Setup and calibration disc for setting up various saws

[Bobby Robbinett]

So I just discovered the Freud setup and calibration disk for setting up saws and wish that I had known about this sooner. I ordered one this morning and plan to use it at home and at work to setup everything from miter saws, table saws, RAS, ect.

My question is does anyone know of a calibration disk with a 1” arbor? We have a sliding table saw, two upcut saws, a Powermatic 72 and a Delta 12/14 that I believe all have a 1” arbor. (It appears the previous owner of our slider changed out the 30mm arbor for a 1” arbor somehow 😠)

If a calibration disk with a 1” arbor does not exist then I wonder if I could purchase a second disc and have a machine shop bore out the hole to a 1” arbor size? I understand that generally this is frowned on with saw blades due to balancing the blade properly but since this won’t be spinning with the saws turned on, I wonder if it could be done while still maintaining the accuracy of the setup?

I have a machine shop down the road that is very good and so I might give them a shout and see what they say. What do you guys think?

[David Buchhauser]

With proper setup, this could be accomplished with a cnc laser cutter to very close tolerance. Otherwise a competent machine shop.
David

[glenn bradley]

A full service sharpening shop can enlarge the bore for you. I find the Freud disc inexpensive and very accurate for machine setup.

[Bill Dufour]

You could enlarge the hole with a step drill. Make sure to countersink the hole to remove any burrs. I just realized that a sheet of thick glass with a hole in it would work fine. It is making the hole that would cost money. I am sure a glass shop would have a offcut for free. I mean a piece like 1/2" thick.
Bill D

[Jim Becker]

You could enlarge the hole with a step drill. Make sure to countersink the hole to remove any burrs. I just realized that a sheet of thick glass with a hole in it would work fine. It is making the hole that would cost money. I am sure a glass shop would have a offcut for free. I mean a piece like 1/2" thick.
Bill D
Given the purpose of this precision disk...I'd want a pro machinist or blade specialist to bore out the plate for 1" arbor applcations.

[Bill Dufour]

I do not really understand the point of a disk. Is it to do more then align the arbor with the miter slot and tabletop and adjust the fence to parallel? For that a flat rectangle would work.
Bill D

[Jim Becker]

Bill, you're correct that the shape doesn't matter, but it has to be precisely flat for the purposes it would be used, such as aligning the blade plane to the miter slots and then the fence to the blade.

[Bill Dufour]

Bill, you're correct that the shape doesn't matter, but it has to be precisely flat for the purposes it would be used, such as aligning the blade plane to the miter slots and then the fence to the blade.


Thanks for the info. I thought maybe he was measuring the depth of cut or something like that so it had to be round.

[Jim Becker]

Thanks for the info. I thought maybe he was measuring the depth of cut or something like that so it had to be round.

Think of it like a setup block that's thin but precisely flat and fits snugly over the arbor like a blade would.

[Richard Coers]

Bill, you're correct that the shape doesn't matter, but it has to be precisely flat for the purposes it would be used, such as aligning the blade plane to the miter slots and then the fence to the blade.
If you want to check arbor runout, you need a round disc to rotate with a dial indicator on it. Hard to do that with a rectangle

[Jim Becker]

If you want to check arbor runout, you need a round disc to rotate with a dial indicator on it. Hard to do that with a rectangle
Excellent point... :)

[Bruce Wrenn]

If you want to check arbor runout, you need a round disc to rotate with a dial indicator on it. Hard to do that with a rectangle


Yeah, but it's easy to do with just a piece of BB plywood. This method was stolen from John White's book "Care and Repair of Shop Machines." Take a piece of 1/2" BB plywood, about 2 inches wide, and ten inches long. Then mark a center line down it's length. Near one end on the center line, bore a hole to match the arbor on your saw. Mount on saw arbor, then in the forward position, mark a spot where your dial indicator (mounted in miter slot) touches it. Then rotate to rear, and check DI against same spot. Once you get this spot "zeroed in," reset plywood to another location, and check again. It should remain the same as before, unless you have arbor run out. You can set arbor for 45 degree bevel,and raise it up, to upper most position, and rest DI tip on flange washer to check run out.

[David M Peters]

The Master Plate has a 1" arbor, sounds like what you're looking for.

http://mastergage.com/display_product.asp?id=4

I use it for calibrating my slider & fence, works well.

[Bobby Robbinett]

The Master Plate has a 1" arbor, sounds like what you're looking for.

http://mastergage.com/display_product.asp?id=4

I use it for calibrating my slider & fence, works well.

Hate to spend almost $100 on this thing as I already ordered the Freud disc but I may bite the bullet. Only thing is that this may not work for what I want. I need the 1” arbor version to not only do my sliding table saw but also two upcut saws, a big ras, and two large cabinet saws. I think it might not work with the upcut saws and the RAS. I might see if my local machine shop can make a flat plate of aluminum that is milled flat on both sides and has a 1” hole in the center. That would probably cost around $100 (buddy price).

[Bob Hinden]

The Master Plate has a 1" arbor, sounds like what you're looking for.

http://mastergage.com/display_product.asp?id=4

I use it for calibrating my slider & fence, works well.

I also use the Master Plate (along with their SuperBar product). Comes with 5/8" and 1.0" saw arbors (30mm also available). Works well, and I like to support the company. They don't send me daily emails after buying something either.

Bob

[Bill Dufour]

Excellent point... :)


That method assumes the disk is flat and parallel. It is more accurate to use a flat bar and clock it around the arbor several times. That eliminates concerns about flatness and parallelism. Of course the retightening of the arbor nut without a torque wrench would defeat the advantages. To each his own and I am sure decently made flat disk is plenty accurate for wood work.
Bill

[Jim Becker]

Bill, these disks a being discussed re designed specifically for the setup work...

[Mike Kees]

Yeah, but it's easy to do with just a piece of BB plywood. This method was stolen from John White's book "Care and Repair of Shop Machines." Take a piece of 1/2" BB plywood, about 2 inches wide, and ten inches long. Then mark a center line down it's length. Near one end on the center line, bore a hole to match the arbor on your saw. Mount on saw arbor, then in the forward position, mark a spot where your dial indicator (mounted in miter slot) touches it. Then rotate to rear, and check DI against same spot. Once you get this spot "zeroed in," reset plywood to another location, and check again. It should remain the same as before, unless you have arbor run out. You can set arbor for 45 degree bevel,and raise it up, to upper most position, and rest DI tip on flange washer to check run out.
This. John White's book is my go to for machine set up. I too have used the baltic birch rectangle for quite a few years. I thought about the disk idea until I realized I owned about 15 of them. (mine all have carbide teeth attached):D

[Bobby Robbinett]

Bill, you're correct that the shape doesn't matter, but it has to be precisely flat for the purposes it would be used, such as aligning the blade plane to the miter slots and then the fence to the blade.

This is not only for aligning tops using a miter slot dial indicator. I plan to use it to setup the fences on our two upcut saws, and the fences on our ras and slider. It’s nice to have a flat point of reference on one side using a long square. If you use a saw blade the square won’t go flat against the blade surface as the carbide teeth get in the way.

[Tom M King]

I use the Master Plate. I bought it at the end of a year when I needed to spend some money on tools, thinking it was a splurge, but I've been glad I have it since then.

[Jim Becker]

This is not only for aligning tops using a miter slot dial indicator. I plan to use it to setup the fences on our two upcut saws, and the fences on our ras and slider. It’s nice to have a flat point of reference on one side using a long square. If you use a saw blade the square won’t go flat against the blade surface as the carbide teeth get in the way.

Yes, I should have indicated I was describing just a few of the many tasks these setup devices are used for.