Newbie: Why does this happen on the table saw?

[more_tacos]

I just picked up my first table saw which was no cheap table, a $500 Dewalt made in USA. I also bought a new 40T blade for it. I keep getting groves in the wood (furniture grade pine) that I cut. These groves are pretty deep and they must be sanded out. They're a major annoyance.

For a pic please see

am I doing wrong? Too much pressure against the fence? Not enough? I've never seen Norm Abram have this problem.

Last time I used a table saw was in wood shop class about 20 years ago. I think it's the operator not the saw.

Also, I was wondering - why is it when I set the fence to 24" I get a

24 and 1/4" cut? I can accommodate by just setting it to 23 3/4" but was curious. I know the assembly is correct - I've tripled checked the instructions.

Another question - I've heard of a table saw jig that someone made to rip boards perfectly flat thus allowing them to be glued together. It was used in lieu of a joiner. I was planning on buying a router and table to do this (see

Sadly I can't seem to find any pictures of this table saw gizmo anywhere. Is this a true story or does does it fall in the 250 MPG carburetor category?

[www]

Is your fence square actually to the blade front to back when locked down? Does that saw come with a splitter? Perhaps the splitter is pushing the wood slightly out of line at the end of each cut. Check the splitter is perfectly aligned with the blade kerf. It may be neither of these issues too, but they are some basic things to check :)

-- Regards,

Dean Bielanowski Editor, Online Tool Reviews

our tool survey, Win $200!

------------------------------------------------------------ Latest 6 Reviews:

- Sherwood OS-100 Oscillating Spindle Sander

- Porter Cable NS150A Narrow Crown Stapler

- Book: Popular Mechanics Shelving & Storage

- Betterley Tru-Cut Insert System

- Digital Calipers & Height Gauge

- Delta SS250 Scroll Saw (Review Updated)

------------------------------------------------------------

[Paul O.]

I have that same saw and don't have any problems, unless the wood ends up moving away from the fence somehow, or rocking. Do you have a good push stick. I use the Grrripper(sp) and it keeps everything from moving around and rocking.

[toller]

That sometimes happens if you don't run the wood through evenly. Do you go through part way, stop to move your hands, and continue? Try running it though in one continuous motion and see if it still makes those marks. If it does, it probably means the blade and the fence are not parallel.

Fences ususally have an adjustment to the crosshair, so the reading is accurate. Look around, it should be there; just move it over a quarter inch.

There are jigs that clamp on to the board, and then the jig runs against the fence. This gives one straight edge. Many books on jigs and/or table saws should have it; check your library. If your board has one reasonbly straight side, you probably don't need it; though you might have to cut one edge and flip it over and do the other to get it straight. A carefully made cut, with a good blade and a properly setup saw, should be good enough to glue. Mine are rarely perfect, so I always run them through a jointer once, but set at 1/32nd inch. If I didn't have a jointer, the saw edge would probably be okay. But yours are obviously way off. Until you fix your problem, don't even think about gluing those edges.

[Robert Bonomi]

I think you've got the problem identified correctly.

It *could* be a crooked fence, but not likely.

Looks like you're not keeping the board snugged up against the fence _all_the_way_through_the cut.

Hard to guess specifics without knowing; 1) is that happening on the end that goes into the blade first, or last? 2) is it happening to the piece between the blade and the fence, or on the side away from the fence?

At least two possibilities: 1) there's something on the blade arbor that is keeping the blade from going all the way on. Fix: remove the 'somthing' that shouldn't be there. 2) the scale is mis-positioned. Fix: re-position the scale. 3) "something else". Fix: "something else." :)

[Bruce Barnett]

I saw something lke that is ShopNotes, I think. It's a fence - higher than the blade, that the blade cuts into - recessed.

I think if you have a good holddown, both on top and on the side, you don't need this.

[Leon]

It could be a number of reasons. try to eliminate the problems in this order.

1. Insure that your wood is flat and straight.
2. Insure that the blade is absolutely parallel to the miter slot.
3. Insure that the fence locks down absolutely parallel to the miter slot.
4. Insure that your blade is flat.
5. Does the rip fence cut 1/4" great at every setting? If so you need to adjust the rule or the curser. Insure that the cursor is setting at "0" when the fence is just touching a tooth on the blade. If the results are different at other settings your rule may be inaccurate. Replace the rule.

ALL Tables Saws if set up correctly with a good blade will cut straight enough to produce glue joints. A jointer is to straighten 1 edge of the board and is not intended to create an good edge after cutting.

[Todd Fatheree]

I think what the OP has in mind is the Joint'R Clamp or something thereabouts.

[Unquestionably Confused]

Actually, it sounds like he's talking about a simple fence jig that provides an auxilliary, somewhat sacraficial fence face.

The thickness of the fence in front of the blade is ~ 1/8" thinner than the rear. It's mounted so that the "fat part" of the fence is over the blade and to the rear. You adjust the fence so that when the blade comes up it cuts into the fence by exactly the width of the blade's kerf which then makes all of the fence behind the blade like the outfeed table on a jointer. A good planer blade or rip blade that advertises glue joint quality can thus be used as a planer/jointer to do edges of boards.