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Thread: Bent Compound Mitre Saw Fence
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30th April 2012, 01:00 AM #1
Bent Compound Mitre Saw Fence
I just put a new blade in the saw and while checking the blade angle, noticed that it was different on both sides of the blade??? - a bent fence.
It's made from cast alminium/alloy. Just wondering what my chances are of straightening it, or whether it would be better to attach 1/4" of timber then machine it dead flat. The bend is far too severe to machine out in the metal.
Each individual end of the fence is perfectly flat - the bend is in the middle, apparently from manufacture, although the saw was given to me second-hand.
Any suggestions/advice appreciated.... Steve
-- Monkey see, monkey do --
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30th April 2012, 08:25 AM #2
This is just an idea to get the conversation going. Could you attach a wooden fence to the saw replacing the original metal one.
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30th April 2012, 10:41 AM #3
Definitely an option. I'd need to embed nuts for the mitre locks, but otherwise it's possible.
(First, though, I'd have a go at straightening the original. If it broke, I'd make a whole fence.)
I'm leaning toward trying to straighten it. If I support it on two 1/4" wood blocks, then hit the middle with a mallet, it shouldn't be able to travel too far and break, hopefully. I'll raise the blocks slightly and repeat until it's straight.
A replacement could also be made from large angle-iron.... Steve
-- Monkey see, monkey do --
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30th April 2012, 11:23 AM #4Awaiting Email Confirmation
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Hermit,
Hitting with a hammer/mallet it will definitley break. It's cast metal and it won't like that. You could try clamping it to a piece of angle and heat it up and apply more pressure and it might straignten.
I pick up a saw from a throw out and tried to straighten the fence by hitting it....it broke with the first gentle tap...in the end just used a 100x100mm piece of angle and had to cut out the piece where the blade went back. Tedious job. Used the original as a template.
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30th April 2012, 11:54 AM #5
I put the mallet aside. I don't have a source of heat, (unless a lighter counts), but instead of hitting I rested the fence across two blocks of balsa, then clamped another down across the centre of the fence with a pair of 'F' clamps and slowly tightened them. I've got it tightened to where the bend is equal and opposite to the original bend, but haven't released the clamps yet. Just wondering if keeping it under stress for longer will help. If only I had a gas torch.
... Steve
-- Monkey see, monkey do --
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30th April 2012, 12:24 PM #6
I got away with it. It's not perfect, but close enough to finish with paper glued to a sheet of perspex.
Thanks for the suggestions, guys.... Steve
-- Monkey see, monkey do --
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30th April 2012, 12:38 PM #7
That does look better. Now on to the arm strengthing exercise.
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30th April 2012, 12:44 PM #8Awaiting Email Confirmation
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That looks heaps better. You could shim both ends and have another go. might come out dead flat.....
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30th April 2012, 01:36 PM #9
A little elbow-grease and it's almost perfect. I purposely added vertical scratches for grip when I was finished, rather than polish it like I'd normally be tempted to do. (The surface previously had vertical milling marks.)
Now back to setting up the saw........ Steve
-- Monkey see, monkey do --
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1st May 2012, 12:24 PM #10Awaiting Email Confirmation
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Great recovery Steve.
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1st May 2012, 12:32 PM #11
Thanks, mate. I was lucky.
This is only a cheap GMC saw, but with a bit of messing around is now set up perfectly. Tested it this morning with a pair of 45° mitre cuts and a pair of 45° bevel cuts - they fit perfectly with absolutely no gaps.
I'll just have to keep re-checking it, I guess, since it's a cheap POS. Same with the fence.... Steve
-- Monkey see, monkey do --
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1st May 2012, 12:40 PM #12Awaiting Email Confirmation
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Cheap and Quality Control is not one of their strong points.
But now you have got it to where it is functional and doing the job required.
Even with my LS1212 I check it every time before the cuts. Habit I think.
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