My transition from a cabinet saw to a true slider took time, especially with setting up the sliding deck and the rip fence. Unlike the cabinet saw I used to have, the manufacturer's commissioning instructions for my SCM SC2C saw require all toe out adjustments to be made with reference to the same tooth on the blade, and not any part of the table. This can be a tedious process, depending on the number and location of the sliding deck mounting hardware.
The Charnwood W619 appears to be a cabinet saw with a sliding deck as an afterthought. True slider saws have the edge of the sliding deck a few millimeters from the blade and slightly higher than the fixed cast iron deck. However, if properly set up, I don't see any reason why you can't realize similar performance from the W619.
It is important to understand that setting up a slider saw is different than a cabinet saw. All measurements are relative to the blade, and not the chassis features, such as miter tracks. Also, the slider and the rip fence are never used at the same time. Since the sliding deck and rip fence are normally set with toe out relative to the blade, they will diverge from each other as the material is cut. A stop block on the rip fence can be used in conjunction with the slider as a reference point for repeated cuts, but the material being cut should not remain in contact with the rip fence once the cutting starts.
Setting up my SCM slider requires the following steps, in this order. You should be able to use some or all of them for the W619 as they apply.
1. Set sliding deck parallel to the fixed cast iron deck along the full length of travel. My saw has four mounting bolts that hold the sliding deck to the saw chassis. Making one adjustment affects all other adjustments, so patience and plenty of time are required.
2. Set the sliding deck height slightly above the cast iron deck. I set my sliding deck about 0.08mm (0.003") above the cast iron deck. This reduces the likelihood that the material on the offcut side will snag on the fixed deck. Setting the height can be done while making the sliding deck parallel to the fixed deck.
3. Set the toe out on the sliding deck for about 0.08mm. I use the same amount of toe out later for the rip fence. It is important to use the cutting edge of the same tooth on the saw blade for the measurements. I raise the blade to its full height and pick a tooth at random and mark it with a Sharpie. Then I rotate the blade so the dial gauge (clock, pointer thingy, whatever you want to call it) makes contact at the same point at both ends of travel. It is not necessary, or feasible, to measure the toe out at both extremes of the sliding deck travel, since this will require repositioning the dial gauge for each measurement. As long as the sliding deck rollers do not vary along the full length of travel, the short distance represented by the blade diameter will be adequate.
4. Set the crosscut fence on the slider using the five-cut method, or the
Sam Blasco three cut method, with a large piece of mostly square MDF or flat 18mm plywood. I tried using 6mm plywood, but it was too flexible and wouldn't rest flat on the sliding deck. I use the Sam Blasco method because it's faster and haven't really gained much by chasing the accuracy of the five cut method. The first few times I followed up with the five cut method, but chasing that last .01mm of difference was not worth my time.
A. I start with a piece of 18mm MDF that is at least 1000mm on each side.
Clamp the MDF to the sliding deck and cut a reference edge. I mark the reference edge with a Sharpie so I can ensure I always have the reference edge against the crosscut fence for the next steps.
B. Rotate the MDF so the new reference edge is against the crosscut fence and align it with respect to the blade so a full width cut will be made instead of making a skimming cut. This will reduce the likelihood that the blade will wander. Clamp the MDF to the sliding deck and make the first cut.
C. Flip the MDF over while keeping the reference cut against the crosscut fence. The first cut will now be on the left side. As with the first cut, align the wood so the blade will make a full width cut. Clamp the MDF to the sliding deck and make the second cut.
D. Measure the width of the MDF at the reference edge and the trailing edge. Make any required adjustments to the crosscut fence and repeat steps B through D as required to ensure the measurements are the same.
5. Set the toe out for the rip fence. I use the same 0.08mm reference for the rip fence toe out. On my saw, the toe out is set by adjusting the large bolts holding the large round bar that the fence knuckle rides on. This is not as tedious as the sliding deck, and I use a similar process by picking a tooth at random and using it for both measurements while sliding the dial gauge along the rip fence.
The first time I went through this process was with the SCM technician when he commissioned my saw. It took almost all day, as he would go through each of the steps above. After about two hours, when we were both satisfied with the results and the test cuts were good, he loosened all of the bolts and gave me the wrenches. I could have strangled him. Five or six hours later, I was done and he was satisfied. The next time I did this on my own, after I moved the saw, it took about four hours from start to finish.
