Bruce Barker
12-10-2008, 1:08 PM
So: I'm trying to align the blade on my Delta contractor's table saw without spending much money. It has been giving me warning signs because the BACK of the blade has been cutting the wood a little.
Only moderately impressed with my results, can you suggest a better way of accomplishing this alignment without spending much (any) more money?
What you see is a piece of "angle iron" (not sure what it's really called, it's thin flexible metal in the shape of an L with holes cut all over it) bolted with one bolt to the open bolt hole at the front of my miter gauge. On that is placed a HF magnetic base and dial indicator, which has been tilted downward so it contacts the blade. (In the photo it looks like the large chrome indicator support bar is hitting the blade but it's not, just the tip of the indicator probe.) I slide the miter gauge back and forth and try to get the same portion of the blade parallel, front and back. (By "same portion of the blade" I mean the area just behind the teeth. It appears the blade is actually a little dished, thinner in the center.) I think I am within about 2 or 3 thousandths. (Was 10 thousandths or more when I started.)
Would be nice if I could get the gauge lower, so it contacts the blade at a right angle, but I don't see how I can with this setup. The gauge is placed as low as I can get it, so must tilt down to encounter the blade nearer the table.
Should I call this good enough, or can it be made better with some creative thinking? I was thinking that two bolt holes in the miter gauge would help a ton, and maybe some of that ultra-high-molecular-whatsitcalled tape on the bottom of the "angle iron" so it slides easily.
But maybe there are better solutions I have not thought of...what say you?
http://www.cmp-usa.com/interest/tablesaw%20alignment.jpg
One more question, when tightening up the 4 trunnion bolts, how tight? I gave it a good hard crank with the 3/8 ratchet you see, which is not going to allow me tons of torque, which is why I chose it. Would hate to break a bolt up there.
Please forgive any bad nomenclature, not sure what all these parts are called. Will edit if I have misnamed something. Thanks.
Only moderately impressed with my results, can you suggest a better way of accomplishing this alignment without spending much (any) more money?
What you see is a piece of "angle iron" (not sure what it's really called, it's thin flexible metal in the shape of an L with holes cut all over it) bolted with one bolt to the open bolt hole at the front of my miter gauge. On that is placed a HF magnetic base and dial indicator, which has been tilted downward so it contacts the blade. (In the photo it looks like the large chrome indicator support bar is hitting the blade but it's not, just the tip of the indicator probe.) I slide the miter gauge back and forth and try to get the same portion of the blade parallel, front and back. (By "same portion of the blade" I mean the area just behind the teeth. It appears the blade is actually a little dished, thinner in the center.) I think I am within about 2 or 3 thousandths. (Was 10 thousandths or more when I started.)
Would be nice if I could get the gauge lower, so it contacts the blade at a right angle, but I don't see how I can with this setup. The gauge is placed as low as I can get it, so must tilt down to encounter the blade nearer the table.
Should I call this good enough, or can it be made better with some creative thinking? I was thinking that two bolt holes in the miter gauge would help a ton, and maybe some of that ultra-high-molecular-whatsitcalled tape on the bottom of the "angle iron" so it slides easily.
But maybe there are better solutions I have not thought of...what say you?
http://www.cmp-usa.com/interest/tablesaw%20alignment.jpg
One more question, when tightening up the 4 trunnion bolts, how tight? I gave it a good hard crank with the 3/8 ratchet you see, which is not going to allow me tons of torque, which is why I chose it. Would hate to break a bolt up there.
Please forgive any bad nomenclature, not sure what all these parts are called. Will edit if I have misnamed something. Thanks.