I would suggest you get a dial indicator (harbor freight has them cheap) and check the flatness of your fence. My shop fox classic fence was bowed in the middle so even though the two ends were alligned to the miter slots, the saw cut horrible. After adding some masking tape for shims, and replacing the plastic face with maple, I'm finally very happy with the saw. Zeke
Thanks. I didn't think of the fence perhaps not being straight. The "Shop Fox Original" is metal and quite substantial.
Question: How does one use a dial indicator to check the fence? Does it slide in the miter slot? I almost bought a magnetic-base dial indicator during Grizzly's summer sale, but didn't because all I could see using it for was testing blade and arbor runout.
Thanks.
-- Mark
I see. Something like this, pointed at the fence.
"George" wrote in news:gxHeb.2788$ snipped-for-privacy@kent.svc.tds.net:
Sure, assuming that the combo is truly square, most aren't, or that you touch at the exact same point across the width of the ruler blade.. not likely. Otherwise in addition to the variety of other problems you introduce the innacuracy of the combo square.
And it would be a fine practice provided you had the proper technique to keep the stock parallel to the blade at the cutting edge and ONLY at the cutting edge. If you guide the stock through ensuring that it is in constant contact with the fence for the entire cut, and if your fence is not correctly parallel you will enduce a taper. There is nothign to be done for it as it is a matter of simple geometry. This could be compensated for with good technique, but since the OP seems to have a number of issues it seems that the simplest is the best. What I suggested was the simplest solution.
You could buy a TS alligner that slides in the miter slot, or do as I did and simply bolt the indicator to a block of wood that has a rail sized for the slot attached to the bottom. Good luck fixing it if you find this is the case. It was a real PITA, and without having a face to shim would have been even worse Zeke
com to net for e-mail
Doesn't have to be perfectly square, just has to be the same length when you move it from one end of the blade to the other. You would be hard pressed to make it otherwise, unless you're running the saw at the time.
Do you have any real knowledge of woodworking?
Or, you could take your combination square, push the broad face firmly against the fence side of the miter slot, move the fence until it just touches the extended rule (or extend the rule out to the fence), then, maintaining the pressure against the miter slot, you could see if you get gaps or hang-ups as you slide fore and aft from your original point.
Not sexy, but absolutely effective. If you care to see how big the gap is, should you discover >
When mounted on a sled, yes it does.
The trueness of the combo square in this application is irrelevant. I can square my blade to the miter slot within .002, guaranteed, with a combo square.
Those are 2 big assumptions. An inexpensive dial indicator
This I will agree with.
Makes no difference for this use.
Easily done.
Otherwise in addition to the variety of other problems you
Has nothing to do with it. A stick on a block works just as well.
"George" wrote in news:Y52fb.2933$ snipped-for-privacy@kent.svc.tds.net:
It doesn't need to be square.. It does need to be parallel. If you feed stock into a blade at an angle you get a taper. The degree of the taper is in direct proportion to the angle.
As to my knowledge of woodworking, your choosing to disparge me without any actual knowledge of me or my experience is a little inappropriate. I gave the OP the solution to his problem. What have you contributed?
"CW" wrote in news:ju4fb.663244$YN5.511092@sccrnsc01:
It IS easily done, however there is no clear indication that it WAS done. IF the combo is out of square, and IF you use the opposite corner as your touch spot you introduce a new error. It is admittedly a small error but an error just the same.Suppose the square was out by 3 degrees, not at all unreasonable. Across the 1" end of the ruler you'd introduce an error of .052" if you used the opposite corners as your touch points. The point of my original post was that a dial indicator was a better choice for the job.. I'd venture to say that one could do a little better than .052 off doing it that way.
A stick and block WOULD work just as well, provided the stick was guaranteed of uniform length. The point was that the average $10.00 combo square with its typically loose blade is NOT guaranteed of a uniform length.
A stick is typically guaranteed to be the same length as itself. Occasionally it will be the same length as another stick. However I have never seen a stick that is a different length than it is.
Same goes with combo squares. They are always as long as themselves, but may be shorter or longer than a starett. You could pay more, but you won't get anything with a better chance of being it's own length.
-Jack
No. Your fence could be out by inches. As long as you keep the wood against it while feeding, it will be cut strait.
"JackD" wrote in news:blk7ku$qee$ snipped-for-privacy@news01.intel.com:
.This thread has gotten a little out of control so this will be my last comment on it.. but
Unless one end were square and the other end were not. Then, depending on what surface of the stick you got your mark it may or may be the same twice. Repeatability is the issue not the length of the stick.
Also not strictly true as if the blade is not square then the end of the rule will be at different (albeight a small difference) distances along it's width. The difference (for a 1" wide blade) would be the sin of the angle that it's out of square by.
Thanks for letting me have the last word.
Of course. You would not be using the stick the long way for one measurement and the short way for the next. That would be stupid. I give the poster the benefit of the doubt on stupidity.
Ah, here is where you are wrong. Even if the blade is not square, the distance to the high point of the blade will always be the same. Since this measurement is a contact measurement, you can't touch the short part of the rule to the blade without the long part of the rule getting in the way. Once again, I give the poster the benefit of the doubt that they are not stupid enough to rotate the rule or change the angle of it. If they are then nothing will help them.
It also goes without saying that you want to rotate the blade to make sure there is no run-out before you take these measurements. The "quality" of the measuring device plays very little part in this as long as it is rigid and can maintain the same (doesn't matter if is it 90 degrees or 84.39 degrees) angle with the slot.
OK, That is it.
Bye!
-Jack
LOL
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.