Perhaps the various eruptions escaped your notice; re-read the thread when you finish here.
There were a number of solutions and opinions offered. I thought that your initial ideas were pretty darn good. If I had determined that Dan was doing everything correctly and still getting the wrong results, I would likely have deferred to some of the things that you had mentioned.
Dan offered very polite answers to all the alternative opinions. You probably just didn't notice it when he explained why it wasn't acceptable for him to ignore the situation. Or, perhaps you just weren't willing to accept the idea that he didn't share your opinion.
The "gnat's ass" comment wasn't his words. It's the sort of derogatory term used by what you have pretty much referred to as "sharing an alternative opinion". When people use disparaging, critical, insulting, offensive, deprecating, or belittling terms I pretty much call it a flame fest. There was an effort made to discredit those who did not share this particular opinion.
It's not that an alternative was offered, it's that it was repeatedly offered with ever increasing fervor even after Dan had politely dismissed it. Before long, the person who would spend $2000 on a table saw and expect it to work properly was being represented as an idiot and an alignment tool is the biggest waste of time for the anal woodworker. You tell me, in your honest opinion; wouldn't that make you feel a bit steamed?
I would have said "frothing at the mouth" but "ranting and raving" fits the medium better. This reminds me of a proverb:
"Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows and death, so is the man who deceives his neighbor, and says, "Was I not joking?" "
The "sense of humor" thing is wearing a bit thin, don't you think? Let's admit it, I got your collective dander up a bit when I said: "As you have now discovered, the situation isn't quite as tolerable as some have said." I can see how this sort of statement can be threatening to someone who would take it as commentary on the quality of their woodworking. I assure you it was not meant in such a manner. But, as I have already mentioned, responding as if threatened is very revealing.
Based on what Maxwell said, and numerous email messages received, I'd have to say that this opinion has little if any merit. Think about the logic of Dan's situation. This particular alignment is pretty much a one time event. If it takes him a week to get it right (and it only took one evening), then he can count on having accurate bevel cuts forever on that saw. If he ignores it and "just makes sawdust" (as you and swingman have so exasperatingly recommended), then he will need to rework every single bevel cut he makes on that saw in order to obtain tight joints. Now, in your honest opinion, which is the bigger waste of time?
Either way, the woodworking is going to be the same. Both methods will end up producing high quality joints. But, one is clearly more time intensive than the other. There is some merit to futzing around with the "OCD measurements".
Ed Bennett snipped-for-privacy@ts-aligner.com