squaring blade to TS top

[Igor]

My basically new Dewalt TS *seems* to have a warped top, and I don't know what to do about it, if anything -- and how to proceed with the retailer, Woodcraft, and with DeWalt. The first indication was when I started ripping pieces 1.5" wide and noticed with a gauge a difference between the top and bottom thicknesses.

When I got the saw from the local Woodcraft store, I "carefully" squared everything up and all was well until I noticed that while the blade was square to the table from the left side, it was not square on the right. To be sure about this (and as an excuse for a new gadget), I bought the "Angle Perfect II" from Woodcraft.

arrived yesterday and last night I confirmed the difference, right side of the blade and left. I don't have feeler gauges, but I would estimate the gap at about 0.005 -- a bit wider than a piece of paper at one of the Angle Perfect's touch points versus the other (about 1" distance between them). For this process, I put on the saw a never-used (thin kerf) Forrest WW I blade, cranked all the way up.

Now, all this being said, is it possible that what I am seeing is simply a variation in the blade? Does it gradually get thicker all the way from the center to the edges? If so, for the best setup, should I set the blade angle to compromise left to right?

As for the table, I don't have an engineer's straight edge, but using a variety of metal bars that I have, it does seem that there is a dip in the table to the right of the blade - about enough to slip a piece of standard typing paper under. Does this warrant a replacement from DeWalt?

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

-- Igor

[Bay Area Dave]

If DeWalt's tolerances for warranty replacement are somewhat similar to Delta's, than you won't get a replacement for a .005 discrepancy. It would have to be out IIRC, at LEAST twice that before they would replace the top.

If you just bought it at retail, talk to Woodcraft about your concerns. Minor variations in tops (I don't know if yours is cast or not) is an inevitable fact of life for all but the most expensive saws. I'm not talking even about a $2,000 one either; I mean REALLY, really expensive. Sometimes the warpage occurs from the top being bolted to the cabinet. If the warpage is gentle, shimming underneath the top can correct that in some cases.

Many woodworkers routinely cut wood with saws with more than .005 of "dish". Welcome to my world. :)

dave

Igor wrote:

[George]

If I'm reading you correctly, you have a bit of a bevel on your rips? If so, might I suggest you try getting the insert perfectly flush to the table, or below, resquaring same, and seeing what happens. To get square, you only need the fence side square, if you're pushing on that side, as most of us do. It doesn't matter if it touches the off side or not.

It is certainly a common problem to have warped inserts. More common than badly dished tops, one would hope. Get that straight edge, crank the blade down, and then see if it's not the insert.

SNIP

[Igor]

[Igor]

Thanks. The top is cast iron. I just went and measured the distance between the two touch points on the Perfect Angle and they are actually only 5/8" apart. So, that's est. 0.005 at 5/8", which works out to over

1/64" (0.02) for a 2.5" cut. Still might be under the tolerance. In any event, I suppose I should get feeler gauges to be precise on the gap before going to DeWalt and Woodcraft.

[Jim Wilson]

The problem with the tool is not significant, and shouldn't affect the quality of your work at all. I seriously doubt Woodcraft or DeWalt can or will do anything to address the problem, but one or both might do something to appease you as a customer.

However, the real issue is that you need a different approach to aligning the saw. Don't try to set the blade square to the table. Huh!? But that's right. You want to set blade so it cuts square. Make test cuts on scrap and adjust the blade angle so that the resulting cut is square. Don't forget to joint the bottom of the scrap, first.

That said, you nonetheless should be able to reduce the table's apparent flatness error, since it is so small. I am not familiar with this particular model, so I can't be sure. If it is possible, the fix will go something like this: Remove all the fasteners and other hardware that attach the table to the base. (A check for flatness at this point will reveal whether the majority of the error is in the table itself or, more likely, in the way it is mounted on the base.) Inspect the mounting points, remove any burrs, and correct any other other defects you might notice. After this is done, shim or file the mounting points as needed such that when the table is tightened down, it's flat. It may be necessary to file an angle on one or more mounting points, or to use angled shims. It will probably take several iterations to achieve the level of flatness that you want.

Hope this helps, and good luck!

Jim

[Bay Area Dave]

that sounds like a lot of warp in a short distance!

dave

Igor wrote: