Pistorius saw questions

[Hazany]

We have an old EMN12. I recently changed the blades, the chip breaker and scrap support.
As I cut, sometimes the triangular chip jumps up and towards me instead of falling down. The blade rotation seems correct.

We have always had the problem of chips flying and hitting the saw blades but that is usually not the middle waste.

One of the belts (the left motor) seems loose. Is that easy to replace or tighten? What problem can a loose belt cause?

I have never used another double miter saw. Will a new one have any major advantages? The dust removal is very difficult.
Also, even with new sharp blades, new chip breaker, and scrap support, we don't get great cuts when we cut hardwoods. Sanding after cutting doesn't always help.

Thank you,
Bruce Hazany
Vision Graphics
Philadelphia

 

[Artrageous]

Bruce, are you sure you've installed the chip breaker and scrap support correctly? Can you take a picture and post it?

Loose belts are easily replaced, but maybe not be as easy to obtain. Since Pistorius is no longer in business you'll need to find a source for the belts. They are removed by slowly rolling the pulley and guiding the belt off, re installation is just as easy. Take care not to get your fingers too close to the pulley as you are turning the belt on. It is a pinch point and you will remember this post if you manage to get your fingers caught.

How can the middle waste that is sitting on the scrap support come forward towards the operator? The blades are in the way. If after the blade have risen, the scrap falls against the blade, it can shoot it, but due to the blade rotation, that direction would be down. Again, is it possible you don't have the scrap support installed properly?

Poor cut can be attributed to many factors. Dull blades, alignment issues in the blades, worn bearings, loose cutting head, blades not lowering at the same speed.

Take a tall moulding and cut about 1/2 way through. Look at the 2 blades marks in the moulding. Are they even? If not you can adjust that in the linkage.

To check if the bearings are worn or loose: Turn the breaker off for the machine so you don't accidentally cut your hand off. Remove the metal guard in front of the blades (as when you change the blades). Step on the petal and lower the blades completely. Grab one blade and see if you have any side to side motion (towards and away from the spindle nut you tighten the blade with) If there is excessive movement then you either need an adjustment or a replacement of the bearing. This can cause a wobble in the blade as it rises and lowers and will give you a poor cut as well as not giving you a true 45 degree cut. Check each blade separately.

 

[Larry Peterson]

For reference, here is a picture of a chip breaker for the EMN-12 taken from the rear from this thread: http://www.thegrumble.com/showthread.php?56073-Making-new-lower-Chip-Breaker-for-Pistorius

 

[Hazany]

Mark,

Thanks I will check everything. I meant to say the waste comes up and shoots back (looking at a mirror on the wall behind the saw) instead of falling down.
I also get too many chips hitting the blades. Something is off. I will check the scrap support and chip breaker. I have changed them so many times before though.

Bruce

 

[Hazany]

I think I fixed the problem. The scrap support was not level with the metal cutting surface. The waste was shooting towards the operator before the blades went back up.

Are the newer saws have much an advantage over the old ones?

Bruce

 

[Hazany]

Re: Pistorius saw questions - blade questions

More questions:
The price for blades with 120 teeth is considerably higher than 100 teeth. Are they worth it?
Also, I have 4 old blades that the sharpening services will not sharpen any more. What do you do with these? Recycle them?
Bruce

 

[Larry Peterson]

Re: Pistorius saw questions - blade questions

More questions:
The price for blades with 120 teeth is considerably higher than 100 teeth. Are they worth it?
Also, I have 4 old blades that the sharpening services will not sharpen any more. What do you do with these? Recycle them?
Bruce

No need for 120 if you use the right blades. One of our members, triplechip, runs Quinn Saw at http://www.quinnsaw.com. I asked about the blades for my EMN-12 and he thought I would be just fine with his 80 tpi blades vs the 100 tpi. I actually have both (from Quinn) and don't see any difference. The 80s are $103 each, the 100s are $114 each and the 120s are $193 each.

I would go with the 80s or 100s but PM triplechip and get his opinion.

 

[artfolio]

Vulcan logic would suggest that more teeth would give a finer cut but my sharpening people tell me this is an urban myth. On their recommendation I bought Dimar 80 tooth blades with a triple chip configuration and they work just fine.

However, all blades are only as good as the guys who sharpen them and with some of the "concrete compo" mouldings out there I find sharpening needs to be done more often than it used to be.

 

[Artrageous]

I think I fixed the problem. The scrap support was not level with the metal cutting surface. The waste was shooting towards the operator before the blades went back up.

Are the newer saws have much an advantage over the old ones?

Bruce

The scrap support needs to be level across the entire surface. The forward lean meant the scrap was tipping into the rising blades and being tossed down against the scrap support and bouncing back up into the blades.

I have found that 100 tooth blades are better for delicate moulding, such as lacquer, but strain when you are cutting dense taller, thicker moulding. 80 tooth blades are better in that case.

Newer saws have similar issues. Most still require some sort of scrap support beneath/between the blades. Some models allow each blade to work independently. In that case, you don't have to worry about similar dropping speeds of the blades and you'll have less tear out at the bottom of the moulding.

One issue you may not have addressed is 'carp' moulding. The cheap gesso filled moulding available from every distributor is every bit as good as what you pay for it.