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Thread: Setup and calibration disc for setting up various saws

  1. #1

    Setup and calibration disc for setting up various saws

    So I just discovered the Freud setup and calibration disk for setting up saws and wish that I had known about this sooner. I ordered one this morning and plan to use it at home and at work to setup everything from miter saws, table saws, RAS, ect.

    My question is does anyone know of a calibration disk with a 1” arbor? We have a sliding table saw, two upcut saws, a Powermatic 72 and a Delta 12/14 that I believe all have a 1” arbor. (It appears the previous owner of our slider changed out the 30mm arbor for a 1” arbor somehow &#128544

    If a calibration disk with a 1” arbor does not exist then I wonder if I could purchase a second disc and have a machine shop bore out the hole to a 1” arbor size? I understand that generally this is frowned on with saw blades due to balancing the blade properly but since this won’t be spinning with the saws turned on, I wonder if it could be done while still maintaining the accuracy of the setup?

    I have a machine shop down the road that is very good and so I might give them a shout and see what they say. What do you guys think?

  2. #2
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    With proper setup, this could be accomplished with a cnc laser cutter to very close tolerance. Otherwise a competent machine shop.
    David

  3. #3
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    A full service sharpening shop can enlarge the bore for you. I find the Freud disc inexpensive and very accurate for machine setup.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  4. #4
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    You could enlarge the hole with a step drill. Make sure to countersink the hole to remove any burrs. I just realized that a sheet of thick glass with a hole in it would work fine. It is making the hole that would cost money. I am sure a glass shop would have a offcut for free. I mean a piece like 1/2" thick.
    Bill D

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Dufour View Post
    You could enlarge the hole with a step drill. Make sure to countersink the hole to remove any burrs. I just realized that a sheet of thick glass with a hole in it would work fine. It is making the hole that would cost money. I am sure a glass shop would have a offcut for free. I mean a piece like 1/2" thick.
    Bill D
    Given the purpose of this precision disk...I'd want a pro machinist or blade specialist to bore out the plate for 1" arbor applcations.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  6. #6
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    I do not really understand the point of a disk. Is it to do more then align the arbor with the miter slot and tabletop and adjust the fence to parallel? For that a flat rectangle would work.
    Bill D

  7. #7
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    Bill, you're correct that the shape doesn't matter, but it has to be precisely flat for the purposes it would be used, such as aligning the blade plane to the miter slots and then the fence to the blade.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker View Post
    Bill, you're correct that the shape doesn't matter, but it has to be precisely flat for the purposes it would be used, such as aligning the blade plane to the miter slots and then the fence to the blade.

    Thanks for the info. I thought maybe he was measuring the depth of cut or something like that so it had to be round.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Dufour View Post
    Thanks for the info. I thought maybe he was measuring the depth of cut or something like that so it had to be round.
    Think of it like a setup block that's thin but precisely flat and fits snugly over the arbor like a blade would.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker View Post
    Bill, you're correct that the shape doesn't matter, but it has to be precisely flat for the purposes it would be used, such as aligning the blade plane to the miter slots and then the fence to the blade.
    If you want to check arbor runout, you need a round disc to rotate with a dial indicator on it. Hard to do that with a rectangle

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Richard Coers View Post
    If you want to check arbor runout, you need a round disc to rotate with a dial indicator on it. Hard to do that with a rectangle
    Excellent point...
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Richard Coers View Post
    If you want to check arbor runout, you need a round disc to rotate with a dial indicator on it. Hard to do that with a rectangle

    Yeah, but it's easy to do with just a piece of BB plywood. This method was stolen from John White's book "Care and Repair of Shop Machines." Take a piece of 1/2" BB plywood, about 2 inches wide, and ten inches long. Then mark a center line down it's length. Near one end on the center line, bore a hole to match the arbor on your saw. Mount on saw arbor, then in the forward position, mark a spot where your dial indicator (mounted in miter slot) touches it. Then rotate to rear, and check DI against same spot. Once you get this spot "zeroed in," reset plywood to another location, and check again. It should remain the same as before, unless you have arbor run out. You can set arbor for 45 degree bevel,and raise it up, to upper most position, and rest DI tip on flange washer to check run out.
    Last edited by Bruce Wrenn; 09-27-2020 at 9:24 PM.

  13. #13
    The Master Plate has a 1" arbor, sounds like what you're looking for.

    http://mastergage.com/display_product.asp?id=4

    I use it for calibrating my slider & fence, works well.
    Last edited by David M Peters; 09-27-2020 at 9:46 PM. Reason: speeling

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by David M Peters View Post
    The Master Plate has a 1" arbor, sounds like what you're looking for.

    http://mastergage.com/display_product.asp?id=4

    I use it for calibrating my slider & fence, works well.
    Hate to spend almost $100 on this thing as I already ordered the Freud disc but I may bite the bullet. Only thing is that this may not work for what I want. I need the 1” arbor version to not only do my sliding table saw but also two upcut saws, a big ras, and two large cabinet saws. I think it might not work with the upcut saws and the RAS. I might see if my local machine shop can make a flat plate of aluminum that is milled flat on both sides and has a 1” hole in the center. That would probably cost around $100 (buddy price).

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by David M Peters View Post
    The Master Plate has a 1" arbor, sounds like what you're looking for.

    http://mastergage.com/display_product.asp?id=4

    I use it for calibrating my slider & fence, works well.
    I also use the Master Plate (along with their SuperBar product). Comes with 5/8" and 1.0" saw arbors (30mm also available). Works well, and I like to support the company. They don't send me daily emails after buying something either.

    Bob

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