Squaring (Perpendicular) the 52" T-Glide Sawstop Fence

[John Sayen]

Hi all,

The Sawstop PCS with 52" T-Glide is assembled and is in its [hopefully] final tuning stages before being put to work.

Not sure if we should have left well enough alone, but when checking the fence for perpendicular against the table we have not been able to get it quite perfect. The gap is near the bottom of the fence and is very minimal but you can see that it's there.

Is this something to worry about, and if so, how do you recommend we start over and get it right? We have been adjusting the left and right screws slowly and checking with the square as we go.

Should the fence be perpendicular or both the left and right side of the fence? That seems like an obvious yes but we haven't been able to achieve that either, so we've been focusing on the left side for now.

The rest of the saw seems perfect, getting the extension tables flush was a chore but in the end they turned out quite nice.

Thank you for the help.

358446

[Hoang N Nguyen]

If I remember correctly, the manual has a section that shows you how to square the fence with the table. It's been a few years since I've had to adjust mine but I know there's a way.

If you're having issues with one side of the fence being squared and the other isn't, you may have to remove one of the faces and shim it.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

Sorry, no good answers, but, I had not given it a thought until you mentioned it.... and now I want to see the answers.

Now for my random thoughts...



When you see the gap near the bottom, is that consistent front to back?
Exactly how much is that out?
Which cuts will be affected by this?


Are you able to measure how far out that is?

What is the effect? Consider cutting something like plywood. The distance from the blade to the fence differs at the top of the fence and the bottom of the fence. As such, a very thick piece of wood will be narrower than a very thin piece of wood. Is the distance about 0.008 (close to 1/128")? Will that affect the final result?

I expect that this would have the greatest affect if something tall is leaned against the fence. When I do that, however, I am not really using the actual fence. Instead, I use something that fits over the top of the fence (it straddles the fence) and it is important that the taller fence is then perpendicular to the top.

If I remember, i will check my sawstop fence tonight. This is simply something I had never considered.

[John Sayen]

If I remember correctly, the manual has a section that shows you how to square the fence with the table. It's been a few years since I've had to adjust mine but I know there's a way.

If you're having issues with one side of the fence being squared and the other isn't, you may have to remove one of the faces and shim it.

We should have been clear that we are following the steps in the manual on page 21, adjusting the leveling screws on the left and right side of the fence. http://www.sawstop.com/images/uploads/manuals/PCS%20T-Glide%20Fence%20System%20Owners%20Manual%20%28Dec% 2009%20-%20Rev6%29.pdf


We attached a picture for clarity. The pictures in the original post are as close to perpendicular as we are able to achieve.

358459

[Hoang N Nguyen]

In that case, I would try shimming the other side of the fence to get that squared as well. You can always call sawstop and explain to them what you're experiencing. Their customer service is outstanding, they know their stuff and can walk you through it.

When I first got mine, I had to call about my insert plate sounding like a fool trying to explain a part to them but they knew exactly what I was talking about. Had a new insert plate sent out the next day.


We should have been clear that we are following the steps in the manual on page 21, adjusting the leveling screws on the left and right side of the fence. http://www.sawstop.com/images/uploads/manuals/PCS%20T-Glide%20Fence%20System%20Owners%20Manual%20%28Dec% 2009%20-%20Rev6%29.pdf


We attached a picture for clarity. The pictures in the original post are as close to perpendicular as we are able to achieve.

358459

[Dan Schocke]

Sorry, no good answers, but, I had not given it a thought until you mentioned it.... and now I want to see the answers.

Now for my random thoughts...



When you see the gap near the bottom, is that consistent front to back?
Exactly how much is that out?
Which cuts will be affected by this?


Are you able to measure how far out that is?

What is the effect? Consider cutting something like plywood. The distance from the blade to the fence differs at the top of the fence and the bottom of the fence. As such, a very thick piece of wood will be narrower than a very thin piece of wood. Is the distance about 0.008 (close to 1/128")? Will that affect the final result?

I expect that this would have the greatest affect if something tall is leaned against the fence. When I do that, however, I am not really using the actual fence. Instead, I use something that fits over the top of the fence (it straddles the fence) and it is important that the taller fence is then perpendicular to the top.

If I remember, i will check my sawstop fence tonight. This is simply something I had never considered.

One example where this will be forever annoying is if you use a dado stack + the fence to cut tenons. The shoulders on your tenons won't line up on all sides. Maybe not critical with your working style, but it made my time spent aligning/shimming the fence feel worthwhile.

--Dan