won't cut bevel. blade binding.

gat_76 · Post by **gat_76** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 6:35 pm

i can not figure out how to make a bevel cut on the shopsmith. i have table tilted, not touching blade, wood securely held in place on miter gauge. however, it will cut half way, then stop cutting. start burning the wood.

i reckon that bevel jig is all i can do.

justplaingoofy · Post by **justplaingoofy** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 9:01 pm

Bevel cut or not, if you are burning wood your blade may not be parallel to your table slots.
Another cause is possibly your blade? Worn? Especially blades that are not carbide tipped and have the 'set' just stamped out, they can start to rub and cause friction. I see guys use those worn steel blades in circular saws and make more smoke than sawdust.
Try having the blade only stick up far enough so it will cut thru too?
Time for some troubleshooting for sure.

john · Post by **john** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 9:06 pm

It also may be that the splitter is not centered over the blade. I have had that happen to me on bevelled cuts. I had to lossen the splitter, center it, and then tighten a bit.

John

gat_76 · Post by **gat_76** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 9:56 pm

justplaingoofy wrote:Bevel cut or not, if you are burning wood your blade may not be parallel to your table slots.
Another cause is possibly your blade? Worn? Especially blades that are not carbide tipped and have the 'set' just stamped out, they can start to rub and cause friction. I see guys use those worn steel blades in circular saws and make more smoke than sawdust.
Try having the blade only stick up far enough so it will cut thru too?
Time for some troubleshooting for sure.

Carbide blade. Tried both blade hights. Barely to top, and beyond wood by one tooth.

Table being square to blade. Did not think of that yet. I will have a loom see tomorrow.

gat_76 · Post by **gat_76** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 9:57 pm

john wrote:It also may be that the splitter is not centered over the blade.
John

Are you asking if the table is square to the blade.

If not, please divulge.

gat_76 · Post by **gat_76** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 12:49 pm

Yep. I have 2 levels. Both read the same.

That would wreck some dados and definitely put it in a bind on a bevel cut

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 1:20 pm

We need to come to a common understanding of what we be referring to.

First the levelness of the table has no bearing on the following:

Square to the blade is more than one thing. It should be square in two planes.

First one is the squareness to the blade as determined by placing a square between the table and the vertical surface of the blade. That assures that when the trunion is set to 0 degrees, the blade will cut a square profile across the edge.

Second one is less obvious. It is also the one that may cause your binding blade. The table miter gauge slots must be parallel with the outer face of the blade. This ensures that the workpiece moves parallel to the blade as it is being cut. If the slots are skewed to the blade, the kerf in the workpiece will move in a biased direction causing the side of the kerf to move into the blade. This becomes more pronounced the further the cut is made.

That assumes use of the miter gauge, but the rip fence must also be parallel(square to the blade) since a more severe binding condition exists as the rip fence adds a bind at the edge against the fence to the one on the blade end.

The riving knife must be centered in the blade kerf. It's position will vary depending upon the blade.

Bottom line: You do not want ANY rubbing of the newly cut edges on anything(.)!

Now about your 'bevel' cut. Are you tilting the table, setting the miter gauge for an angle cut, or both?

gat_76 · Post by **gat_76** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 2:42 pm

That is what I mean by square with the blade. Perpendicular and vertical. If one is off then it is not "square" as a general term. Not "true"

So, the table is square with the blade.
But, not with the earth. No imagine the direction of slope as an arrow. With the table at 0 deg, the direction of slope does not intersect the blades vertical plane. Table is true in relation to blade.

However, when the table is tilted on the axis of the slope (side to side in this case) then the direction of the slope opposes the vertical position of
The blade. The table is no longer true to the blade.

But I believe I have leveled the table, I will have to see.

gat_76 · Post by **gat_76** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 2:44 pm

Oh, and I had table tilted, clamped in miter gauge. 0deg (90deg cut)

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 2:59 pm

gat_76 wrote:Oh, and I had table tilted, clamped in miter gauge. 0deg (90deg cut)

Thank you for that answer(not a compound angle cut!).

We need to distinguish between flat and level.

Yes the table needs to be flat, and shimming the mounting bolts will accomplish that(assuming no warping). Being flat is not the same as level. When you 'tilt' the table with the trunion, it is not level, but is sill flat.

A 'level' table is square to the blade(vertically) only if the blade is vertical(plumb).

The second square to the blade requirement is totally independent of all that above. It is also the likely cause(lack of it) that is causing your binding.