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Dewalt Plastic set screws


UncleApple

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For those out there who are long time Dewalt DW788 users, have any of you replaced the plastic set screws with metal?  I'm really struggling with keeping blades tensioned even after sanding each end of a blade. Seems like the plastic doesn't want to grip hard enough on the blade to keep it tight.  Suggestions?

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15 minutes ago, UncleApple said:

For those out there who are long time Dewalt DW788 users, have any of you replaced the plastic set screws with metal?  I'm really struggling with keeping blades tensioned even after sanding each end of a blade. Seems like the plastic doesn't want to grip hard enough on the blade to keep it tight.  Suggestions?

Plastic set screw? I bought my saw Type 2 New back in around 2009.. Mine came new with metal set screws.. I've never seen a DeWalt with plastic set screws.. and I've bought lots of replacements over the years and I've never received plastic set screws either.. Are you sure they are plastic? They do come coated with blue lock-tite threat locker to help them stay in place.. that stuff resembles plastic but the screw is metal.. If you really do have plastic I'd be changing them as I bet that is your problem..   

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4 minutes ago, kmmcrafts said:

Plastic set screw? I bought my saw Type 2 New back in around 2009.. Mine came new with metal set screws.. I've never seen a DeWalt with plastic set screws.. and I've bought lots of replacements over the years and I've never received plastic set screws either.. Are you sure they are plastic? They do come coated with blue lock-tite threat locker to help them stay in place.. that stuff resembles plastic but the screw is metal.. If you really do have plastic I'd be changing them as I bet that is your problem..   

Bought mine last year.  I'm referring to the upper & lower thumb screws used to hold the blade in place...they are hard-plastic.

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As was mentioned, the thumb screws are metal with plastic ends to tighten. On the working end is a movable tip called the anvil. The anvil often gets rounded over and shiny from tightening the blade against the set screw. The anvil is replaceable as is the whole thumb screw. But it's just as easy to dress the anvil. I have a simple jig to dress the anvil. Go over to Works In Progress And Tutorials here at the Village where I have a great tip with pictures. It is titled Simple Jig For Blade Slippage. I just bumped it the top so it will be easy to find.

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Now that Dan mentioned the anvil... also check to be sure that it will spin freely in the end of the thumb screw..when I first started sawing with the DeWalt.. that was one of my first issues with blades.. that little bugger would barely move, I had to soak it down with some oil to get it to move freely as it should.. Of coarse.. also make sure you clean off all that oil or you'll have a whole other problem, LOL  

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks everyone for their replies!  I would have bet that they were hard-plastic, but their not...  As it turned out, the issue wasn't related to the set screws at all.  The bolt that goes through the tension-control lever had become loose so during operation I was loosing my tension.  I have since corrected that problem :)

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