Table Saw blade out of alignment

[Mike Burns]

I'm just getting my shop in order again after a bit of a hiatus after relocating. I noticed my Jet contractor saw blade is out of alignment with the mitre slots. It's far enough out of alignment that I can just barely get the rip fence in alignment with the blade. There is nothing in the owners manual that addresses this issue. I've had it about 5 years and it's been moved a couple of times and it was ok before. Before I start loosening bolts and making the problem worse, I'm hoping someone here can give me a pointer or two on where to start. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Happy 4th to all........... I'm smoking a couple of Boston Butts overnight on my Big Green Egg for pulled pork tomorrow!

Mike

[Scott Thornton]

Hi Mike.

Welcome to the Creek.

Can you provide more detail? Is your blade square? 90 degrees to the table? Is your fence square, 90 degrees to the table? If you cross cut a piece of wood with using your miter gauge and rotate the cut piece 180 degrees and put the board back together where it was cut, is there a gap?

Thanks.

[Greg Koch]

This is an easy, solid and accurate way to line up and keep the trunion lined up. I used it on my Delta contractors saw and it worked perfectly. Clear instructions included.

http://www.in-lineindustries.com/saw_pals.html

[Howard Acheson]

I'm a little confused. Your blade should be parallel to your miter slot and your fence should be parallel to your miter slot. You don't align your fence with the blade.

Here is the low tech, low cost way to align a tablesaw that I learned maybe forty years ago and teach to my students now.

Make 3/4 x 3/4 x 12" hardwood stick. Drill a hole somewhat centered in one end and insert a brass #8 x 1" round head wood screw about half way. UNPLUG THE SAW. Raise the blade completely up. Clamp this board in your miter gauge (if you determine that there is some slop in your slot to miter gauge, use a playing card to take up the slop) so the screw head just about touches the blade at the front. Now rotate the blade by hand and determine which tooth is the closest. Adjust the screw in or out until it just touches this tooth. Mark this tooth. Rotate the blade so the tooth is now at the back of the table and move the miter gauge/stick assembly to the back and see if it touches the marked tooth to the same extent. If it doesn't, adjust the trunnion (if a contractor saw) or the tabletop (if a cabinet saw) until it does.

For a contractor saw, first use a small c-clamp on the rear trunnion and cradle to keep the assembly from moving. Then loosen the two rear trunnion bolts and one front trunnion bolt. Slightly loosen the other front trunnion bolt and use a stick to tap the trunnion until the blade and screw lightly touch. The blade does not move directly around the center so you will need to repeatedly go back to the front of the blade, readjust the screw, and then again measure the back. Be sure to check after tightening the trunnion as the trunnion frequently moves when being tightened.

For cabinet saws, loosen the bolts that hold the tabletop and tap one corner until things come into alignment.

The same adjustment gauge can be used to set the fence parallel to the miter slot. Slide the miter gauge to the front of the table and move the fence over to the screw head and insert a playing card between the screw head and the fence just so you can move the card as it touches both the fence and the screw head. Now move the miter gauge to the back of the table and see if you have the same feel when you insert the card. I like my fence absolutely parallel--if you want to have a slight opening to the fence, you can easily estimate the opening by adding a thickness of paper to the card.

I always show my students with a dial gauge that their adjustments are within .001 - .002.

You can also use the same gauge to measure blade runout by using a $5.00 feeler gauge.

Finally, after you are satisfied with the above adjustments, check the position of the splitter to make sure it is exactly in line with the blade.

Bottom line, there is no need to spend more than the $0.05 for the brass screw.

[Mike Burns]

Hi Scott,
Thanks for the reply. No, the blade isn't square to the table. I've adjusted the fence to compensate for the blade. From the operating side, the part of the blade closest to me is at a bias of 1 or 2 degrees (estimated) to the right of where the farthest point is from me........... so it goes from 6:00 to a little left of 12:00 front to back. Hope that helps.

Mike

[CPeter James]

Mike, PM me and I will send you a copy of the article I wrote for the Guild of New Hampshire Woodworkers newsletter on this subject. It includes instructions on building an alignment tool.

CPeter

[Mike Burns]

Thanks for the tips. Now, I just need to find some penetrating oil........ wonder what the packers did with that? :confused: CPeter, you should have an email. Mine is mdburns59@yahoo.com.

Mike

[Hoa Dinh]

Mike,

Jet's competitor has an article (and a pdf file) on this. Hope it helps.

Find it right here (http://www.deltamachinery.com/index.asp?e=144&p=462).

[Norman Hitt]

Mike, I learned and have used the exact same method as Howard Described above for the past 40 to 45 years, and it has never failed me yet. It's easy, cheap, and as accurate as any high dollar devices you can buy, (and more accurate than some I have seen). Remember the Main Points; First: Set the Blade PARALLEL to the "Mitre Slot". Second: Set the Fence Parallel to the "Mitre Slot", (Or Slightly open at the rear if you prefer, I don't). Third: Set the Splitter EXACTLY in line with the Blade.

NOTE: Due to the way SOME saws are built, it is POSSIBLE to get the saw blade TOO Close to the edge of the slot in the blade insert during the alignment process, and if this happens, they have to be realigned a little farther toward the center of the slot to keep the blade from hitting the edge of the insert, so be sure to check the blades position in the slot and rotate the blade by hand to be sure there is clearance with the slot edges BEFORE turning the power on to the saw. (Sounds of a metal blade on a metal insert is NOT GOOD).:eek:

[Frankie Hunt]

The rear mounting holes in my contractor style saw were not large enough to provide enough adjustment. I had to disassemble the saw, and ream out the holes to make them larger.

Although I have never used the Contractor Saw Pals mentioned, I can see how they would be VERY nice to have. Their add says "Prevents the saw from coming out of alignment". I think their biggest asset would be in helping to get a "difficult" saw in alignment vs keeping alignment. The contact surface between the trunion and table top on my saw was not very smooth, and this contributed to my difficulites also. The saw was a Delta made in the USA contractors saw, bought new 15 to 20 years ago. It has held adjustment perfectly since then.

I got a new Unisaw last year and it took all of 10 minutes to adjust. I bet I spent 8 to 10 hours working on getting my Contractors saw in alignment however it was well worth the trouble!

Also, using the C clamp is an important detail.

[Peter Mc Mahon]

HI Frankie. I have a delta contractors saw as well. Years ago it went out of alingment and I could not get it back in. With all 4 trunnion bolts loosened it would not recenter in the blade insert opening. The saw was still under warranty so delta sent a tech to my house. He said that this is a common problem and showed me the quick fix. You crack loose the 2 large bolts on the rear of the trunnion rods and give them a twist. THis is like a major alignment and you still have to fine tune like usual after that. If it was in alingment it should be able to go back in alingment without reaming out holes. Peter

[scott spencer]

The PALS are well worth the $20 price IMHO. A couple of years ago I added them when I had a GI contractor saw. It helped the alignment process, and held the alignment.

http://www.in-lineindustries.com/saw_pals.html

http://www.in-lineindustries.com/palandtrunon2.jpg

[Frankie Hunt]

HI Frankie. I have a delta contractors saw as well. Years ago it went out of alingment and I could not get it back in. With all 4 trunnion bolts loosened it would not recenter in the blade insert opening. The saw was still under warranty so delta sent a tech to my house. He said that this is a common problem and showed me the quick fix. You crack loose the 2 large bolts on the rear of the trunnion rods and give them a twist. THis is like a major alignment and you still have to fine tune like usual after that. If it was in alingment it should be able to go back in alingment without reaming out holes. Peter

Well now you tell me......

Mine is nearly centered in the blade insert, its real close. I always use a zero clearance insert, so this doesn't matter anyway to me. The problem was with all 4 bolts loosened it wouldn't shift enough to go parallel with the miter slot, much less be centered in the throat plate.

I kept the saw, even after getting the Unisaw, so I appreciate the info if I ever have to make any more adjustments.