SS or table saw

Gene Howe · Post by **Gene Howe** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 10:59 pm

I cannot believe you guys are getting precise cuts with a SS stock miter gauge and the stock fence. Either your standards are lower than mine (which I don't believe for a nano second) or I'm not doing something right. The latter is most probable.

There is no way in heck I can adjust the fence by 1/32nd. And, my miter gauge won't hold an angle for more than a couple cuts.

I've found ways around those limitations and can get cuts that are precise enough for my needs. But, none of those work arounds involves stock equipment.

wa2crk · Post by **wa2crk** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 11:41 pm

Gene;
I can get precision cuts with my SS in table saw mode and with the stock miter gauge. First is to make sure that the entire system is properly calibrated and tuned. I used the term system intentionally as I believe that the Shopsmith, whatever the model, should be viewed as a system. We (the woodworking club) in our retirement community build a bunch of toys for the Toys for Tots program every year. The doll cradles are from one of the SS project books and do require some close tolerance cuts. Jigs are a absolute must. The head and foot boards require angled cuts but I only use one setup to make 80 cuts for the 20 cradles. I find that the ability to move the saw blade to sneak up on the cuts to be one of the most useful aspects of the SS system. This little cradle that we make can teach a novice a LOT of woodworking. We use the table saw function for straight, beveled, and angled cuts. The bandsaw for the curved cuts and the belt sander to refine the bandsaw cuts and the drum sander to refine the curved cuts.
For a 1/32" adjustment try moving the sawblade rather than the fence.
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dusty · Post by **dusty** » Sat Apr 26, 2014 5:09 am

Gene Howe wrote:I cannot believe you guys are getting precise cuts with a SS stock miter gauge and the stock fence. Either your standards are lower than mine (which I don't believe for a nano second) or I'm not doing something right. The latter is most probable.
There is no way in heck I can adjust the fence by 1/32nd. And, my miter gauge won't hold an angle for more than a couple cuts.
I've found ways around those limitations and can get cuts that are precise enough for my needs. But, none of those work arounds involves stock equipment.

I don't use the stock miter gauge, Gene, because of the slop in the miter track. I have a Incra V120 that I use whenever angular accuracy is required.

Gene Howe · Post by **Gene Howe** » Sat Apr 26, 2014 9:32 am

My ZCI won't allow 1/32 of blade movement movement. The Jointech fence, however, will move in 64ths. And the Redneck version of the Incra fence I built for the other MKV does also.
As to the miter gauge, I had Kreg mill a blade to fit. With that gauge and the Miterset, I'm set to go.

edflorence · Post by **edflorence** » Sat Apr 26, 2014 4:13 pm

dusty wrote:I don't use the stock miter gauge, Gene, because of the slop in the miter track.

Somewhere along the line I read in one of Shopsmith's manuals...maybe the one for the cross-cut table?...that the "slop" in the miter slot can be compensated for by always keeping the bar on the table (or the miter gage or the Tenon Master or any jig that rides in the slot) snugged up against one side of the miter slot. Since then I have tried to be conscious of doing that whenever using the miter slot. I keep the bar pushed against the inside (saw side) of the slot as I move it through the cut. Seems to help. Just wondering if anyone else has tried this and if they have also seen an increase in precision and consistency.

rcplaneguy · Post by **rcplaneguy** » Sat Apr 26, 2014 5:12 pm

Do y'all really see miter differences due to slop from the miter bar in it's track? I can see differences from lots of things, but not from that.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Sat Apr 26, 2014 5:56 pm

rcplaneguy wrote:Do y'all really see miter differences due to slop from the miter bar in it's track? I can see differences from lots of things, but not from that.

One needs to be anal about the variances that might occur as a result of miter bar movement within the miter rack or you won't detect them. The changes that do occur will almost certainly not be detectable in a finished product.

The reason that I know that some variance can occur is because I have tested it. As a Qualifications Test Engineer for a Defense Contractor building satellite systems, I spent a goodly part of my working life doing jobs like that.

I tested items against the specifications until they failed (to meet those specifications). It was my job to induce failures where I could.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Sat Apr 26, 2014 5:58 pm

edflorence wrote:Somewhere along the line I read in one of Shopsmith's manuals...maybe the one for the cross-cut table?...that the "slop" in the miter slot can be compensated for by always keeping the bar on the table (or the miter gage or the Tenon Master or any jig that rides in the slot) snugged up against one side of the miter slot. Since then I have tried to be conscious of doing that whenever using the miter slot. I keep the bar pushed against the inside (saw side) of the slot as I move it through the cut. Seems to help. Just wondering if anyone else has tried this and if they have also seen an increase in precision and consistency.

Ed, that works. Actually, if you are disciplined to manage the miter gauge that way, you can eliminate all deviation that way. However, the Incra V120 does all of that for you. I swear by the V120.

rcplaneguy · Post by **rcplaneguy** » Sat Apr 26, 2014 6:41 pm

dusty wrote:One needs to be anal about the variances that might occur as a result of miter bar movement within the miter rack or you won't detect them. The changes that do occur will almost certainly not be detectable in a finished product.

The reason that I know that some variance can occur is because I have tested it. As a Qualifications Test Engineer for a Defense Contractor building satellite systems, I spent a goodly part of my working life doing jobs like that.

I tested items against the specifications until they failed (to meet those specifications). It was my job to induce failures where I could.

Has anyone measured the angular change from "play" of the miter bar in it's track, in degrees? Would be interesting to know what it is.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Sat Apr 26, 2014 7:38 pm

rcplaneguy wrote:Has anyone measured the angular change from "play" of the miter bar in it's track, in degrees? Would be interesting to know what it is.

The only tool that I now have to do that measurement would be my Wixey. It might work for .1 degrees but isn't sophisticated enough to make that measurement. Someone with an iGage might be able to do it.