Powermatic 66 fence problem

Mike, it is very possible for this to happen. As I alluded to earlier, a poorly made tape caused a number of problems for me when (IIRC) I used it to measure below 500mm. Although the distance from 0 to 500 was accurate, the markings in between were wrong. They started off tight, then got further apart up to the 500 mark. After that the tape was accurate.

It is easy for me to imagine the reverse being true in the OPs case.

Referenced previous thread can be found at:

OK Greg - I can accept that. Wierd, but I can accept it. I'd sure like to believe you experienced an anomoly...

... but I'm still trying to figure how a tapered cut (i.e, wider on one end than the other) could be the result of the tape measure on a table saw fence?

Somebody clue me in.

...the problem is *not* a tapered cut. At about 10" and below the cut piece will measure exactly what the scale reads (using another, reliable, measuring device)...at, say, 30" the cut piece will measure longer than the scale reads...make sense? cg

OK - time to refresh my aging mind... You are using the term "scale" to refer to the rip fence's built in scale? If so - sorry, I got cornfused in the beginning.

So - what if you lay your tape measure out along the rip fence scale - I'm guessing they do not read the same. Can't understand how they could and you end up with the problem you face. Bad scale? Maybe this is what some of the earlier posters were referring to and I misunderstood their point. A mind is a terrible thing to lose...

Check the set screws that set the fence to blade parallelism. Mine went south a few weeks ago and the fence would go out of parallel. I used locktite 241 to keep them in place. You can break the screw out of the 241 if necessary in the future. The factory screws are nyloks and won't last forever.

Ed Angell

IOW, when you rip to the dimensions of 3" wide X 36" long, the resulting ripped board is indeed 3" wide, from one end to the other, and X 36" on both sides?

If that is the case, you could have fooled me with the description of the problem in your original post ... my apologies.

I missed "taper" in the original message.

I read the trouble description as the piece was 1/32' wider than expected when ripping really wide panels, and dead on when ripping narrower parts.

Obviously, I wasn't the only one!

Barry

How many wreckreites does it take to read a question and understand it?

UA100

an infinite number, plus ONE.

dave

Unisaw A100 wrote:

It wasn't, specifically, but see below.

I, mistakenly it seems, read the problem as one where the "cut" got wider as it progressed.

When I adjust the scale, the machine cuts perfectly up to maybe 10 inches...then my final measurement creeps up to about a 32nd at 36 inches or so.

-

I think we should all apply at NASA.

Barry

Hell, I was thinking Secretary of Education.

g'day Mike,

I have to tell you I'm laughing here. Reading the posts so far, I am reminded of a scene on tv from ages ago, a policeman is interviewing a crowd and walks away with ten different descriptions, ranging from black, to asian to caucasian. Black hair, red hair, blonde. Too funny!

Anyway, FWIW/IMNSHO/IAGAS, right or wrong, my thinking is this:

Assumptions. Tapering is not a factor TS is tuned correctly, blade square to fence etc.

Facts.

1. Charlie Groh (CG) achieves a perfect measured cut on his TS if the width is

..now were communicating! :O)

...no, mine. This condition is a bugbear *to* describe. But, read the whole thread, if you get a minute, and I *think* it'll come together. I haven't had time to get out there yet, but I really think the fence may be creeping. Although, I'll check on most of the comments I've had on this...good info! cg

• When I adjust the scale, the machine cuts perfectly up to

...yup, this wasn't clear guys! So sorry. The cut does not taper, but if I rip for 6 inches, it's good; if I rip for 30 inches, it's not...in fact my final cut piece is wider *over all* than indicated on the fence scale. Heh... cg

Now coming to a silent film theatre near you: "The Keystone Kops meet the wREC Wooddorkers."

And every single one of us knows THE answer!

Barry