Parallel edge guide calibration

[Naildrivingman]

I'm sure  this topic has been covered multiple times but I could not find a suitable answer so I decided to post a new topic.

I attempted to calibrate my guides in a very dark basement about two weeks ago and I achieved results  that were satisfactory for my needs then, but I knew that eventually I would have to calibrate them to a higher degree of tolerance. I did so today under a bright light so that I could see better. The long side of the guide calibrated very easily, but the short side of the guide was more difficult.  What I experienced was when I would tighten the Allen screws the short side wanted to "walk" on me a little and thus make one guide longer/shorter than the other. I tried several times by gently tightening one screw, then the other, then back to the first and second until I had sufficiently tightened both screws.  It was trial and error, but I finally got it.

It probably took me four or five attempts to get it to my satisfaction, but I did. Anyone else experienced this?

Another question,  is there an order that one should tighten when installing the guide on a track after the guides have been calibrated. Should the bottom lever be engaged then the knurled knob or vice versa or does it matter?

Finally, when I install a new splitter guard on the track should I plan on recalibrating the guides?

 

[peter halle]

Glad to read that you went thru the process of calibrating.  The great thing is that unless you adjust your saw for toe- in you should be done if you are happy with the results. 

You will not need to readjust if you just change out the splinter strip.

Peter

 

[Naildrivingman]

Glad to read that you went thru the process of calibrating.  The great thing is that unless you adjust your saw for toe- in you should be done if you are happy with the results. 

You will not need to readjust if you just change out the splinter strip.

Peter

Thanks Peter,
When you reference "toe-in" are you talking about the wheels on the base of the saw?  If not, please tell me what that means.

Can you weigh in on proper sequence of tightening when installing the guides on the track?  I thought I saw a YouTube video that indicated one should be tightened first, but I can't find it.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[peter halle]

Glad to read that you went thru the process of calibrating.  The great thing is that unless you adjust your saw for toe- in you should be done if you are happy with the results. 

You will not need to readjust if you just change out the splinter strip.

Peter

Thanks Peter,
When you reference "toe-in" are you talking about the wheels on the base of the saw?  If not, please tell me what that means.

Can you weigh in on proper sequence of tightening when installing the guides on the track?  I thought I saw a YouTube video that indicated one should be tightened first, but I can't find it.

Thanks,
Chris

Toe-in refers to the fact that the blade on the saw is minimally skewed so the the front of the blade is closer to the base than the rear of the blade.  On a TS -55 the difference is about the thickness of a really cheap business card.  Most people will never have to make an adjustment. 

I have never heard of a specific sequence of green knob versus green lever tightening but I tend to use the knob first.  The levers can be adjusted to vary the locking tension but for some reason I haven't reached nirvana with mine.

Here is a good general video that shows in part how to set up the extension (which I believe you were having trouble with.  I think that this will help with hex screw creep.  Towards the end of the video.

The Sedge and the Parallel Guides

Hope this helps.

Peter

 

[Bob D.]

"Toe-in refers to the fact that the blade on the saw is minimally skewed so
the front of the blade is closer to the base than the rear of the blade.  On a
TS-55 the difference is about the thickness of a really cheap business card.
Most people will never have to make an adjustment."

What is the purpose of this setup. Is it to keep the rear of the blade from
tearing up the splinter strip, reduce friction, or serve some other purpose?

 

[Naildrivingman]

Thanks Peter.  I have seen that video several times, but didn't watch it yesterday...arrrgh.  Had I, it would have saved me a little time for the short side calibration.

Interestingly, the narrator references one tooth on the blade for kerf accommodation.  I do not dispute this but for those who demand a higher degree of accuracy, I can see how this method may fall slightly short (I.E. if the chosen tooth is the smallest of all others on the blade, then the cut will be smaller than what the scale reads).  Personally, I think the method in the video is good enough for me, because the greatest source of error will be the operator's eyes when setting and locking down the stops.  The arrow on the stops is not discriminate enough for a level of precision beyond 1/32, BUT if that level of precision is demanded, the only way I know to achieve that would be on a sliding table of a $20K + table saw.

In closing, I would say that the video provided is the best way to calibrate on setup and then make a test cut to determine if the setup meets your standards.  I am satisfied with my caveman calibrabration, but as with all portable tools I believe it is wise to reverify every time I start a new project.

As to the green adjustment knobs on the saw, I check those each and every time I set up for a new project, since my one TS75 is used in conjunction with three different rails (one being non Festool).  I have to assume that the extrusions are not the same width on all three rails.

Finally, regarding toe-in/out, I'm going to leave that alone unless something is repetitively wrong on all three tracks.  For my purposes, if I achieve repetitive precision at the 1/32" level I have achieved nirvana....ohmmmm, ohmmmm, ohmmmmmmmm!

 

[peter halle]

"Toe-in refers to the fact that the blade on the saw is minimally skewed so
the front of the blade is closer to the base than the rear of the blade.  On a
TS-55 the difference is about the thickness of a really cheap business card.
Most people will never have to make an adjustment."

What is the purpose of this setup. Is it to keep the rear of the blade from
tearing up the splinter strip, reduce friction, or serve some other purpose?

Personally I believe that the reason is quality of cut.  Checking and possibly adjusting the toe often comes up when questions are asked about burning or scoring or not as good cuts as before.  Of course other issues can contribute to lessened quality.

Peter

 

[Sparktrician]

"Toe-in refers to the fact that the blade on the saw is minimally skewed so
the front of the blade is closer to the base than the rear of the blade.  On a
TS-55 the difference is about the thickness of a really cheap business card.
Most people will never have to make an adjustment."

What is the purpose of this setup. Is it to keep the rear of the blade from
tearing up the splinter strip, reduce friction, or serve some other purpose?

Personally I believe that the reason is quality of cut.  Checking and possibly adjusting the toe often comes up when questions are asked about burning or scoring or not as good cuts as before.  Of course other issues can contribute to lessened quality.

Peter

As I understand it, the reason for the toe-in is so that only the teeth to the front of the saw do any cutting; those to the rear don't contact the material and so don't mess up a clean cut. 

 

[Naildrivingman]

"Toe-in refers to the fact that the blade on the saw is minimally skewed so
the front of the blade is closer to the base than the rear of the blade.  On a
TS-55 the difference is about the thickness of a really cheap business card.
Most people will never have to make an adjustment."

What is the purpose of this setup. Is it to keep the rear of the blade from
tearing up the splinter strip, reduce friction, or serve some other purpose?

Personally I believe that the reason is quality of cut.  Checking and possibly adjusting the toe often comes up when questions are asked about burning or scoring or not as good cuts as before.  Of course other issues can contribute to lessened quality.

Peter

As I understand it, the reason for the toe-in is so that only the teeth to the front of the saw do any cutting; those to the rear don't contact the material and so don't mess up a clean cut.

That would only be true for cuts made on the long side of the gauge.  Cuts made on the short side would get cut by the heel as well as the toe.

 

[Bob D.]

"That would only be true for cuts made on the long side of the gauge. 
Cuts made on the short side would get cut by the heel as well as the toe. "

Which would mean the kerf would be slightly wider than the blade, by
whatever fraction of a mm the toe-in as its been called was set, so
something slightly greater than 2.2mm. Or am I misunderstanding this.

 

[peter halle]

Yes it would by a tiny margin.  Whereas most people use the approach that the "good piece" is to the left of the splinter strip it won't matter.  Those with the "good" to the right you will always have to allow for your actual kerf.

Peter