table square

[cathiejade]

a while back i was talking about how i hate having to square my table because i stink at it massively . I've tried every possible way i have heard of and nothing ever works easily for me. sooo , i was wanting to try the digital square thingy but of course i have lost the link to it lol. can someone point me into a user friendly , the easiest one to use again i promise i'll book mark it this time lol. im tired of being limited on my saw and now have a need to be able to set angles but i dread moving it , thank you

[evilbadger]

Cathy

Here is one link for it but some searching on Google will probably find a better price. Buy Wixey Digital Angle Gauge at Woodcraft

It will help set an angle but you have to start with a squared up table from the beginning.

[oily]

Cathy, Squaring your table is a piece of cake and only takes a few seconds.
Find something with a known 90 degree corner, like a credit card or block of wood.
Install a larger blade to make it easier at first. Tighten the blade as tight as you can. Make sure your table is free of dust. Loosen your table but leave it tight enough that you have to tap it lightly with the ball of you hand to move it. Place your card up to the blade don't press it to make contact and tap your table until the card touches top to bottom. Tighten your table and re check. Once you do it a few times you will be able to use any blade.
I'll try to remember to take the camera to the shop and get some pix today.

[cathiejade]

wow do i feel like a complete IDIOT here , rofl , thank you oily for the step to step instructions , i should never admit this but do you seriously want to know how i been trying to make sure my table is square ? i have been putting the card BEHIND the blade and using a line on the card to go by to see if it was square and its a total nightmare lol i can never get it right takes me at least a half hour or more LOL and even then im never really sure if its right or not , oh geez how embarrassing , total blonde moment on that one ! and to think i have been doing this for going on 2 years LOL

[Danny]

I use a small plastic protractor that I put behind the blade and perpendicular to it. Then, using same steps as Oily pointed out just align the blade to the 90 degree mark on the protractor. Just another option.

[tony coleman]

I use a small square,or if i cant lay my hands on onei cut into a small bit of wood,withdraw the wood then flip it over and cut again,if the two saw marks line up ..your square

[WoodCarverOH]

I use the digital angle gauge and zero it out on the tight blade, then set it on the table and adjust it to zero angle. Takes all about 30 sec. It's also the way I set angle for inlays.

[cathiejade]

Thanks for all the help guys

[3_M]

Cathie, You don't have to buy anything. The fastest way to see if the blade is square to the table is the following.
When you ready to start cutting, cut about 1/16" into the out side of your project. Turn it around and see if it fits in the back of the blade.
If it fits the blade is square.
FD Mike

[lucky788scroller]

Cathy, youve already got the info you needed to get a table square to your blade, but on this subject, mind if I add a lil? To bad, here it goes anyways!
I have a Wixey, which is a tool I find really useful on many of my tools, especially on the tablesaw where I use it every time I adjust the blade angle. MY problem with the Wixey is that that magical little box eats batteries. It uses (I think) the cr2032 batteries, and it seems like even with the Wixey turned off, I get very little life out of each battery.
I personally found it not really of much use on the scrollsaw. First reason for this, os because I have my saws set up tilted up in the rear (yella saws), so if the wixey isnt placed exactly 100% at a right angle to the blade when placed on the saw table, it is impossible to be certain the blade is acutally precisely adjusted. The next thing, a scrollsaw blade is so small it is not possible for the Wixey magnets to hold the Wixey up on the blade without some hand pressure helping it. Eric above mentioned he uses one all the time on his scrollsaw, so maybe there is something I am missing. Is there a trick to it that I havent figured out?

[sawdustus]

At the last Fox Chapel Open House, I bought a set of yellow angle gauges 0-7.5 in 1/2 degree increments for a couple of bucks from one of the vendors there. They work great. I wish I had the paper package they came in but it went bye-bye years ago. Maybe one of the mods or admins can come up with the name of the vendor or product.

One other hint not mentioned by anyone yet. On my Delta, there is a stop screw under the table for returning to exactly 0 degrees. I gets in the way by slowly turning and thus does not work. It also prevents the table from tilting to the left. I have removed it.

george

[Rolf]

George,
I would not trust the plastic gauges 100%. Mine have changed.
For the initial squaring I Use Mikes (FD) methode as it is the simplest. I do Have a Wixey but this is a cheap alternative.
I carefuly cut the angle pattern printed in red if possible and glued it to a piece of plexiglass. With the red it has great contrast with the blade.If it is too tall cut it down from the top.

[oily]

Thanks Rolf That will make a handy gauge. Oily

[Wood Dog]

Thanks for sharing that angle guide Rolf, snagged me a copy.
Looks like a nice Tip for the magazine, why don't you submit it?

[will8989]

That's what I used to use Rolf!!! Where did we get it, do you remember? I enclosed mine in plastic but somehow oil got on it and messed it up. Besides, hubby thought it was too flimsy! He made me one with all the angles and the 90 deg angle in the center of the board. He has left tilt to one side and right to the other. The board is about 2" x 12" and works just great. I use it all the time. You're right about the plastic ones. Mine weren't true angles.