Crafter's Station, Questionable Performance

[charlese]

Geez, Dusty! You can come up with the darnedest issues. Here's my guess:
1) The spindle on the Crafter's Station is a bit smaller in diameter than the one on the Mark V and tightening the arbor forces a bit of an angle onto the blade.
2) vibration such as Bill suggested in post # 11.

[charlese]

Dusty, Been thinking a bit about this - but can't remember - On the Crafter's Station, -- Does the headstock move and the saw table always sit in the same place?

[dusty]

The transmission box (headstock) is permanently located. There is no quilling capability and the table moves up and down.

The first photo image is this thread is a fairly good picture of the transmission. The motor hangs on four bolts (just like a power station) directly below the transmission.

[charlese]

What I was thinking is, - - maybe the table holding the headstock/transmission has sagged a bit allowing the blade to sit at an angle not perfectly perpendicular to the table. But if an alignment with the blade in the table insert shows it is truly perpendicular, that is not the issue.

[dusty]

You have hit it right on, charlese. The drive shaft (through the transmission) is at a 1.4 degree angle to everything else. Thus the saw blade is at a 1.4 degree tilt to everything that holds the table plumb. The (transmission housing) thus the shaft is also at a very slight offset thus the wider kerf.

I have again dismantled the Crafter's Station and am in the process of cutting some gasket material to shim the transmission with.

The entire problem is due to a very slight bow in the top of the table onto which the Crafter's Station mounts. It really is not heavy enough material for this task but replacing it is out of the question. Incidently, the motor hangs underneath as well and when the belts are tensioned tend to exaggerate the bow.

[charlese]

That's one problem I didn't have with my CS! But I kind remembered the one piece table. Isn't it the same as the PS?

[dusty]

I got the Crafter's Station back in service. The problem was caused primarily because the top surface upon which the transmission mounts was not perfectly flat. I've incorporated a fix (kludge) that seems to work. Only time will tell.

A gasket was cut and placed under one edge of the transmission to reposition it.

The following pictures tell the entire story, I think. I have two tool tots to build for the grand daughters. I'll use the Crafter's Station and we'll see.

2003

2005

This error (90.1 degrees) is a function of the gasket. It shall remain for the time being.

2006

This error (90.3 degrees) can be corrected by alignment. The allen head screw in the first image is the point of adjustment (one on each side).

All that needs to be done at this point is a complete, standard table alignment.