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/

Silvan,

I have to ask how you aligned your miter gauge before clamping your
reference pencil to it. That may be the error you're seeing now.

Bob S.


"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/

"Bob S." wrote in message
...
Silvan,

I have to ask how you aligned your miter gauge before clamping your
reference pencil to it. That may be the error you're seeing now.

That will make no difference.

Seems to me it wouldn't matter how the miter gauge was aligned. Even if you
had the guage at, say 29 degrees, the difference between the pencil point
and the blade at the front or back of the blade would be the same.

Silvan, did you try tapping hardwood wedges between the trunions as you
tightened the bolts back down? Maybe you could get it moved over enough so
that, even though you might still have an .014 gap or so, at least the blade
would be further from the fence at the back of the blade. I'm not saying
that it should be, just that it would be better that way it seems. Ideally
(and of course by reading your post I can tell you already know this), the
blade should be (nearly) perfectly aligned with the miter guage slots, and
any desired variance between the blade and fence should be adjusted at the
fence.

Larry

"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/

Larry,

If he used a used a try square to align the miter head to the blade, the
head would be at one position (angle to the blade) and when it's holding a
pencil, it's used at the front of the blade and then at the rear. The
difference will be more/less as the gauge is moved along the blade. With
the miter aligned to the blade while it's out of adjustment and then using
it to try and align the slot to the blade is not going to work.

He could turn the miter gauge upside down in the slot and align the head
with the front edge of the table. Then reverse it and put it in the slot
upside down again at the rear edge and see if there's a difference. If so,
then the slot is not perpendicular to the edges referenced.

So saying it doesn't make a difference is not exactly correct - right?

Bob S.


"Lawrence R Horgan" wrote in message
...
Seems to me it wouldn't matter how the miter gauge was aligned. Even if
you
had the guage at, say 29 degrees, the difference between the pencil point
and the blade at the front or back of the blade would be the same.

Irrespective of the angle of the miter head the distance of anything fixed
to it should be the same when the head is moved between the front and rear
of the blade. As was originally stated a marked tooth is being used as the
reference, there bye eliminating any eccentricity of the mounting boss.
When the blade is truly parallel to the miter slot it may not be at 90 deg.
to the front of the table but the fence has adjustment to compensate for
this.

Though a dial indicator is the recommended tool feeler gauges work just as
well.

Bernard R

"Bob S." wrote in message
.. .
Larry,

If he used a used a try square to align the miter head to the blade, the
head would be at one position (angle to the blade) and when it's holding a
pencil, it's used at the front of the blade and then at the rear. The
difference will be more/less as the gauge is moved along the blade. With
the miter aligned to the blade while it's out of adjustment and then using
it to try and align the slot to the blade is not going to work.

He could turn the miter gauge upside down in the slot and align the head
with the front edge of the table. Then reverse it and put it in the slot
upside down again at the rear edge and see if there's a difference. If
so,
then the slot is not perpendicular to the edges referenced.

So saying it doesn't make a difference is not exactly correct - right?

Bob S.


"Lawrence R Horgan" wrote in message
...
Seems to me it wouldn't matter how the miter gauge was aligned. Even if
you
had the guage at, say 29 degrees, the difference between the pencil
point
and the blade at the front or back of the blade would be the same.

Bernard,

Think about it... The table top (miter slots) are not parallel to the
blade - hence the distance from a point on the front of the blade and a
reference point on the miter gauge head will be more/less as the miter gauge
is moved to the rear of the blade. Do you need a drawing to visualize it ?
ASCII art below is exaggerated but shows what I mean. As the Ref point
moves towards the rear of the blade the distance from Ref point to the blade
is less. Now if the miter gauge head is not perpendicular to the slot, that
introduces even more error as well and if the slot is not perpendicular to
the table edge - more error is introduced.



| | \ \
| | \ \
| | \ \
| | \ \
|------------| \ \
Ref \ \

Miter Slot - Head Blade


Bob S.


"Bernard Randall" wrote in message
...
Irrespective of the angle of the miter head the distance of anything fixed
to it should be the same when the head is moved between the front and rear
of the blade. As was originally stated a marked tooth is being used as
the
reference, there bye eliminating any eccentricity of the mounting boss.
When the blade is truly parallel to the miter slot it may not be at 90
deg.
to the front of the table but the fence has adjustment to compensate for
this.

Though a dial indicator is the recommended tool feeler gauges work just as
well.

Bernard R

"Bob S." wrote in message
.. .
Larry,

If he used a used a try square to align the miter head to the blade, the
head would be at one position (angle to the blade) and when it's holding
a
pencil, it's used at the front of the blade and then at the rear. The
difference will be more/less as the gauge is moved along the blade.
With
the miter aligned to the blade while it's out of adjustment and then
using
it to try and align the slot to the blade is not going to work.

He could turn the miter gauge upside down in the slot and align the head
with the front edge of the table. Then reverse it and put it in the
slot
upside down again at the rear edge and see if there's a difference. If
so,
then the slot is not perpendicular to the edges referenced.

So saying it doesn't make a difference is not exactly correct - right?

Bob S.


"Lawrence R Horgan" wrote in message
...
Seems to me it wouldn't matter how the miter gauge was aligned. Even
if
you
had the guage at, say 29 degrees, the difference between the pencil
point
and the blade at the front or back of the blade would be the same.

Bernard,

Think about it... The table top (miter slots) are not parallel to the
blade - hence the distance from a point on the front of the blade and a
reference point on the miter gauge head will be more/less as the miter
gauge
is moved to the rear of the blade. Do you need a drawing to visualize it
?
ASCII art below is exaggerated but shows what I mean. As the Ref point
moves towards the rear of the blade the distance from Ref point to the
blade
is less. Now if the miter gauge head is not perpendicular to the slot,
that
introduces even more error as well and if the slot is not perpendicular to
the table edge - more error is introduced.


Yes...HOWEVER, this has nothing to do with the angle of the miter
GAUGE...not the miter SLOT.

The angle of the miter gauge doesn't matter for checking the blade to the
slots for the same reason that you can actually cut a miter with said gauge
after the table is aligned to the slot.

Mike

Bob S.

I read all the posts and I didn;t see anyone nitpicking, nor did I see
anyone looking for a fight. Look, the miter guage issue is an aside. Let's
just forget that.

Silvan ALREADY KNOWS how to adjust his saw, you can tell by reading his
post. His only real problem is that, he gets his adjustment correct but then
it changes when he tightens down the hardware. This is not uncommon. About
16 years ago I adjusted mine. I bet it took me 3 hours. Once I got it where
I wanted it, I'm almost embarrassed to say, I never checked it again
(because I didn;t wnat to go through the hassle again). It performs
beautifully for me, so I don;t mess with it or check it. The point of this
little "aside" is only to say I can sympathize with Silvan's frustration.

--
Americans

"Bob S." wrote in message
.. .
Larry,

If he used a used a try square to align the miter head to the blade, the
head would be at one position (angle to the blade) and when it's holding a
pencil, it's used at the front of the blade and then at the rear. The
difference will be more/less as the gauge is moved along the blade. With
the miter aligned to the blade while it's out of adjustment and then using
it to try and align the slot to the blade is not going to work.

He could turn the miter gauge upside down in the slot and align the head
with the front edge of the table. Then reverse it and put it in the slot
upside down again at the rear edge and see if there's a difference. If
so,
then the slot is not perpendicular to the edges referenced.

So saying it doesn't make a difference is not exactly correct - right?

Bob S.


"Lawrence R Horgan" wrote in message
...
Seems to me it wouldn't matter how the miter gauge was aligned. Even if
you
had the guage at, say 29 degrees, the difference between the pencil
point
and the blade at the front or back of the blade would be the same.

Lawrence R Horgan wrote:

Silvan ALREADY KNOWS how to adjust his saw, you can tell by reading his
post. His only real problem is that, he gets his adjustment correct but
then it changes when he tightens down the hardware. This is not uncommon.

Right. There seems to be some kind of self-centering action going on here.
To mitigate this, I tried jacking up the whole blade carriage gizmo (the
trunions?) from directly below the arbor, to keep it flush with the bottom
of the table while loosening the bolts. I wiggled it into position with
all six bolts extremely loose, and it seemed to be pretty nearly dead on
(plus or minus less than a sheet of origami paper.) Then when I tightened
everything up, it was right smack back where I started.

Good points raised elsewhere about how ripping is no indication in of
itself. My crosscuts seemed to be pretty well dead on, but then I thought
to try the *other* slot, and now I see how severe the problem is.
Crosscutting with the left slot, the results are excellent, but no cutting
or contact whatsoever takes place on the far side of the blade. Switch to
the right slot, and the work binds horribly on the far side of the cut as
the blade digs in at an angle. The resulting cut is slanted.

I could slant the fence the same way, and only use the left miter slot, but
that's not really acceptable. Back to the drawing board.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/

Lawrence R Horgan wrote:

Silvan ALREADY KNOWS how to adjust his saw, you can tell by reading his

Crikey. What a mess I started!

OK, let's try this on for size. I got a dial indicator, and I bought four
cap screws. I'm going to fabricate my own version of the PALS system for
$2 in materials (using angle iron I already have) and see if that works. I
think it just might.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/

I've been watching this thread with some intent now, because it's kinda
funny. Silvan, it's been so long since I've seen the original post, what
kind of saw is it? Is it possible the trunion bolts have molded (for lack of
a better word) themselves to the trunion, making indentions in it, causing
it to go back to the same location? Could you not try different size washers
on the bolts? It sort of makes sense to me. BTW, who do you drive for? I
know your a stick hauler.

--
"Cartoons don't have any deep meaning.
They're just stupid drawings that give you a cheap laugh."
Homer Simpson
Jerry© The Phoneman®
"Silvan" wrote in message
...
Lawrence R Horgan wrote:

Silvan ALREADY KNOWS how to adjust his saw, you can tell by reading his

Crikey. What a mess I started!

OK, let's try this on for size. I got a dial indicator, and I bought four
cap screws. I'm going to fabricate my own version of the PALS system for
$2 in materials (using angle iron I already have) and see if that works.
I
think it just might.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/

Silvan wrote:

Lawrence R Horgan wrote:

Silvan ALREADY KNOWS how to adjust his saw, you can tell by reading his

Crikey. What a mess I started!

OK, let's try this on for size. I got a dial indicator, and I bought four
cap screws. I'm going to fabricate my own version of the PALS system for
$2 in materials (using angle iron I already have) and see if that works. I
think it just might.

Probably. I had to file my PALS brackets (Delta CS model) to make them
fit properly.

Michael,

I'm sure the genius will jump on in here and correct me but before that
happens consider that by using the PALS you may be masking the problem. The
alignment of the saw depends on the undercarriage being square and true to
the table. Bosses on the trunnions must be flat, the tie-bar alignment must
not be putting torque on the trunnions and other adjustments come into play
to insure the alignment is correct or you'll forever be fighting it.

Advise you to do a search on "tablesaw alignments" . Here's one that Steve
Strickland wrote http://www.puzzlecraft.com/Projects/HTMAP/07saw.htm that
may help open your eyes to what is at play.

It's a good article and doing a search will uncover many more for you to get
ideas. As I said earlier, do yourself a favor and turn the table over and
fix the problem - don't mask it and introduce more problems.

Bob S.

"Silvan" wrote in message
...
Lawrence R Horgan wrote:

Silvan ALREADY KNOWS how to adjust his saw, you can tell by reading his

Crikey. What a mess I started!

OK, let's try this on for size. I got a dial indicator, and I bought four
cap screws. I'm going to fabricate my own version of the PALS system for
$2 in materials (using angle iron I already have) and see if that works.
I
think it just might.

--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/

Silvan wrote:
Lawrence R Horgan wrote:


Silvan ALREADY KNOWS how to adjust his saw, you can tell by reading his


Crikey. What a mess I started!


Are you happy now??

Well, are you?



OK, let's try this on for size. I got a dial indicator, and I bought four
cap screws. I'm going to fabricate my own version of the PALS system for
$2 in materials (using angle iron I already have) and see if that works. I
think it just might.



You really want to stir things up, don't you?

You *have to* spend money on the aligning tool, not because you need to but
because , well, you just won't be part of the gang if you don't. No, you wont!


--

Mark

N.E. Ohio


Never argue with a fool, a bystander can't tell you apart. (S. Clemens, A.K.A.
Mark Twain)

When in doubt hit the throttle. It may not help but it sure ends the suspense.
(Gaz, r.moto)

To get the clean cuts with no tooth marks and a smooth surface, pretty anal
is helpful.. Usually in the .000 to .003 range for the blade being parallel
to the miter slots from the front of the blade to the back of the blade as
you measured.
Have you tried your cuts yet? Maybe your cuts are good enough for you. If
you are not happy, keep at it.

Silvan wrote:
Group: rec.woodworking Date: Sun, Feb 29, 2004, 8:04pm From:
(Silvan)
I'm trying to line up my new saw as best I can without buying any fancy
dongles to take ultra precise measurements.
snip
************************************************** ****
There are inexpensive dial indicators which you can clamp to your miter
gauge, if you are really serious about obtaining the best alignment
possible.

Peace ~ Sir Edgar
=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F 8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=
=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8=F8

(Silvan)
I'm trying to line up my new saw as best I can without buying any fancy
dongles to take ultra precise measurements.

Keep trying. You don't need fancy dongles to take ultra precise measurements,
just a set of feeler gauges and a combination square. Tom, still gleaning.
Someday, it'll all be over....

A .014" gap is significant. I'd fuss over it to get it closer. Your
saw will give you better performance. Adjusting a table saw is a lot
easier than a band saw tune up!

On Sun, 29 Feb 2004 20:04:13 -0500, Silvan
wrote:

\
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.
Then Barry wrote:
I think you're close, but what do you mean by "minute variation"?

It's pronounced MY-NOOT, and it means small or miniscule. Sylvan, the
variation you tried to measure on the 3 foot test rip won't tell you much. But
try a crosscut on a ten inch wide piece with a sled, and you'll see the effects
of your saw's maladjustment. Careful! Tom
Someday, it'll all be over....

On Sun, 29 Feb 2004 20:04:13 -0500, Silvan
scribbled:
snip
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.
snip
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...

One thought - is the mitre gauge (miter gage, Keith) slot milled
straight or is there some bow in it? Might be worth checking first.
0.014" sounds like a lot over the width of the blade. It's almost
1/64". I'm surprised you're not getting any burning.

Luigi
Replace "nonet" with "yukonomics" for real email address
www.yukonomics.ca/wooddorking/antifaq.html
www.yukonomics.ca/wooddorking/humour.html

You said:

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.)

From your post, I infer that you are trying to align a contractor saw.
If I guessed right, go to Woodcraft.com and purchase a PALS alignment
system for your saw (under $30 including shipping). You will now be
able to adjust your contractors saw to the tolerances you need.

I have no ties to the manufacturer or Woodcraft but I am a satisfied
customer who dialed in his Craftsman table saw using the system in
under an hour.

In article ,
says...
From your post, I infer that you are trying to align a contractor saw.
If I guessed right, go to Woodcraft.com and purchase a PALS alignment
system for your saw (under $30 including shipping). You will now be
able to adjust your contractors saw to the tolerances you need.

I can heartily agree with that. I've got a no-name import
bought many years ago from HomeBase and I had a lot of alignment
problems till I bought the PALS system. A very simple but
elegant solution. Try it, you'll like it :-).

--
Where ARE those Iraqi WMDs?

Larry Blanchard wrote in message ...
In article ,
says...
From your post, I infer that you are trying to align a contractor saw.
If I guessed right, go to Woodcraft.com and purchase a PALS alignment
system for your saw (under $30 including shipping). You will now be
able to adjust your contractors saw to the tolerances you need.

I can heartily agree with that. I've got a no-name import
bought many years ago from HomeBase and I had a lot of alignment
problems till I bought the PALS system. A very simple but
elegant solution. Try it, you'll like it :-).

Let me be the third to agree. The PALS alignment gizmo will
help first to nudge the trunnion over to where you want it to
be and second to hold it there while you tighten it down.
It worked for me.
Ken

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/

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.

Snip

Until I got my $25 magnetic dial indicator, here's what I did:

My miter gauge had some slots on the vertical surface (the "back") of
it. I screwed a piece of 2x4 onto the miter gauge so that the end of
the 2x was about a half inch from the blade. I screwed a screw into
the end grain (on the blade side) of the 2x until there was about a
half inch sticking out. Pick a saw blade tooth and bring it to the
height of the screw. Screw or unscrew until the screw head is just
touching the blade. Mark tooth with tape, crayon, blood, etc. Slide
2x to the back of the blade and rotate mark to where the screw hits
the marked tooth in the back of the blade. Adjust as necessary. Pick
another saw tooth and repeat.

I've never adjusted a saw such as yours (nice neener, BTW), but I
would think that the process of adjusting your saw table would be
pretty much the same as mine. There's a few bolts holding the table
to the base, right? Loosen some (or almost all) of them and twist the
whole table surface until the miter slots are parallel with the blade.
Then, carefully tighten bolts down. It took me about an hour to do
mine.

Incidentally, my 2x4 screw method (that I think I got from Charlie
Self--thanks, Charlie) proved to have less than .001" deviation as
measured with my cheap-ass dial indicator. Knowing that, I still use
the ol' 2x4 screw method for periodic checks of my miter slots. It's
easier than the dial indicator.

I would say that .014" is kinda a lot, though. If you're not getting
any burning, it may be that the rip fence is parallel to the blade,
but not to the saw table. Or maybe that the carbide hangs over the
edge of the blade by that much.

My brother-in-law called my saw Old Smoky for a while there.

Hope it helps, Sylvan.

-Phil Crow

I also had trouble holding the alignment while tightening the trunion
bolts. Until the wreck suggested to rig up something similar to a PALS
system, after that, no problem-o.
-george

Silvan,

After re-reading your post I see that it is a new saw, as such I would be
very inclined to return it to the vendor and have him fix the problem.

Personally I have never liked using a miter gauge for cross cutting I just
don't think there is enough support and the actual fulcrum point is too far
away from the blade. My own saw is a sliding table and I have a 40" home
made fence, however when I was working abroad and used the company's hobby
shop, I made a sled and that works resonably well, certainly much better and
safer than a single miter gauge.

Bernard R

"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/

Silvan wrote in message ...
Snip
I could never manage to get it closer than that and
keep it there while the bolts were tightened back up.

Hi Silvan,

You seem to have gotten a lot of advice on how to measure the gap but
very little on how to solve the problem of keeping everything aligned
when you tighten the bolts. Things to try:
1) Tighten one bolt at a time and check the alignment after each bolt
is tightened. It may be there are one or two bolts that are pulling
things back out of alignment. If so, tighten the offending bolts last
and just snug them up – don't get them as tight as the rest.
2) How loose were the bolts when you made the adjustment? Try moving
things around while the bolts are just barely loose so that you can
tap everything into place with a wooden mallet. It could be there is
a small gap somewhere that is causing some flexing when the bolts are
tightened. Keeping the iron in tension should help.
3) Sit down, relax for a while, and then call customer service. Maybe
this one should be first. :-)
4) Return it and get a different one. If there is a flaw in the
manufacturing process that is causing the alignment problem, then it
will always be causing you headaches. Getting a placement will let
you know if the problem is in the design or manufacture.

Good Luck,

Weldon