Proper alignment of Splitter/guard on TS

[Will Goodwin]

Well I have my first major tool purchase... what I wanted was the Rigid model that someone else just recently purchased. But for a starter model that fit our budget, I got the craftsman one from Sears.

I put the stand together last night and one of the 4 bolt holes that mount the saw to the stand won't line up. :BangHead: Also, the directions have pictures about how to line the guard/splitter up with the saw, but I am not too sure about the positioning. Before I fire this thing up, can anyone give me some direction? I'll probably ask someone at the crawl, so no need to go in too much detail.

Anyway, I got the saw for a steal. It is normally $112 plus tax. I got it on sale for $89 + additional 10% off coupon (if you use a sears card).



Will

 

[Jim Murphy]

Also, the directions have pictures about how to line the guard/splitter up with the saw, but I am not too sure about the positioning. Before I fire this thing up, can anyone give me some direction? I'll probably ask someone at the crawl, so no need to go in too much detail.

Are you asking about side to side alignment? I use a metal ruler. Turn the sawblade so the ruler is either A) touching a tooth at front and back, and both teeth are offset the same way, or B) touching no teeth. There should be a sheet of paper width (or less) between the splitter and the ruler on each side of the blade, more clearance if you chose alignment method A.

Top to bottom is not that important, as you should have loads of clearance from the arc of the blade to the leading edge of the splitter?

Is dat what you wuz askin'?

 

[Will Goodwin]

I think that was what I was asking. As I have never had a tablesaw (or used one for that matter), I wasn't sure where everything was supposed to be positioned and your description with no pictures was better than the picture that the manual had. :icon_thum I'll look at some of the tablesaws on the crawl this weekend just to make sure before I fire this puppy up. :saw:

Will

 

[Travis Porter]

One thing to add to Jim's suggestions (which are quite good) is after you get it set, cut a board partially and then visually inspect to see that the splitter is centered.

 

[Bas]

Hi Will,

First off - consuckulations! :tool:That is a great price for a saw. I've had a similar one, I outgrew it within a year but managed to do some good projects with it - including my workbench. Heck, when you decide to upgrade, you'll probably make money off it on CL!! :eusa_danc

Alignment can be tough on this kind of saw. In theory, the splitter needs to be directly behind the blade. A straightedge can be used for this, put it on the left side of the blade, make sure it touches the left side of the splitter. Repeat on the right side. Hopefully, the splitter is the same thickness as the blade. If it's thinner, you'll have to make sure the "offset" is equal, but it doesn't have to be perfect. Basically, the splitter should hold the wood open after it passes through the saw.

I've found that on the cheaper saws, the splitters are rarely 90 degrees to the table, and tend to wobble. You may need to tighten all the bolts, add washers etc. to get it square and straight. The anti-kickback pawls can also be troublesome if they are too tight, or don't move parallel to the splitter. Remember, this is an $89 saw.

I don't recommend this, but I quickly gave up on the splitter on my old saw. The pawls tended to jam, so I removed those first. Even then, I could never get the splitter to remain in line with the blade, and it was actually more dangerous to rip wood because I'd have to "force" the stock to get the splitter into the saw kerf. Perhaps I just got a lemon, and yours works better. Working without a splitter can be very dangerous!

If you can make a Zero Clearance Insert for your saw (again, difficult for this kind of saw), you could consider using something like the Micro Jig splitter. Or make your own out of a thin piece of wood. You wouldn't have a blade guard, but at least you're reducing the chance the wood will bind and cause a kickback.

Finally, you'll want to get a different blade. The stock blades tend to be poor quality. A good blade will improve performance of your saw by 100%. But, don't faint when you learn you're spending almost as much on the blade as on the saw :saw:

I am sure you're going to see a wide variety of saws, splitters, push sticks, guards, ZCIs and fences during the crawl. That should help.

 

[froglips]

And I shall follow-up to jim and travis with a tip from Shopsmith.

Take a board with a known good straight edge (plywood or mdf factory edge) against the fence and make a 90 degree saw kerf cut in it about 3/4 the lenght of the board.

You want a board wider than your fence/sawblade and long enough so the cut extends from the front of your sawblade to the back edge of your splitter.

For example, my table has about 20" from saw blade to end of splitter, and my template is about 30" x 12", 3/4" MDF.

Then you can use it as a setup guide for your splitter in the future.

Enjoy that fresh new smell of that saw!

Jim

 

[thrytis]

I had a horrible time trying to line up the splitter on my saw. It was difficult to hold the large floppy splitter and guard in position with one hand and tighten the bolt with the other. I ended up attaching my blade wrench in place of the splitter, and it was much easier to line up and hold in place that way. I just had to make sure to line up the correct side of blade and wrench because the wrench was wider than the splitter.

 

[garymuto]

I have the micro jig splitter (full kerf) with a home made zero clearance insert. I really tried to use the OEM blade guard/splitter. I had some waste material wedge between the original throat plate and the blade which left some gouges in the leg stock I was tapering. I quickly switched to the ZCI with the micro splitter and got better results while feeling safer. No blade guard has it's +/-'s, but I'll never go back.