Craftsman Power Hacksaw Refurbish

Well, this is encouraging. I just picked up the Covel version of this saw with a motor, the cutoff switch AND the complete vise assembly. There are no ID plates on it, just the remnants of a decal on the top of the arm casting. Best part of this deal is that it was free!

It's filthy, but complete as far as I can tell. I have it pretty much disassembled and so far the only issues I've found are one mashed oil cup, some funky "farmer fix" fasteners and the pulley side bushing on the pinion shaft is a little sloppy. Oh, and the pulley appears to have spun on the shaft and scored it a bit. Should be able to clean that up easily enough.

The worst of the "farmer fixes" is that the adjusters on the top of the reciprocating arm were replaced with some 1/4-20 bevel head (machine?) screws about 2 inches long, one of which was cross-threaded. If someone could provide pictures of the correct adjusters it would be a big help. They appear to be set screws with a locking nut in the pictures I can find.

I'd love to find an owner's manual and parts list for it if anyone has any leads. There are some photocopied copies of the Craftsman manual on Fee Bay which I guess would be better than a sharp stick in the eye, but I'd rather have an original printed manual.
 
See if this link works...
 

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Hawkeye said:
They're a fascinating machine. Almost as captivating as a shaper. Mine is missing the moving portion of the vise, and the weight on the saw. That's one heavy chunk of cast you've got there.

When you get it back together, keep in mind that it cuts on the pull, not the push. Took me a while to figure out that the blade lifter works best that way.
Click to expand...
Mine works on the push, not the pull. What makes you say that?
Mine's not a craftsman, but it does cut on the push.
I remember trying it on pull to see, and it did not work well.
 
Odd, mine cuts on the pull also.
 
It is listed as a draw cut saw, doesn't draw cut = cutting on the pull stroke?

Off the top of my head I can't say for sure which way mine cuts.
 
That's the way I read it too. Once I get mine put back together, I'll post back on which way it cuts best.
 
The Craftsman/ Covel is a draw cut saw... the slide is lifted on the push stroke... I'd have to study the mechanics to determine whether that could feasibly be reversed, although I don't know why you would want to.

-Bear
 
guys, I agree after looking at the manual that machine works on push. I don't have the same machine.
I have a smaller benchtop. Mine does not work that way. It jumps all around when working on the pull.

you can close the discussion on pull/push. at the time, I hadn't seen the instructions. And I know from some experience with mine, and some large ones (that I had experience with), that also worked on push.
 
Got things together enough to test drive it today. Initially I was hugely disappointed - twisted the blade and popped it off. Tried a wide Starrett power blade and it popped that off too.

Then I rewatched a video of one running and realized the bull gear was rotating the wrong direction. Doh! :dunno: Reversed the rotation on the motor and it works MUCH better.

Blade lifter mechanism needs some adjustment and it's missing the gib between the main slide and the lifting arm. Suggestions on options for that?

BTW, mine cuts on the push stroke.
 
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