Thread: TTD Saw setup help needed

Hi Russell,
I have read somewhere that to get the pressed steel table level use some alfoil on the bottom half of the joint to shim it out and therefore raise the outside edge. I didn't have to do that with mine as it was close enough when I put it together.

I had similar problems with the fence. The manuals are shall we say quite ordinary and hard to understand. Have a look on the Grizzly site and you may find some better manuals there. They will not be the exact saw but they will be close.

The worst problem I had was to align the splitter knife. I don't think I got it right and have to go back and do it again.

Cheers,
Russ

2 & 3. OK now, the pressed steel extension. I can't get it level. As you can see, there's a gap on the far edge of 3 or so mm at both the front and back. Short of bending the extension out of shape (which I don't want to try - not even sure if I could), how the heck can I get this level? Doesn't matter how tight you do up the bolts holding it on, it's not going to pull the table up straight. Some sort of brace underneath I think would be the best option, but that's a bit beyond my capabilities.

As Russ said shim it, try anything to hand. Even a few thicknesses of paper tape will move it a lot. Also on mine there were holes in both sides, maybe if you ahve those turning it 180 will improve things ?

Q1. How essential is it to get this one level?

Well, it's purpose is to support your work as it slides across.

Q2. I imagine I have to get these aligned straight together somehow?

The second last step in assembling the rear rail, before it says put the end caps on (which I haven't done yet) says, and I quote

"push right rail against table and tighten each nut with a 12mm wrench. If rail jams and does not slide easily over bolts, re-align table extensions". I don't follow this. You have a square head bolt, inserted into a T-slot in the rail. The bolt goes through a hole in the table with a washer & nut on the other side. If yough tighten the nuts, you are pulling the bolt hed tight in the T-slot of the rail. Once that's done, how the heck is the rail soing to be able to "slide easily over the bolts" as the instructions say? I can see how before you tighten the bolts, is the rail doesn't slide is shows the extensions out of alignment, but even with the deflection I indicated above, the rail still slides fairly easily when not fully tightened.

It means if the rail binds on the threads as you tighten the nuts.

Q3. What does this instruction mean? Is it just badly written, or am I misunderstanding something in the setup?

Ignoring that for now, I moved onto the front rails to see how they'd fit. The bolts I had left were 8 of the ones shown in image 6. On the front, the table and cast extension holes are the same as the back, but the pressed steel extension has two oval shaped holes, close to one another. The instructions once again say I need 4 1/4" x 20mm bolts, then two paragraphs later it says to insert the 6 bolts into holes! Well given I don't anymore the thick 20mm ones, just 8 of these thin 30mm ones, I figure I have to use them. They're loose in the holes, but I figure with the washer, they'll tighten and I have some room to adjust for alignment.

I would attach it with 2 bolts front and rear to the main table, then 1 bolt each to the side wings, then if I have any left over put more into the main table.

You need to remember in all of this what you are trying to achieve and the priorities.

It is important the main table is flat and smooth.

It is important the miter slots are parrallel with the blade.

It is important the fence rails are straight left to right and at the same level front and back or the rip fence will not work smoothly.

It is nice if the wings are dead level and inline with the main table but it is more important they are not proud of the main table.

It is important that everything is well connected enough to not vibrate apart or be knocked out of position in use.

Another one for the manual writers. It says to align the 7 1/8" mark on the right fence with the right edge of the saw table. Is then shows you an image to clarify, with an arrow and a note on the image saying "6 1/4" mark alignment". To top it all off, the image shows a close up of the scale, with the actual alignment mark, because the scale goes backwards in the image, pointing at 5 3/4". 7 1/8" mark aligns the whole rail to the left edge of the pressed steel extension, so I'll take it that is the right mark.

0 should be the saw blade. Or you can impose an offest if you prefer, but 0 is easier in use.



Q4. With both front & back rails, how critical is it to get them to align parallel with the top of the table? I imagine it's fairly important?

May prevent the rip fence operating smoothly.

Sorry I can't be more help.

I've got it all together. Most things seem to be working OK.

The pressed steel wing I will try to shim it up. Can't flip it 180 degrees without swapping the side of the table it is on, which I don't want to do.

The fence seems to be sliding alright. I got the front setup straight & level, and the back seems to have adjusted fine. The fact the fence runs proud of the table probably helps it self-align.

There's an annoying hitch in the fence slide, on the front, where the two halves of the rail join. It's not a neat joint, and the aluminium rail is slightly proud on one side, so when I slide the fence back over it, the plastic catch on the fence gouges across this aluminium "lip". I've tried round over the joints of both a little, and at least it's not eating the plastic now, but it's still an annoying bump.

had all sorts of fun getting the router mounted. Had to pull half the bits off the router so the clamps underneath could fit against the router base, without hitting engine mounts etc. The worst par though is, you lose about 2cm of bit depth by the time the bit comes out the hole. I'm not sure if I can get the profiled bits coming up high enough to be effective yet.

I had to re-adjust the riving knife about 8 times before it seems to be in the right spot. A micro-movement on the set screws make s a huge movement at the top of the riving knife, and it's a rather awkward operation just to get in there to make the adjustment in the first place.

Apart from all that, I just have the router fence left to put together. Probabyl won't get to that until next weekend now. Then I have to make a sled a-la Doug Stowe's box-making book. How safe is it to run without the riving knife when using the sled, as I can't see anyway to keep it on while using the designs in his book? Then if I took it off for that, dunno if I'd be enthusiastic enough to keep mounting the thing on & off all the time, given the pain it is?

Russell.

Make a zero clearance insert and fit one of these:

http://www.incrementaltools.com/Grip...plitterkit.htm