Table/blade alignment aids?

[Mark Rios]

The conventional method for this alignment is to use a blade and to use the same tooth on that blade, right? What is the guarantee that the blade is accurately flat? Does using the same tooth on the blade allow for any runout in the blade?

Does anyone use a Master Gauge Super Bar and Master Plate? (http://www.mastergage.com/display_product.asp?id=3 and http://www.mastergage.com/display_product.asp?id=4)

Or how about a Freud Calibration Disc?(http://www.freudtools.com/woodworkers/rep/sawblades/Accessories/html/Accessories_1.html)

Does anyone have an opinion on advantages or disadvantages of either the regular balde, the calibration disc or the MasterGage items?


Thanks for your opinions and discussioin.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Get hold of a copy of John White's book "Care and Repair of Shop Machines".($19.95-Taunton) He shows how to use a $6.99 (on sale) HF dial indicator and a couple of scraps to do alignment, that rivals that done with $100.00+ commercial tools. Take money saved and buy a good blade. John is the manager of FWW's shop. This a well illustrated book, and worth every bit of it's price.

[Mark Rios]

Get hold of a copy of John White's book "Care and Repair of Shop Machines".($19.95-Taunton) He shows how to use a $6.99 (on sale) HF dial indicator and a couple of scraps to do alignment, that rivals that done with $100.00+ commercial tools. Take money saved and buy a good blade. John is the manager of FWW's shop. This a well illustrated book, and worth every bit of it's price.


Thanks Bruce. Yes, I'm aware that there are a number of variations on the Super Bar theme. But my main point in this thread is the other part of the table/blade alignment, namely the blade.

Are the items that I listed above good, bad or no different than one another in measuring to? And has anyone had any experience with either of them to be able to give their opinion/thoughts?

[Tom Hintz]

I have been using the MasterGage superBar for quite a while now and like it.
I have a review of it with photos and more details at the link below, also see the Table Saw Setup story in our Basics section. I know there are folks who use sticks and screws and get good results, I just am not one of them. I get way better results using this tool so that's how I do it.

http://www.newwoodworker.com/reviews/suprbrrvu.html

[Jim Becker]

Using the same tooth for the measurements is precisely to avoid problems that would result if the blade isn't perfectly flat. It keeps your reference point constant. (Obviously, arbor run-out, including the shoulder that holds the blade, would affect this, but hopefully, that isn't a problem with your saw)

You can do the alignment using just sticks of wood or opt for something using a dial gage. (I have the TS Aligner Jr - Review on my site) The real advantage of the latter is that you can see "how much" things are in or out with numbers, but that's not required to align your tool. The compromise is to build your own setup with an inexpensive dial gage and some wood scraps... ;)

[DONALD MORRIS]

Mark I've been able to align my blade within.0001 just using a stick with a brass screw in the end clamped to my mier gage. I have used a Master Plate and an old Craftsman plywood blade that i know is flat. The plywood blade has very small teeth so the flat smooth part of the blade extends almost to the blades edge. I've made a jig to use with a dial indicator but it's no more accurate than my stick/screw set up.

[Lee Schierer]

I prefer to use my $10 dial indicator I purchased at Harbor Freight attached to a board that is attached to the miter gage. I can get the blade aligned precisely to the miter gage and use the same set up to true up the fence alignment. Checking things periodically is also a snap. As a bonus the same set up will check your blade/arbor run out if there is any, so you will know if you need to worry about using the same tooth or not.

[Harley Lewis]

Mark, I have good guages and used the blade tooth for alignment for a few years and it worked fine. I then bought the master plate to use with my guages and it is just plumb easier and in my opinion more accurate since the measurment is over a greater radius than the saw blade. A cheap guage plus masterplate is all you need -- my guages are expensive fellows but the HF guage will do the same job regardless of $.

Harley

[Mark Singer]

I use a digital caliper....put a board tightly in the miter slot...aligne the blade ...then the fence using the caliper. Leave it a 64 th fat at the rear of the blade.

[Mark Rios]

Thanks to all for responding.

A lot of good info on what to use do the measuring. However, I was actually hoping to discuss what was being measured to. I own all of the items in my first post, MasterGage Master Plate (and Super Bar), blades (obvioiusly :D ) and the Freud Calibration Disc.

I went ahead and used the Master Plate. Very nice to use. Easier than using a blade and rotating to the same/correct tooth each time. This is probably the difference between setting up a contractor saw and a real cabinet saw but, I was very pleasantly surprised to find that it was very easy to get the table aligned perfectly with the blade (plate). I used the left miter slot. When I was done I thought, "What the hey. I'll check the alignment from the right slot as well". It was very cool to see that it was perfectly identical. I assume that this means that the miter slots are parallel to each other. Maybe a given to most of you but a big deal for me. This wasn't the case on my last saw.

Aligning the fence was extremely easy as well but I'm sure this is because of it being a Biese fence. The whole alignment process was actually fun as opposed to trying to align my old contractor saw table and fence (even with the contractor saw PALS kit). I was able to set it up very well but it was a pain.

I still haven't used the Freud calibration disc yet though. I'll wait for a rainy day I guess and play with it and see how goes. The Master Plate however is very nice and easy. Tom's website link has very informative info on the Master Plate (as well as the Super Bar).

Thanks again to all.

[Jim Becker]

Before you fully trust your MasterPlate, be sure to measure arbor run-out including at the flange. It is likely to be non-existent, but checking it will insure that your subsequent measurements to the MasterPlate are trustworthy front and back.

Needless to say, be sure the arbor and flange are clean, too... ;)

[Mark Rios]

Before you fully trust your MasterPlate, be sure to measure arbor run-out including at the flange. It is likely to be non-existent, but checking it will insure that your subsequent measurements to the MasterPlate are trustworthy front and back.

Needless to say, be sure the arbor and flange are clean, too... ;)


Aahhhh...good idea Jim, thanks. Where as I always keep an I on my arbor and flange and keep them clean (rag and solvent), I totally forgot about checking the runout. I'll have to check into that tonight.