Has anyone used the Incra Jig ultra router system? I just picked one up form a man for $50 new in the box with all the paper work, it’s the 24″ model. Did I do ok?
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Replies
I just got one from a fellow Knotster but unfortunately I haven't had time to work on it - honeydo list thang. Seems the ladder just didn't cut it and had to rev up replacing the stairs.
Hope to get to it this weekend as I've wore out the print, reading the manual. :-)
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
I just got one from a fellow Knotster but unfortunately I haven't had time to work on it .
DAMN and then some! OK, so what the wife wants first!
Will,
I made the base for mounting positioning system this weekend and ready to put everything together. Gotta cut out mortise for the router plate <1/4" thick>, cut the hole in the center of the plate <machinist friend will help me with some of that> so should be there by the end of the week.
When I first got all the pieces laid out I thought, man what did you get into!? Little reading the manual and your pics I should have few problems. I'm not really what I've got altogether but have a pretty good idea though.
At first I was kinda intimidated but as someone else said, the instructions are very good. I can tell by looking at that it's meant for very precise work. Looking forward to putting it in action.
I can easily see that I'll need some sort of lift mechanism. I have a Hitachi TR-12 plunge son am leaning towards the Router Raizer as it's about the only one that fits the TR-12, make sense to me, and is affordable.
This is a challenge that I'm very much into.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
At first I was kinda intimidated but as someone else said, the instructions are very good.
I would say, It is sort of like looking at your new bride the first time on your wedding night.. VERY complicated, but VERY easy to get along with, and the wedding night was fun~ !
This is a challenge that I'm very much into. Yes...
I would say the first thing you have to tell/confidence to yourself of is, that the router bit is round and the fence angle does not matter.. (Except for spacing) A ROUND THING CUTS a stright line as the bit sees it.... No matter what the angle the fence is!
OK, as long as the bit pushes the 'stick' INTO the fence.. BE CREFULL practising!
This is a challenge that I'm very much into. Like when you married you bride? If so, anything is possible!
ANY router will do! OK, so you may need to adjust it to the height wanted!
Will,
It's Incra day in the woodshop. I've set aside this AM to get it going. Any tips/suggestions?
I made a platform for mounting it; I made it large so it covers one end of the table in the extension wing.
Regards,
P.S. Mary will have a post for ye too.Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Any tips/suggestions?
Make it easily removable and have a place to hang it on the wall... That is unless you plan to use it only on one machine.
Will,
Ok, Round 1 is done and I'm still standing. I have everything set up and attached to a platform.
Yes, I want to use it on both tablesaws so have made it portable. Seems like the whole thing is about the same weight as my big sled. I have just the place for it on the wall behind one of the TS's. From there it's just grab it off the wall, swing around, set it down and secure it to the router table.
Only thing I have run into so far is there's no way I can mount the TS Fence to the Wonder Fence??? Mebbe I missed something. I'll be heading back up for Round 2 after dinner.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
TS Fence to the Wonder Fence??? It was not designed to do that. Although I would suppose you could do something. When I used it on the TS, I usually just used the Incra fence. You could also use your standard fence and use the Incra as a indexing reference. Move the Incra to your setting and then lock your TS fence against the Incra. Make sense? You would need to know the exact width of your fence and add/subtract that.
No. Just zero out the positioner one time. Then the width of your other fence is not in the equation. Greg
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Just zero out the positioner one time..
Yes, you are correct.. I forgot that it is adjustable (Not sure what that limit is though)..
I have had the 17" LS Positioner system for about 2 years. I use it as a regular router fence and for dovetails. Using the LS Positioner, I made dovetails on all four corners of each drawer of a 7-drawer dresser. Generally, I think the LS Positioner is excellent.
The good:
- Easily adjusted
- Well made
- Great directions
- Adds great precision to all your table routing activities
- Works as a dovetail jig too
- Great dust control for edge routingThe bad:
- Big (my router table is 28"w x 42"l x36"h)
- Limited to fixed width dovetails and only one template and bit for 1/2" stock
- Dust control is ineffective for dovetails, dados, and all other non-edge routing actions
- Despite the 17" capacity, I would not want to cut dovetails on anything larger than a 12" board because it would be difficult to secure
- Templates work great and are precise but emphasize the anal side of woodworking (requires lots of fraction math) which takes some of the fun out of it.Bottom line: There are some things I really like about the LS Positioner but because I have a small shop, I probably would not purchase it again but would rather build a router table into my table saw and use a Lehigh Jig for dovetails. Live and learn.
I have not used my LS Positioner for very long compared to you. I am not an Incra Jig Roadie, but I have a few questions about your assessment.
Why is the size of your table a deficit of the LS Positioner? My table is 28"w x 42"l x36"h and I haven't found that an issue to overcome.
Are you using below the table dust collection on the fence as well as the collection port through the wonder fence? Routing blind channels freehand, with a table, using the LS Positioner, with the woodrat, or with any other jig I know creates a pile of shavings that tends to lay in the routed trough. Slow feed rates and dust collection at the bit is the best we can accomplish. I wonder why that is a bad point of the fence system.
I'm not sure what you mean by you can only cut fixed width dovetails. You can vary the pattern, symmetrical or asymmetrical, and vary the size (width) of the tails. You can even create your own custom patterns and sizes other than those the standard templates provide.
I understand you are not alone in feeling math takes the fun out of woodworking. But a certain amount is required. The good news is your speed at completing calculations does not determine the quality of your work.
The LS positioner templates help with a standard set of cuts. And with a little basic math skills, the LS Positioner is capable of going outside the collection of templates to adapt to a wider variety of joints. However, using the templates requires only a minimum of math skills.Greg
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Your points are well taken. As you suggest, I agree that the dust control issues could be solved by an under the table vacuum attachment. Also, I have not explored making my own templates so that would certainly open up spacing and bit size options. I don't see a way getting around the board width constraint. I dovetailed a 10" deep drawer on my 17" LS Positioner and could barely keep the board flush and square to the 6" sled.The table size is an issue for a small shop. Even though mine provides a lot of storage, it is still constrains my use of my shop space.- Lyptus
I have a small shop too. So I am constantly having to roll everything around.
I am missing the issue with the board width constraint especially on the 10" deep drawer. I made a 12w x 20h x 9d cabinet two days ago. I used 1-1/2 inch box jointery at the corners. I clamped the 9x20 sides with the 9x12 top and bottom plus two backer boards to the right angle sled and it was truly a breeze to get perfect cuts that fit well the first time. That was six boards 5/8" thick at one time.
If you are trying to use a parallel clamp like in the video demos, forget it. That is OK with small boxes, but I use two Alpha Clamps (one on each side) to hold my pieces in perfect contact to the right angle jig and against the fence.
Are you certain your right angle jig is aligned and your fence is square to the table?
The jig face is 10" wide so I can easily clamp boards up to 12 or 13 inches wide with my Alpha Clamps. Then notice, you can always add an auxillary face to the right angle jig. This jig has T-slots galore on the face. Greg
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I wanted to make a separate reply to the custom template issue you mention.
I have not made custom templates. But I have discovered the power of the templates that are included. My box joints were 3/4 inch fingers every 1.5 inches. My bit was 1/2". Since each pass cut a 1/2" slot, I had to make two cuts for each finger opening; the first cut of course was 1/2" wide - my bit diameter. By moving the board 1/4" and making a second pass, the opening was widened to 3/4".
There is no 1-1/2 inch template. Using every other line (the odd numbers in my case) on the 3/4" template gives 1.5" spacing. I installed the 3/4" template and the 1/4 inch template in adjacent slots. I "zeroed" the positioner to my bit and slid the templates until the lines marked as "1" on both templates were aligned under the cursor. Now everything is registered.
I made cuts at the odd numbers on the 3/4 template. These were also in perfect registration with a line on the 1/4" template. So after each pass, I moved the carriage to the next 1/4 mark and made a second pass.
Using two templates in combination gives a virtually limitless set of patterns with the pre-printed set INCRA provides.
Greg
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Edited 3/17/2009 9:06 am by Cincinnati
Will,
Well she's almost ready for her maiden voyage, the jig not mary. :-)
Got a machine shop to cut a 2 1/2" hole in the center of the 1/4" aluminum baseplate, some t-nuts and screws for leveling the plate and we're almost there.
Routed out the mortise for the base:View Image
Then used a homemade gew gaw to lay out the cutout for the router.
Plate mounted but not leveled yetView Image
The screws are kinda loose in the t-nuts so will have to come up with something to keep 'em from unscrewing, maybe just a lock nut.
View from under table. View Image
Plenty of room to get the DC connected. Not the classiest but it works. The Router Raizer should be here 'long tords the middle o' next week.
Still debating placement options. The T-track bolts I have fit the Unisaw mitre solts so that will work. Also have a length of T-track that will fit between the router table and Unisaw. Thinking about that whilst waiting on the Raizer.
Hangs right nice on the wall.View Image
Got plenty of other projects in the works so won't be sittin on me hands.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 3/21/2009 8:35 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres
Edited 3/21/2009 8:36 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres
After installing your Router Raizer can I suggest that you consider installing some additional support underneath the ply. I have used poplar and oak and both seem to work well and for the spans of a common TS width move very little over time.
Something to think about. Or maybe just leave it 'as is' and test the flatness over time..
Will,
Have been making progress. I fretted and stewed about how to secure the platform for the jig and decided to use the mitre slots on the Unisaw. I don't like a lot of slots on work surfaces as they tend to collect stuff in them at times. I bought some Rousseau T-track bolts that work great in the existing mitre tracks.
View Image
Part of this fretting about also included the possibility of replacing the Bies with the Incra jig as the fence for both the Unisaw and the router table, and am still keeping that in mind. The Bies could then go back on the contractors saw. This option might require another T-track though.
View Image
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob,
This looks good. If you are going to use this as your saw fence, you might want to look into the rail system and carriage Incra sells. Using the miter slot for the anchor point of the router set-up works. Not sure how you will anchor the fence for the saw. If the fence is a little off square/parallel at the router, it's not a big deal. But with a saw blade, parallelism with the blade is crucial.
Also, since your router is on the right of the saw table, it looks like you can move the dust collection port of the Wonder Fence to the other end, keeping the dc hose away from the operator.
Thanks for posting photos.Greg
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Greg,
Thanks for your inputs.
I have moved the DC port for the Incra to the far end of the fence for the reason(s) you suggested. And, yes I would opt for the rails if I do decide to use the jig for the Unisaw. Still, pardon the pun, on the fence about this. :-)
For the time being I'm going to stick with using the Bies for the TS. One big reason for putting the Incra platform where you see it is ROOM. Space is a premium commodity for me at this time.
I need to use it to get a better feel for how well it works. If I had the fence on the opposite side of the router then I might be able to use the Bies for feather board(s), etc. Which brings a question to mind, what do you use for feather boards, etc. with yours?
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
WARNING !!!! CAUTION!!!:
Bob,
I just realized, the router spins counterclockwise when viewing it from the top. The way you have your fence set, it has the propensity to grab the wood and sling it from your hands. It might drag your hands along with it!!!
You would need to feed it from the back of your saw to the front in order to avoid this.
To answer your question about the featherboard: I have a miter slot in my table. If I did not, or if my current featherboards would come up short, I'd Make a featherboard clamp it to the tabletop.Greg
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Greg,
Yes I realize that and am thankful for your response.
I will need to feed from the back of the Unisaw as I've experienced routers trying to gobble up wood and users flesh when feeding in the climb cut direction; still have all ten an plan on keeping it that way. Shop space or lack thereof is small potatoes compared to safety.
Now you understand why I fretted and stewed over how to handle the fence situation. Feeding from the other (right) direction will mean a different setup for the DC but that can and will be dealt with.
Thanks for the heads up, I appreciate it.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
I want you to always be able to "hang ten".
Now I unnderstand why you agonized over the fence decision. It is a great design.
Looks like your shop floor space is at a premium. Even so, can you swap the router to the other side of the saw. This sure would make life easier. Greg
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Exo 35:30-35<!---->
Looks like your shop floor space is at a premium
Bobs shop looks bigger en' mine with less 'trash' about....
Lookin' Good...
About how I had it set-up except the Incra mounting board was a 3/4 inch thick aluminum plate with expandable runners for the TS 'T' Tracks {the ones used for feather-boards where they expand in the slot when you tighten the wing-nut}.
I could also turn the Incra around and attach it to the slot of the cast iron router table I have. However, I only used the Incra fence for the TS fence when ripping equal width strips of wood for laminations and such.
I realize you WANT it to replace your 'Bies'. BUT I think the Bies is best for general work and the Incra for what I call 'Indexing'...
As another poster stated.... Incra sells a 'rail kit', but in my opinion, way to expensive for what it does. {Especially if you already have a better en' good fence} Don't get me wrong, I like the Incra stuff. I have alot of their products and I have never had a 'real' gripe about any of them. BUT am not sure it replaces a REAL TS fence! ;>)
Hope you are having FUN anyway!
Hi Will,
Thanks.
There's still a bit more tweaking that I want to do but am having fun. I can't thank you enough for your kindness and you can be sure I will use it. Been looking through the Master Reference Guide and chomping at the bit to try the different joinery examples.
I'm flabergasted (sp?) at what it's capable of doing.
More importantly I've made reservations at a new restaurant, Murphy's Steakhouse. It's owned and operated by a former chef at The Balsams whom I worked with several years ago. It'll be our 20th anniversary.
Best Regards, Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
More importantly I've made reservations at a new restaurant, Murphy's Steakhouse. It's owned and operated by a former chef at The Balsams whom I worked with several years ago. It'll be our 20th anniversary.
My Lovely Lady and I were Married for 27 Years.. I Married her way before then but I am sure she never realized that! I first saw her in Kindergarden!
I would sure hope you asked her where 'She' wanted to go! MAYBE LIKE MY WIFE,, We stay at home and she said ... I'll cook for you~ And the Desert will be special!
Will,
I would sure hope you asked her where 'She' wanted to go!
Not a chance!
We're friends with Angel (owner and chef @ Murphy's) and has been cautioned that mums the word about it.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Forest just posted a link I forgot about on the Incra.
Take a look.
http://www.woodshopdemos.com/menu2.htm
See SuperStation.. Maybe some thoughts for you?
Will,
WOW! Thanks a bunch.
When I got the new 'puter I lost a lot of My Favorites and that was one of them. I Exported them from the old 'puter but for some reason lost some of them when I Imported.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
I have wondered about your screen name.
IS KiddervilleAcres more than one Acre of land? Or just one Acre?
Edited 3/16/2009 10:32 pm by WillGeorge
Hi Will,
Kidderville Acres is about 5 1/2 acres but we lose some of it as there are two streams that form the borders on two sides, east and north. Originally (approx. 1899) it was a sawmill and with the millpond the property became more like 1 1/2 acres. The mill itself was water powered via the dam; which is now partially gone.
Around 1930 it became a farm that comprised approx. 127 acres and was one of the biggest and most productive farms in the area.
The mill foundation is still very much in tact and would be a perfect site for a woodshop and would overlook the dam and what used to be the millpond. This will probably not happen unless we hit the megabucks, but is a dream of mine.
Physically we're located 3 miles from The Balsams < http://www.thebalsams.com/default.aspx >. With our anniversary coming up May 26th I think it would be a fine place to have dinner for two, don't you?
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
With our anniversary coming up May 26th I think it would be a fine place to have dinner for two, don't you?
Why not make it the whole weekend!
Will,
Am savin me pennies not taking out a second mortgage!
:-)
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Am savin me pennies not taking out a second mortgage!
I'd bet you think your 'Little Lady' is worth a Kings ransom!
The price was VERY right. But if you think some dove tail jigs drive you nuts. Wait till you start in on the Incra jig. Dig out the cheaters oo/ and start reading, alot!! Yes, it can make some impressive joints and it's not beyond my skill to use it. Just beyond my patience.
Work Safe, Count to 10 when your done for the day !!
Bruce S.
Just beyond my patience.
I agree but still a great tool.
Just beyond my patience.
And you and your mate! You do it every day and hardly ever realize it!
Just beyond my patience..
And I still did not kill or hurt any of my children! OK, so we had a mind melt or two on occasion when they became teenagers!
Did you get the LS Positioner? They make a 17" and 25" I'm not familiar with all the earlier designs.
Or did you get the original jig - 2 segments of plastic with 4 Racks of interlocking teeth? Seems that this came with a 24" fence for about $100.
They also made an Incra Ultra Jig designed to move the fence 24" from the router bit.
You made a good buy if you take it out of the box and use it.
Greg
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Exo 35:30-35
Edited 3/7/2009 7:23 am by Cincinnati
Does anyone have any tips/techniques that they've developed from using this system? Any gotchas? Basic setup how to's or router considerations?
One thing I would like to do is mount the TS Fence to the Wonder Fence and haven't figured out how to do this. It would be nice to be able to leave the Wonder Fence on all the time and attach the TS Fence when needed.
This would allow the system to be used for both the extension wing router table and the Unisaw. I realize that the Wonder Fence could not be in a jointing configuration when the TS Fence is installed. This is kinda backwards to the instructions which say to mount the Wonder Fence to the positioner system. Did I miss something?
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob,
The Regular Fence (Pro II ?) stays permanently attached to the LS positioner. It has a T-slot in the front of the fence face. The Wonder Fence attaches via this T-slot. You generally want to take the wonder fence off for TS use because it could be in an offset position. If it is not offset, I don't see why it wouldn't work in TS mode, but I believe it it a good habit to get into removing it for all but routing operations.
Look at the demo videos on this link:
http://incra.com/product_tsf_tslsjoinery.htmGreg
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Bob
I bought a Triton 2-1/4HP router for my table for two reasons: It was reviewed favorably by a few of the "gurus" and it has a lift built in. That is a significant cost savings. It was on sale at Amazon for $169 and free shipping. Overall I have been very pleased. It is a breeze to make cutting depth adjustments.
NOTE: The 3+ HP Triton does not have this feature and I believe that I can get by with 2-1/4 HP. I am always making multiple passes anyway for a smoother finished cut.
The Triton also has automatic spindle lock when the router is fully raised in the table. Therefore, only one wrench and one of your hands is required for a bit change.
I went with the INCRA magna plate for my router plate. The throat plates are held in place by magnets and are easily changed without a special tool. I only pinched my fingers one time so the learning curve was quick for me.
Put a 1/2" rubber grommet in the bottom of your collet. Now you can drop the bit onto the rubber and it has room to move. As the collet tightens, the bit is moved down and the rubber compresses; no more trying to hold the bit off the bottom to tighten the collet. ALSO, the collet is not trying to gouge the bit as it is tightened. When you loosen the collet, tap a couple of times on the collet nut, the bit releases easily.
I installed a large paddle "OFF" switch on the outside of my table so I can bump it with my knee to turn off the router. I routinely make stop cuts or plunge cuts, and I do not want to remove my hands from the wood to hit the off button.
My only inconvenience with my system is the Triton spindle lock only engages when the router switch is in the "OFF" position. SO to change bits, I have to reach under the table, turn the router switch off, and also turn it back on after the bit change. Then I control power to the router using the paddle switch.
Greg
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Edited 3/17/2009 9:10 am by Cincinnati
spindle lock only engages when the router switch is in the "OFF" position. SO to change bits..
My PC router on my TS has the same thing. VERY NICE FEATURE! My other routers, including two other PC's do not...
Will, You are correct that it is a nice feature that the spindle lock will not engage until the router s/w is off. Otherwise, some operator (don't mention my name please) may inadvertently turn the router on with the spindle locked. Or worse, may try to adjust the bit height with the router spinning and hit the lock position.Greg
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Or worse, may try to adjust the bit height with the router spinning and hit the lock position.. I say LOL.
I AM old and forgit' many things BUT never something moving that may take my fingers or MORE off!
I still think using the Incra as the index reference and just move your TS fence to it is a clean and 'fuss free' way to use.
.... I realize that the Wonder Fence could not be in a jointing configuration when the TS Fence is installed.
Sorry, I do not understand what you are exactly asking. All I can say is I usually removed the Incra from the TS because I mostly used it for the router table located on the right hand end of my TS. The Incra was on the left hand end and extended over the blade (Blade LOWERED of course).
I only used the Incra as the TS fence for ripping exact width multiple 'thin' strips of wood (for laminations such as for making a Archers Bow or other curved objects) or for 'indexing' something cut on my Incra Miter Express sliding table with a Miter 3000SE. I jury-rigged an extension onto the Incra fence. It was a brass rod about 1/2 inch in diameter to be used as a 'stop'. Most of the cuts/miters/slots/grooves/whatever were on 'sticks' longer than the stop on the Miter 3000SE would allow so I would index from the cut-off using the BIG Incra's fence with my so called stop... I had to use the 'rod' so I had a stop that was up and over the thickness of the Miter Express table AND for my big, old, heavy, wooden Panel cutting sled (Cross-Cut Sled).
My older Ridgid TS has more junk on it that a little girl playing 'Makeup' so she looks look like her MOM (that wears hardly any makeup) ... NO offence to women OR little girls.. I have many in my family... Just Me and my Son and one grandson... ALL the others are Girls!
By the way, I made a BUNCH of old pinwheels on sticks for the little ones And for all the older daughters. I think the older ones played with them longer!
Hi Will,
What I meant was let's say you want to use the Wonder Fence to joint a board. And you have the outfeed half indexed out from the Infeed fence half, like on a jointer and then attaching the TS fence on front of the Wonder Fence. This would skew the TS fence inward, not a good thing.
Hadn't thought of mounting the Incra on the TS, DOH! Thinking of maybe using one of the mitre slots and place a runner under the 3/4" mounting pad. I made the pad the same width as the TS & extension router tabletop so I could keep the hold down clamps out of the way. Doing it this way I may not need and hold down clamps as the Unisaw has T-track mitre slots.
Yeah, guess I'll forget the TS fence for now.
Sounds like your having lots of fun with the girls. Good on ye, you've earned it.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 3/18/2009 9:14 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres
I have both the old Twin Linear router table jig and the TSIII table saw fence and have used both regularly for several years. If you can set up any stationary tool, you can use this great fence system. I do a lot of box work and the repeatability and accuracy of these two Incra products help not only with joints, but are great with inlays etc. You got a good deal and the set up is fairly straightforward. I have found the instructions to be complete and detailed. The more you use the Incra systems, the more uses you will find for the dead on positioning systems. Yes, some of the joints illustrated are tedious, but the results are worth it. You will get questions like " how in the hell did you do that". Wooden box hinges are easy too and really add a great touch to jewelry boxes, humidors, and other gift items. As you can tell, I am sold on the Incra systems. But, just like anything else it is just a tool, and the results from it's use depend on the same skill sets as any other tool in the hands of a woodworker.
Very much looking forward to using the system. I have the Ultra Jig and TS system along with the Wonder Fence (?) and all sorts of attachments, templates, you name it. Quite frankly I'm not really sure what else.
Will George actually gave it to me. I only know one way at this point that I could ever thank him enough, and that is to make something with it - and I will.
I've wanted one of these systems for a very long time. It strikes me as a tool that I doubt I'll outgrow.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Will George actually gave it to me.
I only know one way at this point that I could ever thank him enough, and that is to make something with it - and I will.
A post from your wife that you really took her to dinner for the shipping costs!
I too have both the twin linear and the TSIII.
As a fellow TSIII user do you find any inaccuracy in the positioning of the TS as you move throughout it's range?
On my copy I find that in the fist 8" or so (first pair of toothed racks) it is spot on but once I hit the 2'nd or 3'rd pair of racks I'm getting 1/64 or sometimes close to 1/32" out. It is such that the cursor doesn't line up on the mark on the rule, it's half a 32'nd out and leaves one to guess which side of the mark is the side to go to. I have checked the setup and with the moveable rack spanning the fixed racks they engage perfectly which is how you are supposed to adjust them.
I wondered if it could be the stainless rule itself but Incra sent a replacement... same problem :(
Ever seen this on your setup?
Steve,
Something is definitely wrong here. If the first rack of teeth is OK, then the mechanics of the system are working.
FIRST: Is the rack on your carriage tight? This may be slipping slightly with each move. It would explain the problem as I understand it. When you restart, you zero the template to the cursor so I expect the early cuts to be on the money
SECONDLY: Direct your attention to each of the racks the carriage meshes with. Make sure the mounting screws for these racks are tight.
The second rack (Or the one where the problem begins) may have slipped registration. One thing that happens as you move from one rack to another, is it happens gradually. That is most of the teeth are still engaged on the first rack when the carriage begins meshing onto the second rack.
I would re-align it by loosening the mounting screws until the rack can be shifted by hand. Then move the carriage so most of it is engaged on the first rack and part of it is engaged onto the second rack. Tighten one mounting screw on the second rack. Move the carriage back and tighten the other mounting screw.
GO back to the first rack. Align a template with the cursor. Move the carriage through the template stopping and locking in each position. See if you are out by the time you get to the end of the second rack.
Repeat this process for the additional racks.Greg
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Greg: sounds like you hace recalibrated your Incra tools before. Steve might also want to check out his twin linear owner's manual too. The instructions for resetting the toothed racks are pretty straightforward. Great instruction answer! Very detailed. That should help Steve immensely.
I have not had this problem on my TS III. I recalibrate my rule quite often just because the cursor line is not as sharp as the rule(s) markings, and my eyes are not what they used to be. I have recalibrated the toothed racks on my twin linear a couple of times, but have never considered it a problem. I always try to reset my rules with the cursor right dead center on the rule mark, but too have had the question as to which side of the mark to set the fence to. I think that this might be due once again to the precision of the racks vs the cursor and the rules. I have had fellow woodworkers ask me if the precision of the TSIII etc isn't overkill. I point out the precision joints that the Incra equipment can produce fairly easily are definately not overkill. Framing structures is where "close enough-we're not bulding cabinets" is OK but not trying to get an inlay to fit just right, or produceing gap free joints.
I wish I could be more help with your problem, but I can't come up with an answer that you already haven't pursued. The folks at Incra are probably your best bet. Good luck!
Thanks for the replys lads.
I have not had a terrible time with it as the problem, I live with it and it only seems to rear it's head on the TSIII. As an example, when I zero the blade and cut 4" it's bang on 4" via my vernier. WHen I move out to 22" it seems that it's a 64'th or more out which is where the "which side of the line?" question comes in.
The only thing I had done in the past was visually check the rack engagement. It appeared that the first rack and second were engaging properly when part of each was under the locking rack and so on for the subsequent racks. I suppose it could be that there is a very small cumulative error with some of the downstream racks that is causing my miscalibration.
I am currently up to my *** in aligators right now and messing with the TSIII will be last on my to-do list but I will try and recalibrate the racks andl see if it helps when I can get time to do so.
Steve
$50 new in the box with all the paper work.. What carrier you shipped with!
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