DIYbanter - View Single Post - 5-cut method misconception

Leon[_7_]

On 10/2/2013 7:25 AM, wrote:
***The below is referring to the 5-cut method of squaring a table saw sled fence to 90 degrees.

Unless I am mistaken, it is a misconception to think that the 5-cut method squares your table saw blade to the sled fence. What it really does is square your fence to 90 degrees of the direction of travel (miter track). If the blade was angled by a small amount the process would still align the fence 90 degrees to the direction of sled travel.

If the table saw blade were a cutting laser projecting 90 degrees to the table, the 5-cut method would still work. Because this is true, the thought that the 5-cut method squares your fence 90 degrees to a blade can not be true.

Am I missing something? I know it's picky but it makes me cringe when people make that claim.

Your thoughts are mostly correct. With the assumption that the saw is
set up precisely to begin with, the 5 cut works for squaring the miter
fence to the blade "ONLY" if the blade is parallel to the miter guide
slot to begin with. It does this by squaring the miter fence to the
direction of travel, therefore the blade is square to the miter fence also.

If you blade is parallel to the miter slot to start with it works, if
not it does not.