Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 22

Thread: Sawstop PCS - blade/slot alignment out of the box

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Location
    Melbourne, Australia
    Posts
    153

    Sawstop PCS - blade/slot alignment out of the box

    I've just ordered a Sawstop PCS and I remembered on my last table saw, adjusting the slots parallel to the blade was a nightmare and I lost sleep over it. It was pretty good out of the box but stupidly decided to make it better, in fact I made it worse, much worse. I should have left it! Anyway hours/days later and with the paid help of a technician we got it to under 4 thou which proved OK. I remember getting it to an acceptable 0.002" only to have it wrecked by tightening the bolts. Even allowing for this and tightening them in an orderly way we just got so frustrated. Never again!!!!!

    I've watched the video and read the instructions on how to do the adjustment on the SS and it does look easier but its something I'd rather not do given my history.

    Please, please, please tell me its ok (<0.003") out of the box (or most are) and I don't have to adjust it at all. I should have included a few more "pleases"
    Last edited by Lee Schierer; 12-14-2017 at 7:02 PM. Reason: fixed the title

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Santa Fe, NM
    Posts
    259
    I can speak for mine as well as for a few other people I've spoken to. Not only was the blade aligned at 90 and 45 degrees, the fence was square and perpendicular as soon as I bolts it on, the 90 and 45 degree stops were spot on. I can't think of other friends and PCS owners whose experience has been much, if any different. The assembly instructions and manuals are the best I've seen in 35 years in the woodworking machinery business.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Location
    Melbourne, Australia
    Posts
    153
    That does make me feel better, Mick. Thanks.

    When you say aligned do you mean around 0.002" , which I find very acceptable, assuming you used a dial indicator to measure it?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    NW Indiana
    Posts
    3,078
    I have had my PCS for several years. It was spot on when I got it and has stayed that way.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Santa Fe, NM
    Posts
    259
    Quote Originally Posted by Johnny Barr View Post
    That does make me feel better, Mick. Thanks.

    When you say aligned do you mean around 0.002" , which I find very acceptable, assuming you used a dial indicator to measure it?
    Nope. I'm a firm believer in the don't fix it if it's not broken rule. It's never given me a reason to measure it. It did exactly what I hoped it would straight out of the box.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    22,494
    Blog Entries
    1
    I agree that if it is doing what you expect, it is fine. Mine was leaving a trace of saw mark on rip cuts so I dialed it in a bit. Use the performance as your guide instead of numbers. If the performance is off, the numbers will help you fix it. If things are working well I would not alter things just to achieve a number.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Okotoks AB
    Posts
    3,495
    Blog Entries
    1
    Mine was good right out of the box, but it looks like it would be very easy to adjust if needed.

  8. #8
    IMO, most people worry way too much about blade alignment. I won't test my alignment with measuring devices, but by performance. Now, if performance is off, I then breakout the measuring devices.

  9. #9
    My Grizzly was like .030" out of alignment. I realigned it multiple times and found the mechanism had a design flaw. The alignment of the blade shifted directions depending on if you were raising or lowered the blade. I couldn't believe it once I uncovered the source of the problem. I returned it and bought a Sawstop and have never looked back.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Upstate NY
    Posts
    3,789
    My SS left burn marks when I got it. I adjusted it and it is better now. It isn't easy to adjust, so it if cuts well, leave it alone.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Location
    Melbourne, Australia
    Posts
    153
    Quote Originally Posted by johnny means View Post
    IMO, most people worry way too much about blade alignment. I won't test my alignment with measuring devices, but by performance. Now, if performance is off, I then breakout the measuring devices.
    You are right and I'm one of those who worries too much about this but when you spend huge dollars on a top of the range saw you have high expectations.

  12. #12
    If it makes you feel better: don't blame yourself, blame it on the myths that many people and writers promote about tolerances. Some of these people ( and there are way too many of them) talk nonsense because they talk as if we were working with metal and steel.

    Tool manufacturers love to see the myths to sustain, otherwise how could they sell all kinds of "precision tools" even if meant for machinists to woodworkers?

    0.002", 0,003"? I can say with confidence that even if yours was off by 0.004" (a human hair is about 0.004"), you wouldn't notice the difference in your general woodwork. In my work, accuracy of angles is more important.

    As regarding the SawStop, I have not had any need to make changes to the factory settings, except the position of riving knife (I prefer the knife to align flush with the right side of the blade (the manual states the opposite).

    Simon

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    River Falls WI
    Posts
    490
    It took me a while to finish my set-up of the PCS. It cuts like a dream now and wish I had done it sooner.. I used my 4 inch square and a small engineers square to just check it. Dan

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Location
    Melbourne, Australia
    Posts
    153
    Quote Originally Posted by Simon MacGowen View Post

    even if yours was off by 0.004" (a human hair is about 0.004"), you wouldn't notice the difference in your general woodwork.
    Simon
    You're right Simon but if the error gets too big you will notice teeth marks, burning and a wider kerf. So how big is too big? What's acceptable. The saw stop manual mentions 0.002" in one sentence and 0.010" in another. 0.010" to me is too big and on my old TS that would have been very noticeable. I guess what I'm really interested in is for those who have measured it with a dial indicator on a PCS, what did they get out of the box and are they happy with their cuts? Yes I'm anal about this but I'm curious

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Central Missouri, U.S.
    Posts
    1,263
    Johnny,

    From the accounts I've read, SawStop's quality control is excellent, and my own experience with their customer service was top notch. That said, humans are involved. No way to know until you set it up.

    Congrats on the new saw!

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •