Hi Mike
Signs of serious misalignment problems really isn't the issue. The issue is
what you can live with in the way of error when putting a project together.
To be honest I really don't know how much of a throw down a .014" gap is
going to give you but I suspect, not a lot.
The only real way you are going to be able to tell is when it comes time to
assemble something.
If you were lining up the miter slot to the blade, ripping stock against the
fence isn't going to give you any kind of an indication of how well the saw
is lined up since it's perfectly possible, with fences I'm familiar with, to
adjust them so they are parallel to the blade regardless of what the miter
slot is doing. The test is to set your miter gauge at 90 degrees to the
blade and cross cut something.
Take the two pieces, flip one over, put the two cut ends together. How close
they mate with the boards forming a straight edge is the measure of how good
the line up is.
Good luck
--
Mike G.
Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net
"Silvan" wrote in message
...
I'm trying to line up my new saw as best I can without buying any fancy
dongles to take ultra precise measurements.
Today's project was getting the blade lined up parallel to the miter
slots.
I sharpened a pencil to a tiny point, marked a tooth, then clamped the
pencil to my miter gauge. Moving pencil and tooth to the back of the
table, there was a significant gap.
After dicking around with the six bolts and wiggling around on the saw
guts
for a couple of hours, the best I was able to accomplish is that there is
still a 0.014" gap between the pencil point and the marked tooth at the
back of the table. I could never manage to get it closer than that and
keep it there while the bolts were tightened back up.
Unfortunately, the gap indicates that the blade is closer to the rip fence
at the back than at the front, which is really seriously not cool. Still,
I don't see what else I can do about it. This was the product of much
fiddling, and it was hard to get it even this close. (BTW, the rip fence
is to the right of the blade. I was using the left miter slot.)
I don't have much lumber on hand to do test cuts with, but I tried a piece
of 4/4 red oak about 3' long. I ripped a strip 1" wide and measured it at
various points with dial calipers. It's damn close. The difference in
measurement from point to point is less than I can measure without a
micrometer, though there *is* some minute variation. Theer were no burn
marks at all, no binding, no feeling of impending kickback, and it was a
very smooth cut.
So what does the Wreck say? Keep dicking with it or leave it alone until
I
see burn marks and other indications of a serious alignment problem?
Maybe
try some 6/4 or larger and see how that changes things...
--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/