Replies

1. 
   hammer1 | Jun 27, 2007 07:24pm | #1

   That's one heck of a lot of work with the possibility of error with each cut. It doesn't have to be complicated. Simply raise your blade, make sure it is square to the table. Lay a straight edge against the body of the blade and measure from that to the miter slots.

   Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

   
   

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   Edited 6/27/2007 12:25 pm ET by hammer1

   
1. 
   joepez | Jun 27, 2007 08:17pm | #2

   i dont have mitre slots, i just got a new laguna tss slider, so i am setting up the crosscut fence to the blade.

   i was trying to get super accurate because over the slide travel, panels could get really off. plus, at this point, its much more fun to work with a machine thats well tuned.

   thanks for the effort with the pics though. any more thoughts?

   joe p

2. 
   JohnWW | Jun 27, 2007 08:29pm | #3

   Joe,

   First of all the miter slot or the sliding table needs to be running as near to perfectly parallel to the blade as possible.  If that alignment isn't right, getting the machine to cut square isn't possible.  So check that alignment first.

   While the cutting a square method has its charms, and can theoretically get you where you want to go, it is far easier to set up the machine with a good quality machinist's square.  If you can cut an end off of a 1x8 and get a perfectly square end the machine is ready to use.

   John White, Shop Manager, Fine Woodworking Magazine  

3. 
   forestgirl | Jun 27, 2007 08:31pm | #4

   You left the door open for me when you said, right at the end, "any thoughts??"  Yeah.  My thought is, you're fine.  I'm pretty sure, but not positive, that any error you have at the end is a multiple of the error you'd have with one cut.  For instance, in the simple method of crosscuting a board and flipping it over to check the cut, the gap present is twice as big as the error of your saw setting.

   We'll see if I'm right, most certainly, someone will come along who gets the geometry/math involved.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 
   
1. 
   bd | Jun 27, 2007 11:45pm | #5

   Wait a minute!......He hasn't even said which key he plans on running his saw in. The errors in F Major are considerably different than the errors in C Minor, IIRC......... ;-)

1. 
   forestgirl | Jun 28, 2007 08:17am | #6

   Awww, jeeeez, I overlooked that!  Seriously, I hope someone can explain what he's wanting to know.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

4. 
   ring | Jun 28, 2007 11:57am | #7

   Joe,

   In setting up a slider you should be able to fine tune the 90° fence as you describe, and get it perfect in a few minutes' work.

   I'm assuming you did something like the following:
   1. Cut one edge of a plywood square
   2. Put that edge along the fence and cut 90°
   3. Turn that new cut to the fence and cut again 90°
   4. Repeat step 3 again.
   5. Now set the last cut against the fence and pass the original edge next to the blade. If it's perfectly parallel to the blade, you're right on. If it toes in or out, you've got to move the fence by 1/4 of the discrepancy.

   If you got 1/128" error over 18" by this method, you need to move the fence 1/512" which is hard to do. You can attach a straight edge to the fence and adjust it 1/128" over 72" (4 x 18"). But it's easiest just to nudge it and try again. The check is so fast that you can find the setting by trial and error faster than measurement.

   David Ring

   http://www.touchwood.co.il/?id=1&lang=e

1. 
   forestgirl | Jun 29, 2007 12:17am | #8

   My question is "Do you need that kind of accuracy?!"forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

1. 
   ring | Jun 29, 2007 07:52am | #10

   My question is "Do you need that kind of accuracy?!"

   Probably not, but if it's so easy to get it right, why not? 

   I guess it depends on what you mean by "need".  We've learned to depend on the crosscut being, to all intents and purposes, perfect.  For instance, I cut a sheet to make the back of a cabinet, say 6' x 3'.  I just use the stops on the saw fence and without further checking I know that back piece is my reference for squaring up the cabinet.

   Am I spoiled?  Maybe.

    David Ring

   http://www.touchwood.co.il/?id=1&lang=e

2. 
   joepez | Jun 29, 2007 12:45am | #9

   Dave, excellent just the explanation i was hoping for. thanks to you and all the other replies.

   also, forestgirl had a good question for sliders, what degree of accuracy do i need to shoot for?

   the travel on the slide really makes it important. it seems to me?

    

   thanks verrrrrry much.

   joe p