In this month’s issue of FWW Tools and Shops on page 92 is a procedure for getting a crosscut sled fence perfectly square.
You take a roughly 18″ X 24″ board and label the edges 1 through 4. Then put edge 1 against the fence, trim edge 2, then put edge 2 against the fence and trim edge 3, and so on around, until edge 1 is back against the fence. Then rip about a quarter inch slice off edge 2 and label one end A and the other B. Snap the slice in half and compare the thickness of end A to end B. Any difference means the fence is not exactly square.
I can get A and B pretty close but I seem to be unable to get less than .016″ difference. That’s with edge 2 being the 24″ dimension.
My question is, should I be striving to get less than .016″ or am I being a bit anal? When I hold an eight inch Soreby try square against the corners and look at a light I see virtually no light.
Chris
Replies
So, how then do you attach the runners for the sled? it seems to me that this is where most of the slop comes from - getting the runners and fence straight on to the sled.
I spent an hour yesterday making a sled for my portable TS. Oak runners, sanded with 180, glued the first one to the bottom of the sled using a framing square, then glued the other in place (for the proper spacing). When I was all done, realized that the sled was too thick, and blade wouldn't cut through my 3/4" material at a 45 degree angle. Oh well...
Actually, I am not using a sled. So as not to muddy the water, I deliberately left out the fact that I am using a very neat sliding cast iron table on my Dewalt hybrid saw. The mitre gage (an Osbourn knockoff) has an eccentric screw for micro fence adjustment.
I seem to be toggeling either side of perfect by .015 to .016 or thereabouts.
Chris
ChrisB,
I've found that a piece of blue masking tape can sometimes be used to get a more accurate cut. It's a matter of trial and error to get the placement.
Rod
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