Replies

1. 
   RLoDico | May 11, 2003 03:28pm | #1

   If your blade is closer to the fence at the back then your cuts are pinching and your facing a kickback situation. You need to tune your saw before making any more sawdust. Here's an answer given somewhere's else to the same question. Thank you to the author:

   The info in the site given by toolwiz is for a cabinet saw. For a contractor saw the process of adjustment is different. On contractor saws, the trunnion must be moved to adjust the parallelism of the blade.

   I don't know of anything on line with pictures but here is some info that many have used sucessfully. It will save you some money too.

   Here is the low tech, low cost way to align a tablesaw that I learned maybe forty years ago and teach to my students now.

   Make 3/4 x 3/4 x 12" hardwood stick. Drill a hole somewhat centered in one end and insert a brass #8 x 1" round head wood screw about half way. UNPLUG THE SAW. Raise the blade completely up. Clamp this board in your miter gauge (if you determine that there is some slop in your slot to miter gauge, use a playing card to take up the slop) so the screw head just about touches the blade at the front. Now rotate the blade by hand and determine which tooth is the closest. Adjust the screw in or out until it just touches this tooth. Mark this tooth. Rotate the blade so the tooth is now at the back of the table and move the miter gauge/stick assembly to the back and see if it touches the marked tooth to the same extent. If it doesn't, adjust the trunnion (if a contractor saw) or the tabletop (if a cabinet saw) until it does.

   For a contractor saw, first use a small c-clamp on the rear trunnion and cradle to keep the assembly from moving. Then loosen the two rear trunnion bolts and use a stick to tap the trunnion until the blade and screw lightly touch. The blade does not move directly around the center so you will need to repeatedly go back to the front of the blade, readjust the screw, and then again measure the back. Be sure to check after tightening the trunnion as the trunnion frequently moves when being tightened.

   The same adjustment gauge can be used to set the fence parallel to the miter slot. Slide the miter gauge to the front of the table and move the fence over to the screw head and insert a playing card between the screw head and the fence just so you can move the card as it touches both the fence and the screw head. Now move the miter gauge to the back of the table and see if you have the same feel when you insert the card. I like my fence absolutely parallel--if you want to have a slight opening to the fence, you can easily estimate the opening by adding a thickness of paper to the card.

   I always show my students with a dial gauge that their adjustments are within .001 - .002.

   You can also use the same gauge to measure blade runout by using a $5.00 feeler gauge.

   Finally, after you are satisfied with the above adjustments, check the position of the splitter to make sure it is exactly in line with the blade.

2. 
   rickles13 | May 11, 2003 07:49pm | #2

   I had the same problem with my 10 yr old delta contractor saw, even contacted delta, they faxed me info on adjusting the trunnon, there is a simple jig you can make, to test for runout, in the end I determined it was indeed my fence, and not the trunnons, It seem that adjusting the trunnons was going to be a very tedious and exacting and difficult job.

   R13

3. 
   IanC | May 12, 2003 12:12am | #3

   I had the same problem with my Delta saw.  In FWW issue 78, there was an article on TS tune ups by Mark Duginske in which he suggested turning the saw upside down.  Well I finally did this and immediately understood how the trunnions are adjusted.  The adjustments are made with the saw upright but it was helpful to clearly see and understand the problem before proceding.  Also it was a good opportunity to clean the resin and gunk out of the gears.   

   Ian Cummins

1. 
   Robbie | May 12, 2003 04:55am | #4

   Had the same problem with my contractor saw.  Fixed it in less than 20 minutes to less than .001" runout.  Here's how to do it.

   1)  Get a decent adjustment tool with a dial indicator.  I bought a TS Aligner Jr.  A bit pricey at $100 but worth every penny.  There are plenty of others available at far less  money.  This is important because it will let you know precisely how much runout you have and how much you are taking out with each  adjustment to the trunnion.

   2)  Get PALS from Woodcraft.  It is a $20 set of replacement trunnion bolts that allow you to simply and accurately move the trunnion.  Delta's recommendation to whack it with a rubber mallet leads to alot of frustration.

   This was so phenomenally easy.  Typically, without  these two tools, it can be a frustrating nightmare trying to align the trunnion.  Others may have different experiences with the brute force method.

   It worked so well with my contractor saw that I just installed PALS bolts on a 50 year old Delta 8" table saw.  The saw is as precise now as any saw I know.

4. 
   user-135888 | May 12, 2003 08:20am | #5

   Hi

   It's very important you align your saw. The way you do it is by loosening the rear arbor, and adjusting it out back into alignment. 

   here's an alignment tool I made you might like.  **** I have since beveled the front of the tool so I can tilt it down, for the blade.

   john

   
   

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   Edited 5/12/2003 1:22:33 AM ET by john

   
5. 
   mrles | May 12, 2003 08:20am | #6

   There are two trunnons on your saw front and back, each has 2 bolts, I would loosen these, center my blade in the middle, snug them up. You should also check your handle that tilts your blade, it is probably bolted to the side of your saw and can limit the adjustment. If it can limit the adjustment loosen it so it floats, you can reattach and if need be add washers so it doesn't put a bind on your front trunnons after you make your other adjustments. You also should make sure your trunnons are making full contact, do this by pushing forward on your back with bolts loosen on the back only. You may be able to use a screwdriver to do this.

   You can do a decent job of aligning without a dial indicator. Take a thin slat of wood, 1/8" thick or less, raise you blade to full height, Mark a tooth, place the slat in your miter gauge and move it into the tooth you marked. Move the blade back and forth so the tooth barely touches it, rotate the blade until it is at the extreme back of your saw, move your miter gague holding the slat firmly all the time to the back and check.

   One thing I left out and I'm assuming You should unplug the saw first.

   Gods Peace

   les