Help squaring table saw

[Brian Runau]

I have a Craftsman saw with the Biesemeyer fence and enclosed base. 12-13 years old at this point and I am just a hobbyist. I square up the blade to the slot with all four bolts loose. After I tighten down the bolts it goes out of square. I have tried a different sequence of tightening the bolts and working opposite corners through the progression, but twice now it finishes out of square. No idea how to keep the square during tightening the bolts? Thanks for any help.

Brian

[Thomas McCurnin]

Those trunions were a pain, and I ended up doing more adjusting that working. I sold my saw and got a cabinet saw.

if you must live with this, build a jig that locks into the miter slot, at to which one can clamp a blade, holding the grunion in place while you torque it in place. I might even consider using locktite.

[Thomas Wilson]

This is always a problem. I dealt with it by snugging up the bolts pretty well then adjusting with a rubber mallet. It has to be tight enough that the top does not move with hand pressure. When the blade is aligned, snug it down carefully. Use the mallet as necessary. Good luck. It pays off in quality of cut if you are successful.

[Dave Sweeney]

If you're trying to get to 0.000000 you'll probably never get there. How close to that are you getting now?

[Paul F Franklin]

When I had to do this with my old saw, I found that removing the lockwashers (if you have them) and replacing with two flat washers allowed me to snug the bolts a fair bit while still allowing for tapping with the mallet to move the top. Make sure the flat washers are large enough that an edge of the washer can't slip into to slot below. Once I had it close enough, I would tighten the bolts a little more and recheck. If still ok, I would tighten fairly tight and recheck. If still good, I would take one bolt out at a time and replace one flat washer with the lockwasher (closest to the bolt head) and tighten that bolt. Then repeat for the other bolts. Good luck; it's a pain but worth it.

[Lisa Starr]

Can you us PALS on this saw? I have a homemade set on my very old Craftsman saw and it helps hold the trunnions still while tightening the bolts.

[Brian Runau]

Those trunions were a pain, and I ended up doing more adjusting that working. I sold my saw and got a cabinet saw.

if you must live with this, build a jig that locks into the miter slot, at to which one can clamp a blade, holding the grunion in place while you torque it in place. I might even consider using locktite.

Tom the top sits on the cabinet base on this sawmill. Thanks Brian

[Brian Runau]

If you're trying to get to 0.000000 you'll probably never get there. How close to that are you getting now?

Not that close it is showing up in the cut enough to matter.

[Brian Runau]

This is always a problem. I dealt with it by snugging up the bolts pretty well then adjusting with a rubber mallet. It has to be tight enough that the top does not move with hand pressure. When the blade is aligned, snug it down carefully. Use the mallet as necessary. Good luck. It pays off in quality of cut if you are successful.

I will try this. Thanks Brian

[Lee Schierer]

I have a Craftsman saw with the Biesemeyer fence and enclosed base. 12-13 years old at this point and I am just a hobbyist. I square up the blade to the slot with all four bolts loose. After I tighten down the bolts it goes out of square. I have tried a different sequence of tightening the bolts and working opposite corners through the progression, but twice now it finishes out of square. No idea how to keep the square during tightening the bolts? Thanks for any help.

Brian

Brian, I had the same problem with my Craftsman 113 saw. What I dis was to loosen one bolt at a time far enough I could rotate the star lock washer just enough where the teeth were not aligned with the small grooves they had mad into the cast iron. Recently my son was aligning his Rigid table saw and encountered the same problem with his split ring lock washers. Once the lock washers are rotated slightly they don't pull the trunions back out of alignment. You can also purchase a set of PALS to fit your saw that make the first and any future alignments much easier.

[Brian Runau]

Brian, I had the same problem with my Craftsman 113 saw. What I dis was to loosen one bolt at a time far enough I could rotate the star lock washer just enough where the teeth were not aligned with the small grooves they had mad into the cast iron. Recently my son was aligning his Rigid table saw and encountered the same problem with his split ring lock washers. Once the lock washers are rotated slightly they don't pull the trunions back out of alignment. You can also purchase a set of PALS to fit your saw that make the first and any future alignments much easier.


Lee, my saw sits on an enclosed base. There are four bolts that go through each corner of the base into the cast iron top. Not sure how PALS would work on this? thanks brian

[Jeff Clode]

Hate to appear stupid but what is (are) PALS??? Pediatric Advanced Life Support I get - but on a saw??? I did use the google and the search function on the Creek but no explanation
Jeff

[glenn bradley]

It sounds like this is a 22124 craftsman. Is that correct? There’s also some confusion here… If it is that saw they are cabinet mounted trunnions just like a cabinet saw. Also, if it is that saw I happen to have one sitting in my garage right now and I can probably help with this. I’ll check back in the morning and see how this is going.

[Bill Dufour]

Throw out the lock washers, use lock tite. By 1880 they knew lock washers did not work. The knockoff lock tite from harbor freight is better then a lock washer
Tighten a little then knock it into shape with a deadblow hammer. Full tight in a star pattern like lug nuts on a car. Rinse and repeat as needed. Put a cold rolled round bar in the mitre groove and reference off that. it needs to be a little bigger then the mitre slot so it bears on both sides and does not bottom out.
Bill D

[Paul F Franklin]

Hate to appear stupid but what is (are) PALS??? Pediatric Advanced Life Support I get - but on a saw??? I did use the google and the search function on the Creek but no explanation
Jeff

https://www.in-lineindustries.com/products/contractor-saw-pals/

[Brian Runau]

It sounds like this is a 22124 craftsman. Is that correct? There’s also some confusion here… If it is that saw they are cabinet mounted trunnions just like a cabinet saw. Also, if it is that saw I happen to have one sitting in my garage right now and I can probably help with this. I’ll check back in the morning and see how this is going.

Glenn, correct. I took off the lock washers, added another flat washer, and loosened all the bolts this morning. Set up the square to get it close then set up my dial indicator. I squared it up with the bolts loose and then began tightening them. Side towards the clean out did not move the set up, but when I tighten the two bolts on the left hand side of the table(facing it) this pulled it out of square. I tightened them a little and banged the table back past zero on the indicator and continued to tighten them. At some point I could not move the top for adjustment and when I was done I was .003 out of square. noticeable in a cut. I started over, put the saw .008 out the wrong way and tightened the bolts and banged on ti as I went. Best I would do was .002 out of square. I got so frustrated I gave up. This was noticeable in a cut. I have 115V service and 1.75hp is fine for what I do. Looking at Grizzly and Laguna models seems like the same design? I can run 220V and go to 3hp if this gets me a better/easier machine to maintain, but not sure it would. I don't want to spend all my time woodworking setting up the equipment. I now it has to be maintained, but this is a pain in the .... Thanks for any help. brian

[Jeff Clode]

Thanks, Paul

[Curt Harms]

Not that close it is showing up in the cut enough to matter.

Are you sure this is due to saw alignment? Could a blade that is slightly out of whack exhibit the same symptoms or have you tried different blades?

[Brian Runau]

Are you sure this is due to saw alignment? Could a blade that is slightly out of whack exhibit the same symptoms or have you tried different blades?

I think the blade is fine. I can square it up fine with the bolts loose, but when I tighten them down it moves almost ..001 when I tighten it down.. Thanks brian

[Brian Runau]

I took off the fence and top. Reinstalled everything and it squared up. No idea what was wrong, but it is fixed. Thanks. Brian