Dial indicator

[Lori Kleinberg]

I know something is off on my tablesaw:( . My cuts are not exactly square:eek: . I have tried everything, but can't see where it is off. So I bought a dial indicator and have some instructions from a magazine, but still don't understand how to set it up and zero out the dial :confused: . Can some one please help.

[Jake Helmboldt]

Rotate the bezel so that the pointer is at zero.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I know something is off on my tablesaw:( . My cuts are not exactly square:eek: . I have tried everything, but can't see where it is off. So I bought a dial indicator and have some instructions from a magazine, but still don't understand how to set it up and zero out the dial

The indicator needs to be mounted to something that will run in the miter track while allowing the inicator to be fixed to the thing in the miter track. A strip of wood or metal or anything.

Raise teh blade all the weay up. Mark a small spot on the outer periphery with anything that will make a mark.

Then bring the indicator's tip to the markes spot on the blade.


Get a reading.

Then rotate the blade sot the mark ends up on the opposite side.
Move the indicator down there to that mark and compare the reading.

Idealy there will be no difference.

The reason you mark the blade and rotate it is to eliminate any error from the blade being out of true.

[John Grossi]

Lori, I have a block of steel .750 X 1.00. It fits nicely in my miter slot and rises above the bed of the saw. I then attach a magnetic base (Harbor Freight appr $20.00) to the block. I extend the arm with the dial indicator attached right up to the blade and zero it out. You can raise and lower the blade to make sure that if your bevel is 0 then your indicator will stay at 0. Run the block along the miter slot to make sure it is parallel with the blade. While you are at it check your fence the same way. Paul

[Bruce Page]

Lori, I use the same method as Paul. Here's a post that I put up awhile back that includes some pictures.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=32315

[glenn bradley]

When setting up tools I don't bother with zero. I am generally looking for the difference between two points. Example; dial reads .15 at a specific blade tooth at the front of the saw using a miterslot mounted platform for the dial position, rotate blade and slide dial platform to the rear; now reads .151 = .001 of difference. Did that help?

[Lori Kleinberg]

Thank you guys. You have been a big help. Bruce thanks for the pictures
that really helped.

[CPeter James]

Try this procedure.

http://home.metrocast.net/~cpjvkj/tstu.htm

This system works well and is easy to make the necessary tools. It addresses the issue of consistency.

CPeter

[Dan Forman]

Lori---If you have a miter gage with no slop, you can clamp the magnetic base of the indicator to that (with the magnet turned off) and slide the miter gage back and forth to measure. Also be aware that you will get different readings on different parts of the same tooth, so make sure you are consistent with that. I usually use the very outermost point of the tooth.

Dan