Powermatic Saws - Page 4 - Recent Questions, Troubleshooting & Support

Does wiggling the cord cause the problem?

On the Powermatic 66's the first two numbers are the year in which it was made, so yours was made in 1997. The second set of two numbers is the model. The last numbers I"m unsure of but its my understanding that they represent the manufactured number, so yours was the 1,400th saw made for that year.

I bet the grease has set up and the worm gear is just frozen in place. Have you tried spraying some oil or wd40 or silicone lube into the worm gear, and lubricating the trunnion ways? I can't believe that if you've unlocked the handle lock and pushed the handwheel in the saw won't tilt at all. You can download manuals for that saw from here. See page 14 for more details, or get someone who's mechanically inclined to take a look at it for you. If the saw is new, it has a 5 year warranty.See here for repair or parts info.I hope this information allows you to resolve this issue. If you need further assistance, please post back with a comment to this thread. If I've managed to answer your question or solve a problem, please take just a moment to rate this post....thanks!

I think you can download a manual for your saw from this link. or this link.
Another site I have had good luck with for these older models is here. Choose the publications/reprints tab at left, then choose craftsman in the manufacturer's link, and then click on machine type to sort the list into table saws. From there you might find a similar vintage manual that has the details you need. Many models have similar parts, and the descriptions of fence operation, etc are somewhat common.
Good luck.

I hope this information allows you to resolve this issue. If you need further assistance, please post back with a comment to this thread.
If I've managed to answer your question or solve a problem, please take just a moment to rate this post....thanks!

Do an online search for "table saw tune up" and sort through the articles to find one that gives detailed instructions on how to check for blade runout and how to test blade alignment with the table top. Here's one that covers the basics quickly and concisely, but there are many to choose from. Compare them with information from your powermtic user's guide.
It's a laborious process that will take a day or two and you need to loosen the bolts that fasten the saw trunnions/ mechanism to the cast top, and physically shift the alignment of the saw arbor relative to the mitre slots, then recheck it for alignment, etc. until you get it right. Sometimes you can loosen several corners and leave one kind of tight to shift the saw in the direction you want to move. Download the online manual from powermatic here by choosing your model and you'll have onhand a detailed parts diagram to guide you. If you're not up to a gruelling process, and don't have the appropriate tools, I recommend you re-check your blade to ensure it's not at fault and see if you can't live with it as is.
Otherwise, good luck and be patient. It's worth it to have it right, but wood is only wood, and at some point you have to just do the woodworking.

I hope this information allows you to resolve this issue. If you need further assistance, please post back with a comment to this thread.
If I've managed to answer your question or solve a problem, please take just a moment to rate this post....thanks!

Go to this site, find your model, look up the manual and you'll find a parts list. Using the parts number, search the parts tab for your part and price.I hope this information allows you to resolve this issue. If you need further assistance, please post back with a comment to this thread. If I've managed to answer your question or solve a problem, please take just a moment to rate this post....thanks!

These lightweight saws can be somewhat problematic in this respect. They have a tendency to come out of adjustment as they are moved about.First, make sure the blade you're using is true and has little runout. You can check this using a micrometer, or simply marking a tooth and spinning the blade by hand (power unplugged) to see if the blade runs true or wavers in its path. If the blade is warped or bent the problem is probably there rather than the table.Second, check to make sure the fence is properly adjusted, parallel to the mitre slots. If the fence is out of adjustment, the path of the material relative to the blade will not be parallel, and this can cause poor cuts.Third, hope it's one of the first two. If not, set a day or weekend aside to work on the saw. Get some good light and flip it over on a table or horses so you can see what you're doing. Have the parts diagram and owner's manual on hand.You'll need to loosen the bolts that hold the table top against the saw mechanism beneath the top, and shift the saw relative to the top in the desired direction to correct for the out-of true path of the blade relative to the table top. On some lighter saws like yours, this entails re-adjusting most of the saw mechanisms to run true, as they are frequently independently bolted to the underside of the table and not unified construction that moves as a single piece.You have to shift the saw slightly in the required direction, check the runout of the blade, then repeat until you get it right. If you're skilled and you don't mind standing on your head, you can do this with the saw in position.There are many excellent articles online that detail this procedure if you search google for "table saw tune up", so I won't elaborate on the details. Try to find one that has a saw similar to yours as an example. Good luck.I hope this information allows you to resolve this issue. If you need further assistance, please post back with a comment to this thread. If I've managed to answer your question or solve a problem, please take just a moment to rate this post....thanks!

You need to do some maintenance on your saw. First unplug it. Then blow out the sawdust from inside the saw, especially around the trunnion ways and gears and worm gears that engage them to raise/lower and tilt the saw. Use a good quality lubricant to lube these worm gears and the shafts and pivot points. I use motor oil, have for years, and find it does a better job and lasts longer than any kind of grease or silicone. Use an oil can with a long spout so you can direct the oil where needed, then move the saw up/down or right/left to work the oil into the worm gear and mechanism. In a pinch WD40 is fine, though it won't last as long. Periodic re oiling will maintain the mechanism in peak condition, and the drops of oil you spill in the process won't do any damage to your so. No, it won't get gummed up with sawdust. Try it, you'll like it.I hope this information allows you to resolve this issue. If you need further assistance, please post back with a comment to this thread. If I've managed to answer your question or solve a problem, please take just a moment to rate this post....thanks!

Please go to this link to download the manual for your saw. You can print it from your computer printer so you'll have it available to refer to while you set it up.You may also wish to see this link to your manual. It's an excellent saw. I have been using one for over 20 years, and recommend you follow the set-up procedure carefully; then it is sure to give you years of service.I hope this information allows you to resolve this issue. If you need further assistance, please post back with a comment to this thread. If I've managed to answer your question or solve a problem, please take just a moment to rate this post....thanks!

There will be a tag on the motor that will give the specs. Sometimes they are hard to see from the underside and its not easy to remove the top see them. Try lowering the motor (with blade removed) all the way and use a digital camera to reach up into the cabinet and photoqraph the top of the motor. I had to take several since your shooting blind to get a picture of mine.

Your powermatic band saw has a Magnetic motor starter. Since it is hard to find parts for the 143 you can remove the power and take the starter apart and clean the contacts. If that fails you can take it off and take it to a Electrical Supply Store and have them match you up with one that will work.

The way the switch works is when you push the on button it picks a relay that starts the motor and also has a contact the holds the relay picked. when you push the stop button it drops the circuit.

This is a safety feature to prevent the motor from restarting after a power failure until you hit the button

Hope this answers all your questions
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Thanks for using Fixya.

Before you go into motor defects, is the drive belt tight enough?
Alex

There is a direct short some where.Unplug and turn the blade and listen to the bearings. One of the brushes might be worn down and be jammed against the armature. Five years of use and those brushes might be ready for replacement. If things turn out to be easy fix then changing brushes is not that hard.When you take them out you will see some small holes in the holders.When you put the new brush in the spring will try to push the brush back out,use a small piece of wire in the holes to hold it in.Next install the brushes back where they go.Check the armature out use a hacksaw blade to clean those grooves between the metal strips.Put the armature back in place and button it back together and pull out the keeper wires and your done.

try lubing the screw gear with a dry lube spray and work the movement up and down. you might have to spray the gibs also to allow easier movement.

you can buy a cord from anywhere as long as it is the same wire guage and approx diameter that you have now.

I am thinking that you have mistakenly crossed 2 or more wires, hopefully you wrote yourself a wiring diagram or there is one inside the motor cover. I don't know if I can find a wiring schematic for this tool. If you still have the owners manual look in there for initial setup and see if they provided one. If you need more help let me know and I will do what I can.