After reading your response in the Nov 5 – Nov 17¸ 2002 issue, I got to thinking about my Craftsman 12″ table saw. It was “Sears Best” back when I bought it new in the mid 1970s. I noticed that it has a direct drive blade. Is this a bad thing? I would like to start doing some woodworking again. I am 63 and do not have the money to start over again. The saw has not been used very much. Can it be tuned to be a useful and accurate tool?
Michael Dresdner: Most likely. I had an old Walker Turner table saw with a direct drive and it was a dream to work with — quiet, powerful, low vibration, and accurate. The Achilles heel of these machines is the bearings. If the motor bearings are in good shape (and they almost never are after decades), it will run great. I replaced the bearings in my Walker Turner and it tuned up like a champ. Wish I still had it….
