Five cuts to square you CMS

Stuart Ablett

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Tokyo Japan
I do not remember where I was shown this, but it sure works to check if your SCMS is cutting square of not.

You do five cuts, and by the time you have finished the fifth cut, if your saw in not square, you will see the problem multiplied by 4.
I started with a piece of plywood about 10" square.
I numbered the sides just so it would be easier to keep track

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I put the #1 side against the fence, and cut on the #2 side

five_cut2.JPG
Turn it and cut again (turn counter clock wise)

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and again

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and again

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The fifth and final cut

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I checked it with my machinist square, and it was dead on.

This may be old hat for many of you guys, but I use this when I have to check the SCMS.

If the saw is out even a little bit it really shows up with this method.

This old Hitachi CB8F is sure a good saw. ;D

Cheers!
 
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Congrats on the new CMS there Grag. I just recently purchased a 703 myself.

May I ask a favor? Would you be kind enough to check you fence with a good straightedge and tell me what you find? My fence is a little bent inwards, more on the left side at the blade opening. It was that way out of the box. As is usual with this bonehead, I didn't inspect the saw for any trouble, save for shipping damage, when I got it and I didn't take it out of the box for about a month after I receivd it. Of course by then it was too late to call Amazon and get a replacement swapped out. Dewalt says that I need to take it to a repair center and wait for two to three weeks while they send out a new fence to the repair center. What the poop?

Anyway, if you find the time and remember, thanks.
 
mark, flattening the fence on a mitersaw is a breeze....if you don`t have a 6x48 beltsander just glue sandpaper to a piece of mdf, remove the fence from the saw and sand `till flat, if you`ve got access to a 6x48 remove the fence and touch it to the sander.....30 seconds.....flat. reinstall and align.....no big deal....tod
 
stu, i use the two cut method on my miter saw, rip a piece of mdf the maximum that the saw will crosscut using the tablesaw so both edges are parallel, cut one end, flip over and remove 1/8-1/4" any variation will show as a taper that`s double the error.....tod
 
Stu,

Slight gloat...I didn't really want a large 12" saw as I have a nice Craftsman RAS, so I got the DW-703. I got the "set" with the 10" CMS, extension bar, vertical clamp and crown stops for $209 delivered. I plan on using it now for cutting trim material, paneling, chair rail, molding, that I'm installing in the house. The Rigid MUV is a $69 special I got last summer. Perfect for the little saw, along with a Forrest ChopMaster blade I got on Amazon's sale for $68.



Mark,

Mine had the same fence problem, left side only. My temporary solution is putting a strip of 3/8" wide "teflon tape" on the bottom of the front of the sliding fence. This tilts the fence back just enough to make it square, and slides easier when unlocked. I think Tod's idea will make a better permanent solution.

It'll be interesting to try both Stu's and Tod's test cuts and see what they show.
 
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Is that what my CMS and DC looked like new. . . I had forgotten. You'll like the saw. As you say; it's not burdened with bells and whistles but mine has done a lot of work and still runs and cuts great.

Enjoy!
 
An excellent way to square just about any power saw (TS, CS, RAS, etc).

The way I'd learned it .. the 5th cut should take off 1/2" or so and then you measure the width of that offcut at both ends. If it's dead on square, each end of that offcut will be the exact same width. I mark the board the same way, except that before making the 5th cut, I mark an A and B on the corners of the piece about to be cut off so I can keep track of the "Fence side" to find out which direction to adjust.

An excellent way to test . Always check by makin' a cut, rather than measure :)
 
$209.............. :eek:

Man, I cannot even buy a decent CS for that kind of money here.......... :(

Great gloat! :D

I paid $99.00 for my Northern Electric 10" CMS. It has most of the bells and whistles. Only lacks an automatic turn-off for the laser guide. I have to replace batteries every time I use the saw. :eek:
But your, and Tod's tips are excellent. I'll check and see if I got my money's worth. ;) To date, everything I've cut with it has been on the square. :thumb:
BTW: I'm certain I have seen the identical saw, under different brands, selling in the $300.00 to $400.00 price range.
 
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