CU300 annoyances

[Carl Beckett]

Some items that I would like to hear experience of others here, on the use of their slider/combo machines. Mine is a MM CU300 smart.

1) I use the outrigger almost all of the time. This takes up more space than I would like, and I have read many of you here use the outrigger only occasionally. Problem is I do not have the 'small miter' that goes with the saw. But do have an Incra miter modified to fit the slot. But since I do all the cutoffs on the tablesaw, anything longer than about 2ft would need the outrigger to support. Note I do not have a separate station with a SCMS like many here (nor do I have space). So the outrigger stays on most of the time.

I am interested in others experiences and how they handle longer breakdowns. I might try using my little cordless circ to break down then finishing on the tablesaw without the outrigger. This would add a step (each cut being made twice). Not sure overall. I want the space. Putting the outrigger on/off a lot isnt very appealing either.

2) When I pull the TS fence back to where the tip is in front of the blade, it likes to tip up in the air until it is pressed down and locked in place. This makes a one handed operation turn into a two handed operation. Any tricks? (I may add weight to the front just the hold it down, but added weight in the tip may make the fence less smooth when adjusting for width. I could cut the fence down in length, but not too keen on that idea.

3) My TS fence goes on and off a fair bit to be able to use the planer. This means I cant trust the width scale for much. I still do use the fence to determine width of cut - I know some of you have something mounted to the sliding table that is adjustable for width. I could try that, but over what range and how well does it do with uneven edges. I guess I could start with a straight rip then flip it over so the straight reference was on the slider side and go from there... but I am still stuck on setting a fence then being able to make repeats and have them all the same width (like the traditional cabinet saw). Am sure some of you have an efficient way for this.

4) Do you run dust collection to both the shaper and TS at the same time? Mine is, but I am not getting great collection on the TS so wondering if I should shut off the shaper port. Another issue is when doing smaller cutoffs, the waste strips and pieces, if small, go down and clog the internal hoses pretty easily. I may just need a closer insert to help this, but the hoses internal to the machine are crunched a bit so the openings are not that large. I wonder if a coarse metal screen would be worthwhile (but need to be sure doesnt interfere with the blade).

Am sure I can learn some tricks on how to overcome some of these nuances. Teach me, oh great ones....

[Jim Becker]

Preface...I have an S315WS slider...

1) I keep the outrigger on all the time, too, and even rejiggered my shop and the machine to make that possible from a space standpoint. It comes in handy for more than just cutting on the saw and the positional relationship between my saw and my J/P is such that the saw supports the stack of material I'm flattening and thicknessing since it's "right there". The outrigger occasionally serves as additional layout/assembly space for large projects...I assembled the ladder for a recent bunk bed commission on it because of the clamping ease. For breaking down lumber, I use my CMS, but even a circular saw is good for that. I don't have enough lateral space in my shop because of a stairwell to use the slider effectively for that in all cases and I do break down boards before I start processing them. It's too bad you don't have the shorter miter fence for your saw. It's incredibly useful and handles (lighter weight) stock 3-4' or more long because it extends outward when needed. It's also incredibly accurate. Perhaps you can make an auxiliary support that engages with the wagon's sideward tee-slot to provide similar improvements to your Incra setup.

2) The fence extrusion does have some weight. I shortened mine by about a foot for two reasons. Firstly, it helps with the tipping issue you mention, although it doesn't fully mitigate it. Secondly, it provided me with a short fence for when it's being used well before the blade for repeatable short cross-cuts to the right of the blade. (used as a stop)

3) I don't understand why removing your fence for function change-over affects the accuracy of the fence scale, but I've not used the combo. Perhaps you might consider contacting Sam Blasco and ask him for advise on this. My fence is very accurate, but I don't fully remove it. Something is amiss if you are not able to remove/re-install with retained accuracy, IMHO.

4) Logically, even if both functions share the same drop, they should not be both open at the same time. That reduces efficiency of the collection. Use blast gates if you branch off to both functions or just move the hose from function to function using a Fernco rubber connector to slip onto the 120mm ports on the workstation pickups.