# I hate my Tablesaw a little less now



## jumbojack

Before you spend another dime on set up tool check out Brian over at garagewoodworks. He is big on dial indicator jigs. Personally I use a plastic drafters/artists square to right my miter gauge. I did use Brian's gauge to square the miter slot to the blade.


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## Dal300

I second *jumbojack's* recommendation. I use a plastic drafting square set against the carbide teeth of the blade and the other side against the miter gauge.
Also like him I used the dial indicator, (mine is a 1970's Sterrett thatI had recalibrated about 6 years ago when I was still doing diesel engine repair), to set the miter slot.

I learned that my miter gauge wasn't very accurate so I kept an eye out on eBay for an Incra miter gauge.

Now I am as happy as a clam in the mud.


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## Grandpa

When you guys are saying your miter gauges are not accurate, what are you saying. When you set the needle on the scale at zero or 90 deg was it not cutting true or what. I am not getting how your miter gauge is off. Educate me please.


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## Dal300

*Grandpa*, my old miter gauge when set on 90° was off by about 2°. I couldn't take up that extra by moving the slot far enough. It also had about 1/64" of play between the sides of the slot and the sides of the miter bar. With the Incra V120 miter gauge I can widen the adjustment wheels to the slot and as far as I can tell the settings on the gauge are nearly perfect.


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## Grandpa

I am thinking that on most if not all the gauges the pointer is adjustable. you set the slot in the table to be parallel to the blade then you adjust other components. Adjust the fence to the blade (parallel) and adjust the miter gauge to the blade (perpendicular). The bar and the slot are another matter. Some bars can be spread but I cannot get my mind around that. If I have slits in the bar with screws to spread them, then it would seem that the bar would be wavy. I could be wrong but I just don't see this as a good thing. I was just wondering how a new miter gauge made the table saw more accurate. It was the bar that wasn't accurate. The new bar fits the slot. The pointer should be adjustable so that should have been an easy fix. If your new gauge had an accurate pointer it would tell me that you had your saw set accurately or just like the other guys saw was set and the pointer was set to match. Am I correct with this thinking?


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## Grumpymike

Before you spend your allowance on a fancy new miter gauge, look around your shop, I'll bet you either have a Wixley angle gauge or a Mayes angle finder. I have both in my shop … and use them.
Place the angle gauge on the saw table and zero it … now the table is true zero.
Pick up your miter gauge and set the face of the fence flat on the table with the tongue hanging over the edge pointing toward the floor.
You know that the table is zero … right? so place the angle finder on the side of the miter gauge tongue and set the miter gauge for a reading of 90 degrees. Wholla!! your miter gauge is a perfect 90 degrees to the miter slot plus or minus 1/10 of a degree.
Now, if your miter gauge wobbles in the slot, place it upside down on a solid surface (not the table saw) and use a center punch to tap a few dimples near the edge. Try it in the slot, if it is still loose add more dimples or make them bigger. If it is to tight, a bit of emery paper will do the trick … be ginger here, you want it tight and it will loosen with wear. Wax the slide!
With this 2 minute adjustment and your dial indicator you will be cutting square and true cuts to the 1/164th.


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## Grumpymike

Oh by the way, I will accept 10% of the savings …


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## NormG

I have the same saw and the same gauge. Did a fine job setting it up.

My miter was also loose. I used a strip if aluminum duct tape on each side and the took care of it


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## timbertailor

Spend a little more and get a calibration tool that self centers in the miter slot.


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## manglum

timbertailor, have a link?


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