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Thread: Help squaring table saw

  1. #1
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    Help squaring table saw

    I have a Craftsman saw with the Biesemeyer fence and enclosed base. 12-13 years old at this point and I am just a hobbyist. I square up the blade to the slot with all four bolts loose. After I tighten down the bolts it goes out of square. I have tried a different sequence of tightening the bolts and working opposite corners through the progression, but twice now it finishes out of square. No idea how to keep the square during tightening the bolts? Thanks for any help.

    Brian
    Brian

  2. #2
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    Those trunions were a pain, and I ended up doing more adjusting that working. I sold my saw and got a cabinet saw.

    if you must live with this, build a jig that locks into the miter slot, at to which one can clamp a blade, holding the grunion in place while you torque it in place. I might even consider using locktite.
    Regards,

    Tom

  3. #3
    This is always a problem. I dealt with it by snugging up the bolts pretty well then adjusting with a rubber mallet. It has to be tight enough that the top does not move with hand pressure. When the blade is aligned, snug it down carefully. Use the mallet as necessary. Good luck. It pays off in quality of cut if you are successful.

  4. #4
    If you're trying to get to 0.000000 you'll probably never get there. How close to that are you getting now?

  5. #5
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    When I had to do this with my old saw, I found that removing the lockwashers (if you have them) and replacing with two flat washers allowed me to snug the bolts a fair bit while still allowing for tapping with the mallet to move the top. Make sure the flat washers are large enough that an edge of the washer can't slip into to slot below. Once I had it close enough, I would tighten the bolts a little more and recheck. If still ok, I would tighten fairly tight and recheck. If still good, I would take one bolt out at a time and replace one flat washer with the lockwasher (closest to the bolt head) and tighten that bolt. Then repeat for the other bolts. Good luck; it's a pain but worth it.
    --I had my patience tested. I'm negative--

  6. #6
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    Can you us PALS on this saw? I have a homemade set on my very old Craftsman saw and it helps hold the trunnions still while tightening the bolts.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Thomas McCurnin View Post
    Those trunions were a pain, and I ended up doing more adjusting that working. I sold my saw and got a cabinet saw.

    if you must live with this, build a jig that locks into the miter slot, at to which one can clamp a blade, holding the grunion in place while you torque it in place. I might even consider using locktite.
    Tom the top sits on the cabinet base on this sawmill. Thanks Brian
    Brian

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Sweeney View Post
    If you're trying to get to 0.000000 you'll probably never get there. How close to that are you getting now?
    Not that close it is showing up in the cut enough to matter.
    Brian

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Thomas Wilson View Post
    This is always a problem. I dealt with it by snugging up the bolts pretty well then adjusting with a rubber mallet. It has to be tight enough that the top does not move with hand pressure. When the blade is aligned, snug it down carefully. Use the mallet as necessary. Good luck. It pays off in quality of cut if you are successful.
    I will try this. Thanks Brian
    Brian

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Runau View Post
    I have a Craftsman saw with the Biesemeyer fence and enclosed base. 12-13 years old at this point and I am just a hobbyist. I square up the blade to the slot with all four bolts loose. After I tighten down the bolts it goes out of square. I have tried a different sequence of tightening the bolts and working opposite corners through the progression, but twice now it finishes out of square. No idea how to keep the square during tightening the bolts? Thanks for any help.

    Brian
    Brian, I had the same problem with my Craftsman 113 saw. What I dis was to loosen one bolt at a time far enough I could rotate the star lock washer just enough where the teeth were not aligned with the small grooves they had mad into the cast iron. Recently my son was aligning his Rigid table saw and encountered the same problem with his split ring lock washers. Once the lock washers are rotated slightly they don't pull the trunions back out of alignment. You can also purchase a set of PALS to fit your saw that make the first and any future alignments much easier.
    Lee Schierer
    USNA '71
    Go Navy!

    My advice, comments and suggestions are free, but it costs money to run the site. If you found something of value here please give a little something back by becoming a contributor! Please Contribute

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lee Schierer View Post
    Brian, I had the same problem with my Craftsman 113 saw. What I dis was to loosen one bolt at a time far enough I could rotate the star lock washer just enough where the teeth were not aligned with the small grooves they had mad into the cast iron. Recently my son was aligning his Rigid table saw and encountered the same problem with his split ring lock washers. Once the lock washers are rotated slightly they don't pull the trunions back out of alignment. You can also purchase a set of PALS to fit your saw that make the first and any future alignments much easier.

    Lee, my saw sits on an enclosed base. There are four bolts that go through each corner of the base into the cast iron top. Not sure how PALS would work on this? thanks brian
    Brian

  12. #12
    Hate to appear stupid but what is (are) PALS??? Pediatric Advanced Life Support I get - but on a saw??? I did use the google and the search function on the Creek but no explanation
    Jeff

  13. #13
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    It sounds like this is a 22124 craftsman. Is that correct? There’s also some confusion here… If it is that saw they are cabinet mounted trunnions just like a cabinet saw. Also, if it is that saw I happen to have one sitting in my garage right now and I can probably help with this. I’ll check back in the morning and see how this is going.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  14. #14
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    Throw out the lock washers, use lock tite. By 1880 they knew lock washers did not work. The knockoff lock tite from harbor freight is better then a lock washer
    Tighten a little then knock it into shape with a deadblow hammer. Full tight in a star pattern like lug nuts on a car. Rinse and repeat as needed. Put a cold rolled round bar in the mitre groove and reference off that. it needs to be a little bigger then the mitre slot so it bears on both sides and does not bottom out.
    Bill D

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff Clode View Post
    Hate to appear stupid but what is (are) PALS??? Pediatric Advanced Life Support I get - but on a saw??? I did use the google and the search function on the Creek but no explanation
    Jeff
    https://www.in-lineindustries.com/pr...ctor-saw-pals/
    --I had my patience tested. I'm negative--

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