Replies

1. 
   DJK | Mar 31, 2003 08:42pm | #1

   If all you want to do is align the blade/top/fence, don't wast your money. Go purchase an imported dial indicator and mount it to your miter gauge via a block of wood. Bore an arbor hole in a 15" long flat metal bar or lumber and mount it to the arbor. Swing the bar from the front to the rear of the saw and measure. Then use it to set the fence. Total cost about $25.

   Dave Koury

   
   

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   Edited 3/31/2003 1:51:43 PM ET by DJK

1. 
   Gus | Mar 31, 2003 09:39pm | #4

   Thank you all for your help. You gave me good ideas and certainly your methods will save mony.

   Thanks again,

   Gus.

1. 
   mstens | Mar 31, 2003 10:28pm | #5

   Gus,

   Check out this link.  There's written and video exerpt of using such a setup on a tablesaw.

   http://www.taunton.com/store/pages/070551_excerpt.asp

   Edited 3/31/2003 3:28:44 PM ET by mstens

1. 
   rod | Apr 01, 2003 04:49am | #6

      There is  a Taunton book by John White on tuning up machines in the woodshop.

   It is about a year old.  It has pictures of some of the ideas that have been mentioned

   above.  I found it very useful for the first time that I had to align my cabnet saw.  He

   also deals with contractors saws, jointers, planers, ...

2. 
   Gus | Apr 01, 2003 04:54am | #7

   Thanks, this is great. I am ordering this book.

2. 
   rslatm | Mar 31, 2003 09:25pm | #2

   I've been working on machines long before these gadgets came out and cobbled together something similar years ago.  I'll bet most of these gauges are owned by hobbyiests. You could rig up something that would work just as well with some scraps of woof and a $13 inidicator from Enco. It's been discussed here before. Ironically at one place I worked we had a $40,000 beam saw and you couldn't use an indicator to align the saw carriage when you changed the blade. We used to read the cut of the blade in a piece of MDF. Properly lined up the blade would leave marks from the front and back of the blade on  each respective side of the piece of MDF.  Heel marks on the left and toe marks on the right meant the saw was cutting skewed. So you don't need to spend money on a lot the gadgets that you don't really need.  Knowlege and ingenuity are the best tool you can own.
3. 
   peterg62901 | Mar 31, 2003 09:31pm | #3

   Yes, a nice dial indicator is the thing.  If you can't do fractions in your head easily, there is a model that has fractions as well as digital readings.  I would check the cut wood and not the saw, but to each his own.

   You might get Ian Kirby's "The Accurate Table Saw" and give it a read.  It is a book written for people who didn't grow up in a shop, but want to figure out how to measure in woodworking IMHO.