crosss cut sliding table fence issue

[JPG]

Good choice! Not generally known how accurate they are.

[RFGuy]

Made some adjustments to my saw. My table is now set-up correctly. Had trouble when verifying setup with a test cut - discovered that my Crown try square is not square! Really disappointed! It is not adjustable; just not square. I am now considering spending some money to buy quality - looks like quality may require a "bank loan".

Crown makes some beautiful squares, but that isn't much solace if the dang thing isn't square right? I would contact Crown and see if they have a method to re-true the square. They may just tell you to send it back in which would probably cost more than a new one since they are based in the UK. An alternative is to re-true it yourself and yes this can be done. I assume you have the type of Crown try square that has brass pins holding the handle and blade together, correct? Never done this myself and I cringe when I see this, but you can file down the blade to re-true these squares. The 2nd video below shows this and how to do it. I am including the first video because I found it quite helpful in the past in that it has a good discussion for ways to check squareness of your squares. Last point that I want to make is the size of the square matters. When I first got started out with my Mark V, I only used the 6" stainless steel machinist square that Shopsmith included/highly recommended with every purchase. I used that as my main square for everything for quite some time. Later I realized that you need an appropriate sized square for every task. For example, I have the Woodpeckers 18x12 and 26x16 squares which I use for setting up my tracksaw and any related sheet good work. A small square just doesn't get the job done when trying to check or set square for sheet good cuts IMHO. You are setting up square on the crosscut sliding table which is a large jig and ANY errors from true square of your reference square will greatly amplify down the fence of the crosscut sliding table. Setting square on something as large as the crosscut sliding table really demands something on the order of an 18" square IMHO. The workhorse, or daily driver, in my shop is my Woodpeckers 12x8 square that I use most often. Yes, all of these were expensive, but they have made my time in my shop so much more enjoyable. There are certainly more affordable options with good quality available as well. Check out the thread linked below for some other brand square recommendations:

viewtopic.php?t=36961

[jjsmutney]

Very useful info. Thanks for taking time to help me.

[RFGuy]

Very useful info. Thanks for taking time to help me.

No problem. Glad you got your crosscut sliding table setup and square. I often learn while trying to help somewhere here so I am happy to help, if I can. Maybe a good machinist could do this with a metal file no problem, but I would be worried about uneven grinding with a metal file as shown in the videos above for re-squaring a square. I liked the comment I found below a lot better. Should you choose to try to re-square your Crown try square, a diamond stone sounds like a good way to try to adjust it, rather than a metal file. I have also read that some Crown Tools try squares have adjustment screws for re-squaring them. I wonder if those are actually brass through pins, or if perhaps they are caps that can be removed exposing screws to adjust the try square. I would try to investigate the latter first if you are so inclined. Another thing to point out is that if cost is a concern and you need a larger square, you can create your own. Many start with a good reference square that they have. Often a good quality framing speed square is more than adequate, and inexpensive, and can be used to make larger squares out of wood. For woodworking tolerances, most of the time, you can achieve quite acceptable results building your own wood square. Some woodworkers prefer this because they are prone to dropping things in the shop and they feel better dropping a wood square than an expensive metal one. Also, easier to adjust a wood square typically. Video below, if you are interested. I have been meaning to build one of these sometime, just for the fun of it, and to learn.

Excerpt from Fine Woodworking:
https://www.finewoodworking.com/forum/h ... 1UMDSHSEF4
On an all metal engineer's square, there are two ways to true it back to 90 degrees. The first way is to throw it out and buy a new one. If a square has ever been accidently dropped on a hard shop floor, it's finished, it is officially an untrue square.

The second, and only way short of bringing it to a reputable machine shop, is filing. Lay the square on the end of a large, reliably square surface. You could use the corner of your bench, or joint and thickness a large block of wood. (The size of a common house brick would work.) With the blade on the side face of the wood, and the stock referenced on the end, slide the square up to the top edge of the block so that the blade is slightly (as little as possible) above the surface. Lay a diamond (DMT) stone, or the stone you use for sharpening (it must be flat) and run it over the blade's edge until it's flush with the wood surface. This will restore the outer edge to a fairly useable condition.

[edflorence]

Good choice! Not generally known how accurate they are.

Agreed. Shopsmith used to sell a set of aluminum drafting triangles, a 30-60-90 and a 45-90. I have used them for set up for years, and they are still true. Have also had good luck with my old Staedtler plastic triangles.