and out. ?
There could be a worn thrust washer.
 
SnowRooster said:
Dewalt has a factory store and repair center in Greensboro. Probably a little far for you but it’s there.
3402 W Wendover Ave
Ste E
Greensboro, NC 27407
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Take lotsa money ‘cause next door is Cherry’s Fine Guns. ;)
 
concepthomes1 said:
Bushings and brushes have probably worn out.

those can be replaced.
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Bushings could be, but I was kind of wanting somebody that knows what they are going to give it a once over.

Mirac said:
Does the motor shaft move in and out. ?
There could be a worn thrust washer.
Click to expand...

No, none of that.
 
Can you elaborate on what you mean by won't hold true? If it isn't cutting square, that can be adjusted in the base body. If the blade has a wobble, then check the flatness of it first, but it could be that the bearings are going out. If it won't run under load or doesn't have any power, it's probably the brushes, you can normally see abnormally large arcing through the vents around the motor. All of these things can be replaced
 
slow is slow said:
Can you elaborate on what you mean by won't hold true? If it isn't cutting square, that can be adjusted in the base body. If the blade has a wobble, then check the flatness of it first, but it could be that the bearings are going out. If it won't run under load or doesn't have any power, it's probably the brushes, you can normally see abnormally large arcing through the vents around the motor. All of these things can be replaced
Click to expand...

I can adjust the base body and get *decent* (good enough for baseboards, not fine woodworking) miters for about a half dozen cuts before it starts drifting. Bushings are likely oing bad, but I think there is more at play, as the saw has probably been dropped as well.
 
Either the saw is cutting square or its not. If you only get decent results for a short time, then it wasn't square to begin with and your securing screws (all the new ones are metric cap screws that we have) are not applying enough pressure to hold position. I would start with them and make sure the threads are not stripped or deformed. If a bearing goes out, you get louder operation and a larger kerf, but still a square cut.
 
slow is slow said:
Either the saw is cutting square or its not. If you only get decent results for a short time, then it wasn't square to begin with and your securing screws (all the new ones are metric cap screws that we have) are not applying enough pressure to hold position. I would start with them and make sure the threads are not stripped or deformed. If a bearing goes out, you get louder operation and a larger kerf, but still a square cut.
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I don't know what to tell you that I haven't already. I've maintained and squared the thing for years now, it was borrowed (my first mistake) and has an issue that I can't track down.
 
Only other advise I can offer, other than taking it to get serviced, would be to check and see if the angle changes as you pull the saw down. If it was dropped and the arm pivot mechanism bent, it could be causing it to vary depending on where in the stroke you are. Best of luck to you, all of ours are bolted to benches, so that's an issue I haven't dealt with yet.
 
slow is slow said:
Only other advise I can offer, other than taking it to get serviced, would be to check and see if the angle changes as you pull the saw down. If it was dropped and the arm pivot mechanism bent, it could be causing it to vary depending on where in the stroke you are. Best of luck to you, all of ours are bolted to benches, so that's an issue I haven't dealt with yet.
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You're the second person to mention this, and it may be the issue.
 
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