Shop Tips
Workshop tip: Tired of dropping your arbor nut? Add a magnet
A rare-earth magnet on the end of the arbor saves you from searching for a dropped nut.
Every time I used to switch blades on my tablesaw, I would dread dropping the arbor nut into the dust-filled cabinet below. I solved the problem with a rare-earth disk magnet, simply attaching it to the end of the arbor with a drop of cyanoacrylate glue. Clean the steel first with rubbing alcohol and center the magnet as best you can. Not only does the magnet catch the nut when it comes loose, but it also makes it easier to start threading on the nut. In case you’re wondering, my tablesaw is a SawStop, and the magnet hasn’t caused any problems with the touch-sensing technology.
—FRED BECK, Denver, Colo.
Illustrations by Dan Thornton
From Fine Woodworking issue #286
Comments
That is a very good tip and I am glad you mentioned you had a Sawstop because that was the first thing that entered my head before I finished reading through your tip!
This is a good tip but beware. I tried this using a 3/8" dia. rare-earth magnet and found the magnet was a bit too strong. The attractive forces made it somewhat difficult to remove and re-install the arbor nut and saw blades. I intend to try this again using a smaller, less powerful magnet (1/4" or 1/8" dia.). This should provide just enough magnetism to keep the arbor nut from falling but no so much that it adds time and hassle to blade changing operations.
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