I got this iron cutter saw for free. The saw was running but it made a loud noise which meant that the bearings were worn out. It was very loud and felt unsafe to use.

I partually disassembled the saw some time ago but other projects got in the way and it ended in a box. Since im having a big cutting/welding project coming up I wanted to repair the saw to use it for that and the later projects.

I bought only the bearings which cost 11,26€ + shipping.

The tools and materials used are:

- Latex gloves

- Old rags for cleaning

- WD40

- Different screws, washers and nuts I had in the garage

- Zip ties

- Tape measure

- Drills

- Drill press

- Random flat iron piece

- 1/2 inch drive socket set

- Self locking pliers

- Bench vice (and machine vice)

- Screwdrivers

- Small hammer

- Rubber mallet

- Two pieces of aluminum

- Wrenches

- Grease

Step 1: Check If No Parts Are Missing

The machine has been sitting in a box for a while and the box was moved a lot so I had to be sure there are no parts missing. The best to do if you're not sure is to try to put all the parts together without screwing them on.

Step 2: Clean the Machine

First I cleaned the machine and all the machine parts. The bearings threw out a lot of grease and it seemed like the previous owner tried to grease it too. So I wiped all of it with old rags which were made from socs cut in half and are the perfect size for a job like this.

I sprayed the dirt that was left behind with WD-40 and let it soak for a minute before I wiped it off. It doesnt have to be perfectly clean but you can better inspect the machine for possible damages and it is nicer to work with clean parts.

I put the smaller parts in a box because it is easy to loose them and it can give you a big headache trying to find them on a bench full of tools.

Step 3: Inspect the Machine and Buy Materials Needed

With a clean machine it was time to inspect all the pieces for cracs or other damages. Since the bearings were bad there could be damage where they were mounted. This was not a problem here so everything was ok. The only noticeable wear was on the graphite brushes but they were still very thick so I left it like it is. They will wear right over time.

This is the point where I decided that it's worth to repair the machine since there was no visible damage. So I made a list of bearings that I needed to buy.

In total there were four bearings, all different sizes. So after listing them I bought them in a web shop and waited untill the package arived.

Step 4: Changing the Bearings - Front of the Motor

I don't have professional tools for bearings removal and the motor front bearing didn't come off with man power alone so I had to make a special tool.

I put the rotor in the vice between two aluminum pieces to prevent damage to the rotor. Then I found two screws that were slightly longer than the distance from unther the bearing to the top of the sprocket and fixed them with a zip tie onto the bearing.

Next I measured the distance between the screws and driled same size holes onto a junk piece of iron. I screwed that piece on top of the rotor, added some more zip ties to prevent screws from moving and then alternately screwed the nuts on top until the bearing came loose.

To put the new bearing on, I found a socket the right size to touch only the inner ring of the bearing, then I held the rotor in hand and hammered the bearing down with a rubber mallet.

Step 5: Changing the Bearings - Back of the Motor

The second bearing I changed was the one on the back of the motor. Since the housing of the motor looks very thin there is no chance of hammering it out. So I took The bigest socket I had (32mm) and it was just the right size so the bearing could fall into it. Then I put a screw from the inside through the bearing and the socket and screwed the bearing out.

To put a new one in I just had to change the setup a little. From the inside I put a washer bigger than the hole and on the outside I put a socket the size of the outer ring of the bearing and then screwed it in and put the cover on.

Then I put the rotor into the motor and sligtly tapped it with a piece of aluminum and a small hammer until it fell into place.

Step 6: Changing the Bearings - Sprocket

These two bearings were the easiest to change. The smaller one I got out with the help of two similarly sized wrenches and I hammered out the bigger one. Then I used a machine vice to put them back in place.

A regular bench vice could be used but you have to be careful that the bearing is perpendicular to the shaft to avoid damage when squeezing it in.

After asembling the parts I put some grease on the sprocket. Now I could finaly put all the parts together.

Step 7: Trying If Everything Is Ok

After assembling all the pieces together it is important to test if everything works as it should, especially the safety mechanisms. This cutter is not a toy and it has a powerful motor so safety is very important when handling such devices.

When I was checking the machine I saw that something was missing and when I looked into the small parts box there really was a part I completely forgot about. This was a stop pin needed for changing the cutting disc. So after a few minutes of deciding what to do I had no other choice than to disassemble the machine one more time and put the pin where it belongs.

Now the machine is complete and ready to use.

Thank you for reading and good luck on future projects.