The throat plate adjustment screws on my DeWalt table saw are looser than I'd like and go out of adjustment.  

What can I put on the threads to hold them in place and still allow future adjustment?

 

Thanks

Edited November 22, 20178 yr by Ron Dudelston
tags added

blue loctite

 

not red, that stuff is permanent.

fingernail polish...

I was going out to get some Locktite blue when I remembered a box of MIsc items I got at a garage sale a year or two ago. It had Johnsons paste wax, WD 40, windshield cleaner, etc. Got it for 2 bucks. They just wanted rid of it. I looked in it today and found two bottles of Locktite, one red and one blue. Hows that for luck

I would go with the fingernail polish also.

if you use the locktite let it thoroughly dry on the screw before you install it...

In case anyone else has this problem, I've heard CA(super-) glue while it has good tensile strength, it has little shear strength.  So while it's tough to pull apart (remember the ads where a guy glues his helmet to a crane?) it does not hold well under lateral force.

 

Fingernail polish works....for a while. A few uses of the screws will negate any tightening effects. Loc Tite is better but, not by much. It too, loses it's effectiveness. 

I've found plumbers teflon tape, while a PITA to wrap, works better than either polish or Loc Tite. 

Thanks.......all good answers

When I can't find anything else I take a  hammer and dent the last threads to go in , not the first for a reason.

1 hour ago, Stick486 said:

if you use the locktite let it thoroughly dry on the screw before you install it...

Not the preferred method if the threads and thread bore are clean and oil free. To insure that, squirt with 90% rubbing alcohol (70% will work but 90's best) and air or blow dry. A good quality ether (engine starting fluid) works great too and dries rapidly.

 

Locktites (blue, red, green) are all anaerobic type sealers and work when the air is removed through the interference fit between the fastener and thread bore. There are fasteners available with pre-applied Loctite bands but they're a one time use fastener.

Never heard of Loctite green Dave.  Will have to look it up.

Cal

bubblegum in a pinch

 

31 minutes ago, clhyer said:

Never heard of Loctite green Dave.  Will have to look it up.

Cal

Loctite Bearing Mount 620 is Green in color as is Threadlocker 290. There may be others but these two I'm familiar with and have used extensively in both my Ag & Manufacturing career. One thing I should have pointed out, all of these sealants have a shelf life (usually about 2 years). After the expiration life, the properties are less stable and may not work as stated. In Ron's application, he's OK, but in heavy equipment and engine manufacturing, the expiration date on these products was highly scrutinized and audited continually for conformance.

 

 

John Deere published this conversion chart a few years back converting their part numbers to Loctite's ID. A very useful chart, but a fairly large PDF file.

 

http://www.loctite.ph/php/content_data/LT4041_AAM_Deere_Brochure.pdf

Edited August 29, 20178 yr by Grandpadave52

22 minutes ago, HandyDan said:

bubblegum in a pinch

 

Now I thought sure you or somebody would have said...Duct Tape

The screws are very small and appear to have metric thread. Very difficult to put teflon tape on, especially with large bent fingers. I put some blue on and hope not to adjust for a long time. The reason I asked was that I cut a few 45s for a small picture frame. Perfect from the front. However looking at the joints on the side........not so good. It was a small frame and the pieces rested mostly on the throat plate. So I checked level.......throat plate to the saw bed and immediately saw the problem. 

 Again, I appreciate getting solutions and suggestions from all. Keep it up, we have a great thing going here at PWW

Ron, @Grandpadave52 provided a great reference tool.  After spending a few minutes in the catalog I came across a couple possibilities that seem "made for you".

Personally, I would try the stripped thread repair.  If you don't have a John Deere dealer nearby you might be able to order it from an auto supply.

Cal

 

 

In searching for the Loctite thread repair kit to buy, found that it's available thru Amazon. While rooting around there, I ran across this Loctite product for firearm repair. Looks like it might be just the ticket for those smaller screws.

STICKER SHOCK!!. But, check out the shear strength.

Edited August 29, 20178 yr by Gene Howe

2 minutes ago, Gene Howe said:

STICKER SHOCK!!. But, check out the tensile strength.

As are most Loctite products, but they are that good too...You priced the 250ML bottle...you would have to be using a LOT of this to warrant that size of container...

 

How about this one? 

Is This Better?