scroll saw levelling

[smandel]

Hello all,

I'm looking for feedback on the best way to level a scrollsaw so the blade is exactly perpendicular. I've tried several methods

1 - using an engineers square and a white piece of paper to judge the angle

2 - using a digital protractor (the beall tiltbox) - this one stinks

3 - making a cut, turning the piece around, and using the back of the blade as a guide.

4 - cutting out an inside shape, and having it slide out in both directions.

Nos 3 and 4 seem to be the best ways.... I've been able to get the table close, but not perfect. Even when I think I am dead on, I'm not. The goal is to achieve #4 - I'm making puzzles out of .75" to 1.5" stock, and can't seem to get the pieces to fit together in both directions.

I'm using a Delta Shopmaster - the better one (it comes with the base.) Other than this I'm pretty happy with it.

thanks in advance for the insights,

shelly

[smandel]

P.S. The book I'm getting patterns from says that the author has never seen a good leveling system on a scrollsaw, all the way up to the best models. Why is that?

shelly

[Morris Dovey]

Because people are willing to buy 'em without a good leveling system. :)

[Kevin]

That has as much to do with technique as with the setup of the saw. If you put side pressure on the blade while turning you will deflect it and you won't get a perpendicular cut. And cutting 1.5" you can get the blade to bow through the cut such that the top and bottom are lined up but the middle is off and you can't pull out the offcut in either direction.

-Kevin