I have a Sears table saw that i purchased used from a relative (yeah, I
know...). I will be building cabinets for my kitchen remodel. I
purchased a new saw blade and did a few experimental cuts last night
and found that the wood had burn marks on it. I tried cutting at
different rates and still had the marks. I then measured to make sure
the blade was perpendicular (which it was) then measured front and back
of blade against the fence... it measured about 1/16" off.
Is this enough to cause the problem? And if so, is there an adjustment
to correct this? Or am I doing something else wrong. I'm not a new
remodeler, but I am a beginner with working with a table saw.
Thanks.
Leon wrote:
> "Stephen M" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Let me echo that sentiment by saying that 1/16 is not only enough, but
> > that
> > is huge. You are off by roughly and order of magnitude. A well aligned saw
> > should have an out of parallel number more like < .01" (roughly the
> > thickness of a playing card).
>
>
> Add another 0 to make it .001. A playing card is still way to wide.
The other guys have said it all. Blade parrallel to mitre slot in table
top and fence parrallel to mitre slot.
That said the adjustment method on my saw is a loosen the bolt and bash
with a hammer method. This does not make it easy to adjust.
You can get a kit that makes adjusting the blade alignment much easier
or you can pay sears to send someone out to set the saw up. There is a
fee but it may be worth it to get the saw set up correctly to start.
there 'aint no adjustment screw. you loosen those bolds and nudge
things around with a hammer.
of course, you have to do this while crawling on one knee, with one arm
and a hammer and your head jammed into a space the size of a shoe box,
making an adjustment that you can't check until you extract yourself
from said shoebox, and of course it isn't right, so you have to crawl
back in there and try again....
then, when you get it right you tighten the bolts back and everything
shifts.
this is one of the great advantages of cabinet saws.
"sjgarr" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I have a Sears table saw that i purchased used from a relative (yeah, I
> know...). I will be building cabinets for my kitchen remodel. I
> purchased a new saw blade and did a few experimental cuts last night
> and found that the wood had burn marks on it. I tried cutting at
> different rates and still had the marks. I then measured to make sure
> the blade was perpendicular (which it was) then measured front and back
> of blade against the fence... it measured about 1/16" off.
>
> Is this enough to cause the problem? And if so, is there an adjustment
> to correct this? Or am I doing something else wrong. I'm not a new
> remodeler, but I am a beginner with working with a table saw.
1/16 is way off. You really want dead parallel to the blade give or take
.001".
First however you want to make the miter gauge "slot" parallel to the blade
and then the fence parallel to that slot.
DDG wrote:
> Ok so I loosen all six slap it into submission the retorque. There
> doesn't appear to be any slots on the holes for adjustment I'll look
> again thanks alot.
Nah, don't loosen them ALL. Leave one at the front of the saw tight.
You don't need to move it all that much, you want to be able to pivot
the assembly into being parallel with the miter slot. Loosening them
all makes it all that much more difficult. Depending upon the angles
involved and the amount of muscle you can put on the trunnion, you may
want to just leave the rear ones slightly snug and whack away. Less
chance of losing your alignment when you tighten up.
"Stephen M" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Let me echo that sentiment by saying that 1/16 is not only enough, but
> that
> is huge. You are off by roughly and order of magnitude. A well aligned saw
> should have an out of parallel number more like < .01" (roughly the
> thickness of a playing card).
Add another 0 to make it .001. A playing card is still way to wide.
Great to see I'm not the only one haveing Craftsman saw alignment
problems. I crawled under mine tonight and see three bolts into the cast
top on each end but am not seeing this adjustment screw yet. I agree it
needs to be close I did not know mine was off that bad until I replaced
my fence with a new Xacta and got it true with the miter slots.
"George E. Cawthon" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> sjgarr wrote:
>> I have a Sears table saw that i purchased used from a relative (yeah,
I
>> know...). I will be building cabinets for my kitchen remodel. I
>> purchased a new saw blade and did a few experimental cuts last night
>> and found that the wood had burn marks on it. I tried cutting at
>> different rates and still had the marks. I then measured to make sure
>> the blade was perpendicular (which it was) then measured front and
back
>> of blade against the fence... it measured about 1/16" off.
>>
>> Is this enough to cause the problem? And if so, is there an adjustment
>> to correct this? Or am I doing something else wrong. I'm not a new
>> remodeler, but I am a beginner with working with a table saw.
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
> Whoa! you said front to back of blade? You mean
> 1/16 inch off over less than 8 inches ? Yes,
> 1/16" off is bad, very bad. To see how bad that
> is: 1/16" is about 63/1000" and most people want
> less than 15/1000" (1/64") and some are shooting
> for 5/1000. So your saw is a least four times the
> limit off. Others will tell you how to align the
> blade, but first align the blade with the miter
> slot and then make the rip guide parallel with the
> miter slot.
>
Ok so I loosen all six slap it into submission the retorque. There
doesn't appear to be any slots on the holes for adjustment I'll look
again thanks alot.
"bridger" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> there 'aint no adjustment screw. you loosen those bolds and nudge
> things around with a hammer.
>
> of course, you have to do this while crawling on one knee, with one
> arm and a hammer and your head jammed into a space the size of a shoe
> box, making an adjustment that you can't check until you extract
> yourself from said shoebox, and of course it isn't right, so you have
> to crawl back in there and try again....
>
> then, when you get it right you tighten the bolts back and everything
> shifts.
>
> this is one of the great advantages of cabinet saws.
>
THANKS :) it worked great actually couple screws were loose I had to
loosen the rest but the a few slaps with a 3# and it finally straigned
up then cautiusly tightned the center bolts followed by the remainder
and wow my kerf had to be recut in my blade cover and it now cuts using
my new fence.
Some times you do just need a bigger hammer!
Unquestionably Confused <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> DDG wrote:
>> Ok so I loosen all six slap it into submission the retorque. There
>> doesn't appear to be any slots on the holes for adjustment I'll look
>> again thanks alot.
>
> Nah, don't loosen them ALL. Leave one at the front of the saw tight.
> You don't need to move it all that much, you want to be able to pivot
> the assembly into being parallel with the miter slot. Loosening them
> all makes it all that much more difficult. Depending upon the angles
> involved and the amount of muscle you can put on the trunnion, you may
> want to just leave the rear ones slightly snug and whack away. Less
> chance of losing your alignment when you tighten up.
>
Let me echo that sentiment by saying that 1/16 is not only enough, but that
is huge. You are off by roughly and order of magnitude. A well aligned saw
should have an out of parallel number more like < .01" (roughly the
thickness of a playing card).
-Steve
"RayV" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Absolutely 1/16th is enough.
>
> There should be bolts underneath of the table to adjust the motor or
> trunion so that the blade will be parallel to the miter slot.
> Then adjust the fence parallel to the slot.
>
> http://www.woodnet.net/tips/table-saw/checking-table-saw-blade-alignment/
>
> > Add another 0 to make it .001. A playing card is still way to wide.
Ideally yes, but .001 is more of a realistic expectation for a high-end saw
being set up by an experienced user.
To the OP:
If you did not know it before: table saws need to be tuned periodically...
like after they are moved between addresses. This is *normal* and
*expected*. There is probably nothing wrong with your saw than an out of
tune guitar is broken.
Expect to spend a couple of hours going through the alignment process. This
is even required for brand new high-end machines.
So, spend an afternoon and get intimately acquainted with your new toy.
-Steve
[email protected] wrote:
> Leon wrote:
>
>>"Stephen M" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>news:[email protected]...
>>
>>>Let me echo that sentiment by saying that 1/16 is not only enough, but
>>>that
>>>is huge. You are off by roughly and order of magnitude. A well aligned saw
>>>should have an out of parallel number more like < .01" (roughly the
>>>thickness of a playing card).
>>
>>
>>Add another 0 to make it .001. A playing card is still way to wide.
>
>
> The other guys have said it all. Blade parrallel to mitre slot in table
> top and fence parrallel to mitre slot.
>
> That said the adjustment method on my saw is a loosen the bolt and bash
> with a hammer method. This does not make it easy to adjust.
>
> You can get a kit that makes adjusting the blade alignment much easier
> or you can pay sears to send someone out to set the saw up. There is a
> fee but it may be worth it to get the saw set up correctly to start.
>
I would not suggest the last to anyone. The
chance of getting a Sears technician that really
knows what he was doing and would set the saw up
perfectly is pretty low. Besides, if the OP has
any skill at all, he can read info on several
internet sites or in books, learn the procedure,
and adjust the saw; and that would be an
invaluable learning experience. It may take some
time but, if he can't set it up correctly then he
should not be using a table saw and he probably
will never get anything square.
In addition, he may find that the saw can't be set
with great accurately whereas a sears technician
would just say, "All done."
1/16" is definitely enough to cause that and worse (kickback) particularly
if the fence is closer to the blade at the far end of the table.
You need to either adjust the fence (not sure if you can on that saw but I'd
imagine there's some allowance to) or barring that, adjust the
trunnions to get the blade parallel to the fence.
Cheers,
cc
"sjgarr" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I have a Sears table saw that i purchased used from a relative (yeah, I
> know...). I will be building cabinets for my kitchen remodel. I
> purchased a new saw blade and did a few experimental cuts last night
> and found that the wood had burn marks on it. I tried cutting at
> different rates and still had the marks. I then measured to make sure
> the blade was perpendicular (which it was) then measured front and back
> of blade against the fence... it measured about 1/16" off.
>
> Is this enough to cause the problem? And if so, is there an adjustment
> to correct this? Or am I doing something else wrong. I'm not a new
> remodeler, but I am a beginner with working with a table saw.
>
> Thanks.
>
sjgarr wrote:
> I have a Sears table saw that i purchased used from a relative (yeah, I
> know...). I will be building cabinets for my kitchen remodel. I
> purchased a new saw blade and did a few experimental cuts last night
> and found that the wood had burn marks on it. I tried cutting at
> different rates and still had the marks. I then measured to make sure
> the blade was perpendicular (which it was) then measured front and back
> of blade against the fence... it measured about 1/16" off.
>
> Is this enough to cause the problem? And if so, is there an adjustment
> to correct this? Or am I doing something else wrong. I'm not a new
> remodeler, but I am a beginner with working with a table saw.
>
> Thanks.
>
Whoa! you said front to back of blade? You mean
1/16 inch off over less than 8 inches ? Yes,
1/16" off is bad, very bad. To see how bad that
is: 1/16" is about 63/1000" and most people want
less than 15/1000" (1/64") and some are shooting
for 5/1000. So your saw is a least four times the
limit off. Others will tell you how to align the
blade, but first align the blade with the miter
slot and then make the rip guide parallel with the
miter slot.