New Table Saw, Trouble with Extension Seams

Hey guys,

I just bought a new G1023RLW and im mounting the extension tables. The left side i had to shim with masking tape, which broughit it level, but how "seamless" should the seams be? The front 2-3" and the back 2-3" are almost seamless, my finger nail barely catches it as i drag it across the seam, but at various places in the middle (some more then others) there is quite a lip. Enough that i am not happy with it. But i cant for the life of me figure out how to get right. The right extension is the same way, but even worse in the middle. More of a lip, but i didnt have to shim that one to get it level.

How much of a seam should i expect? Should my finger nail be able to catch it?

Wonder if you need some way to pull it down level in the middle before you tighten up the middle bolt(s)?

It isn't clear what you mean by seam. The gap between pieces should be pretty small say .010" or less. However, the top surfaces should all be exactly flush with each other so that a piece of glass will slide over the seam without hanging up going both directions. Normally you would shim the table to get it level, I don't recommend masking tape as it will compress. Aluminum pop (or beer) cans make excellent shims. Make sure your shims are sticking up above the surface of the table. Also the shim should be less than half the height of the thickness of the table so the bolt will pull the table to level when it is tightened.

I had a used and abused grizzly 1023SLX that I dialed in carefully.

Cast iron, though ground flat will not be perfectly flat due to sags under its own weight, and mill tolerances.

If what you are talking about is the left and right wings, what I did was use various blocks of wood as cauls and clamps to get everything flush, tightened up, and level. However don't be too hard on it because even if it's not perfect, your work piece shouldn't catch the seam because the cutting movement of the wood should be parallel to the seam.

I tighten down the bolts that hold the extensions partially, use clamps to flush everything, then I finish tightenening the bolts up.

I'm curious if you happened to put a straight edge on that extension before you installed it. You might be able to work a little bit of warpage out of the extension as you intall. When I set my saw up, I had one extension that was a little high in the middle when I first bolted it on. I started over, tightening bolts from one end to the other, using a 2x4 with a birds mouth wedged between the end of the extension and the floor and tapping the 2x4 at the floor level to push up on the extension just slightly flexing it. tighten that bolt down, move to the next. This worked fairly well for me. I can still slightly catch a finger nail at the far end of the extension but it doesn't catch a block of wood. I'm not familiar with Grizzly extensions though, maybe they are more "ridgid" than those on my Ridgid TS.

If it's a matter of the middle being higher than the edges, cast is a little flexible, and it can be "coaxed" into position by loosening the middle bolt slightly and using clamps, rubber mallet, etc to persuade it....not all that unusual to do.

I can feel mine with my fingernail but nothing catches on it. To fix the center, start at one end. When you get it where you want it tighten it down. Move to the center. Sue the leverage of the unboletd end to work the center in place. Lock it down. Movce to the end. You can use clamps and block of wood to get it where you want it.You may have to go back to the front to adjust after everything in place.

Thanks for the info guys. I have never owned a cabinet saw before, so i wasn't sure if this was normal or not. I bought a couple dead blow hammers from harbor freight last night and got the middle of the right extension perfect, cant feel anything, but the front and back ends are a tad off. I think tonight ill try and use a clamp to "flex" it into position.

Thanks!

What I did is level the middle and then tighten the middle bolt(s) first (tight enough that you can't barely budge it with a deadblow) and then clamp either edge with a C-Clamp to bring it to level. Sometimes the surfaces that are being joined are too slick to really help the fasteners keep the table where you bolt it so scuffing it with a heavy grit sand paper can help (move quickly, you only want to scratch the surfaces, not grind them).

If you had to add bolts to get greater clamping force, drilling and tapping cast iron is extremely easy. You'd have to peek at the webbing under your extension to see if it's even possible though.

It would bug me too.

I had issues with my jet with one wing
I dont remember how many hundreds it was off but the tool company ordered me a new one
They told me cast iron warps occasionally after milling

I got my unisaw extension tables adjusted in by removing the table, flipping it over, and placing it on a pair of straight edges shimmed level on a pair of sawhorses before tightening the extension table bolts. Then I just installed the whole mess back on the saw.