# How much tolerance for joints



## BigFishBite (Mar 22, 2008)

I build custom fishing rods with wood handles and accents. When setting up my band saw and table saw I use two levels to level the table beds, but when I try to use squares to check square to the bed, I found, that between 3-4 different squares I have as much as 1/8" difference between them, I also have noticed difference's in the level's, With out spending 100'a of dollars on square's and level's, how much tolerance would you accept, for square and angle?? :boat:


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

Big Fish,
You didn't say what kind of levels or squares you are using, but I would throw them all away if you are an 1/8" off on a table top. I have a set of Stabila levels made in Germany. There is a spec printed on each one on their accuracy. I don't recall the exact number off hand, but it's something like a couple of one hundreths of an inch. They guarantee that you could throw them off a 55' high rooftop and they will still be accurate. Haven't tried that one yet. Needless to say, they have served me well. I have been using one of the wixey digital angle finders for squaring up blades and the like, it seems to work pretty well. If you want to keep a good square around just for setups, I would look into machinest's quality stuff made by people like Starrett. Not cheap, but what good things are?
Mike Hawkins


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## TomC (Oct 27, 2008)

Not sure why you are trying level the tables. What I do is set the blade 90 degrees to the table. As long as the table is flat who cares if it is slighly out of level. As Mike said there are electronic devices to set the blade(or table) 90 degrees to each other or what ever angle you want.
Tom


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## BigFishBite (Mar 22, 2008)

The floor of the work shop is way off level, built on a car port slab, so every thing I build, benches and tables, are started at one point, then built on level from there, then you have to level the machines, band saw, sander, and such from there. I'm a little more fussy than most, my nature for as long as I can remember. Most wood I use is very expensive and wasting any is really hard on me and the pocket book, I have tons of scrap pieces that I can use for set up and most of my work is with in a couple thousand's.?!?! So you can see why I'm so critical about square and level.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

I am with TomC. I do not understand what the floor level has to do with any of your tools ability to do good work. All work is in reference to the tool being used. All measurements are in reference to the measuring tool. I know of nothing in woodworking that used the floor as a reference point. I have never once checked the absolute level of any tool that I am using.

I particularily do not understand this statement: "every thing I build, benches and tables, are started at one point, then built on level from there." (If these are being attached to the walls of your workshop I would understand, you would want them level. ) Do you not use a tape measure to insure that the legs of, say a table, are the same length? 

G

G


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## TomC (Oct 27, 2008)

Lets take your band saw. You level the table. Now if the blade is not 90 degrees to the table how do you expect to correct that.
If I have a table saw on a level floor and the table is level and the blade is 90 degrees to the table every thing is OK and you will get a good cut. Now I shim up one side of the table saw on the floor by 1/8 inch. Now I make a cut and every thing on the cut is identical. You still have the same quality cut as before.
Tom


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## Texas Sawduster (Apr 27, 2009)

When using a level, all you are doing is creating a level surface to the earth. If you want a 90 deg. square blade to a table top you must use a square of some accuracy to insure the blade is square with the table. Much like everyone else has commented on so far.
Also, a bandsaw blade will naturally drift to some degree so be watchfull for that as well.


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