Scheppach TS2500 (Ally) trunion alignment

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I need to adjust the trunion alignment on a Scheppach TS2500 (aluminium) because the blade isn't parallel with the mitre slots. There is no mention of trunion alignment in the manual, I have tried loosening off the 6 bolts used to mount the trunion to the table but there is no play there, certainly not enough to bring the blade true and I can't see any other way of aligning it. Has anyone with a TS2500 managed to work out how to do this? I presume it must be relatively straight forward. It did occur to me that I could enlarge the holes on the trunion mounting brackets, that would then give me a bit of play, but I feel sure there must be a simpler way of doing it and I'm just missing it.

Geoff
 
Hi Geoff

Welcome to the forum.

Sorry I can't help, but why don't you contact technical support at NMA, the agents?

NMA (Agencies) Ltd. Birds Royd Lane, Brighouse, West Yorkshire, HD6 1 LQ.

Telephone: 01484 400488 - Fax: 01484 711012
E.mail: [email protected] - Website: www.nmauk.com

HTH.

Please let us know how you get on.

Cheers
Neil
 
Geoff

The purists and engineers aren't going to like my answer to this but my new machine (2500ci) had just this problem (one of the reasons to ignore the manual and set the saw up properly). Before setting up both the rip fence and sliding table, the blade needs to be in exact line with the mitre slots first. The only way I could achieve this was to lie under the saw (remove a panel) undo the four bolts holding the blade unit to the table top, lever with a crowbar, and tighten whilst keeping pressure on, and recheck alignment measurements. Build quality on these machines is way overated. They're good but only if fettled into submission, unless I got a rogue unit of course :cry: I understand yours is the ally version but the same principle may apply, if it's that far out then maybe you'll have to relieve the holes a little, but I wouldn't have thought it'll be that bad :?: .

cheers Alan
 
Hi,

I had the exact same problem with my ts2500 ali version.

I did contact NMA and they seemed unconcerned by the accuracy level problems I found.

I did resort to levering the trunion over and this improved the alignment with one mitre slot but not the other. It seems the two slots aren't parallel on mine and I couldn't find an easy way to adjust them.

I'm not experienced in these areas but I did think by buying at the higher end I would get a much higher quality product, I'm not however convinced. Perhaps I'm expecting too much.


gav
 
Very interesting. I was a little bit suspicious that it was a basic design inadequacy because the manual only talks of aligning the fence with the blade, but it is rather suprising all the same. On my saw the plane of the blade is off true quite noticeably. It would require the trunion mounts to move by about 1.5 mm to pull it into line with the mitre slot, I should be able to get that by drilling out the mounting holes but I will check to see whether both mitre slots are parallel first, if they aren’t then maybe it is not worth doing. I am using the sliding carriage so I could just line everything up with the blade (as they suggest in the manual) but it does feel like a bit of a bodge… shame.

G
 
If NMA reckon that a non-parallel table saw is perfectly adequate I'd fling the thing straight back at them and demand a properly adjusted machine or my money back. Putting aside the hassle of constant adjusting and inaccuracy the danger of kickback with non parallel mitre slots is crazy.

Noel
 
My saw is third hand so unfortunately a return to NMA is not really an option for me.

This problem seems to be a limitation of the design. The mounting of the trunion appears to have no adjustment built in and reading between the lines in the manual Scheppach appear to be aware that this is weakness because they ask you to adjust the fence to be parallel with the blade rather than with the table. Ultimately it isn't a problem as long as you have the sliding carriage (which can also be aligned with the blade) and you don't want to use the mitre slots, but it does seem sloppy engineering to me and it would niggle to constantly notice that the fence is not parallel with the mitre slots.


G
 
Newbie_Neil":30zhhrk9 said:
Do you want to update the comparison between the Jet and the Scheppach?

Not really, it was a review of the saws, from a personal point of view, based on how I found the saws on the day. Not only that but the model I reviewed was the aluminium top, which is now no longer available.

Futhermore, since writing it, I've been happily using my Scheppach, so I'm now rather biased, and could add some other things. Which is unfair on the Jet. I think it better that users who are having problems either start a thread with some photos or continue with this one.

Adam
 
The above threads have certainly put me off buying these saws.

I have constantly had the urge to spend and change over to a c.i. table saw but it appears my triton setup is more accurate and reliable. Its three years, many metres of timber and never had to realign any setup since purchase apart from teated timber sawdust clogging the dust disposable sytem on one occassion

So perhaps c.i. saw manufacturers can take note.
 
devonwoody":2djpcpno said:
The above threads have certainly put me off buying these saws.

Woody, I'm a happy user of this particular saw, and I've found NMA helpful on any occasion I've rung, although my local store did all the building and setting up for me, so unfortunately can't add anything constructive to this thread. It'd be useful to see if Geoff had any luck with suggestions from NMA - I know they have some hand-written instructions which they send out on occasions.

If you look at this, you'll see its the most popular saw here.

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/view ... 27&start=0

Adam
 
adam

not in dispute with your comments.
Its just that the cast iron fellows always seem to be running us other table users down as second rate machinists. :roll:
 
Dev, don't think the issue is the table top, cast iron, ali or cardboard. Just one guy's experience with one particular TS.

Noel
 
I think it is worthwhile keeping some perspective on all of this.

Firstly re the aluminium vs ci issue, my saw is the older TS2500 that has an aluminium table so my problem is not with a cast iron table. I do think that you need to treat an aluminium table with a lot more care, it is more vulnerable than cast iron, both because aluminium is a softer material and because manufacturers take a different contructional approach when building aluminium tables. I am sure there is no intrinsic reason why you can't machine accurately on an aluminum table, but I suspect it is easier for a manufacturer to produce an accurate cast iron table. Having said that I specifically looked for an aluminium table because I wanted a comparatively light weight saw, but I am very conscious of the need to treat it with care.

Secondly my issue with trunion alignment is because I want it to be perfect and it isn't. If set up as prescribed in the manual, the saw makes excellent clean cuts, both ripping and crosscutting (when using the sliding carriage). If you cross cut using the mitre gauge then the cut is not quite as clean and you risk more tear out. I was suprised that there didn't appear to be any way to align the trunion with the mitre slots and I would prefer that it is aligned, but I am still very happy with the TS2500. I am not about to trade it in for something else.

I think ones expectations of a piece of kit go up as the cost of it goes up, my niggles have to be taken within this context. Plus I am a bit of a perfectionist!

G
 
I still think that a large manufacturer should put a problem right even if the complaintant was not the original purchaser on a particularly design or works despatch fault.

People like me would then be more confident to upgrade (or whatever you would call it).
 
OK, so I don't get to look under many table saws and I might be completely wrong here, but, is it not the case that the motor, trunnions, axle, blade, all that stuff generally, is not supposed to hang on the table? I'm fairly sure that I am right about this, otherwise the tables would bow under the weight (the major fault with contractors saws).
Anyway, if it is a seperate assembly, would it be possible to move the table rather than the trunnion etc? Just a thought

John
 
John,

Your statement is true for my old Wadkin, I have taken the cast iron table off to clean all the moving parts before fitting the new motor. But on the B&Q saw I had everything hung off the aluminum top. :?
 
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