I have a Grizzly contractor table saw that usually works very well. Today, I encountered a problem and cannot figure out the cause. I was trying to crosscut a miter in walnut that is 1/4 x 2.5 inches. I was using a Dewalt 50 tooth combination blade. I made a test cut in 3/4 inch pine scrap that was also 2.5 inches wide and the result was good. The cut was square to the side, and the 2 pieces joined nicely at 90 degrees.
I lowered the blade so that only 3 teeth would protrude above the surface of the walnut and made a cut. Oops! The cut in walnut was NOT square to the side. The cut starts out square, but it appears as if the blade is bending a little half-way thru the cut which causes the blade to veer to the left. I hold the piece tightly against the fence.
I ran the pine thru again without changing the blade height, and the same thing happened. This time, of course, I did not cut all the way thru the thickness of the board. There was a lot of wood on either side and above the blade throughout the cut.
So, could I have a fence problem? The blade has some resin build-up; could that be it?
Replies
I imagine the blade is pulling the work into itself, probably from being dull. I can't think though that a piece of walnut that size would deform a blade, is the miter slot tight enough ?
Angle of attack
I, too, suspect the underlying problem is a dull blade. The lower blade height exacerbated the problem by changing the angle at which the teeth are striking the wood. The fact that the walnut is also harder made the problem even worse.
Table saw misbehavior
Thanks to the three of you for this advice. It makes a lot of sense, and I am only sorry that I didn't think of it. Will try a sharp blade soon.
Are you crosscutting with a sled, using a miter gauge or using the fence?
Have you tuned up your saw and checked to make sure everything is running parallel? I've had lots of strange problems with the cut not running straight because my arbor wasn't parallel to the fence and miter slot.
Table saw misbehavior
I am using an Incra miter gauge with an auxiliary fence attached and have verified saw tuning. The earler comments were right on. I installed a new sharp blade and the problem went away. Other blade is being sharpened. Thanks for your input.
Are you crosscutting with a sled, using a miter gauge or using the fence?
Have you tuned up your saw and checked to make sure everything is running parallel? I've had lots of strange problems with the cut not running straight because my arbor wasn't parallel to the fence and miter slot.
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