[thenickedfinger]

I have an Incra 1000SD Miter Gauge that I almost cut the end off of the other day.

I installed my Miter Gauge and zeroed it out according to the instructions:





However when I pivoted it over to 45 degrees to make a cut I nearly sliced the end off of my Gauge (and ruined a blade in the process).



Anybody else with the Gauge have this problem? Is this normal? Am I supposed to re-zero the gauge every time I change the angle?

 

[blackcherry]

Yes you have to zero it out for steep angle cut. Us a scrap piece of wood and then reset the scale for accurate cuts. It a little work but well worth the accuracy.

 

[PurpLev]

1. you have to zero it everytime you make adjustments to the angle - that's just how it is on all miter gauges since once you pivot them, the distance to blade from their center changes.

2. the materials used in the Incra products is aluminium for a reason - it will NOT ruin your good blade. I mean take a look at mine :

 

[richgreer]

I have a cut mark in my Incra miter because I learned the lesson you are learning the hard way.

 

[HorizontalMike]

Not me, I have already cut mine off at 45 degrees >8-(

I am thinking of squaring it off and cutting the 3/4" or so to make it shorter. Incra told me this happens frequently and they do sell the extrusion as a line item, because I "...was not the first to do that."

Lesson learned.

 

[TheWoodNerd]

As DaveR said, it's just a matter of the geometry of the gauge. For it to behave the way I think you're looking for, the pivot point would have to be at the face of the fence.

I just set mine up to be far enough off the blade so that if I pivot it the fence never gets over to the blade. Since I have a SawStop, that would be a triple disaster. Fence+blade+brake = ~$250

 

[blackcherry]

Here a tip, use a sacrificial scrap mounted to the face of the fence extended pass the extrusion. Make a kerf cut at 90 and one at 45. This way all you have to do is move the fence to the desire angle needed, plus you'll have a zero clearance backer board.

 

[Cosmicsniper]

I have the 3000HD, but it's basically the same mechanically. I don't see much use for zeroing out…or using the measuring strip for anything other than estimating lengths that will need to be cut. I just measure it first. If I multiple cuts, then I'll set the stop, but otherwise it's just a matter of loosening and retightening the two allen bolts that hold the miter to the fence. Obviously, that must be adjusted so as to clear the blade, particularly at a miter angle. I do like the idea of scoring a line in the table top to mark the blade…to me, that has a ton of applications beyond using the miter. In fact, I wouldn't mind seeing regularly spaced lines parallel to the blade etched in all table saws.

 

[HorizontalMike]

Cosmicsniper,
Thanks for saying that about the actual lack of "need" for "zeroing out" the measuring strip each time. I have been thinking about this aspect of the miter (I have the 1000HD) for some time, but lacked the experience to offer such an opinion. It appears that running test pieces is the ultimate measurement.

 

[rance]

TheWoodNerd, blackcherry, and Cosmicsniper pretty much summed it up. I set mine to never touch the blade and added a backer board/sacrificial fence on the front side. I only move the measuring strip on special occasions(like when cutting Thanksgiving Turkey). I suuuuuuure like using my Incra.

 

[TheWoodNerd]

I took a few minutes to set the scale and use it all the time. Super-accurate, just like my Incra fence. I hate measuring …

 

[Porosky]

Yep 30 degree knotch in mine also, it was the first thing I did out of the box.

 

[TheDane]

I am sort of an obsessive, compulsive, serial measurer … the only thing I really trust is a steel ruler, and it is not uncommon for me to double/triple check measurements before I cut the first test piece.

 

[LateNightOwl]

My Incra miter was spared only because I learned from putting two 45º notches in the fence of my sliding compound miter saw.

 

[jusfine]

You are not alone…

I also have a nice notch in my fence on the Excalibur sliding table.

One of those "I CAN'T believe I did that" moments, I have had a few.

 

[NBeener]

+1

I notched mine, too ;-)

 

[TopamaxSurvivor]

Were you asleep in geometry Neil?

 

[JasonWagner]

Looks like lots of us have had this problem before. I have stopped short several times and managed not to cut into mine. Luckily re-zeroing it is so simple to do. At first I thought it was going to be a hassle, but a few uses and it's like a reflex now.

I do use my 1000SE measuring tape sometimes and it works just fine.

 

[ChrisCarr]

I am surprised a little aluminum would ruin your blade. Most carbide blades can cut through aluminum. (it does dull blades quicker.)

 

[mike85215]

I can proudly say that I did not cut mine when I made my first angled cut, and I have not cut it on an angled cut yet …. guess I stayed awake during that part of geometry class. BUT, the very first time I made a dado cut it never crossed my mind that the dado blades would affect the zero clearance on the Incra gauge. Since that first time that I heard the awful sound of a good blade hitting a solid piece of aluminium, well lets just say that I have a tendency to forget that the dado blade is wider than my Freud blade. I think that I have hit the miter gauge three times now.