A couple of days ago I posted my anguished cry for help with my table saw.
I just couldn't get it to cut square. Thanks to all who provided
suggestions!
I pulled out the insert and removed the splitter and guard. It happened on
crosscuts and rips, so I knew it wasn't the fence. My last gasp was to
track down a full-kerf blade. I didn't realize how uncommon those are now,
but I finally found a DeWalt for a price that wasn't too bad. Bolted it
in, aligned, and viola! it cuts just fine.
Which was really only half the battle, since I didn't know what the deal
was with the thin-kerf blades I had tried (including a WWII). So I had a
good, long think about it. Then I realized that, other than the blades,
the only difference was the dampener/stabilizer that I had used with the
TK blades. So I grabbed it and laid a straight edge across the mating
face. It was seriously concave. No, really. My feeler gauges don't go that
big. Must have been at least 1/16". So this sucker was causing the blade
to go concave as well. Once I put a TK blade in without this little demon,
it cut just fine.
One more for the books, I suppose.
--
Joe Wells
Joe Wells wrote:
> A couple of days ago I posted my anguished cry for help with my table saw.
> I just couldn't get it to cut square. Thanks to all who provided
> suggestions!
>
> I pulled out the insert and removed the splitter and guard. It happened on
> crosscuts and rips, so I knew it wasn't the fence. My last gasp was to
> track down a full-kerf blade. I didn't realize how uncommon those are now,
> but I finally found a DeWalt for a price that wasn't too bad. Bolted it
> in, aligned, and viola! it cuts just fine.
>
> Which was really only half the battle, since I didn't know what the deal
> was with the thin-kerf blades I had tried (including a WWII). So I had a
> good, long think about it. Then I realized that, other than the blades,
> the only difference was the dampener/stabilizer that I had used with the
> TK blades. So I grabbed it and laid a straight edge across the mating
> face. It was seriously concave. No, really. My feeler gauges don't go that
> big. Must have been at least 1/16". So this sucker was causing the blade
> to go concave as well. Once I put a TK blade in without this little demon,
> it cut just fine.
>
> One more for the books, I suppose.
>
There are 2 types of blade stiffeners out there. One type is somewhat C
shaped
in cross section (sounds like what you may have). These are meant to
be used only
in pairs - one on each side of the blade. Using only one will cup the
blade. There is also a type that is basically a very large flat washer.
This type is used as a single on the side opposite the arbor flange.
John
First, it's obvious that others don't check blade square to the table as I
do. I don't own a Starret square, but I do know that you don't want any
light showing. No one else has mentioned it, though I can't believe they
would tolerate light between blade and square either.
Second, the principle of the hollow center and milled edge is well-employed
in my Delta CS arbor. Anyone who works on a lathe knows the easiest way to
get a piece to sit flat is to hollow in from a rim. If it is mated with
another - flat throughout - a more difficult thing to obtain - smaller than
the rim, it might dish if you honk on the arbor nut. If mated with a washer
with larger rim, so the arbor face fits inside, it might distort as well.
But who would measure for square and not notice a dished blade?
"Joe Wells" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> That's interesting. Mine certainly didn't come as a set. I don't recall
> anything on the packaging about that either, but that's long gone. Maybe
> mine was just mispackaged? That would explain why mine is so grossly
> concave. It seems too far out of whack to just be a machining error. Then
> again, mine is a cheapie, so maybe their QC really is that bad.
>
> In any case, thanks for the tip. That helps a bunch.
>
> --
> Joe Wells
>
Joe Wells <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
Then I realized that, other than
> the blades, the only difference was the dampener/stabilizer that I had
> used with the TK blades.
The owner of the sharpening service I use (Doug, at Bay Area Carbide,
Concord, CA) told me to put the stabilizers in the blade caddy, and use
them as a washer, and for nothing else. Said the Delta saws didn't use
them, and they often deformed the blade in service.
Since he's only been doing this for 28 years, I listened. For a change.
Patriarch
On Sun, 06 Jun 2004 14:47:36 +0000, John Siegel wrote:
> There are 2 types of blade stiffeners out there. One type is somewhat C
> shaped
>
> in cross section (sounds like what you may have). These are meant to
> be used only
> in pairs - one on each side of the blade. Using only one will cup the
> blade. There is also a type that is basically a very large flat washer.
> This type is used as a single on the side opposite the arbor flange.
That's interesting. Mine certainly didn't come as a set. I don't recall
anything on the packaging about that either, but that's long gone. Maybe
mine was just mispackaged? That would explain why mine is so grossly
concave. It seems too far out of whack to just be a machining error. Then
again, mine is a cheapie, so maybe their QC really is that bad.
In any case, thanks for the tip. That helps a bunch.
--
Joe Wells