M3 help requested

[devonwoody]

My mitre fence sucks on my tablesaw (Record tspp250, I spent 12 hours this weekend trying to cut 8 mitres for a box)

I have an M3 tap is this the same thread that is used on those small electric bolts that come with electric wall sockets?

I'm thinking of putting a row of M3 bolts down the mitre fence bar to stop all the slop that goes on.
I have the pull through saw facility so a fixed mitre fence in the slot might cure my problems.

 

[jasonB]

No, electrical boxes are tapped M3.5. You should be able to get some small screws from B&Q etc.

Jason

 

[devonwoody]

Thanks for the info Jason. Off shopping again in a few minutes.

Post a photograph of result if satisfactory, screws set at certain tension levels might also allow mitre fence to slide without slop as well.

My troubles started when I thought I would make my first jewellery box with mitres, the size intended was 9" x 5". After many rejected mitre cuts I told the wife it would have to be 7" x 5", OK she said.
Things started getting a bit tatty and she suggested it might come in as a pin box.
Last night when all was glued up I had to inform the lady that it was no good as a pin box but I was going to use it to store nails.

 

[jasonB]

I tend to use a sled when cutting mitres for my boxes as the bits are usually a bit small for the sliding table & like you the Kity miter guide wobbles a bit. I also use a new or very little used blade and find a 24t blade cuts better than one with more teeth, also les chance of scorch marks.

Jason

 

[devonwoody]

24T that's a surprise, I was thinking in terms of 60 to 80T???

Agree the 5" piece did make me hold my breath when cutting and I used an old table tennis clamp to hold things on the fence.

 

[Alf]

I'm thinking of putting a row of M3 bolts down the mitre fence bar to stop all the slop that goes on.

Must be a helluva lot of slop. Standard solution is to centre punch a few dimples down the sides of the gauge's bar which effectively widens the bar. If there's more slop than that I'd chuck it back at Record with a rude noise and ask for something vaguely capable of doing the job it claims to be for.

Cheers, Alf

 

[devonwoody]

Alf ,

Dimples didn't work for me!

I would need screws put in sideways to take up slack.

I know I will never buy a Chinese car.

 

[Scott]

DW

You sure you haven't been sent the mitre fence for a bandsaw or something?

 

[cambournepete]

DW,

You could try Nailer's suggestion in the 804 review and go for the osbourne mitre gauge- Philly's got one so it must be good

 

[Alf]

Alf ,

Dimples didn't work for me!

I would need screws put in sideways to take up slack.

Tsk. I'd chuck it back at Record so hard they'd be ducking in Sheffield... :evil:

Cheers, Alf

 

[Travis Byrne]

Mr Devonwoody
Just a quick qustion from someone on the sideline.
If you drill and tap holes in the bar, what is going to keep the bolts from turning in or out of hole? jam nut? thread lock?
If you decide to go this way with bolts, one thing I have used is to take a ball peen hammer and mash the threads some starting about 2 or 3 threads from the starting end. Crude but it has worked for me.

Another way is to bottom out the bolts and then use hacksaw to cut bolts to length. Only get one shot using this method.
Good luck

Travis

 

[Knot Competent]

Travis, I have nothing to add to this discussion, but wanted to say how good it is to have you, and one or two other of your fellow 'Murcans, contributing to this site.

Regards, John

 

[Noel]

Dev, mightn't be an issue for you but I personally wouldn't use screws etc to tighten up the mitre bar. You may end up with slots/ridges etc on the sides of the mitre slots or worse, end up widening the slots. Try alu tape or, as Alf said, throw it back at Record.

Noel

 

[jasonB]

99% of Electrical screws are brass so should't be a problem, in fact you could just epoxy in some bits of brass rod and file down to size.

 

[johnb]

Devonwoody

I'm surprised you didn't try the pull-through on the Record TSPP250 during those 12 hours of messing around!

The mitre fence already has independent lockdowns to stop movement of both the mitre in the slot and the wood being cut. With that, repeatability shouldn't be a problem.

And, even if using it as a sliding mitre fence, the lockdown can be used to tighten the mitre fence in the slot as it has an adjustable bolt protuding through the bottom in a similar manner to that you are now wondering about.

 

[Noel]

99% of Electrical screws are brass so should't be a problem, in fact you could just epoxy in some bits of brass rod and file down to size.

Face plate screws are steel, I thought?

 

[devonwoody]

Thanks for all the helpful replies to my request for advice. They have all proved to be worthwhile.

The three bolts inserted (steel to be swapped for brass when I can get some) are not a success regarding the sliding action, I am finding a cross piece of timber fixed permantly to the fence which bears down on the c.i. table keeps things more stable.
However the three bolts are a success when using the tablesaw with the pull through blade option. It locks the fence and the upright problem is solved. The blade kicked over the timber previously when cutting mitres,(because there was a certain amount of rock)

The Record engineer is due to call Wednesday (to pick up the bandsaw) so we will know doubt discuss my tablesaw problems.

attaching pics of M3 screws mentioned above.

 

[devonwoody]

Devonwoody

I'm surprised you didn't try the pull-through on the Record TSPP250 during those 12 hours of messing around!

The mitre fence already has independent lockdowns to stop movement of both the mitre in the slot and the wood being cut. With that, repeatability shouldn't be a problem.

And, even if using it as a sliding mitre fence, the lockdown can be used to tighten the mitre fence in the slot as it has an adjustable bolt protuding through the bottom in a similar manner to that you are now wondering about.

Yes that should work but on mitre cuts there seems to be that extra force that made my mitre cuts move the timber slightly.
When I hold the 90 degree square along the outside end cut it was not square. The cut is satisfactory using your suggestion and method making ordinary 90 degree cuts.
With the three extra screws holding the bar level in the slot I,m going to try some more mitre cuts today and report back.

 

[Alf]

Ahhh, I think we might have been on slightly differing wavelengths, DW. I was thinking dimples down the side of the bar to engage in the sides of the slot to counteract sideways movement, which seems to be a common issue with mitre gauges. You seem to be having trouble with up and down slop?

Cheers, Alf

 

[devonwoody]

Yes Alf but both up and sideways.

Posting another pic in a moment of the latest disaster.