TS Blade Alignment...

[Corey Hallagan]

Just a question and an observation. I have a Frued thin kerf blade that I have been using for over a year. I periodically check for square to the miter guage and 90 degrees square to the blade and table top. This time the blade shows that it was just a tiny bit out as a smidgeon of light shows thru the square and the blade. I use a good Incra square. This has always been spot on. I was thinking I need to fine adjust the tilt wheel and I decided to put on another blade. I used the stock delta blade that came with the saw and it shows it is spot on, just like the freud use to be.

So is it normal or if not normal does a change sometimes occur to a blade like this? What could cause this?

Thanks,
corey

[Mac Cambra]

Is it possible that the thin kerf blade is being force out of square due to being skewed by the arbor threads, i.e. improperly seated on the arbor. I would think this out of square condition if it were a problem with the saw would have presented itself on both blades.

Maybe the blade is no longer flat?

[Corey Hallagan]

Thanks Mac. I tried all the blades in my shop. All of the full kerf blades are flat. Shows that all of them are squareed up to the blade. Both of my thin kerf blades show a slight amount of light thru or not flush. Now they are flush at the table and at the top between the teeth actually but in the middle the light shows thru. Are thin kerf blades made with some belly in it like that or can they become not flat? Strange. I checked very carefully, made sure all were seated properly blew off arbor nut and flange each time. Again, my full kerf blades show that they are flat and square. I dunno....

Corey

[scott spencer]

Is it possible the arbor nut is too tight? I just snug mine a teeny bit.

[Al Willits]

Does it show bowed on both sides?
That would tell you if its probably ground that way?

Al

[Chris Barton]

Hi Corey,

I have had the same very thing happen with a Freud thinkerf. The blade was warped. A while back I bought a cheap run out gage (Griz has sets cheap) with the magnetic base and it has become very useful in setting up and checking my tools. There are other ways to do it but, I think the gage is the easiest. As Al said you should be able to move your square to the opposite side of the blade and see the inverse gap if it's the blade.

[Corey Hallagan]

Thanks for the responses here. I think this may be just a total newbie mistake that I should have known better. I have always been told you only need to hand tighten the arbor nut. I have always gone about a 1/4 turn beyond this. I guess I didn't realize how much I was torquing out on it as it was way tight. I hand tightened it and then snugged it up a tiny bit and it is right on. I think i was just torquing it out.
By the way Chris and Al, I had tried it from both sides before and it was off on both sides the same way. The full kerf blades must be able to take a little more tightening on the nut. Scott.... I should have known better !

Corey

[Chris Barton]

One other thing Corey, heat can deform a blade and it will deform a thin blade more than a thick blade. Think about having a 10" disc with the outter 1" 100-200* hotter than the center, the outsides will expand while the center tries to remain constant. That will certainly put a wave in the metal...

[Corey Hallagan]

Thanks Chris. I have definitely experienced that with some circular saw blades. I don't really think there is anything wrong with this blade though, just user error... can't believe how tight I had it and I repeatedly did it. Just spacing off I guess.

corey

[scott spencer]

Less time in the gym and more time in the shop is the answer Corey.

[Corey Hallagan]

That must be it... I am just too damn buff these days! If my wife was here she would do a spit take all over the monitor

Corey

[Charlie Plesums]

I was taught to finger tighten the arbor nut because the rotation of the blade will continue to tighten it as much as necessary. You might try to see how much effort is required to loosen it after cutting with a finger tight nut, and with a snug nut. I bet it will be close to the same.

[Norman Hitt]

Cory, the blade may still work fine and straighten up as it spins up on the saw. One thing that might be interesting to do is to make a cut on the same board with one of the full kerf blades and also with the thin kerf blade, and then check the cuts on the board to see if both are square or if there is actually a difference between the thin kerf and the full kerf blades. I'd bet that if there is a little light showing on both sides of the blade, that the cut will be 90*.

[Al Willits]

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By the way Chris and Al, I had tried it from both sides before and it was off on both sides the same way. The full kerf blades must be able to take a little more tightening on the nut. Scott.... I should have known better !
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If it was bowed in on both sides, wouldn't that mean it was ground that way and not that you were overtightening???

Al

[Corey Hallagan]

I don't know Al, but it was off on both sides before and it's good from both sides now. Dunno.

Corey