The accuracy of a table saw always depends on the accuracy of the blade, fence, or slider and the person who set up the table saw. For a perfect cut, it is important to verify that your table saw setup is accurate before you start cutting your workpiece.
In this article, we discuss eight effective ways that will assist you in maximizing your table saw accuracy. So Keep reading and increase your setup.
01. Check The Saw Blade And Vertical Fence Using A Square
For an accurate saw blade, you should set the blade at 90 degrees to the workpiece.
- Try using a speed square to get an accurate angle. Before setting the fence square, unplug the tool and check whether the blade is good.
- Then set the table at 90 degrees for an accurate straight cut according to the scale.
- Make sure that the square you use does not touch the teeth on the blade to get a perfect reading.
- Keep the blade straight up and down on the level before you start cutting.
- Try to loosen up the four bolts of the fence from the back side, as you can move the fence with enough friction.
- Place your square on the left side of the blade while pushing the fence till it gets square with the blade.
- Snug up one bolt, place the square on the right side and check once again. Snug up one bolt and recheck the left side.
- You can move it and adjust it till it gets squared. Tighten up both bolts when you get the accurate angle.
It is important to put a vertical edge across the length of the fence to avoid any bending as it can affect when squaring the blade.
02. Check Whether The Vertical Fence And Blade Are Parallel
Before you make any cuts, make sure the blade is perfectly aligned with the vertical fence.
The fence should be parallel to the miter slots and the blade so that pieces you rip against it will have an even width and will not wiggle or bind against the blade.
That is because, when the blade is not aligned, it causes extra friction and resistance, making it hard to push the workpiece through.
This may lead to burning marks and hazardous kickbacks. Besides, this may widen the cutting path. Therefore, make sure the blade and the fence are parallel to one another. Faults in this adjustment can be dangerous and lead to faulty sawing.
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03. Check Whether The Saw Blade Is Wobbly
Wobbliness negatively affects saw blade accuracy, and it causes additional troubles, as well. A wobbling blade will not cut appropriately, resulting in low blade accuracy and low-quality cuts.
When the saw blade wobbles, its tolerance will be enhanced, wasting the workpiece. Table saw blades wobble due to many reasons. For instance;
- Bent blades and arbors
- Bearing issues
- Waste between washer and arbor
- Splintered washers
- Loose blade
This could be the most familiar reason. In addition to that, saw blades can wobble due to environmental temperature changes. Miter saw binding causes the blade to warp. When this happens a few times, saw blades begin to wobble. These reasons could be responsible for the blade coming wobble. Check if the saw blade wobbles before you start working for hazard-free blade accuracy.
These 07 Reasons Will Cause to Wobble the Table Saw Blade
04. Check Whether The Saw Blade Is Clean
Clean saw blades prevent the edges of the workpiece from burning using less feed pressure. Heat is produced in the cutting process. This will cause lignin to secrete from the wood, and sawdust gets glued on the melted blades. When the lignin is melted, you can see table saw burn the wood with table saw smoking.
Subsequently, pitch and resins gather around the cutting edges of saw blades after using them for some time. This may entirely cover the edges eventually, making the saw blade dull.
On the other hand, when friction and heat rise, it will be difficult to cut, and cut edges will not be as clean as they could be.
Therefore, ensure that the saw blade is clean without any gum build-up on the side due to heat. If there is any gum build-up on the side of the tooth, remove it before you start working. It is essential to clean saw blades two or three times a week.
Discard the blade from the saw and finely soak it in caustic oven cleaners for a few moments. Brush teeth blades and all the other sticky areas using a toothbrush or a small brass brush. Pat it dry after rinsing the blade in water using paper towels.
05. Minimize Blade Opening Area
Make sure to keep a minimum saw blade opening area. The bigger the opening area, there is a huge chance for saw blades to wobble. When there is a minimum opening area, it provides a better cutting path by limiting saw blade movements.
06. Recheck All Parts With Blade Replacing
Every time you change the blade or put a new blade, test it briefly before using it to saw anything. First, check if the blade, fence, and miter path are set vertically.
Double-check to be sure the teeth are facing in the correct direction. It would be great if you could make sure that the arbor bolt is tightened up until it is well snugged. It does not matter if you store a used blade or dispose of it; be mindful to check it properly.
You can follow these 08 Tips to protect your table saw.
07. Use Masking Tape On The Cutting Path
You can not get a completely tear-free cutting using a saw blade, particularly when you have no zero-clearance inserts in your table saw. When using a saw blade, you can always see splintering on the back side of the workpiece.
You will find a lot of chipping out there, and it will be rough on top.
To avoid this, stick a wide strip of masking tape on the cutting path. Then saw through the tape to make a neat edge with less tear out. Masking tape will reduce all the splintering and chipping. Be careful not to force the blade or push it rapidly.
08. Use A Suitable Saw Blade
Saw blade teeth get clogged up when chips gather in them. Large gaps clean the teeth quickly, removing long chips of the cut wood. Because saw blades with fewer teeth do not get clogged up like the ones with many teeth. As well as you can choose a table saw using this 06 steps.
However, blades with many teeth ensure an impressive, good-quality cut. Further, when making lengthwise cuts, saw blades are inclined to clog up, and you will have to add a lot of pressure. Consequently, they work best for hard workpieces.
Due to this reason, often choose saw blades designed for certain types of materials according to tooth count. Saw blades with less but wide teeth are primarily utilized to create cuts on soft materials. This does not prove that a good-quality variety of general-purpose blades do not perform best when cutting these materials.
Still, if you cut them continually, it is wise to go for blades that are specified for the wood material.
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