Tt

Trevor

07/01/2005 1:24 PM

unisaw table alignment

I have unisaw that I can't seem to get into alignment.

When I loosen or remove the trunnions and push the back of the table to
the far right and the front of the table to the far left I get close to
parallel, but cutting stock leaves burn marks next on the stock being
cut to size (but the cutoff piece is burn free) In fact I can't move
the saw table so that the rear of the blade is further from the fence
than the front of the blade without removing the trunnion bolts
completely -- and then the holes don't align at all...

Is there something obvious I'm missing? Are there other adjustments
aside from the trunnion bolts that can assist in aligning the table?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.


This topic has 15 replies

RS

"Roger Shoaf"

in reply to Trevor on 07/01/2005 1:24 PM

07/01/2005 2:52 PM


"Trevor" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> >
> >
>
> Yes, that is what I did... I jsut mistakenly wrote trunnion bolts -- I
> actually meant the bolts securing the table top. I was attempting to
> align the blade to run parallel with the miter slots. The problem is
> that the setting closest to parallel (which is pretty dang close) is
> when the table top is shifted to the extreme most possible points allowed.
>
> The fence is parallel with the miter slots as well.
>
> More than anything, I was curious because I can only get the blade to be
> out of parallel in on direction and not the other.
>
> Pretend these ascii characters are the blade viewed from above and the
> sides of the viewing window are the miter slots...
>
> "/" is what I can get easily.
>
> "|" is what is desired,
>
> "\" is impossible, and makes "|" (parallel) hard to get
>
> Of course I could widen the holes that the table top bolts go through to
> allow more play, but I thought there may be another adjustment somewhere
> that could more easily remedy this. Basically, If I push as hard as I
> can in an effort to get "\" I can acheive nearly "|"
>
> Now I hope I didn't confuse everyone with my cheap symbols.

If you are out of adjustment on the table check underneath. There are bolts
that hold the mechanism on and these might be loose or mis adjusted. Before
you file anything see if you can get a little movement moving the blade in
the direction you need then make final tweak with the table.

--

Roger Shoaf

About the time I had mastered getting the toothpaste back in the tube, then
they come up with this striped stuff.

Tt

Trevor

in reply to Trevor on 07/01/2005 1:24 PM

07/01/2005 2:09 PM

Leon wrote:
> "Trevor" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>I have unisaw that I can't seem to get into alignment.
>>
>>When I loosen or remove the trunnions and push the back of the table to
>>the far right and the front of the table to the far left I get close to
>>parallel, but cutting stock leaves burn marks next on the stock being cut
>>to size (but the cutoff piece is burn free) In fact I can't move the saw
>>table so that the rear of the blade is further from the fence than the
>>front of the blade without removing the trunnion bolts completely -- and
>>then the holes don't align at all...
>>
>>Is there something obvious I'm missing? Are there other adjustments aside
>>from the trunnion bolts that can assist in aligning the table?
>
>
> You should not be loostening trunion bolts if you have a Unisaw. You should
> be loostening the table bolts holding the table to the cabinet. normally
> lcvated on the outside corners of the cabinet.


I misnamed the bolts. I was loosening four the table bolts. (For some
reason I was thinking they were called trunnion bolts it never made
sense to me)

So other than the table bolts (which is actually what I tried), are
there any other adjustments I can make?

Tt

Trevor

in reply to Trevor on 07/01/2005 1:24 PM

07/01/2005 2:39 PM

I've tried various ways of testing for alignment. one method using two
45 degree plastic triangles and another method simly using a piece of
wood secured to the miter gauge and marking a tooth on the blade. I
don't have a tool specialy designed for this.

Basically, to get the blade as close to parallel as possible, I need to
have the rear of the table pushed as far as possible to the right, and
the front to the left. Any other setup will have obvious issues with
the rear of the blade binding.

I have been cutting oak, which I believe is more prone to burning, and I
would like to try what other have done and actually have the blade is
ever so slightly not parallel so that the rear of the blade is further
from the fence than the front.

The blade is a new old ham signature.

You are right though. I should check whether the fence is parallel to
the miter slot again.




Mike in Mystic wrote:
> how are you verifying blade to miter-slot parallelism? I use the
> TS-Aligner, Jr., but there are other ways to do it. After that, you must
> ensure that the fence is parallel to the miter-slot, and thus the blade.
> When you get that done if you still have burning, it is likely due to the
> blade - either blade runout and/or pitch build-up or something. What type
> of wood are you using, or is this a general problem regardless (which is
> what I'd assume)? Some woods (cherry, in particular) burn easily.
>
> Mike
>
>
> "Trevor" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>Leon wrote:
>>
>>>"Trevor" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>>news:[email protected]...
>>>
>>>
>>>>I have unisaw that I can't seem to get into alignment.
>>>>
>>>>When I loosen or remove the trunnions and push the back of the table to
>>>>the far right and the front of the table to the far left I get close to
>>>>parallel, but cutting stock leaves burn marks next on the stock being
>
> cut
>
>>>>to size (but the cutoff piece is burn free) In fact I can't move the
>
> saw
>
>>>>table so that the rear of the blade is further from the fence than the
>>>>front of the blade without removing the trunnion bolts completely -- and
>>>>then the holes don't align at all...
>>>>
>>>>Is there something obvious I'm missing? Are there other adjustments
>
> aside
>
>>>>from the trunnion bolts that can assist in aligning the table?
>>>
>>>
>>>You should not be loostening trunion bolts if you have a Unisaw. You
>
> should
>
>>>be loostening the table bolts holding the table to the cabinet.
>
> normally
>
>>>lcvated on the outside corners of the cabinet.
>>
>>
>>I misnamed the bolts. I was loosening four the table bolts. (For some
>>reason I was thinking they were called trunnion bolts it never made
>>sense to me)
>>
>>So other than the table bolts (which is actually what I tried), are
>>there any other adjustments I can make?
>
>
>

Tt

Trevor

in reply to Trevor on 07/01/2005 1:24 PM

12/01/2005 3:57 PM

Trevor wrote:
> I have unisaw that I can't seem to get into alignment.
>
> When I loosen or remove the trunnions and push the back of the table to
> the far right and the front of the table to the far left I get close to
> parallel, but cutting stock leaves burn marks next on the stock being
> cut to size (but the cutoff piece is burn free) In fact I can't move
> the saw table so that the rear of the blade is further from the fence
> than the front of the blade without removing the trunnion bolts
> completely -- and then the holes don't align at all...
>
> Is there something obvious I'm missing? Are there other adjustments
> aside from the trunnion bolts that can assist in aligning the table?
>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Well, I talked to Delta and they were helpful. The trunnion bolts also
fit through slightly over sized holes to allow for adjustments and they
were maxed out to one side making the table top bolts impossible to get
right. I had to take the table top off completely to do access those
bolts, but after I adjusted the trunnion bolts it was easy...

The saw had always been like this and I was always a bit frustrated -- I
could get it close enough to be a little bit disappointed, but still
semi-tolerable. As some of you mentioned, not what you would expect
from a new unisaw... I can only guess that it was either assembled that
way or that it was jarred pretty hard at some point in transit between
the manufacturing plant and wherever it all went before it reached my house.

Delta suggested that I also check the trunnions for cracks in case but
all looked good. Now I finally feel like I got what I paid for -- and
now it's pretty sweet. I also like having a more intimate knowledge of
the saw -- not that it was anything that I'd consider a real eye-opener...

Anyway, thank you fellow wood wreckers for all your help, support and ideas.

Lr

"Leon"

in reply to Trevor on 07/01/2005 1:24 PM

07/01/2005 8:55 PM


"Trevor" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
>
> You are right though. I should check whether the fence is parallel to the
> miter slot again.

If my miter cuts are smooth and what I expect I cheat on the fence. I
simply adjust the fence until it makes a smooth cut with out doing the
comparison to the miter slot.

Tt

Trevor

in reply to Trevor on 07/01/2005 1:24 PM

07/01/2005 3:11 PM

Lawrence Wasserman wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> Trevor <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>I have unisaw that I can't seem to get into alignment.
>>
>>When I loosen or remove the trunnions and push the back of the table to
>>the far right and the front of the table to the far left I get close to
>>parallel, but cutting stock leaves burn marks next on the stock being
>>cut to size (but the cutoff piece is burn free) In fact I can't move
>>the saw table so that the rear of the blade is further from the fence
>>than the front of the blade without removing the trunnion bolts
>>completely -- and then the holes don't align at all...
>>
>>Is there something obvious I'm missing? Are there other adjustments
>>aside from the trunnion bolts that can assist in aligning the table?
>>
>>Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
>
>
>
> Not sure about your sequence here. Usually, one would loosen the table
> bolts on a cabinet saw (or trunion bolts on a contractor saw) then
> adjust to make the table miter slots parallel to the blade. (i.e.
> perpendicular to the saw arbor) Then use the FENCE adjustment to make
> the fence parallel.
>
>

Yes, that is what I did... I jsut mistakenly wrote trunnion bolts -- I
actually meant the bolts securing the table top. I was attempting to
align the blade to run parallel with the miter slots. The problem is
that the setting closest to parallel (which is pretty dang close) is
when the table top is shifted to the extreme most possible points allowed.

The fence is parallel with the miter slots as well.

More than anything, I was curious because I can only get the blade to be
out of parallel in on direction and not the other.

Pretend these ascii characters are the blade viewed from above and the
sides of the viewing window are the miter slots...

"/" is what I can get easily.

"|" is what is desired,

"\" is impossible, and makes "|" (parallel) hard to get

Of course I could widen the holes that the table top bolts go through to
allow more play, but I thought there may be another adjustment somewhere
that could more easily remedy this. Basically, If I push as hard as I
can in an effort to get "\" I can acheive nearly "|"

Now I hope I didn't confuse everyone with my cheap symbols.

WL

"Wilson Lamb"

in reply to Trevor on 07/01/2005 1:24 PM

08/01/2005 1:25 AM

WOW, I don't have a Unisaw, so can't speak directly to it, but I have worked
with a lot of machinery.

Isn't the trunnion mounted to the tabe? If so, it seems that's the place to
set the blade parallel.

If the trunnion is mounted to the cabinet and the table adjustment won't do
it, then the trunnion still has to move.

Was this saw ever aligned perfectly?
Is it new?
Maybe it was cattywumpus from the factory and you need to see Deltaman?

You should NOT have to be filing on a $1500 saw!

Wilson
"Trevor" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I have unisaw that I can't seem to get into alignment.
>
> When I loosen or remove the trunnions and push the back of the table to
> the far right and the front of the table to the far left I get close to
> parallel, but cutting stock leaves burn marks next on the stock being
> cut to size (but the cutoff piece is burn free) In fact I can't move
> the saw table so that the rear of the blade is further from the fence
> than the front of the blade without removing the trunnion bolts
> completely -- and then the holes don't align at all...
>
> Is there something obvious I'm missing? Are there other adjustments
> aside from the trunnion bolts that can assist in aligning the table?
>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Mi

"Mike in Mystic"

in reply to Trevor on 07/01/2005 1:24 PM

07/01/2005 8:22 PM

how are you verifying blade to miter-slot parallelism? I use the
TS-Aligner, Jr., but there are other ways to do it. After that, you must
ensure that the fence is parallel to the miter-slot, and thus the blade.
When you get that done if you still have burning, it is likely due to the
blade - either blade runout and/or pitch build-up or something. What type
of wood are you using, or is this a general problem regardless (which is
what I'd assume)? Some woods (cherry, in particular) burn easily.

Mike


"Trevor" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Leon wrote:
> > "Trevor" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> >
> >>I have unisaw that I can't seem to get into alignment.
> >>
> >>When I loosen or remove the trunnions and push the back of the table to
> >>the far right and the front of the table to the far left I get close to
> >>parallel, but cutting stock leaves burn marks next on the stock being
cut
> >>to size (but the cutoff piece is burn free) In fact I can't move the
saw
> >>table so that the rear of the blade is further from the fence than the
> >>front of the blade without removing the trunnion bolts completely -- and
> >>then the holes don't align at all...
> >>
> >>Is there something obvious I'm missing? Are there other adjustments
aside
> >>from the trunnion bolts that can assist in aligning the table?
> >
> >
> > You should not be loostening trunion bolts if you have a Unisaw. You
should
> > be loostening the table bolts holding the table to the cabinet.
normally
> > lcvated on the outside corners of the cabinet.
>
>
> I misnamed the bolts. I was loosening four the table bolts. (For some
> reason I was thinking they were called trunnion bolts it never made
> sense to me)
>
> So other than the table bolts (which is actually what I tried), are
> there any other adjustments I can make?

Lr

"Leon"

in reply to Trevor on 07/01/2005 1:24 PM

07/01/2005 8:53 PM


"Trevor" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
>
> I misnamed the bolts. I was loosening four the table bolts. (For some
> reason I was thinking they were called trunnion bolts it never made sense
> to me)
>
> So other than the table bolts (which is actually what I tried), are there
> any other adjustments I can make?


If you do indeed need to move the table more you can elongate the holds in
the cabinet so that the table will shift a bit more.

Lr

"Leon"

in reply to Trevor on 07/01/2005 1:24 PM

07/01/2005 7:56 PM


"Trevor" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I have unisaw that I can't seem to get into alignment.
>
> When I loosen or remove the trunnions and push the back of the table to
> the far right and the front of the table to the far left I get close to
> parallel, but cutting stock leaves burn marks next on the stock being cut
> to size (but the cutoff piece is burn free) In fact I can't move the saw
> table so that the rear of the blade is further from the fence than the
> front of the blade without removing the trunnion bolts completely -- and
> then the holes don't align at all...
>
> Is there something obvious I'm missing? Are there other adjustments aside
> from the trunnion bolts that can assist in aligning the table?

You should not be loostening trunion bolts if you have a Unisaw. You should
be loostening the table bolts holding the table to the cabinet. normally
lcvated on the outside corners of the cabinet.


> Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Jj

John

in reply to Trevor on 07/01/2005 1:24 PM

09/01/2005 4:03 PM


Frankly, if this is a new saw and you cannot get it aligned with max
adjustment of the tabletop with the bolts loosened, time to call Delta
about replacing the defective saw

John

On Fri, 07 Jan 2005 15:11:21 -0600, Trevor
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Lawrence Wasserman wrote:
>> In article <[email protected]>,
>> Trevor <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>>I have unisaw that I can't seem to get into alignment.
>>>
>>>When I loosen or remove the trunnions and push the back of the table to
>>>the far right and the front of the table to the far left I get close to
>>>parallel, but cutting stock leaves burn marks next on the stock being
>>>cut to size (but the cutoff piece is burn free) In fact I can't move
>>>the saw table so that the rear of the blade is further from the fence
>>>than the front of the blade without removing the trunnion bolts
>>>completely -- and then the holes don't align at all...
>>>
>>>Is there something obvious I'm missing? Are there other adjustments
>>>aside from the trunnion bolts that can assist in aligning the table?
>>>
>>>Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
>>
>>
>>
>> Not sure about your sequence here. Usually, one would loosen the table
>> bolts on a cabinet saw (or trunion bolts on a contractor saw) then
>> adjust to make the table miter slots parallel to the blade. (i.e.
>> perpendicular to the saw arbor) Then use the FENCE adjustment to make
>> the fence parallel.
>>
>>
>
>Yes, that is what I did... I jsut mistakenly wrote trunnion bolts -- I
>actually meant the bolts securing the table top. I was attempting to
>align the blade to run parallel with the miter slots. The problem is
>that the setting closest to parallel (which is pretty dang close) is
>when the table top is shifted to the extreme most possible points allowed.
>
>The fence is parallel with the miter slots as well.
>
>More than anything, I was curious because I can only get the blade to be
>out of parallel in on direction and not the other.
>
>Pretend these ascii characters are the blade viewed from above and the
>sides of the viewing window are the miter slots...
>
>"/" is what I can get easily.
>
>"|" is what is desired,
>
>"\" is impossible, and makes "|" (parallel) hard to get
>
>Of course I could widen the holes that the table top bolts go through to
>allow more play, but I thought there may be another adjustment somewhere
>that could more easily remedy this. Basically, If I push as hard as I
>can in an effort to get "\" I can acheive nearly "|"
>
>Now I hope I didn't confuse everyone with my cheap symbols.

Tt

Trevor

in reply to Trevor on 07/01/2005 1:24 PM

07/01/2005 3:18 PM

Leon wrote:
> "Trevor" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>
>>I misnamed the bolts. I was loosening four the table bolts. (For some
>>reason I was thinking they were called trunnion bolts it never made sense
>>to me)
>>
>>So other than the table bolts (which is actually what I tried), are there
>>any other adjustments I can make?
>
>
>
> If you do indeed need to move the table more you can elongate the holds in
> the cabinet so that the table will shift a bit more.
>
>

Yeah, that was the only solution I had come up with too. I didn't know
if there was another adjustment I could make before elongating the
holes. It's pretty dang close to parallel and I think my miters are
fine so I may just cheat on the fence if I need to.

lL

[email protected] (Lawrence Wasserman)

in reply to Trevor on 07/01/2005 1:24 PM

07/01/2005 8:40 PM

In article <[email protected]>,
Trevor <[email protected]> wrote:
>I have unisaw that I can't seem to get into alignment.
>
>When I loosen or remove the trunnions and push the back of the table to
>the far right and the front of the table to the far left I get close to
>parallel, but cutting stock leaves burn marks next on the stock being
>cut to size (but the cutoff piece is burn free) In fact I can't move
>the saw table so that the rear of the blade is further from the fence
>than the front of the blade without removing the trunnion bolts
>completely -- and then the holes don't align at all...
>
>Is there something obvious I'm missing? Are there other adjustments
>aside from the trunnion bolts that can assist in aligning the table?
>
>Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.


Not sure about your sequence here. Usually, one would loosen the table
bolts on a cabinet saw (or trunion bolts on a contractor saw) then
adjust to make the table miter slots parallel to the blade. (i.e.
perpendicular to the saw arbor) Then use the FENCE adjustment to make
the fence parallel.


--

Larry Wasserman Baltimore, Maryland
[email protected]

ss

skeezics

in reply to Trevor on 07/01/2005 1:24 PM

07/01/2005 8:46 PM

On Fri, 07 Jan 2005 13:24:19 -0600, Trevor
<[email protected]> wrote:

>I have unisaw that I can't seem to get into alignment.
>
>When I loosen or remove the trunnions and push the back of the table to
>the far right and the front of the table to the far left I get close to
>parallel, but cutting stock leaves burn marks next on the stock being
>cut to size (but the cutoff piece is burn free) In fact I can't move
>the saw table so that the rear of the blade is further from the fence
>than the front of the blade without removing the trunnion bolts
>completely -- and then the holes don't align at all...
>
>Is there something obvious I'm missing? Are there other adjustments
>aside from the trunnion bolts that can assist in aligning the table?
>
>Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

im not sure if i read this correctly but you should be aligning the
top by getting the blade parralel to the miter slot then you adjust
the fence to the blade or miter slots. simply moving the table wont do
you need to adjust both. hope this helps.

skeez

Jj

John

in reply to Trevor on 07/01/2005 1:24 PM

07/01/2005 4:09 PM

You should be lining up the blade to the miter slots by loosening
those bolts and adjusting the table top.

You DO NOT aline the fence by doing that, the fence is adjusted
seperately

See your instructions for setting up the fence that came with the
saw/fence OR that is downloadable from Delta

John

On Fri, 07 Jan 2005 14:09:30 -0600, Trevor
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Leon wrote:
>> "Trevor" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>>
>>>I have unisaw that I can't seem to get into alignment.
>>>
>>>When I loosen or remove the trunnions and push the back of the table to
>>>the far right and the front of the table to the far left I get close to
>>>parallel, but cutting stock leaves burn marks next on the stock being cut
>>>to size (but the cutoff piece is burn free) In fact I can't move the saw
>>>table so that the rear of the blade is further from the fence than the
>>>front of the blade without removing the trunnion bolts completely -- and
>>>then the holes don't align at all...
>>>
>>>Is there something obvious I'm missing? Are there other adjustments aside
>>>from the trunnion bolts that can assist in aligning the table?
>>
>>
>> You should not be loostening trunion bolts if you have a Unisaw. You should
>> be loostening the table bolts holding the table to the cabinet. normally
>> lcvated on the outside corners of the cabinet.
>
>
>I misnamed the bolts. I was loosening four the table bolts. (For some
>reason I was thinking they were called trunnion bolts it never made
>sense to me)
>
>So other than the table bolts (which is actually what I tried), are
>there any other adjustments I can make?


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