Accuratly measure blade height?

[m00n]

So.... I got my saw all put together, making a few cuts. I could not be more pleased. I don't have anything to compaire it to but I am so glad I did not spend the extra $150.00 to get into the GI. This saw is going to be more than enough for me.

Anyway to my question.

I wanted to practice making a rabbit, it then occured to me that I don't know how to make get the blad to a precise measurement... I know this has got to be as easy as a.b.c to some but... ;-)

[sweensdv]

One very easy way is to take a drill bit that is the size of the height you want the blade to be. Lay it down next to the blade and crank the blade up until it is as high as the drill bit.

[Sawduster]

There are all sorts of gadgets out there fore setting blade and bit height, but I just use a combination square. Set the adjustable part the distance from the end of the rule that you want to measure, set that end onto the table directly over the center of the blade and crank the blade up to that position. If you go past it, crank the blade dow below it again and then back up. Your last turn of the crank should bring the blade up so as to take up any small amount of slop in the mechanism.

Another very helpful hint, useful in this and other operations, is to mark your throat plates at top dead center for the blade.

[TDHofstetter]

You've gotten two very good suggestions thus far, both of which I use. So why do I post, Grasshopper? To bring to the fore something you might not otherwise think to do...

When you're setting your blade height using either of the previous methods (or another yet to be discussed by another poster) - measure the height, rotate the blade by hand perhaps 90 degrees and measure it again, rotate another 90 and measure it again, rotate it a last 90 and measure again. Once in a while you may otherwise be tricked by a low (or high) tooth or a blade that's not perfectly concentric to its center hole.

Oh, if you use the drill bit - lay the drill bit next to the blade, then lay something (say a small stiff rule) across the tops of both the bit and the blade. Now sight across the saw's table. You can detect a fantastically accurate degree of parallel with your bare naked eye. Hey, you've just made a metal winding stick! :)

-- Tim --

Don't walk in front of me, I will not follow.
Don't walk behind me, I will not lead.
Walk beside me, and be my friend.

[m00n]

Thanks guys!

What got me thinking the most was how the blade could... Crud... how do I say it... I know what I want to say, but not sure how to say it. but it does have to do with blade rotation...

There is going to be a point at wich a blade tooth is going to be at it's very heighest peak. At which point it will start to decend in elevation/height.

What I was trying to figure out was how do you get that blade at it's heighest point so that you KNOW FOR SURE, when you take that measurement, it's at it's heighest point.


Goodness I hope that makes sence. too many micro beers tonight with the fellahs. 8)

[Tom Hintz]

I get this question all the time on my site (Have a story coming on it also).
I tried all sorts of techniques that didn't work and finally settled on ym trusty 6" combination square set to the height I want. I set the square on or over the blade and make the initial adjustment. To make sure it is at the top of the arc I move the square forward and back slightly to see if the edge of the squares blade rises up from the table. Just a little back and forth and I can adjust it so the blade just stays on the table as it goes over center.
Perfect depth every time!
The other nice thing about using the square is matching an existing cut depth. Measure it with the square, lock it down and dial that into the table saw.

[ChefHDAN]

I epoxied a rare earth magnet to a 6"combo square & have found it tobe almost as necessary as electricity for each saw cut weather double checking depth of cut or verifying that I got the blade back to dead nuts 90* after a bevel cut.

PS. mOOn how does a little tiny beer get ya buzzed??
HDAN

[arcticfox46]

hey m00n,

I do the same as #5 BUT,

What I do is to "zero out" the combo square. What I mean by this is to hold the base of the square flat down on the cast iron saw table, then slide the rule so that it is also flat against the table. Zero is now the table.

Next, while holding the base down onto the cast iron table, I move the combo square up to the saw blade. I can ACCURATELY measure the height of the highest saw tooth on the ruler of the combo square. the table is zero. I then hold the square against the saw blade while I rotate the blade until the tooth I am measuring finds its highest point. Top Dead Center!! Absolutely!

If someone can help me to learn how to get a picture into the post I will take a picture and show this method to you.

You can then rotate the saw blade 90 degrees several times to be sure of your adjustment.

The only more accurate way is to use gage blocks and a height indicator.

[Sawduster]

One of the nice things about using the combo square is that you have about a 1/2" wide area which is contacting the blade. Getting near to center, 1/2" either way, and turning the blade slightly by hand you can tell if the blade is too high or too low.

Like I said in the earlier post, mark your throat plates once you have the top dead center located. Also, extend that line onto the side of your rip fence. You will be amazed at how often you will use those index marks.

[BradTheDog]

for a long time I just used a triangular blade hieght gage from sears for $4.00 Just set it over the blade and raise it until it meets the gauage. Now I used a guage it I bought for $20 on sale at woodcraft. I like this one much better because it also has a blade angle guage as well as the hieght gage.