Tablesaw Calibration

[janus12th]

Hello All

i am currently trying to fix my Axminster Ts200 table saw , the problem i have is when im trying to calibrate the saw i can align the blade to left hand track (Slot) but whenever i higher or lower the blade from its current position the back of the blade moves towards the track the front stays in line with the slot

it moves towards the slot when lowering and away from the slot when i bring the blade higher , i have spoke to Axminster and although very helpful they feel i should send for servicing but in doing so it would probably cost me as much as a new saw would

does anyone know how to fix this issues as its still a good saw but i cannot use it in its current state, unless i want to use it at the one height and never move the blade

any help would be greatly appreciated

Many Thanks

 

[ColeyS1]

I always need to use my saw after having the blade wound up. If I don't and just lowered the blade and used it, the blade would be out of parallel. So if I wanted the blade to cut a 20mm high kerf, I'd need to wind it from 70mm down to 10mm then back up to 20mm, so it's always finishing with the blade being raised.
It took many many hours trying to parallel everything up to realise this.
Welcome to the forum btw !

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

 

[janus12th]

Thanks for your response & the welcome

mine would only ever be in line or parallel at the point where i calibrated it to the slot , any up or down would move it from that point so its only ever good at the point where i align it whatever height i set that at from the start

 

[johnnyb]

Sometimes the machining on these Chinese saws can leave much to be desired. It sounds like the trunion is twisted. I advise stripping down even partially and sussing it out a bit.
Not tons of help I know but maybe a place to shim may spring out!

 

[janus12th]

Thanks JB

to be honest it seemed to work fine , it only developed a problem after i started to try and get better results by calibrating it so i doubt it would be twisted as its never taken any hits or bangs , just weird how the back of the blade pulls towards the slot when lowering , it has to be a the mechanism somehow as the bolts that hold the the alignment front and back dont move .

 

[Eric The Viking]

I have a TS 200, presently dismantled (too many jobs, too little time!).

Did your adjustment involve applying force to anything? I ask because the pivots for tilt should be aligned with the blade, and the rise and fall mech perfectly at right angles to that. I think it is possible for the rise and fall to become slightly dislodged, which might be a cause - can you take any pictures of the inside of the table?

So the tilt pivots ("trunnions" - misnomer but same function) should be parallel to the mitre fence tracks (and they should be parallel to each other, incidentally!). Since you have already been adjusting you obviously know which bits to loosen and retighten, so I'm at a bit of a loss to know what to suggest.

But I would check the thin strap that couples from the rise+fall adjustment to the riving knife mounting plate. The latter swivels around the axis of the saw blade. That strap (think steel strip about 3/4" wide) can easily get bent, mucking up the rise and fall and the behaviour of the riving knife. To straighten it, you really need to turn the saw upside down, whereupon you can unbolt it (Nyloc nuts at each end, IIRC). It _might_ be the cause of the problem, but would probably need to be quite appreciably bent to interfere with the R+F mech - evidence for the latter is difficulty in getting the rise+fall to run smoothly.

Hope the above gives a few pointers. If it ran straight before and now doesn't, it's something you did to alter it, but there's too little info to do more than guess what. Also, give us an idea of location - the "UK" is a bit vague for anyone wondering if they can help you on the spot...

Cheers, E.

 

[janus12th]

Thanks Eric

the first time i aligned the blade to the slot i set it to far over so when i tilted to 45 the blade touched the table top so much that it wouldn't even go to 45 as the pressure of the blade on the top stopped it

so i adjusted it and move it towards the fence slightly, tightened the bolts and it tilted to 45 so it all seemed good but that is when the issue began i would wind down to store the saw and the next time i needed to use it i would set the depth of cut to the material but noticed it running out , on further inspection that is when i noticed the back of the blade moving inwards

i cannot say i have noticed a strap underneath think i will have to flip it over and have a good look ,

Manchester England is the Location

 

[Eric The Viking]

Thing #1: Loosen the pivot mounts at the far end from the operator, so the assembly can slide freely (but doesn't drop off, obviously!). With the blade fully raised and at 90 to the table, check just that far end, and lock off the pivot sloder ("trunnion") with the pivot set to the centre of its range of movement.

That's your starting point. Then you need to adjust only the other end, nearest the controls.

At the same time check for the riving knife moving as you expect, and that there isn't too much friction (a slightly bent strap might manifest as that). I'd expect the tilt on the TS 200 to get a bit stiff near the extreme (45), because of the way it works, but it won't be by much.

I'm in Bristol which is really too far away for me to physically help, I'm afraid.

E.

 

[janus12th]

Bristol its only round the Corner Ha

i appreciate all your help , Pivot Mounts i assume are the four bolts 2 at the front and two at the rear that align the Blade

not sure what the pivot sloder is ? its quite difficult to find the center as it doesn't exactly swing freely

to be honest most of the time the Riving Knife isn't in (i know Safety first) but i use a sled 90% of the Time but I can easily install for the purpose of calibration , is the strap directly below where the riving knife is installed ?

Thanks

 

[Eric The Viking]

Sorry - I think I might have been typing with work gloves on, or on my tablet.

Anyway, "pivot SLIDER" is what I meant. Yes, there are two close-together bolts through the top, at each end of the saw. They each work a clamp for the slider that allows you to adjust the blade alignment left-right. Do not undo them too much - just loosen them off enough for the whole assembly to move slightly.

Start with both ends centred in their range of adjustment and lock one end in place like that. You then only need worry about the other end for adjustment, and it becomes a bit easier (and you shouldn't have the blade colliding with anything).

I think it's reasonable not to have a riving knife when using a sled, but for other applications, especially when rip cutting natural stock, you really should. Lots of people trim down the riving knife so that it doesn't stick up above the blade height for applications where you don't want that. They are a cheap spare part from Axminster, so you can afford to have several if you want.

The strap is not below the RK, but fitted to the plate that carries it, nearer the "front" of the saw. The other end is buried deep inside, close to the middle of the rise/fall mechanism , and awkward to get at. If bent, it is easy to straighten, but you have to take it off really to do that, which is awkward. It can sometimes be bent by trying to force the blade higher than it is meant to go, so when raising the blade, stop winding when you feel resistance!

Having a good look inside the saw (when it's upside down with the blade removed) will make many parts of the mechanics clear (and how the adjustments work).

You might need to shim the riving knife mounting to get it central in the kerf, but this will vary with the make/model of blade fitted. One possible way to make this easier is to use aluminium foil tape, as it has a sticky side so won't fall off at the crucial moment. A dab of grease also works between shims, and it easier to remove!

If it was originally correctly aligned, it is unlikely that you have broken it, so be encouraged!

E.

 

[janus12th]

Thanks ETV

i will have a good look at this this weekend as its a long one so it gives me more time not to rush things

Thanks for your advice , i will report back

 

[janus12th]

i Had a Good look underneath and all seemed well the Pivot slider was ok didn't appear to bent in any way , i started from scratch and realigned the blade but still the problem exist , what i have noticed is at the extremes of the blade ie the highest point and the lowest point is where it is worse , when its at its lowest point it it moves over to the the left slot when standing in front of the saw and when at its highest it moves towards the right slot , i suspect its moving in a diagonal fashion from low to high point but not sure if the whole blade is moving or if its just say the back of the blade and the front stays fixed , i can see this more by watching the riving knife , its very frustrating as i can now only use it for ripping down timber and use other methods for finer detail.

Thanks