TS Alignment & Short Fence

[niki]

I would like to share with you my method.

I think that almost all table saws comes from the factory "almost" aligned so, I'm using this procedure to "fine tune" the factory "almost" or for periodical alignment checks.

As you'll see, I'm not using any Hi-Tech nor Lo-Tech instruments because every blade has some run-out and flutter (and some Arbor run-out) and I think that the blade itself "knows" the best if it's aligned or not.

I'm just "listening" what the blade it "telling" me and correcting accordingly...

The test must be done with the blade at "full up" position.

The "test piece" should be of MDF

Toooooo the pics.......

Regards
niki






On this pic (and the next one), I'm showing the blade stationary which is not the case.
You should push the test piece past the blade while the blade is running at normal speed and listen to the sounds...

[niki]

[VASandy]

Thanks, Niki! This is a great way to check the fence and the blade to the miter gauge.

[beardking]

I am in no way, shape, or form a professional or even good amature woodworked, but it seems to me on that short fence design that you leave open the large possibility of the wood veering off to the right and screwing up the cut. Am I the only one that sees that possibility?

[niki]

Thank you so much Andy

You now, I posted this thread on a few American forums and I got some positive replies about the "alignment method" but interestingly, no one replied to the "Short fence" concept...well, actually I got one reply and the guy said that he does not feel confident with "short fence" and he likes the standard "long fence".

I know only one person (in the USA forums) that is using the short fence (named SARGE on the BT3 forum).

I would like to expand the subject a little bit...

The Splitter (together with the anti-kickback pawls) was dropped in Europe at the 60th (yeap, some 40+ years ago) and the more safe Riving Knife (RK) took it place.

But, the RK cannot protect you from a kickback (in spite of the advertisements) if the wood is "reaction wood".

After the workpiece passes the front teeth of the blade, the cut is actually finished.

If an internal stresses will be released (reaction wood), the wood can do one of;

*Spring "in" and "close" on the blade...(in my experience, it just stopped the blade but no kickback occurred) in this condition the only way to finish the cut is by pushing wedges to keep the kerf open.

*Spring "out" and press on the fence...but the fence is "stronger" so, the wood will be forced to the other side - into the up-raising teeth of the blade.....and after a split of second....a UFO will fly toward the operator at 150mph...

After the RK became a "safety regulation" in Europe, the kickbacks continued (in much smaller numbers though) in spite of the RK.

So a new idea was "born" - the "short fence" and the rest of the story is on the picture above.

First, I would like to show you a picture of a "reaction wood" that "closed" on my blade and stopped it.



I'll continue the on the next post because of the limitation of number of pictures per post (max 5 per post)

Regards
niki

[niki]

I know that, many people don't feel confident with the "Short fence" so I would like to show you (you pl.) how confident I feel...of course my fence is of the type that I can pull it back to use it as short fence for ripping solid wood or, I can extend it to "Long fence" to use with man-made boards.

BTW, That's the way that they teach in the schools in UK and just to give you an example how much those guys are "Safety fanatics".....

"Blade guard must be installed for ANY operation on the table saw" and it's even prohibited to show on the TV - "Blade guard removed for clarity"...

WARNING - DO NOT TRY THIS METHOD WITH "LOMG FENCE"