Tablesaw alignment

[D._Frederick]

What do you use to adjust the parallelism between the miter slot and the sawblade on your table saw?

I find different outlets have custom  fixtures to use with a dial indicator, but cost from $50 to $150.

See at Peachtree

[D Hagens]

What kind of table saw? Is the mitre slot removable?

[Just Me]

 I don't see any reason to spend that money. I have a dial indicater and don't use it for that.

I just use a machinists combo square, set to  the blade. Mark one tooth with a perminant marker, and always use that tooth rotating front to back with the blade all the way up, adjusting until you get the same fraction. I can get cuts that are hard to tell the jointed side from the sawn side using this method.

I set my fence a 16th to 32nd proud at the back of the saw.

Those tool catalogs are good at coming up with tools that you don't need......

[pigman]

Just Me, your method is what I use to align the blade to miter slot.

[SwampDonkey]

I even check my miter for square with the fence. Zero aint necessarily zero, if you catch my drift. ;)

[D._Frederick]

D Hagens,

I have a Powermatic 66, on this saw you loosen the 3 bolts that hold the top and shift it until the miter slot is parallel to the blade.

I have used both the combination square and the dial indicator. The dial indicator is a little easier  to use. I have a magnetic base for the indicator, but  am going to make myself a copy of the fixture they sell for $75. All it takes is a little 1/2 x 3/4 bar stock, some bolts and cut, drill, and tap and I will have a copy.

[D Hagens]

D Hagens,

I have a Powermatic 66, on this saw you loosen the 3 bolts that hold the top and shift it until the miter slot is parallel to the blade.

I have used both the combination square and the dial indicator. The dial indicator is a little easier  to use. I have a magnetic base for the indicator, but  am going to make myself a copy of the fixture they sell for $75. All it takes is a little 1/2 x 3/4 bar stock, some bolts and cut, drill, and tap and I will have a copy.

That's what I have on all three of my table saws.
  I have the dial indicator and I find it pretty useful on the job site as it's pretty simple and quick for the guys to set up the saw after they've thrown it from one truck to another knocking everything out of line.
For my shop saw I use a square, blocks and feeler gauges to get things true and aligned.
One thing that I will say is that when you have your initial alignments set up take your fence, lock it up and do a measurement from the front and the back of the blade to the fence.
I've seen many guys not do this and the wood binds or kicks back and they think they screwed up the blade to mitre slot when in fact it's that their fence isn't square.
My fence on all the saws are quick release and the squareness is pretty dead on. On some of the older screw type locking fences you have to pretty much square the fence for each cut.

[D._Frederick]

I fabricated a fixture to hold my dial indicator and re-checked how parallel the blade is to the miter slot. I had the slot within 0.004 inches.

I don't think that I will try and get it any closer, would you?

[SwampDonkey]

Wing it from there. :D

[tyb525]

I have an older Craftsman (early 80's) with the original screw-type fence.

What I do, I get the fence to where I want it, only just a hair closer to the blade. I then press the far end ever so slightly away from the blade. This gives a few thousands of an inch clearance. It prevents binding, burning, kickback, and that annoying little gouge on the very corner of the stock as it passes the backside of the blade. I have to do it this way due to the nature of the fence ;) And I've never had board wider or narrower than what I wanted, within .005", that was the fence's fault ;)

[D Hagens]

I fabricated a fixture to hold my dial indicator and re-checked how parallel the blade is to the miter slot. I had the slot within 0.004 inches.

I don't think that I will try and get it any closer, would you?

I don't think you can get any closer then that. Just out of curiosity what brand of blade are you using?

[D._Frederick]

D-

Twenty fire years ago, the only carbite  blade a hobbyist could afford (<$100) was a craftman, now I buy freud.

[D Hagens]

I use Freud finishing blades in the shop, I'm impressed with them. I've never been a fan of any blades that Dewalt makes, I think one pays for the name not the quality.

[tomsteve]

when i do a tune up, i start by checking the blade alignment to the miter slot. i have a piece of aluminum that i put in the miter slot and use calipers. i mark one tooth and check it at the front and back of the throat plate. i tried adjusting the trunions once, but found it much easier to loosen the table top and move that. after that is good and square, then i align the fence to the miter slot, which is pretty self explainatory.