Scoring saw correctly aligned for sliding table is out of alignment on rip fence side and vice- versa.
Chip out on the bottom as alignment of scoring saw with main blade inconsistent due to movement of workpiece.
Symptoms of negative free cut:
Back cutting on sliding table side. Workpiece runs into back of saw blade. Chip out on top.
Machine cutting out of square. Workpiece moves slightly on sliding table due to pressure of saw blade, without operator noticing.
Chip out on the bottom as alignment of scoring saw with main blade inconsistent due to movement of workpiece.
NOTE: The above test depends upon the riving knife being properly in line with the blade.
Free Cut (Blade to Rip Fence)
If the free cut on the rip fence side is negative, the symptoms are fairly obvious. The workpiece gets stuck between the back teeth and the fence and, in the worst case gets kicked back.
If the free cut is positive, other problems arise which are not so easily recognized, as for example, an incorrect rip fence setting. The following procedure will help you compare the distance between front teeth and rip fence with the distance between back teeth and rip fence:
1.Lower scoring blade all the way down, and out of the way.
2.Raise main blade to its highest position.
3.Take a workpiece of convenient size (e.g. 12" x 18") and edge one long side using the sliding table.
4.Set the rip fence slightly narrower than the workpiece, and cut the opposite long side of the workpiece using the fence.
5.Stop the workpiece when the trailing edge is level with the riving knife (i.e. has passed the back teeth.)
6.Using the rip fence micro adjustment, move the rip fence 1/4 turn inward, and pull workpiece backward almost to sawblade middle. The back teeth will then cut, and where they have cut, the workpiece width will correspond to the distance between the back teeth and the rip fence.
7.Remove workpiece in normal cutting direction.
8.Flip the workpiece over so that the trailing edge becomes the leading edge and feed
into the saw blade for half the direction which the back teeth just cut. The width here will correspond to the distance between the front teeth and the fence.
Between the teeth marks from the back teeth and front teeth there will be a small ridge. The height of this ridge is the free cut over the length of the saw blade. This ridge should hardly be visible, but just possible to feel.
To correct the free cut:
Loosen the nuts on the outside (third) bolt holding the guide bar on which the rip fence slides. See Figure 39.
Figure 39
Move the bar, and therefore the fence, in or out by pivoting it upon the second bolt.
When corrected, tighten outside (third) bolt.
Trouble-shooting Free Cut (Blade to Rip Fence)
Symptoms of negative free cut:
Workpiece gets jammed between fence and back of saw blade, danger of kickback.
Backcutting, top chip out to the right of blade.
Symptoms of positive free cut:
Backcutting to the left of saw blade. Workpiece on left is pulled into back teeth. Chip out on top.
Scoring saw, while correctly aligned on sliding table side, is out of alignment for ripping.
When the rip fence section is in a pulled back position, the actual width cut is less than that shown on the scale.
NOTE: The above check depends on the riving knife being in line with the blade, not bent, narrower than the tooth kerf and wider than the body of the blade.
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