It occurred to me that if I place a light in the cabinet of my
tablesaw below the blade that it would be easier to line up my eyeball
exactly parallel to either side of the blade, then line up a mark on
the workpiece to that side of the blade, hopefully with a little more
accuracy.
Before I go looking for an industrial explosion-proof light fixture
for inside the saw cabinet, I was wondering if anyone had tried this
to see if it works or not?
Zero clearance table inserts would limit how much light gets through,
but I imagine some still would.
Tim
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> That's why the explosion proof light fixture -- they're sealed against
> dust getting in, and while not quite bulletproof, they're pretty
> close.
OK my light came on now, rereading fixture vs. bulb.
>
>> Use the cuts on your zero clearance insert to identify where you align
>> the
>> mark in your wood.
>
> I usually put a mark on top of the workpiece, especially when cutting
> larger plywood panels on the sliding table. On these even if I
> transfer the mark around the leading edge, I can't lean over far
> enough to see the leading edge against the insert. So, I find I'm
> eyeballing the a line from the mark on the top of the workpiece to the
> edge of the blade.
>
> Basically, what I'd like to do is eliminate parallax. Analog
> multimeters (well, the better ones, anyway) put a mirrored band in the
> scale so that you could line up the needle with its reflection. This
> put your eyeball directly over it, increasing the accuracy of the
> reading by that much. Same idea here. Get your eyeball directly over
> one side of the blade, then line up the mark for cutting.
So are you thinking that the light will not defuse after passing through the
insert? And, will you not still have to lean over to see the light shining
on the wood?
tim wonders:
>Before I go looking for an industrial explosion-proof light fixture
>for inside the saw cabinet, I was wondering if anyone had tried this
>to see if it works or not?
>
>Zero clearance table inserts would limit how much light gets through,
>but I imagine some still would.
>
Never tried. Don't need it, as far as I can see. But if you do try it, consider
using LEDs for light. Lotsa bright; not explosive (at least I don't believe
they are).
Charlie Self
"When we are planning for posterity, we ought to remember that virtue is not
hereditary." Thomas Paine
>It occurred to me that if I place a light in the cabinet of my
>tablesaw below the blade that it would be easier to line up my eyeball
>exactly parallel to either side of the blade, then line up a mark on
>the workpiece to that side of the blade, hopefully with a little more
>accuracy.
>
>Before I go looking for an industrial explosion-proof light fixture
>for inside the saw cabinet, I was wondering if anyone had tried this
>to see if it works or not?
>
>Zero clearance table inserts would limit how much light gets through,
>but I imagine some still would.
>
>Tim
Appears to be a good idea. It was in the
shop hints section of FWW many years
back. Some reader wrote in suggesting
it. Think he used a plain old 40 watt
with a switch. I'd worry about a dust
explosion myself.
-Rick
Yes, Please do. Thanks, JG
Bob wrote:
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > It occurred to me that if I place a light in the cabinet of my
> > tablesaw below the blade that it would be easier to line up my eyeball
> > exactly parallel to either side of the blade
>
> I have a saw blade light but its directly over the blade. It really helps.
> I built a little oak box to hold a 10 watt halogen under counter light. It
> just sits on top of my home made Lexan blade guard. I'll be glad to post a
> picture if you like.
>
> Bob
On 25 Oct 2004 17:46:59 -0700, [email protected]
([email protected]) wrote:
>[email protected] (Charlie Self) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
>> Never tried. Don't need it, as far as I can see. But if you do try it, consider
>> using LEDs for light. Lotsa bright; not explosive (at least I don't believe
>> they are).
>
>Ahhh, but LEDs and the supporting power supply would cost real money,
>whereas a used explosion proof light fixture will probably show up for
>nothing. I figured I'd put a similar wattage bulb in the overarm
>guard so they could be wired in series and powered with 240V.
They would? Last time I checked, LEDs were cheap as dirt!
>(An incandescent bulb might also keep the table warm enough to ward
>off condensation rusting... ;-)
Ahh- an alternative motive.
>Tim
Sun, Oct 24, 2004, 5:23pm (EDT-3) [email protected] has been dreaming
again, and says:
It occurred to me <snip>
Never heard of such, but I suppose.
But, I think if I needed extra light, a flashlight would be enough.
JOAT
When you choose an action, you choose the consequences.
- Unknown
snip
>
> Basically, what I'd like to do is eliminate parallax. Analog
> multimeters (well, the better ones, anyway) put a mirrored band in the
> scale so that you could line up the needle with its reflection. This
> put your eyeball directly over it, increasing the accuracy of the
> reading by that much. Same idea here. Get your eyeball directly over
> one side of the blade, then line up the mark for cutting.
snip
>
> Tim
I first line up my eye to both the leading and trailing edges of the
apropriate side of the blade (the teeth, not the body of the blade)
and then, without moving my head, adjust the mark on the piece to line
up. All this with one eye closed. I don't see the problem with
paralax. I get cuts right where I want them...
Bob Davis,
thanks for the pics in abpw, cool guard. Am I right, the sides pivot
up independently with the top remaining stationary? Much better &
simpler design than I've seen before! Ever considered/tried connecting
dust collection to the top? Seems I get too much dust, what with a
zero clearance plate.
On 25 Oct 2004 00:47:57 GMT, [email protected] (Charlie Self)
wrote:
>But if you do try it, consider using LEDs for light. Lotsa bright; not explosive
I'd avoid LEDs. Modern white LEDs have enough brightness to do it,
but they're horribly intense (a very small point source). If you place
them so that you can get any light at all, they're likely to be
shining straight into your eye. Staring into an LED torch is
something most people only do once. I'd go for something more
diffuse, like a compact fluorescent (lightbulb replacement).
BTW - If you don't already have them, stock up on keyring white LED
torches. These things are fantastic, and these days they're cheap.
--
Smert' spamionam
Unisaw A100 <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Bridger:
> >if the goal is to see the blade better for lining up the cut, shine
> >the LED on the side of the blade.
>
>
> I think he's free handing the cut (without the fence) in
> which case maybe it ought to be pointed out to him that
> maybe that's as stoopid as dropping a zero clearance insert
> onto a whirring blade.
>
> OK, maybe it's just me.
>
> UA100
I'm good at sawing x amount of material off the end of my tape measure
while setting the fence x amount away from the blade.
Maybe he's not freehanding a cut but using the miter gauge.
If you do put a light below the table be aware of starting a fire.
Usually what I do is eyeball close and then edge up on the mark by
moving the piece slightly in a series of short cuts. Sometimes I'll
put a scrap in the miter gauge and make a cut, then slide it back and
using the cut edge scratch a mark on the table top with something
sharp to show exactly where the cut is, which you can do for both
sides of the blade. You can also use masking tape and a sharp pencil
(I use # 2 1/2 pencils) but that doesn't last long.
Bridger:
>if the goal is to see the blade better for lining up the cut, shine
>the LED on the side of the blade.
I think he's free handing the cut (without the fence) in
which case maybe it ought to be pointed out to him that
maybe that's as stoopid as dropping a zero clearance insert
onto a whirring blade.
OK, maybe it's just me.
UA100
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> you guyz are totally missing the obvious.
>
> what you need is one 'o them laser loaded saw washers....
Those are not designed for table saws. You don't want a laser light
shooting out of the table where you might look into it. A laser can blind
you permanently.
Bob
Sounds like it has possibilities, let us know how it works out please.
Don Dando
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> It occurred to me that if I place a light in the cabinet of my
> tablesaw below the blade that it would be easier to line up my eyeball
> exactly parallel to either side of the blade, then line up a mark on
> the workpiece to that side of the blade, hopefully with a little more
> accuracy.
>
> Before I go looking for an industrial explosion-proof light fixture
> for inside the saw cabinet, I was wondering if anyone had tried this
> to see if it works or not?
>
> Zero clearance table inserts would limit how much light gets through,
> but I imagine some still would.
>
> Tim
"Gary DeWitt" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
,
> thanks for the pics in abpw, cool guard. Am I right, the sides pivot
> up independently with the top remaining stationary?
That's exactly how it works. The sides were stolen from the factory blade
guard and simply bolted to a wide 1/2" thick piece of Lexan. The whole
gizmo is connected to a counterweighted sliding beam that hangs from the
ceiling. The articulating sides handle all kinds of evils. For example,
cutting a 1" wide strip with the left side of the guard fully down and the
right side fully up to clear the fence.
> Ever considered/tried connecting
> dust collection to the top? Seems I get too much dust, what with a
> zero clearance plate.
I'll be posting my solution to dust collecting pretty soon. Yes I had dust
collection on this guard and it worked pretty well for ripping. But I
encountered too many situations where I could not use it effectively
(crosscutting, using a GRRipper, using Grip-tites, using Tenon Jig, etc.).
I decoupled dust collection from the guard - watch for my pictures.
Bob
"Andy Dingley" wrote in message
> BTW - If you don't already have them, stock up on keyring white LED
> torches. These things are fantastic, and these days they're cheap.
Noticed that Lee Valley's "pre-holiday" catalog has a bunch of alternate
lighting options in it.
I've made it known that it's a great catalog with some great ideas for gifts
(for me). Now if I could just get Rob Lee to contribute to my kid's
education like I do his.
--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 10/04/04
[email protected] (Charlie Self) wrote in
news:[email protected]:
>
> Never tried. Don't need it, as far as I can see. But if you do try it,
> consider using LEDs for light. Lotsa bright; not explosive (at least I
> don't believe they are).
>
> Charlie Self
> "When we are planning for posterity, we ought to remember that virtue
> is not hereditary." Thomas Paine
>
There not.
The Old Goat
Posted in alt.binaries.pictures.woodworking.
Bob
"JGS" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Yes, Please do. Thanks, JG
>
> Bob wrote:
>
> > <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> > > It occurred to me that if I place a light in the cabinet of my
> > > tablesaw below the blade that it would be easier to line up my eyeball
> > > exactly parallel to either side of the blade
> >
> > I have a saw blade light but its directly over the blade. It really
helps.
> > I built a little oak box to hold a 10 watt halogen under counter light.
It
> > just sits on top of my home made Lexan blade guard. I'll be glad to post
a
> > picture if you like.
> >
> > Bob
>
How long do you think it will take before a chunk of wood shatters the bulb?
I don't know about your saw but I find pretty big pieces down there all the
time.
Use the cuts on your zero clearance insert to identify where you align the
mark in your wood.
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> It occurred to me that if I place a light in the cabinet of my
> tablesaw below the blade that it would be easier to line up my eyeball
> exactly parallel to either side of the blade, then line up a mark on
> the workpiece to that side of the blade, hopefully with a little more
> accuracy.
>
> Before I go looking for an industrial explosion-proof light fixture
> for inside the saw cabinet, I was wondering if anyone had tried this
> to see if it works or not?
>
> Zero clearance table inserts would limit how much light gets through,
> but I imagine some still would.
>
> Tim
On Tue, 26 Oct 2004 19:39:46 -0400, Paul Kierstead
<[email protected]> wrote:
>In article <[email protected]>,
> Unisaw A100 <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> I think he's free handing the cut (without the fence) in
>> which case maybe it ought to be pointed out to him that
>> maybe that's as stoopid as dropping a zero clearance insert
>> onto a whirring blade.
>
>Nope, gotta disagree. The would definitely be dumber, and dropping an
>insert onto a moving blade would be pretty stupid.
>
>PK
nobody ever accused me of being real bright, I guess. I've done _both_
of those things, though not at the same time. Hell, I've done far more
dangerous things and still have all 10 fingers.
some of the stuff I've done should have killed me. I guess I've
learned a thing or two as I've gotten older. I'm certainly not
advocating for instance freehanding a pocket plunge cut on the
tablesaw, even though I have successfully done it. just because I'm an
idiot doesn't mean everyone else has to be too....
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> It occurred to me that if I place a light in the cabinet of my
> tablesaw below the blade that it would be easier to line up my eyeball
> exactly parallel to either side of the blade
I have a saw blade light but its directly over the blade. It really helps.
I built a little oak box to hold a 10 watt halogen under counter light. It
just sits on top of my home made Lexan blade guard. I'll be glad to post a
picture if you like.
Bob
"Leon" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> How long do you think it will take before a chunk of wood shatters the bulb?
> I don't know about your saw but I find pretty big pieces down there all the
> time.
That's why the explosion proof light fixture -- they're sealed against
dust getting in, and while not quite bulletproof, they're pretty
close.
> Use the cuts on your zero clearance insert to identify where you align the
> mark in your wood.
I usually put a mark on top of the workpiece, especially when cutting
larger plywood panels on the sliding table. On these even if I
transfer the mark around the leading edge, I can't lean over far
enough to see the leading edge against the insert. So, I find I'm
eyeballing the a line from the mark on the top of the workpiece to the
edge of the blade.
Basically, what I'd like to do is eliminate parallax. Analog
multimeters (well, the better ones, anyway) put a mirrored band in the
scale so that you could line up the needle with its reflection. This
put your eyeball directly over it, increasing the accuracy of the
reading by that much. Same idea here. Get your eyeball directly over
one side of the blade, then line up the mark for cutting.
There's also an overarm guard, which also make it difficult to line up
marks with the table insert. I figured I'd put a light on it, too,
and make both bulbs the same wattage so I could wire them in series
and run them off the 240V supply to the saw.
Tim
[email protected] (Charlie Self) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Never tried. Don't need it, as far as I can see. But if you do try it, consider
> using LEDs for light. Lotsa bright; not explosive (at least I don't believe
> they are).
Ahhh, but LEDs and the supporting power supply would cost real money,
whereas a used explosion proof light fixture will probably show up for
nothing. I figured I'd put a similar wattage bulb in the overarm
guard so they could be wired in series and powered with 240V.
(An incandescent bulb might also keep the table warm enough to ward
off condensation rusting... ;-)
Tim
On Tue, 26 Oct 2004 18:26:43 GMT, "Bob" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>
><[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>
>> you guyz are totally missing the obvious.
>>
>> what you need is one 'o them laser loaded saw washers....
>
>Those are not designed for table saws. You don't want a laser light
>shooting out of the table where you might look into it. A laser can blind
>you permanently.
>
>Bob
>
hell, I close my eyes whenever I use my tablesaw anyways.
Can't stand the sight of blood.
snip..
>> Use the cuts on your zero clearance insert to identify where you align the
>> mark in your wood.
snip..
>There's also an overarm guard, which also make it difficult to line up
>marks with the table insert. I figured I'd put a light on it, too,
>and make both bulbs the same wattage so I could wire them in series
>and run them off the 240V supply to the saw.
snip..
you guyz are totally missing the obvious.
what you need is one 'o them laser loaded saw washers....
Turn those overhead lights on, Tim! It'll be easier to find the blade. <g>
David
[email protected] wrote:
> It occurred to me that if I place a light in the cabinet of my
> tablesaw below the blade that it would be easier to line up my eyeball
> exactly parallel to either side of the blade, then line up a mark on
> the workpiece to that side of the blade, hopefully with a little more
> accuracy.
>
> Before I go looking for an industrial explosion-proof light fixture
> for inside the saw cabinet, I was wondering if anyone had tried this
> to see if it works or not?
>
> Zero clearance table inserts would limit how much light gets through,
> but I imagine some still would.
>
> Tim
In article <[email protected]>,
Unisaw A100 <[email protected]> wrote:
> I think he's free handing the cut (without the fence) in
> which case maybe it ought to be pointed out to him that
> maybe that's as stoopid as dropping a zero clearance insert
> onto a whirring blade.
Nope, gotta disagree. The would definitely be dumber, and dropping an
insert onto a moving blade would be pretty stupid.
PK
On Tue, 26 Oct 2004 17:26:22 +0100, Andy Dingley
<[email protected]> wrote:
>On 25 Oct 2004 00:47:57 GMT, [email protected] (Charlie Self)
>wrote:
>
>>But if you do try it, consider using LEDs for light. Lotsa bright; not explosive
>
>I'd avoid LEDs. Modern white LEDs have enough brightness to do it,
>but they're horribly intense (a very small point source). If you place
>them so that you can get any light at all, they're likely to be
>shining straight into your eye. Staring into an LED torch is
>something most people only do once. I'd go for something more
>diffuse, like a compact fluorescent (lightbulb replacement).
if the goal is to see the blade better for lining up the cut, shine
the LED on the side of the blade.
bridger writes:
>On Tue, 26 Oct 2004 17:26:22 +0100, Andy Dingley
><[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>On 25 Oct 2004 00:47:57 GMT, [email protected] (Charlie Self)
>>wrote:
>>
>>>But if you do try it, consider using LEDs for light. Lotsa bright; not
>explosive
>>
>>I'd avoid LEDs. Modern white LEDs have enough brightness to do it,
>>but they're horribly intense (a very small point source). If you place
>>them so that you can get any light at all, they're likely to be
>>shining straight into your eye. Staring into an LED torch is
>>something most people only do once. I'd go for something more
>>diffuse, like a compact fluorescent (lightbulb replacement).
>
>if the goal is to see the blade better for lining up the cut, shine
>the LED on the side of the blade.
>
Or back into a satin finish reflector. I didn't say so, but I think shining ANY
light directly back into the operator's eyes is a bad idea. LEDs can also be
placed behind diffusors, just as can most any other light.
Charlie Self
"When we are planning for posterity, we ought to remember that virtue is not
hereditary." Thomas Paine