Archived from the Tools In Action forum (Power Tools). This thread is read-only.
Greetings,
New to the site. Site would not allow me to type an intro. So, now living in Nicaragua. Power tools are expensive, difficult to import, and warranties/servicing non-existent. Hope to use the site for informed purchases and tech assistance (maintenance, repair) to keep my aging collection alive. Apologies if a repeat post. My first try (while unregistered) seems to have not been posted.
My 40 year old Makita circular saw (5007NB) was working yesterday but not today. I suspect worn brushes. Possibly also the commutator as has been my experience with other brushed motors. Over the years I have replaced the brushes 3-4 times. As a first step I disassembled the saw to check the condition of the commutator. From the attached photo, any thoughts about the saw being salvageable given its appearance: clean it; new brushes; the white bushing (cracked, how important is it?). Maybe get a few more years out of it. I can order parts (brushes) from the US or Canada and have a friend bring them the next visit (not anytime soon). Would it be worth it? Many thanks. Alan
Alan
Answering my inquiry, yes, salvageable. YouTube to the rescue once again. Chucked the armature in a drill supporting the bearing near the commutator, removed the ridges/nicks with a flat file, and “polished” with 600 sandpaper. The miracle was finding new brushes. Resigned to use a $1 pair from the “China Mall” that would have to be sanded down to fit, I stopped by a small construction materials yard on the way home in a sort of what-the-heck last ditch effort. The owner brought out a 2 gallon pail of assorted brushes and dumped them on the counter. A few minutes of shuffling through a couple of hundred or so packages and, iVoilá, a generic version of the CB154 brushes for $3. Runs great and pressure is off for a replacement anytime soon.
Welcome to the forum.
Sorry I missed your OP. I would have told you it can / should be cleaned up.
There will now be less sparking and less brush wear now.