Rubber Baby Bumpers

[dusty]

For me, it's a spacer.

I guess next time a measurement is asked for using an unspecified method I'll just use my foot. So much attitude around.

Please, can you tell me from what document this was taken. I have never seen these instructions (well, at least I have never read them before).

I found it under _Setting Up the Table Saw Mode_ in "Mode Setups" under my Assembly & Alignment tab. It was page C-25 for me. Mark 7, 845620 Rev. A 09/10

Thank you for very quick response. Guess what! It is my instruction manual as well. Yes, I know what I said.

I guess the only question "what does it mean when they say "centered in the table insert ". Centered, to me, means equal distance from each side of the blade to the respective edge of the cutout.

[reible]

Or is more like the center line on a road? My gut says it more like in the middle of all of what we expect.

Ed

[robinson46176]

I believe that "centered" means "Yeah, that looks about right..."
Not so close to one side or the other that it will hit while running. I don't believe that a ZCI was ever really in their thought process. They have been around but common use is kind of a recent thing. Still I almost never see a saw with one. We hit "A LOT" of garage sales and I often spend more time looking around and talking shop than I do shopping. I see a lot of table saws, very often sitting over in a corner next to some $2,000 to $3,000 piece of exercise equipment / clothes rack.

Maybe JPG has some more information on the old Mark VII carriage lock rod setup... It is a pretty positive lock. I actually had considered making something that "functioned" a little like that, that could be mounted on the other models to control carriage position. I was thinking of something more like a piece of "all-thread" with a few brackets and a quick clamp of some kind and maybe a knob or crank to turn it with where you could count the turns (as in maybe 3/8" x 16 TPI = 1/16" per turn). It would need something to hold it in place stronger than Scotch Tape, rubber bands or duct tape.
I just never got back to it, maybe after I get old and more retired.


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[JPG]

SKIZ, my comment re foot and 'king' was relevant to the historical source of the 'foot'.

Folklore sez it was the length of the 'king's' foot.

[JPG]

Lack of consistency is a reason I consider the rubber sleeve to be sloppy(it gives).

The Mark VII has that 'spear/arrow' protruding from the carriage towards the headstock. The carriage end is adjustable(think screw, lock nut and threads in the carriage. The 'spear actually goes into a hole in the front end of the headstock. There is a movable arm that will slide into a groove(actually more than one groove) that spaces the carriage/headstock separation. One of those grooves is intended for the tablesaw. I do not have mine set up currently, but the other grooves are 2 9/16" and 8 1/4" away. The outer notch is for use with the secondary blade slot, the center is for use with the main blade slot. The innermost notch abuts the carriage to the headstock.

I am sure it never had an additional spacer. At least I have never observed one in a pix.

:: corrected 8 1/4" dimension and identified the notch purpose(s).

[BuckeyeDennis]

I think farmer is on to something here. I too am guilty of never using a ZCI. But when I finally get to tackle a project that needs a perfect cut, I certainly will.

Meanwhile, this thread has convinced me of something. When the time comes, the ZCI slot will be cut with the quill slightly extended. And on subsequent setups, the quill will be used for fine adjustment. Perhaps even using a simple fixture to set the blade position relative to the miter slot.

[benush26]

I think farmer is on to something here. I too am guilty of never using a ZCI. But when I finally get to tackle a project that needs a perfect cut, I certainly will.

Meanwhile, this thread has convinced me of something. When the time comes, the ZCI slot will be cut with the quill slightly extended. And on subsequent setups, the quill will be used for fine adjustment. Perhaps even using a simple fixture to set the blade position relative to the miter slot.

Until I bought a decent miter saw, all my bevel cuts were done on a shopsmith.
I tilted the table and did the table lower method to make the ZCI. After that. Set up was placing the ZCI over the blade (protruding through the table at full cut depth), pressing it into place and then adjusting the quill until the ZCI was set in the opening, tighten the set screws, and tighten the quill lock. Usually was a good fit, though occasionally I widened the ZCI slot. . I presume there is a safer, saner and more accurate method, but that works for me.

Be well,
Ben

[dusty]

Ben, that works but it should not have to be done that way. A rubber bumper of the "correct dimension" should do what is needed.

To many this is a small thing and does not warrant a lot of fuss but I am not satisfied to "compensate". I'm not through with this. Initially, I was content with that approach but that was when I was unsure of the "real purpose" of the bumper. It has now been pointed out to me that the bumper is a SPACER intended to locate the blade in the "center" of the table insert when the headstock and carriage are pushed together.

An 1/8" offset to the right does not, in my mind, place the blade in the center. And I cannot even compensate for that without relocating the headstock. The quill cannot be used.

Yes, I can take the bumper off and make it all work.

[robinson46176]

SKIZ, my comment re foot and 'king' was relevant to the historical source of the 'foot'.

Folklore sez it was the length of the 'king's' foot.

And probably varied at times based on whether the King was buying or selling...


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[robinson46176]

Ben, that works but it should not have to be done that way. A rubber bumper of the "correct dimension" should do what is needed.

To many this is a small thing and does not warrant a lot of fuss but I am not satisfied to "compensate". I'm not through with this. Initially, I was content with that approach but that was when I was unsure of the "real purpose" of the bumper. It has now been pointed out to me that the bumper is a SPACER intended to locate the blade in the "center" of the table insert when the headstock and carriage are pushed together.

An 1/8" offset to the right does not, in my mind, place the blade in the center. And I cannot even compensate for that without relocating the headstock. The quill cannot be used.

Yes, I can take the bumper off and make it all work.

Yeah, when you want to have it right you / we want it right. I am usually pretty casual about many things but I can be pretty fanatical about others once I take on a challenge.
When I put two soft rings on my one refurbed SS I was thinking "bumpers" much more than "spacers" just because of the way I normally use, or don't use mine. If I was wanting spacer function as the priority I would probably cut some from something like PVC or even aluminum to be more consistently accurate and non compress-able. I would still use one on each way tube so that if I failed to lock the headstock and it fell at least the impact would be spread to both the front and back both.
Maybe for the way you might work the old system using the adjustable bolt in the center of the carriage skirt might be the way to go? It's positive and adjustable, just a bit hard on carriage skirts if the headstock falls. Maybe use two of the soft rubber rings for impact protection but the bolt for a positive stop?
You will get there, just keep digging...


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