Crafter's Station, Questionable Performance

wa2crk · Post by **wa2crk** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 11:08 am

Dusty;
This is going to sound like it is out of left field but here goes.
Have you tried a different saw blade and then made the same test. Try it with a standard kerf blade with the same arbor for both tests?
I have read the previous posts and am beginning to wonder if the problem is due to a vibration causing a mechanical harmonic to distort the outer perimeter of the blade at high speeds. there are occasions where the runout may be different at speed but may not be apparent at a lower speed such as turning the spindle by hand. Kep us posted.
Bill

ldh · Post by **ldh** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 11:29 am

Dusty,
If you are like me I have to bite my tongue when I make a critical cut and on occasion I forget and have my tongue on the left side instead of the right of my mouth and that is enough to change even the kerf, so are you sure you
have your tongue on the correct side. If you have your tongue under control try going back through each alignment carefully and make sure you are not getting any twist in the table when you feed the stock through.
ldh

dicksterp · Post by **dicksterp** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 2:30 pm

dusty wrote:I think I understand what you are saying and I'll do this is the morning. However, you got me. Please spell out TIR. I expect it is "run out" but I can't translate the accronym.

Dusty,
TIR is toolmaker speak for total indicator runout.

Dick

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 10:16 am

The alignment problem of the Crafter's Station is not a simple one and yet it is fundamental.

I have become used to the Shopsmith Mark V and the Crafter's Station is not the same at all. It is not as easy to align and in fact it may not be able to align to the same level of accuracy.

I am not giving up but I might be reducing my expectations for the Crafter's Station as a table saw. I will do a picture presentation later to show why I feel as I do but it will have to wait a couple days.

For the next three days I shall be in deep concentration learning from Rick. The TA starts tomorrow morning. Today I have to work off some honey do's - or else.

greitz · Post by **greitz** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 12:38 pm

Dusty, how are you measuring the kerf? Are you just "nicking" a board with the saw blade and measuring the kerf, or running the board completely through the blade, like you were using the blade to make a slot? I'm just wondering if there's something in the setup which is forcing the wood against the back teeth at the end of the cut.

Gary

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 1:19 pm

Gary; I was ripping into a scrap of hard wood about 4" and then measuring the kerf with a ruler or feeler gauges.

However, I've now torn the setup down to the base chassis and am reassembling and measuring everything as I put it back together. I think that I am going to come to the conclusion that the Crafter's Station just cannot live up to the same high expectations as are reasonable with the Mark V.

I believe the problem is based on accumulated error that is inherit in the assembly/design.

I'm taking photos as I rebuild and if it turns out interesting I'll post some here.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 3:31 pm

The first order of business is to make sure the foundation is straight and true.

At first glance, it is not.

[ATTACH]1978[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]1979[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]1980[/ATTACH]

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 2:38 am

Geez, Dusty! You can come up with the darnedest issues. Here's my guess:
1) The spindle on the Crafter's Station is a bit smaller in diameter than the one on the Mark V and tightening the arbor forces a bit of an angle onto the blade.
2) vibration such as Bill suggested in post # 11.

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 9:33 pm

Dusty, Been thinking a bit about this - but can't remember - On the Crafter's Station, -- Does the headstock move and the saw table always sit in the same place?

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 9:50 pm

The transmission box (headstock) is permanently located. There is no quilling capability and the table moves up and down.

The first photo image is this thread is a fairly good picture of the transmission. The motor hangs on four bolts (just like a power station) directly below the transmission.

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