# How to level The SawStop ICS base



## EugdOT (Nov 17, 2016)

I am getting my PCS sawstop next week and I received my ICS base today. I could not wait to open the box and check it out. I am having issues trying to figure out how I am going to level it. My shop is in my 2 car garage and the floor is sloped to the garage doors. I have a cheaper 70 dollar shop fox and I can level it out with knobs on the bottom to make up for the slope on the floor. The ICS looks great but I don't see anything to level it, I this maybe I missed something or can add some plywood to the bottom with some wedges to fix the problem? if not I might just return it and get the shopfox mobile base. I checked the area where the saw would stand, where my current saw is its off by a 1/4 front to back and increases as you go towards the garage doors, I think Ill just hot glue a piece of 1/4 plywood to the far bar and that should might do the trick? 
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Check out page three of the ICS mobile base manual it shows how to leval it.

http://www.sawstop.com/images/uploads/manuals/ICS%20Mobile%20Base%20Owners%20Manual%20(Dec%2007).pdf


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

I didn't follow that, looks like page 3 talks about adjusting the jack. In any case, I'm guessing you are thinking of gluing something on the inside of the base before you put the saw in it? Might be easier to just get a shim and put under the pad that need to be higher.


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## EugdOT (Nov 17, 2016)

I read the manual yesterday, page 3 is how to adjust the jack and the speed of lowering the jack unless I'm totally illiterate, as of now I think I'll do it with a 1/4 peice of mdf over plywood since mdf might have more internal pressure tolerance compared to plywood, since it's compressed sawdust over multiple lays of thin pieces of wood? hopefully it doesn't disintegrate over time if it does then I'll shim it


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Well wee doggie it looks like was wrong. I think it was the first ever Ha HA
Sorry about that obviously I didn't read it that well enough.
I guess they don't have any adjuster feet on the saw itself?


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## Redoak49 (Dec 15, 2012)

You can build a platform inside the ICS base to level it.

The way the base is made, it is designed to sit on the floor


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## clin (Sep 3, 2015)

Bottom line is the base itself has no feature to level the saw. While I realize everyone has different needs, I'm having trouble coming up with a reason a table saw needs to be level.

I realize it's often required to have your table saw and a separate out feed table line up. But, if the floor is not level, you still need to adjust one or the other to get them lined up. Requiring level is just another constraint that makes the whole thing harder.

Again, if you have a need for level, I'm not going to try to tell you you don't. But I'm curious why you want the saw to be level.

If this relates to a saw and separate out feed table, you'll be chasing that combination all around your shop. Concrete floors are seldom very flat, so if you re-position your saw, you'll have to adjust something.

In the case of a PCS, I attached my out feed table to the saw itself and hinged it to swing down when not needed. No matter where I place my saw, the out feed table is always in perfect alignment where it meets the table saw. Though I may have to adjust the out feed table support legs.


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

> While I realize everyone has different needs, I'm having trouble coming up with a reason a table saw needs to be level.
> - clin


+1

I can see a need to individually adjust casters (or pads) to keep a saw from rocking or moving on an uneven surface, but not much need to throw a bubble level on there to make it level.

Cheers,
Brad


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## EugdOT (Nov 17, 2016)

the way my older saw is now its on a slight forward tilt and the outfeed table is not on the same pitch because the floor has a lot more slope halfway through the garage, so I kept my Ridgid tilted without leveling it, and my outfeed table more level but still not fully leveled so it was inline with the saw, because the slope is greater towards the end of the out feed table. I wanted to level the sawstop so I could redo the outfeed table so the top was fully level since I use it as another assembly table. the way I feel now is that I might just make up the 1/4 on the under bottom of the plate touching the floor to shim it so I could always remove it without taking the saw off the base and put the outfeed table on 1/2 carriage bolts so I could have a similar setup but make the outfeed table longer. I want to redo the footprint of the shop. all information has been greatly appreciated.


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## clin (Sep 3, 2015)

I don't think you'll find that you can easily shim UNDER the ICS to level the saw, depends how much shimming.

Since you have the ICS base, you can see that the saw sit on two straps or bars (I think this is what you call a plate). These are supported by the heavy frame the casters attach to. When you raise and lower the saw, only those supporting straps/bars go up and down. The frame doesn't move.

The issue here is that the ground clearance for the frame is just 1/4" to 3/8". If you really only need to slip 1/4" thick shims, then you can probably fit these under the frame and get them under the necessary support strap. Much thicker and you can't

Another concern I have is the mechanism that lifts the straps is linked so the two strap more or less move together. While there is some flex in this, I'm concerned that if you shim under one of these or one end of one strap, you'll concentrate the loading and perhaps bend or break some of this structure. Or more likely the saw's weight just won't be distributed well. Sort of like having all the weight on one corner of the saw.

I'm not certain this will be an issue, but it is a concern. The ICS just isn't designed to work this way.

Now, if you shimmed BOTH the straps AND the casters, then I think it would work fine. Effectively just roll the low side of the table saw up onto a 1/4" thick board such that the casters AND support strap on that end rest on the board, you'd be better off.

Better still would be a an entire platform (sheet of plywood) that you roll the whole base on to. Shim this as needed. That way all 4 caster and the strap bars are in the same plane (as it is designed to do). In effect, you're creating a small section of floor, that is level.

All this sounds like more effort than it is worth, unless you will be setting up in exactly the same spot each time and can have something that just works and doesn't require adjusting each time.

Again, I chose to make a folding out feed table, and I have a separate assembly table. Since the out feed table folds, it doesn't take up much extra room when folded. This allows the assemble table to be optimized for that. Plus, I could never work with my out feed table being my assembly table. Sometimes I need to cut things after some partial assembly. This again is where different people have different needs.


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## EugdOT (Nov 17, 2016)

> All this sounds like more effort than it is worth,
> - clin


I think you talked me into just leaving things be like I have it right now and just focus on the out feed table….thanks for all of your input…


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