Flat discs for TS alignment.

[Rick Potter]

Anyone use one of those flat machined discs you put on the saw arbor for setup? Just watched a Woodsmith Shop show where they used one to set up the saw.

Just wondering if they were really helpful. I see they cost about $30 at Infinity Tools.

Thanks,
Rick

[Bobby Robbinett]

Anyone use one of those flat machined discs you put on the saw arbor for setup? Just watched a Woodsmith Shop show where they used one to set up the saw.

Just wondering if they were really helpful. I see they cost about $30 at Infinity Tools.

Thanks,
Rick

We just purchased two a couple of weeks ago. We used one to setup our miter saw stations and any other saws with a 5/8” arbor. The second one I took to a machine shop and had them bore it out to a 1” arbor hole. We plan to use that one to setup our machines with a 1” arbor which is the majority of our machines. So far, I really like these things!

[Bill Dufour]

look at the thread from two weeks ago. I do not see any real advantage compared to a sawblade since you should be referencing off the same point anyway. I would save some money and buy one bored to the one inch size and use a bushing for the 5/8 arbors
Bill D

[Frank Pratt]

Like Bill said. Just use any blade you have, referencing off the same point for all measurements. It seems to me it's just spending money that could go for other stuff.

[Bruce King]

I got one for $20 and put sandpaper on it.
https://www.woodcraft.com/products/woodriver-10-table-saw-sanding-disc-mounting-plate

[Jim Becker]

There was a recent thread about this that had some good commentary...

[Bobby Robbinett]

Like Bill said. Just use any blade you have, referencing off the same point for all measurements. It seems to me it's just spending money that could go for other stuff.

The problem with referencing off a saw blade with a square is that the teeth get in the way and push the square out when it needs to be flat against the blade.

[Matt Day]

I use the Masterplate. Works nicely.

[Frank Pratt]

The problem with referencing off a saw blade with a square is that the teeth get in the way and push the square out when it needs to be flat against the blade.

The teeth don't get in the way of anything. You just pick one tooth as a reference point & use it to measure distance from the blade to the miter slot front and back. Why are you using a square against the blade?

[Bill Dufour]

Use a shorter square.
Bil lD

[Will Blick]

the purpose of the plate is...
you can run a dial gauge directly through the plate, not easy with a blade, and not all blades are perfectly flat, its part of their design.
If you want to assure really square miter slot and blade alignment, it is a good investment.
I bought the masterplate, and questioned just how flat it was...so you gotta confirm flatness to be sure your reference is right... place on granite block and measure surface with dial gauge..

[Alex Zeller]

I'm in the saw blade camp. I just make a reference mark on the blade and rotate it to set up the miter slot. But that's not something done very often. In fact I've only checked it once on my PM66 after setting up the blade at 90 and 45. I have an Incra that once set up doesn't change. I've checked it a couple of times and it's also never moved. When it comes to setting the blade angle I use metal machinist blocks that are narrow enough not to hit the teeth on a 60 tooth 10" blade (I can do 90 60 and 45 with them). I would think it would be annoying to set the saw up with the disc and then switch to a saw blade (which I would want to verify it still set).

If you think it'll help you then get one. I don't think I would want to use one to sand though. A TS spins kind of fast for sanding. Plus I've been taught that calibration equipment is to be used for only calibrating. For example a torque wrench should only be used to torque nuts and bolts, not as a ratchet or breaker bar to loosen them. I have a 20" disc I made for my lathe for sanding. The lathe gives me variable speed. Rarely do I ever turn it up past 500 rpm. I would guess commercially available sanders of that size would be using a direct drive 1720 rpm motor. A TS with one of these would be twice that speed and over 3 times what I found was a nice spot.

[Frank Pratt]

the purpose of the plate is...
you can run a dial gauge directly through the plate, not easy with a blade, and not all blades are perfectly flat, its part of their design.

That's why you pick one tooth as a reference point & just rotate the blade back & forth to the place your measuring. Even a severely warped blade will give perfect results if only one reference point is used.

[Bill Dufour]

the purpose of the plate is...
you can run a dial gauge directly through the plate, not easy with a blade, and not all blades are perfectly flat, its part of their design.

For $30 + shipping I can pull the plunger back so it rides over a tooth. You do know that granite block has to be supported at the Airy points and only those three points to stay flat.
Bil lD

[Bob Hinden]

I use the Masterplate. Works nicely.

I also use the Masterplate. Works very well.

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

Bob

[Vince Shriver]

I also use the Masterplate. Works very well.

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

Bob

Ditto, works great.