Which gauges for TS alignment ?

If it didn't work, I guess it would be debatable. Since it does, and has, and anyone reaching far enough to push the offcut into the back of the blade would be a fool, I don't think there's cause for alarm.

Just think of it as creating a shorter blade. The wood does exit at the rear in any case, without the dire effects you imply.

I keep remembering a thread on how to keep the fence on a router table parallel to the cutter. Same thing - only one point counts in cutting.

Reply to
George
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In article , "George" top posts:

That's not what Unisaw is saying.

There certainly will be undesirable effects if the fence is splayed out too much (and I'd say 1/64th is close to too much).

Really? Ever look closely at the waste side of the cut and see burn marks or saw marks arcing upwards? That indicates the rear of the blade was contacting the wood, as it certainly will in the situation Unisaw is speaking of.

Geezus, not me! I need to drop my pants just to count to eleven. :)

Reply to
Jeffrey Thunder

If the fence is clear of the blade? Do you realize that the piece does not touch the blade after it's cut because the edges of the teeth are proud of the surface? Seems everyone has the fence "splayed" after all.

Though there is always a number who can't or won't think, any of you folks who can push a straight board up against another and make one end climb away _without a fulcrum_ get back to me.

NB: I won't allow you to be stupid and push the corner of the board.

Reply to
George

it ain't the body of the blade that's gonna bite ya- it's the teeth on the backside of the cut- those ones that aren't supposed to be cutting at all, the ones rising up out of the saw with all of the vengeance of that 3HP TEFC 220V power behind them and curling around and spitting straight at your face.

you really don't want those teeth rubbing on *either* side of the cut. splitters, riving knife, whatever- use it. and keep the blade aligned with the fence. dead parallel is my preference, but heel it out a few thou if it tickles you. just never let it pinch.

seems you didn't understand the thread too well.

huh?

Reply to
Bridger

Precisely.

Glad you and I concur.

Maybe you should re-read the thread and decide who you want to chide.

Reply to
George

Really? I've ripped wood that wishboned out behind the blade and I've ripped wood that "X"ed behind the blade. I've ripped wood that one side of the cut curled up and some that curled down. Even though you may start with a nice flat board with straight edges and square corners, there can be all kinds of locked up stresses and strains in it which can be released when ripped. The results can be quite surprising. I've got a riving knife that wraps around the back top quarter of the blade as insurance. I often use the Draw-Tite magnetic hold downs/ hold ins as well and a GRRRIPPER for short pieces or narrow strip ripping.

I really hope Jason gets the wood-workers.com site back up. I had a whole section on all the factors I could think of that can contribute to a kickback and then what can be done to minimize the likelyhood of that happening. Some of the factors/parameters are not very obvious - until one of them makes you aware - nothing like a scar to remind one of things not to ever do again.

An example of a less than obvious kickback type - earlier someone posted a message about his push stick kicking back into the palm of his hand. It had sharp corners at the top - a quick and dirty scrap push stick. Those corners lead to six or eight stitches. If the handle had been big and nicely rounded he might have had a bruised, sore hand - but no blood loss or possible nerve damage.

I guess you meant to say "For purposes of this discussion, I won't allow you to be stupid ...". I reserve the right to be as stupid as I choose to be and nobody's gonna take that god-given, constitutional right away from ME! :)

Reply to
charlie b

I think you've misread the point I was making. Here's the set up.

Table saw has fence out of parallel to the blade by 1/64" over it's length.

The operator is pushing a piece of wood against the fence (from the operator's side) and into the whirring blade.

As the wood passes the blade it is still being held against the fence (from the operator's side) and will be held against the fence for the entire cut.

When the wood exits the back side of the whirring blade the freshly cut edge to the fence side is indeed not rubbing against the teeth of the blade.

The other side of the kerf, the side without the fence, is now rubbing against the teeth.

I'm unsure how else to say it without the aid of chalk.

If you are running wood between a turning router bit and a fence you've either got balls the size of church bells or the brain of a gnat.

UA100

Reply to
Unisaw A100

I use a Starrett Dial Indicator on a Magnetic Base to set up the TableSaur, as well as all the other crap that thinks that it needs to be set up proper-like.

It has it's own way of describing the world, which I think is in thousands, but I freely translate them into the tradtional RCH or my current standard, "A Gnat's Ass", "A Little Less Than A Gnat's Ass", or, "A Little More Than A Gnat's Ass".

The "AGA" standard has served me well and acknowledges the fact that wood doesn't think in thousands of an inch but in "Gnat's Asses".

I've been working on an aftermarket overlay for the Starrett that will provide the more useful readout in "GA's" but that is still in the developmentally challenged state.

I look forward to completing this work in the Spring, as the shop is far too cold for this sort of thing right now and the dial indicator is reading in "FGA's" (Frozen Gnats Asses) which are something smaller than "GA's", owing to the shrinkage of the associated members, which I am sure that you are acquainted with, as it is a common problem.

I've been working on an Excel based graphing solution that will give a readout of "AGA" v. "FGA", with a time/temperature curve giving the probable solution - but this work is going slowly.

Thomas J. Watson-Cabinetmaker (ret) Real Email is: tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet Website:

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Reply to
Tom Watson

I use the Harbor Freight dial indicator (#623-0VGA) and it works fine. I also have the HF magnetic base (#5645-0VGA) which I mount the indicator on to check the arbor, flange, and blade runout. I mount the dial indicator to a big 'L' bracket and clamp it to my miter guage to check the miter slot-to-blade, miter slot-to-fence alignment. Both the indicator and base work great, and they're currently on sale at the local HF for $6.99 each. I think the regular price is about $15 or so for each item.

Tom

Reply to
Tom M.

Charlie,

You don't get much of an indicator for $18 retail.

Reply to
Mark

Last chance to get on board. Interspersed.

WRONG - The wood is held tightly against the fence prior to the cut, and the direction of feed is parallel to the blade. If you look at the wood, it's actually free of the fence, where it _might pinch and kick back_ off the blade.

Only if YOU have the brains of a gnat and and reach behind the blade. The rest of us read the books - the same ones that tell of a pinch relief (did you read the instructions for the Jet-Lock on your UA100?) - and know that no pressure is ever applied after the cut. The piece unrestrained.

Now, in a non-nit-picking world, if it gets touched by a tooth, it has room and the tendency to to move laterally out of the way. If you provide relief on the fence side, within limits, the same condition pertains to the dimension piece.

You could try using your eyes to observe what's happening at your saw.

Or you're not through-cutting?

I can see you missed that, even though it was explicitly stated - there is geometrically only one point which defines the width of a piece passing between a cutting object and a fixed obstacle. With the router, it's the easily observed point of tangency, which is why it's a clear analogy, with the tablesaw, it is the point at which the leading tip of the blade exits the wood - unless you're foolish enough to allow it to pinch between the fence and the rising teeth thereafter....

Reply to
George

George, George ... didn't you learn a damn thing in High School? You're not on "the list", dude. Now go back to your bench and practice a little veneration and homage.

Reply to
Swingman

George, you're not making sense. It doesn't happen the way you describe it -- unless your fence is bent or if you don't use it to guide the workpiece. Otherwise, if the wood doesn't bend when cut (yeah, big if), then the work stays against the fence for its entire length. The gap occurs between the workpiece and rising teeth of the blade, not between the workpiece and the fence.

I personally have done exactly this, both with the fence parallel to the blade and with it splayed out a bit. My observations simply do not jive with your claim.

No pressure is needed on the workpiece behind the blade to keep it against the fence. Think about it -- if the workpiece is straight and the fence is straight, and the workpiece is against the fence in front of the blade, how can there be a gap between the workpiece and fence behind the blade? Try this -- move the fence away from the blade, or lower the blade below the table, and set a straight board against the fence. Push the board against the fence only in front of where the blade would be. Is the board touching the fence at the back? Jim

Reply to
Jim Wilson

so your wood only touches the fence at the front of the saw? on my saw that point is a good 8 or 10 inches away from the blade.

what you are describing is hardly different from freehanding the cut or working with a starting pin.

um... no. the piece is restrained (at least until the board is in 2 pieces) by it's own structural integrity.

by the way, you don't help your cause by resorting to invective. it just makes you look like a poopiehead.... ; ^ )

I do. I keep the wood against the fence it's entire length.

that exception occured to me also....

Reply to
Bridger

Bridger wrote: complete snippage...

Hey Bridge, one of the definitions of insanity is, "performing the same task over and over again but expecting different results".

Now I know for certain I'm just a wee bit insane but I'm not insane enough to try and sway Bay Area George. Sides, it's too cold outside to break out the sidewalk chalk and then there's the snow covering that would need removing.

UA100, on to fight another day...

Reply to
Unisaw A100

I guess he slipped in under the radar.

that generic-first-name-only bit musta been what fooled me....

Bridger

Reply to
Bridger

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