Table Saw Vs Mitre Saw

[Roger928]

call it £5k worth of reference angles and other lab grade equipment to have it really perform 100%

To check the slider runs true to the arbour all you need is a dial guage. About £50 quid.
Then the blade can be checked for accuracy with the dial guage also and if the saw unit is correctly fitted on its mountings it will be spot on.
Checking its cutting square involves cutting about 6 sides off a small sheet and checking the last cut off with digital calipers. Then fine tuning the fence stop for 100% accuracy.
No need to send it to the lab.

 

[Roger928]

I used to run a shop where our panel saw was an Altendorf F45 Elmo

Why don't you lug that to the site instead of a crappy kapex? LoL

 

[Roger928]

I'd love to see how thats calibrated to do mitres suitable for fine furniture

Come down to my workshop and I'll give you a lesson.

 

[justbigboned]

To check the slider runs true to the arbour all you need is a dial guage. About £50 quid.
Then the blade can be checked for accuracy with the dial guage also and if the saw unit is correctly fitted on its mountings it will be spot on.
Checking its cutting square involves cutting about 6 sides off a small sheet and checking the last cut off with digital calipers. Then fine tuning the fence stop for 100% accuracy.
No need to send it to the lab.

I think thats fine for a rough check over. You're missing quite a few things out and assuming surfaces are flat, coplanar and so on. Also, checking square like that involves quite a lot of trial and error, but I suppose it could be sped up if you did it a lot. On our F45 theres a guy that comes in periodically to do it and he has all the necessary precision measuring kit. I reckon its money well spent to be honest.

About the Hammer, are you saying you can cut mitres on that and have them accurate enough for a picture frame straight off the saw?

Anyway this has gone way off topic now, but an interesting discussion nonetheless.

 

[Roger928]

I think thats fine for a rough check over

Each cut multiplies any inaccuracy as you spin the sheet. So to achieve a true 90 degree cut it is a highly accurate method..
It is up too the manufacturer to pin point the degree scale starting point. And on my hammer machine I can only say its spot on.

 

[justbigboned]

Each cut multiplies any inaccuracy as you spin the sheet. So to achieve a true 90 degree cut it is a highly accurate method..
It is up too the manufacturer to pin point the degree scale starting point. And on my hammer machine I can only say its spot on.

I'd say you lucked out there then, thats great. I don't think I've ever been that lucky, even with industrial grade stuff, it's always had to have some attention on site for calibration issues. I know what you're saying about that test being accurate for 90 degrees, but we're not only talking about a single axis so thats only part of the work that would need doing. Tell you the truth, table saws arent the worst for calibration in my opinion, the worse at consumer level, are planers. Absolute pain in the butt.

Anyhow, since this has gone way off topic, perhaps we can resume this discussion another time. I'm not even sure how we got on to this, the OP wasn't considering a high end consumer grade table saw was he?

I'm going to make some mitre joints for a gingerbread house now. Table saw might be overkill for that though!

 

[Roger928]

even with industrial grade stuff, it's always had to have some attention on site for calibration issues

You can't calibrate a (printed, engraved, laser etched, machined?) degree scale. It is what it is from the factory.
You set the fence as close as possible. On my hammer the degree scales are 10mm apart. On a typical scms about 3mm apart.
So the former will be easier placed at the correct setting. Even though a mechanical pin doesn't engage with a hole or a slot.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Why don't you lug that to the site instead of a crappy kapex? LoL

Simple - no three-phase! And a "crappy Kapex" is still easier to use and more accurate than the LS1013 that I owned for about 10 years.....

 

[morpheus83uk]

@EddieM I agree with your statement about having the knowledge for the pros. I am still learning but who isnt? I am very much into woodworking and love making new things for the house garden presents for people whatever it maybe. Just recently I made some planters for the garden out of decking which were going well on the table saw cutting a 45 degree angle however I found after all the cuts that things were not fitting together right and the angles were off. By this point it was too late but lessons learned. Hence why I am thinking a mitre saw would be a good investment as a couple of people have seen mine and would like me to make them some next year. So since Christmas is coming up I figured why not get something to make this and other jobs a bit easier? Plus whenever I ask for the timber yard to cut my boards to length they are always shorter or longer than I need so it wold be easier to just cut the boards to length myself with the angles required from the 3.2m board or whatever it is.

Granted I will admit I haven't tried calibrating the table saw as of yet but I will be doing it since I know its now out (previously everything was fine) so the manual will come out as will the digital angle measuring ruler I have just purchased.

Thanks for the recommendations of the Kapex but I think thats a tad out of my price range. I have found the below though and wondered what your thoughts would be or any recommendations for around the £350 or below mark would be?

https://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-erb610msw-254mm-double-bevel-sliding-mitre-saw-230v/7292f

https://www.screwfix.com/p/evolution-rage-3db-255mm-double-bevel-sliding-mitre-saw-110v/62933

I am also planning on going out somewhere to have a look and talk to some people but I dont know where to go to have a look and where the right people are who arent just going to tell me to buy this saw purely to make a sale...

Thanks

James

 

[EddieM]

You might want to consider going to a trade show.

 

[morpheus83uk]

Thanks for that I have just had a quick look and it looks like there arent any until later next year!

Are there any you would recommend going to as I didn't know they actually did them!

Thanks

James

 

[EddieM]

I guess it depends on where you are in the country. But D&M tools, Aminster & FFX all do demos and trade days. (I might be mistaken about FFX)

 

[morpheus83uk]

I am in Manchester. Cool do they have info about them on their websites?

 

[EddieM]

Seems the nearest to you would be Warrington axminster branch. All the details are on the website www.axminster.co.uk the other 2 are based in the south I am afraid.

Well.. axminster is also based in the south in errr Axminster.. but they do have other branches

 

[morpheus83uk]

Thanks I will check it out. I will also keep an eye on the other ons too as it maybe worth a weekend trip to have a nosey around and ask questions and get information from the manufacturers too!