Hi all sliding table shaper users,
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I have a question regarding the usual/best/preferred relationship of sliding table height to cast-iron top of a shaper (stand alone, not KF combo).
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The subject has been mentioned in several posts I searched. I have also watched David Best's informative and comprehensive videos on the subject of building a panel door using a shaper, a profile/counter profile cutter and the tenoning plate, but unfortunately, the subject is still unclear to me.?
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The basic question is whether the slider is most commonly set up to be perfectly co-planer to the cast iron top or if the slider ought to be raised a tiny bit? Unfortunately, I only have one machine to do long grain profile cuts as well as tenoning work. Here is my situation:
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I received my F700Z with the slider 0.6 mm higher than the cast iron on the right and 0.3 mm higher on the left of the machine. I attempted to correct this and managed to bring it to within 0.2 mm on both sides. Anything closer seems to bind if I use my eccentric clamps to hold down my work piece even slightly off center on the slider towards the spindle. It appears that the pressure of the clamps bend/twist the sliding table sufficiently to bind my work piece against the cast iron (and this is setting up the clamps with a 7mm spacer in order to not apply full pressure). Is this normal or am I doing something wrong?
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After the adjustment, I left the slider at a height difference of 0.2 mm and it has been working for me? .... mostly.? However, my current problem is when I lock the slider and run pieces the long way. Then I have a slight angle on my cut if the work piece is wider than the available cast iron section in front of the cutterhead and rests, partially, on the slider as well. Again, David Best has explained that this would not have any relevant impact when shaping raised panels (and I agree), but in my case I am trying to make glue joints with a profile cutter in order to to glue up wide boards and even a slight angle will cup my final glue-up.?
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So, what does everyone do? Do you have the tables co-planer and when you do tenoning work, the Felder tenoning plate will slide smoothly over the cast iron even with no height difference. Even if the clamps are pressing down, close to the cutterhead (above the cast iron table) as in David Best's videos? You don't have any binding? I do not yet own the tenoning plate, but I am considering to buy it if it solves my problems. Or do you somehow shim the cast-iron top when you mill long grain pieces (but this seems difficult to me since any type of shim would slide along with the work piece, in manual or power feed mode).?
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I hope these questions make sense.
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Many thanks for everyone's support!
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Cornelius Schultze-Kraft
Cyprus
