Replies

1. 
   none | Mar 31, 2005 03:25am | #1

   When I had to align my contractors saw , I took it loose from the stand and turned it upside down to get to the trunions. You might want to get John Whites book, CARE AND REPAIR OF MACHINES (TAUNTON PRESS).  He shows how to make an alignment jig from baltic birch and a cheap dial indicator($6.99 at Harbor Freight on sale.) Some times the bolt holes in the trunions have to be reamed out oversize. You will need to remove both the fence system, including rails, plus extension wings in order to turn your saw upside down. That is the way Idid it the last time it I taught a tablesaw workshop. Don't to forget to remve the motor too. Happy sawing.

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2. 
   hammer1 | Mar 31, 2005 03:52am | #2

   Contractor saws seem to go out of alignment more often, due probably to the rear mounted motor and vibration. The two bolts on the rear of the yoke are easy to get to and these are often the only ones you need to loosen. I don't know how the factory does their adjustments. I unplug the saw, raise the blade and place a 24" straight edge against the blade. I use a steel ruler and measure from the straight edge to the miter way. I use a dowel for a drift and tap the yoke as necessary. It seldom needs much movement on my saw. I always take precautions to not over tighten the bolts for fear of snapping one off. I've done my saw in the last month and a friends. The friends was out quite a bit and it may have taken fifteen minutes, since I didn't have my tools and good light. After setting the top, I adjust the fence and the miter head. My old jet lock fence is kind of touchy if you tighten the bolts too much. I always do test cuts with the miter gauge but it's usually pretty good, just setting with an engineer's square.

   Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

1. 
   HowardAcheson | Apr 01, 2005 02:21am | #4

   I don't find my contractor saw gets out of alignment much at all. I would guess I have realigned it maybe four times since I purchased it in 1985. If it is properly set up, there is no reason for it to get out of line. In fact, last year I moved from outside NYC to eastern North Carolina. Other than removing the fence system and turning the motor around to the shipping position, I did nothing to prepare the saw for the movers. The saw is on a mobile base and the movers just pushed it up the driveway, up the ramp and into the van. When I checked the alignment upon setting up the shop, no adjustment was required.That said, I have had the PALS system installed for a number of years. The last time I actually did a re-alignment, it took me about 30-45 minutes. It was not a big deal or long process.Howie.........

1. 
   Kosta | Apr 01, 2005 02:57am | #5

   I think you hit the nail on the head - you've had PALS installed for a long time.   I thought one of their claims was the PALS system locked the setting in place.  Not sure about GlueUp but I just put PALS on my saw a few weeks ago.   After reading your post - I look forward to rarely adjusting it in the future.

   Kosta

3. 
   Kosta | Mar 31, 2005 10:15pm | #3

   I went through this about a week or two ago and  I too used the PALS system.  

   I cannot imagine the factory spending as much time as we did, but I would also venture to say they do not have to.  Their machines used in fabrication and assembly (I'm hoping/speculating - not saying this is fact) would be calibrated in a way to assemble quickly within a certain tolerance - say 0.005-0.007 on the miter gauge to blade.  They probably have Quality Control manually inspect 30% (again hoping/speculating not stating fact) to ensure tolerances.  Their machines would hopefully be recalibrated on a regular basis to enure quality.

   I can't speak for you but I want that calibration to be within 0.001-0.002.  Maybe it is not enough for the human eye to notice but if it can be done in a relatively short amount of time - why not then.  I probably spent about an hour (maybe a little more), fine-tuning the saw.   I figure if I check the calibration once per month and make small adjustments the time should be five minutes or less.  If I do this once a year I probably will spend an hour or more.

   Since vibration and the rear mount of the motor are contributing to the saw coming out of alignment - try using a link belt and the machined pulleys.  I've always used a link belt but the switch to the machined pulleys made a huge difference.  The first time I fired her up I thought it was a different saw.  Also you may want to try using Loctite - as Insight recommends with the PALS system.  Not sure how effective it is but I did that when I installed a few weeks ago.

   Kosta