Excalibur sliding table help needed

Holy cow! Did you ever get a great deal. The sliding table alone is
worth that used. I'm assuming you haven't taken delivery of this unit
yet as your answers should be easy to answer yourself. I have the same
sliding table. The fence goes on and off the unit in about 3 seconds.
It's meant to be off the table unless your crosscutting. As well, the
table is very simple to level and adjust. Allen bolts on the legs
allow you to level the unit to your saw. I love mine and wouldn't want
to be without it. If you have the space I suggest you'll grow to love
it. However, if you never do sheet goods you may find you don't use it
much. If your space isn't large like you've said here, take your time
and plan carefully where you position it. All this space has other
uses as well, like lay out and glue up tables etc. Check out their
website for more info:
http://www.excalibur-tools.com/products/slt.htm?product=slt

Neil

max wrote:
> The questions I have are these.
> The sliding table fence gets in the way of using the Unifence. Do you
have
> to remove the sliding fence to rip?

Yes, but it's a snap. The sliding table fence is held on with the
vertical rod in a bracket on the saw side of the table and a T-nut in a
slot on the other side. The bracket has a lever-handled screw that is
loosened a quarter turn, then you loosen the knob on the other side,
slide the T-nut out, then lift the rod out of its bracket.

(In fact, to get extra crosscut capacity, you put the fence on the far
side of the table, which means you have to swap the positions of the
mounting hardware on the fence.)

There's a lever below the table surface on the left side that should
lock the table in place so it doesn't slide if you're ripping large
parts.

>How easy is it to align the sliding
> table?

I found the process tedious, but once it's set, things work fine.

Working from memory, first the height is set with the legs and the
bracket on the table top. Set the heights on these so that the sliding
table top is parallel to the saw table, but just a little above it.
(This keeps the fence from scraping against the saw table.) You're
working here on being level in two directions (sideways and lengthways)
as well as getting the height right, so I found I went around each
adjustment a few times to get things where I liked them. I used the
sliding table fence as a straight edge to see things were level. Make
sure to move the table back and forth to check for level in different
positions.

Once the table is level and at the right height, you set the outside
rail so the sliding table moves parallel to a miter gauge slot on the
table (which, in turn, should be parallel to the blade). The zig-zag
cross bars have oval bolt holes which lets you adjust the outer rail.
I found a dial indicator clamped to the fence on the sliding table made
it easy to run the table back and forth and read how far out of
parallel I was.

Then you need to set the angle scale and the fence stops on sliding
table for square. You can roughly set with a carpenter's square
between a miter gauge slot and the fence on the sliding table. If you
want to do better, there is a method I found in an old post on this
group. Take a large, squarish panel of some cheap material, put one
edge against the sliding table fence, and do a trim cut on an edge.
Rotate the panel so the just trimmed edge is against the fence, then
trim the next edge. Repeat until all four edges have been trimmed,
then put the fourth trimmed edge against the fence and cut a thin strip
off the panel. If the fence is perfectly square, this strip will be of
uniform width. If the width changes along its length, the fence is not
at 90 degrees, and you can try an adjustment and repeat. By cutting
four corners in sequence, this method amplifies the error and makes it
easy to see.

I used a micrometer to measure the difference in strip width, and the
dial indicator to adjust how far I rotated the fence. Write down the
results of each test because how much you adjust (for me, anyway)
turned out to be not obvious. It took me about eight times through for
the fence at the front of the table, and another five to square the
fence at the back of the table. It now probably cuts corners square to
the thickness of a hair over 4' after this.

The outside aluminum extrusion has an angle scale held in place with a
clamp bolt on the side of the extrusion. Loosen this bolt, slide the
scale so the zero degree mark lines up with the squared fence, then
tighten. For the fence at the back of the table, you scribe a line on
this extrusion when the fence is square. Both front and back have
rotating stops with bolts and wingnuts you can adjust to contact the
fence when it's right at 90 degrees.

Easy, eh?

There's a scale and flipstop on the fence, but I haven't yet figured
out how to easily calibrate the scale position after moving the fence
around. I might drill a new hole somewhere and put a removable
locating pin in.

>I am not sure I want to keep this thing because I have been using a
> standard fence for the last 20 years and this is becoming a real
hassle. Do
> you grow to love it or will it just get in the way.
> Thanks
> max

I've been cutting a fair amount of plywood for cabinets. I can't
imagine ever wanting to give up the sliding table. It also makes
crosscutting boards (that are not over 8 or 10 feet) a snap. The
flipstop makes repetitive length cuts easy.

On the other hand, if I was making birdhouses from little scraps of
lumber, it'd just be in the way.

Tim

Hi Max,

If the Unisaw is better than the Delta saw that you just bought (you
don't mention the model) I'd swap them out and mount the sliding table
on the Unisaw but maybe downsize the outfeed table due to the limited
space you have. It is a space pig but it sure is a great addition to
the saw.

Tim, this is very informative and thoughtful response. :>)

Thomas Bunetta wrote:
> "toolguy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Tim, this is very informative and thoughtful response. :>)
> >
>
> Should qualify for the FAQS...
> Tom

<blush> Thanks guys!

Tim

Well if it's too big for your shop and you only paid $400 I'm willing
to take it off your hands for $450. That's a $50 profit for you.

"toolguy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Tim, this is very informative and thoughtful response. :>)
>

Should qualify for the FAQS...
Tom

I agree with Neil....I've had my Excalibur sliding table for over 12
years now and used it on 2 different saws. No way would I give it up.
Its perfect for cutting large panels and extra long boards to length.

On 2 Feb 2005 06:24:43 -0800, "toolguy" <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>Holy cow! Did you ever get a great deal. The sliding table alone is
>worth that used. I'm assuming you haven't taken delivery of this unit
>yet as your answers should be easy to answer yourself. I have the same
>sliding table. The fence goes on and off the unit in about 3 seconds.
>It's meant to be off the table unless your crosscutting. As well, the
>table is very simple to level and adjust. Allen bolts on the legs
>allow you to level the unit to your saw. I love mine and wouldn't want
>to be without it. If you have the space I suggest you'll grow to love
>it. However, if you never do sheet goods you may find you don't use it
>much. If your space isn't large like you've said here, take your time
>and plan carefully where you position it. All this space has other
>uses as well, like lay out and glue up tables etc. Check out their
>website for more info:
>http://www.excalibur-tools.com/products/slt.htm?product=slt
>
>Neil

Lee
remove NO SPAMMERS for email

I have had the saw in the shop for a couple of months now. I have a Unisaw
sitting in the corner because I can't decide which saw to use. This thing is
huge. It is on a welded steel base with airplane wheels but it is 10 feet by
8 feet. My shop is 16 x 25. I thought about putting the table on the unisaw
but a friend advised to use it as it is until I decide.
I did cut some ply and it worked very well. I just have to decide if I want
to give up that much of my shop.
max

>
> Holy cow! Did you ever get a great deal. The sliding table alone is
> worth that used. I'm assuming you haven't taken delivery of this unit
> yet as your answers should be easy to answer yourself. I have the same
> sliding table. The fence goes on and off the unit in about 3 seconds.
> It's meant to be off the table unless your crosscutting. As well, the
> table is very simple to level and adjust. Allen bolts on the legs
> allow you to level the unit to your saw. I love mine and wouldn't want
> to be without it. If you have the space I suggest you'll grow to love
> it. However, if you never do sheet goods you may find you don't use it
> much. If your space isn't large like you've said here, take your time
> and plan carefully where you position it. All this space has other
> uses as well, like lay out and glue up tables etc. Check out their
> website for more info:
> http://www.excalibur-tools.com/products/slt.htm?product=slt
>
> Neil
>

Yeah but shipping will kill you.

max

> Well if it's too big for your shop and you only paid $400 I'm willing
> to take it off your hands for $450. That's a $50 profit for you.
>