Is my table saw iron top warpped?
Hi, I’m fairly new to woodworking and very new to trying to fine-tune tools for precision. Yesterday I bought a Ridgid R4520 table saw. Before anyone tries to explain how buying a Ridgid was a terrible idea to begin with, understand that I was in desperate need of something bigger, I could afford it, and finding another contractor/hybrid saw in-stock from a better manufacturer right now seems impossible.
Anyway, after assembling most of the saw I was leveling the wings and noticed that the cast iron top seems off. Going side to side I can see areas where the level touches then leaves the surface of the saw. Going front to back it does not.
Could someone please look at the images I’ve uploaded and let me know if this seems like an issue. For all I know this is fairly typical, but if it’s not and will cause issues getting true cuts I’ll return the saw and go back to the drawing board.
Thanks!!
Replies
You could try slipping feeler gauges but looks tad out. I wouldn’t worry. Table saw is a coarse tool and any translation to your part within most tolerances needed.
Probably not a big deal. I have used many saws that did not have the wings too level. Even had a jobsite saw that was flexible in the top, glad it was free. Good enough for what it was. Getting the throat plate level is important.
Have fun!
My table saw is a Ridgid. It gets the jib done. I've never put a straightedge on it. My saw and I have a don't ask, don't tell policy.
The question is not "is it not flat?", but "does it matter?". Measure the gap, if it's less than 1/64, probably never going to be an issue. If it does cause you to cut out of square, it looks like it would be remedied with a single pass over the jointer.
Thank you all for the advice and info! I've finished setting it up, made a few cuts, and it's working beautifully.
That’s great. It’s a good idea to focus on the numbers but no one needs to chase a problem that isn’t there. BTW, a lot of people have done a lot of great work on that model of saw :)
You get what you pay for, as mentioned probably necpver going to be an issue, but I suggest you use a digital angle indicator and zero to the top, then set your blade to 90°, adjust the stop accordingly.
I also use one to set angles for bevel cuts, and my top is dead flat.
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