R4511 keeps getting out of alignment

[Greg Peterson]

I do not move this saw. I haven't so much as lifted the saw in quite some time now, but I've had to adjust parallelism twice in the past month or so. Both times it has shifted to the right, as if it is pivoting off the front left bolt.

All the bolts are as tight as I dare tighten them, although they did seem to be not as tight when I went about adjusting the table both times.

Anyone else having this problem?

I'm thinking I need something along the lines of a modified PALs. Just trying to figure a way of make something like that work on this saw.

BTW, the Masterplate makes alignment a snap.

[scott spencer]

Is it the blade to fence that's out of alignment or the blade to miter slot?

[Greg Peterson]

It's the blade to miter. I loosen the bolts underneath, and tap the far right edge of the table several times and locked it back down. It is strange.

Both times I've had to adjust it , aside from the initial setup, it was out of alignment the same way, to the right.

[Ray McCullie]

I really really thought about getting one of those when HD had it for $500 a few months back. But the granite top seemed kinda weird. The top on the display model had already been broken and chipped at the miter slots.

Still not sure what to make of Rigid products, are they good cheap or expensive bad?

[Andrew Minear]

Greg....Are you getting excessive vibration on the saw?

I would put LockTite on all four bolts before
torquing them down.

Andrew

[scott spencer]

It's possible that you've got a burr on one of the mating surfaces between the trunnion yoke and the cabinet. If so, it might be worth going to the trouble to file or sand it flush, but no harm trying Locktite first.

[Dave Gaul]

It's possible that you've got a burr on one of the mating surfaces between the trunnion yoke and the cabinet. If so, it might be worth going to the trouble to file or sand it flush, but no harm trying Locktite first.


Just a thought that adds to Scott's idea... could one of the level washers that came installed on the saw have a burr that could cause this too? Ya know the washers that are between the top and the cabinet at the mounting bolts? IIRC the washers on my R4511 were pretty crude...

[Greg Peterson]

Yikes. I didn't even consider the trunnion could be moving. Not a pleasant proposition. I thought about Loctite too, but since I didn't use a torque wrench on the bolts, I have no way of really knowing if any of the bolts had loosened.

But I have my suspicions that the trunnion is indeed not locked in place. Depending on blade height, angle, type, I get a strange loping vibration from the saw.

I guess the top is coming off. I'll live with it for the moment as I have one project I need to finish. Finally got around to building a cabinet for my Fender Deluxe (5E3) amp. I'll post some pictures in the projects.

Thanks all for the insight and ideas.

If Rigid brings the R4511 back, and there are rumors they are, for the original $600 MSRP, it is a very good saw. At $500, you can't. At the closeout of $299, I would have bought two. One for rip, one for crosscut/dado.

Well, probably not. But at $299, it was a bargain beyond belief.

[Steve Southwood]

Greg the 4511 is back in my area. $399 is on the tag.

I am on my second 4511 and there will not be another. I had one of the first to break arbor shaft and the second, well I still ain't happy. The more I use it, the more I find wrong. Little stuff and little stuff adds up.

[Ray McCullie]

So you like the idea so much you're willing to wade through lemons to get a good one?

[Terry Welty]

Love mine and I paid $450... $399 that's just crazeeeee... have you looked at what's out there??? I see the competiton's saws are toys compared to the R4511... I've had just a few issues, all very fixable...

[Ray McCullie]

Don't get me wrong, I drooled over the saw in HD but already had a bench top to use and couldn't afford it, even at a good price like $500. It's one of the few in that price/class that have a height lock as well as bevel lock. Plus it has the induction motor and mobile base to boot. It's like some other tools I've had, one broke but it was so nice I replaced it until I got a good one. Just watching to see how people like them, still thinking about upgrading at some point...

[scott spencer]

Don't get me wrong, I drooled over the saw in HD but already had a bench top to use and couldn't afford it, even at a good price like $500. It's one of the few in that price/class that have a height lock as well as bevel lock. Plus it has the induction motor and mobile base to boot. It's like some other tools I've had, one broke but it was so nice I replaced it until I got a good one. Just watching to see how people like them, still thinking about upgrading at some point...

I don't own one, but the vast majority of comments from owners is really positive. Most even like the fence.

[Ray McCullie]

Most even like the fence.

Wow, now that's saying something!

[Alan Schwabacher]

When you align the saw, have you clamped the trunnion before shifting it? The reason I ask is that it's possible to move the blade into alignment, but to open up some play between the trunnion and the carriage so it can shift back. By clamping the trunnion to the carriage as you align things, you prevent this, and it should stay in alignment.

I don't have a picture to show what I mean, but the trunnion and carriage fit together with a semicircular groove and ridge, that slide against one another as you tilt the blade. These are the things to clamp together while adjusting. I think John White's, Kelly Mehler's and Mark Duginske's books on tablesaws and machinery show this.