Tile Saw Trouble

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smallbitz
Posts: 154
Joined: Sat Jun 27, 2009 8:44 am
Location: Florida

Tile Saw Trouble

Post by smallbitz »

Help! I use my tile saw all the time for pattern bars, and the feed table is no longer true. My bars are thicker at one end than the other and I can't for the life of me seem to do anything to get them even. The table is not adjustable, and I really am not in a position right now to purchase a new saw...I have fantastic blades, so that's not the problem. I read somewhere here that someone had the same problem and made jigs to solve it, but can't find the post. I'm not sure I can visualize how that would work. If anyone can give me some ideas on how I can true the glass up to the blade, sure would appreciate it! Wasting too much glass and time.
Brad Walker
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Re: Tile Saw Trouble

Post by Brad Walker »

There should be an adjustment on the saw, but even if you use it they don't stay true for very long. Here's how I adjust mine:

Get a scrap of kiln shelf, around five or six inches long and a few inches wide. You could use a scrap of wood instead of kiln shelf material.

Set your fence up around 2 inches away from the blade. Push the scrap of kiln shelf so it's flush against the side fence. Don't square up the scrap of shelf against the lip at the bottom of the saw, just the side fence.

Cut through the scrap of kiln shelf. Now you have a piece of kiln shelf that's not quite rectangular. It's off by the degree to which your blade is not perpendicular to the bottom lip.

Adjust the fence so that you can cut to the desired width. For example, if you want to cut a 3/8" inch wide bar and you started at 2", move the fence to 2 3/8".

When you cut glass, make sure the glass to be cut is pressed against the scrap of kiln shelf, not the lip on the bottom. That will keep it straight.

Here's a photo of the setup when you're cutting the bar:
Attachments
Tile-saw.jpg
smallbitz
Posts: 154
Joined: Sat Jun 27, 2009 8:44 am
Location: Florida

Re: Tile Saw Trouble

Post by smallbitz »

Ahhh! Very clever! Thanks a bunch. I think even I can do that. Looks like it should do the trick.

When you mention that there 'should be an adjustment', you mean for the table, right? Not the fence. I can't find one for the table. I do, of course, have one for the fence.
Brad Walker
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Re: Tile Saw Trouble

Post by Brad Walker »

smallbitz wrote:When you mention that there 'should be an adjustment', you mean for the table, right? Not the fence. I can't find one for the table. I do, of course, have one for the fence.
Well, most saws do have an adjustment for the table or for the rails under the table. But I had my saw for a year or two before I found it. And now I just mostly don't bother adjusting (it goes out of whack pretty quickly anyway) and just recut some kiln shelf scrap every now and then.
bob proulx
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Re: Tile Saw Trouble

Post by bob proulx »

On My smaller MK it's at the rear on the side of the left hand side. Undo the bolt use a framing and true it up.
Bob
smallbitz
Posts: 154
Joined: Sat Jun 27, 2009 8:44 am
Location: Florida

Re: Tile Saw Trouble

Post by smallbitz »

Well, I looked everywhere. No place to adjust table. It's a pretty cheap tile saw, but it works ;). I'm going to use it till it dies! More pattern bars to cut tomorrow, so I think I'll trim up an old kiln shelf like Brad suggested. Hopefully that will work for the time being. Thanks for the help and suggestions.
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