[SirFatty]

Dial Indicator Fixture for the Table Saw

Since this project is most definitely not made of wood, I thought I best make this a blog entry and not a project. I wanted a solid platform to mount a magnetic base used with the dial indicator to adjust my table saw. The goal was to create a tool that would slide back and forth in the miter slot and not require a lot of adjustment.

I decided to use some bar stock, about 7/8" in diameter, just slightly larger than the slot. This would accomplish two things, first there would not have to be any adjustments in the miter slot to adjust out any slop, the bar sits nicely on the corners. Since the surface contact is at a minimum, it slides easily when required.

Next, I wanted a solid piece of steel to attach the magnet to, so 1/4" plate was selected for the task.

The finished project:

It works great, was cheap (free, access to scrap and tool room at work) and will last forever.

Thanks for looking!

 

[ssnvet]

Dial Indicator Fixture for the Table Saw

Since this project is most definitely not made of wood, I thought I best make this a blog entry and not a project. I wanted a solid platform to mount a magnetic base used with the dial indicator to adjust my table saw. The goal was to create a tool that would slide back and forth in the miter slot and not require a lot of adjustment.

I decided to use some bar stock, about 7/8" in diameter, just slightly larger than the slot. This would accomplish two things, first there would not have to be any adjustments in the miter slot to adjust out any slop, the bar sits nicely on the corners. Since the surface contact is at a minimum, it slides easily when required.

Next, I wanted a solid piece of steel to attach the magnet to, so 1/4" plate was selected for the task.

The finished project:

It works great, was cheap (free, access to scrap and tool room at work) and will last forever.

Thanks for looking!

nice job Fatty…

I've done something similar by attaching my magnetic base to my miter gauge.

It's kind of a hastle to set up, but if I hold the miter track firm up against the inside edge of the slot, I get an accurate reading.

I like your little jig a lot better….

And I may just have some lonely black iron pipe sitting around somewheres…...

 

[JoeLyddon]

Dial Indicator Fixture for the Table Saw

Since this project is most definitely not made of wood, I thought I best make this a blog entry and not a project. I wanted a solid platform to mount a magnetic base used with the dial indicator to adjust my table saw. The goal was to create a tool that would slide back and forth in the miter slot and not require a lot of adjustment.

I decided to use some bar stock, about 7/8" in diameter, just slightly larger than the slot. This would accomplish two things, first there would not have to be any adjustments in the miter slot to adjust out any slop, the bar sits nicely on the corners. Since the surface contact is at a minimum, it slides easily when required.

Next, I wanted a solid piece of steel to attach the magnet to, so 1/4" plate was selected for the task.

The finished project:

It works great, was cheap (free, access to scrap and tool room at work) and will last forever.

Thanks for looking!

COOL jig, SirFatty!

Where do you work?
... sure is a cool place to work! LOL

 

[SirFatty]

Dial Indicator Fixture for the Table Saw

Since this project is most definitely not made of wood, I thought I best make this a blog entry and not a project. I wanted a solid platform to mount a magnetic base used with the dial indicator to adjust my table saw. The goal was to create a tool that would slide back and forth in the miter slot and not require a lot of adjustment.

I decided to use some bar stock, about 7/8" in diameter, just slightly larger than the slot. This would accomplish two things, first there would not have to be any adjustments in the miter slot to adjust out any slop, the bar sits nicely on the corners. Since the surface contact is at a minimum, it slides easily when required.

Next, I wanted a solid piece of steel to attach the magnet to, so 1/4" plate was selected for the task.

The finished project:

It works great, was cheap (free, access to scrap and tool room at work) and will last forever.

Thanks for looking!

ssnvet, thanks! Just keep in mind that the two bars have to be exactly parallel or it won't sit flat.

Joe, I'm an IT Manager at a medium size machine shop that does turned machining with CNC and older type screw machines. It really is a great place to work!

 

[Dark_Lightning]

Dial Indicator Fixture for the Table Saw

Since this project is most definitely not made of wood, I thought I best make this a blog entry and not a project. I wanted a solid platform to mount a magnetic base used with the dial indicator to adjust my table saw. The goal was to create a tool that would slide back and forth in the miter slot and not require a lot of adjustment.

I decided to use some bar stock, about 7/8" in diameter, just slightly larger than the slot. This would accomplish two things, first there would not have to be any adjustments in the miter slot to adjust out any slop, the bar sits nicely on the corners. Since the surface contact is at a minimum, it slides easily when required.

Next, I wanted a solid piece of steel to attach the magnet to, so 1/4" plate was selected for the task.

The finished project:

It works great, was cheap (free, access to scrap and tool room at work) and will last forever.

Thanks for looking!

Also, you might want to think about putting a simple ball or small point on the "outrigger". Then you are not dependent on getting that possibly difficult parallelism achieved, since you're just coasting on the table for that end. If the slot is straight and true, you don't need an extra rail…and that is actually what you will use to cut wood. In part of my work, I routinely align machinery within .001" and one arc-second, and can attest to the pain of getting two rails parallel, some over a travel of as far as 18 feet.

ssnvet, I'm not sure that that black iron pipe is going to be smooth enough to do you right. It might be OK, but it depends on how closely you want to align the blade. Something to think about- that pipe can be pretty lumpy, and SirFatty's bar stock is going to be pretty true.

 

[Grandpa]

Dial Indicator Fixture for the Table Saw

Since this project is most definitely not made of wood, I thought I best make this a blog entry and not a project. I wanted a solid platform to mount a magnetic base used with the dial indicator to adjust my table saw. The goal was to create a tool that would slide back and forth in the miter slot and not require a lot of adjustment.

I decided to use some bar stock, about 7/8" in diameter, just slightly larger than the slot. This would accomplish two things, first there would not have to be any adjustments in the miter slot to adjust out any slop, the bar sits nicely on the corners. Since the surface contact is at a minimum, it slides easily when required.

Next, I wanted a solid piece of steel to attach the magnet to, so 1/4" plate was selected for the task.

The finished project:

It works great, was cheap (free, access to scrap and tool room at work) and will last forever.

Thanks for looking!

My first thought was to use on piece of bar and then not worry about being parallel but then I realized that edge of the plate would have to be parallel to the bar. So, why wouldn't a screw or post of some kind on that far edge work? Use the bar in the slot and a 3rd point on the outside. Use the same as shown in your photos? this would be easier for common folks without a machine shop to assist them. Polished and ground shafting can be bought and it is not too expensive in my area. I do live in a world of machine shops though. Am I overlooking something?

 

[SirFatty]

Dial Indicator Fixture for the Table Saw

Since this project is most definitely not made of wood, I thought I best make this a blog entry and not a project. I wanted a solid platform to mount a magnetic base used with the dial indicator to adjust my table saw. The goal was to create a tool that would slide back and forth in the miter slot and not require a lot of adjustment.

I decided to use some bar stock, about 7/8" in diameter, just slightly larger than the slot. This would accomplish two things, first there would not have to be any adjustments in the miter slot to adjust out any slop, the bar sits nicely on the corners. Since the surface contact is at a minimum, it slides easily when required.

Next, I wanted a solid piece of steel to attach the magnet to, so 1/4" plate was selected for the task.

The finished project:

It works great, was cheap (free, access to scrap and tool room at work) and will last forever.

Thanks for looking!

AtomJack, Grandpa, you are both correct. I could have simplified the design by using a third point instead of a bar, and not have to worry about getting dead parallel. Thanks for the feedback!

 

[blint]

After shopping online for a gauge to align the table saw blade relative to the miter slot and seeing how the A-Line It style handles slop in the track, your bar stock seems beautiful in its simplicity. No fiddly springs and screws and ball bearings. Since you're able to adjust the magnet to make its leading face parallel to the bar stock, tapping two holes on the same axis on the bar stock is not an issue. But if you wanted to use your bar stock approach with other than a magnetic base, tapping those holes true would be important....unless the indicators read accurately even when placed on an angle?

 

[calabrese55]

There are many ways to accomplish the process here.
My self I am a huge fan of adapting and improvising using everything from a MacGyvered solution to the nice fixture shown here.
I have a set from Grizzly. With a little adapting by attatching a metal plate with double sided tape to one of the sleds I have I use it to accomplish the same precess. Additionally for the $35.00 price tag I have used it to tune up my jointer. thickness planer, router setups etc. Grizzly link below
Magnetic Base/Dial Indicator Combo at Grizzly.com
I am not throwing mud at the Woodpecker tools they are from what I see top quality tools.
Sometimes I think we can get too caught up in the process and not the result.
calabrese55

 

[rwe2156]

Nice but how often you need to do that?

I've used a strip of wood that sits firmly in the slot that proud of the table to register base against....done.