undersize Craftsman miterslot

[Mick]

This is my first post joined the group 20 minutes ago. Bought a Craftsman table saw, model #248880, 10" Just setting up shop. This saw is a few years old but the series is still being made and sold

with the same features, perhaps flaws would be more correct a term to use. The miter guage is very sloppy in both directions. A furniture grade cut is impossible. The slot is 3/8x5/8. One can't buy an accessory as simple as a featherboard for it. Even Sears sells nothing for it. Nor will they support any email questions, they just shuttle me back and forth between customer service

and tech support. Why the hell would they continue to sell a saw with specs like this? Even the arbor is too short for a dado blade. I was just too green to know what to research. The Sears site really should include this information. I feel sure this problem has been faced and delt with. All suggestons appreciated. regards, Mick \ aircooled_koni [e-mail]

[J T]

Sun, Jan 14, 2007, 9:43pm (EST-3) From: aircooled_koni [e-mail] (Mick) This saw is a few years old The miter guage is very sloppy in both directions. A furniture grade cut is impossible.

So? What makes you so sure that's the original miter guage on a used saw? No biggie, make a saw sled then won't need a miter guage.

JOAT I do not have the huge amout of faith needed to be an Atheist.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

My only suggestion is to save up and buy a good contractor or cabinet saw. Plan to spend $800+. Oh, I did start out with that same saw. Served my needs for a year while I learned what I wanted. Get a good blade also.

[Stephen M]

Even so, the OEM Miter gauges are pretty disappointing even on $1500 saws. I just about never use mine. You're not missing much.

Yup. Make a sled or 3.

[George Max]

Sleds are good but at the price of some loss of cutting depth.

[George Max]

What's stopping you from making your own? When I had a Craftsman saw, that's what I did. I made a bar that fit the slot exactly and put the original protractor head on it. No great shakes but certainly better than the stock item.

As for the arbor, I don't know what they did there. The one on mine was certainly long enough to put my dado on.

Why not sell the saw and buy a different one?

[Stephen M]

My #1 sled is 1/4" (5-ply underlayment). 1/4" loss is pretty insignificant.

[George Max]

True. But lost depth is lost depth. No way around that.

[J T]

Mon, Jan 15, 2007, 9:09am (EST-1) [e-mail] (George=A0Max) doth sayeth: Sleds are good but at the price of some loss of cutting depth.

Not sure what you mean by that, but I'd say, just make a different sled.

JOAT I do not have the huge amount of faith needed to be an Atheist.

[Rob Mills]

[Max]

Something you might try before you junk the miter gage: Take a center punch and make several indentations along the side(s) of the bar. The raised metal alongside the indentations might be just enough to take out the slack. There are also available miter gages with small set screws to adjust for width of the bar. I can't recall where I saw them advertised. Another alternative: (If you have the equipment.) cut a thin slot (band saw blade width) down the length of the bar, (closer to one side or the other, off center in other words) drill about 4 - 5 holes in one (the wide) side. tap the holes for small set screws. adjust the screws against the narrow side so as to widen the bar.

Max

[Brian Elfert]

Heck, I have both a Craftsman and a Unisaw. (Well, had the Unisaw. Sold it two weeks ago as I'm moving.)

The Craftsman is in the garage for working on my bus conversion and the Unisaw is for regular woodworking. I can't easily get stuff for the bus conversion down into the shop and I don't need much precision for rough plywood.

Brian Elfert