Start with your sword:
It is quite simple to see when the table saw blade should be aligned. Your overall cutting accuracy will suffer and you will likely see burn marks on your cut lines. You may also experience something akin to planing bump where you will lose a bit more material than expected near the end of the cut.

To remedy said blade alignment issue, that’s exactly where you’ll want to start: on the blade. First, take a good look at the thing; after all, the component is quite important for your table saw. Before cleaning, sharpening, or anything else, you’ll want to make sure the blade is completely, completely, and perfectly flat. To do this, simply watch the blade stop after you unplug the saw. As the blade slows it should stay perfectly straight, if there is any wobble in the blade it will need to be replaced. NOTE: A loose blade can also cause some wobble; if you’re loose, tighten it up a bit and twist again. If it still wobbles after tightening, replace the blade.

If your current blade is flat, you should also make sure that it is also clean and free of pitch (a sticky buildup that increases with each cut). Soaking the blades in oven cleaner is a perfect solution to the pitch problem. Soaking in kerosene or mineral spirits can also do the trick. After soaking, wipe or wipe the blade with a non-abrasive cloth to prevent scratches, and remember that these solutions are highly flammable. Always be cautious when working with them and always be cautious when working with their blades. If you don’t have pitch, you can simply clean the blade with a lint-free cloth and a household cleaner diluted with water.

Also make sure your blade is sharp; if you have the skill and equipment to sharpen it yourself that’s tremendous, if not your blade dealer should be able to sharpen it for you for a small fee. If it has chips, missing teeth, or the blade is in poor condition in general, it should be replaced.

Align the blade with the miter slot:
After firmly and correctly installing a sharp, clean, flat blade on the saw, make sure the blade is parallel to the miter slot of the saw. To do this, raise the blade as high as possible and choose a specific tooth on the blade as a reference point. You can decide whether or not to mark the tooth. Rotate the blade forward until its index tooth is level with the front end of the saw table and measure and record the distance between your index tooth and the miter slot. Now turn the blade in the opposite direction until its index tooth is level with the back of the saw table and measure and record again. If there is a discrepancy in the distances, adjust the saw motor accordingly (and according to your manual) and repeat the measurement process until perfectly aligned. You may also want to make sure your miter gauge is aligned with the miter slot and can move freely between all positions.

Fence Alignment:
Now check the alignment of the saw’s rip fence. Because rip fence misalignment can cause kickback, sloppy cuts, and inaccurate angles, this part of the process is particularly important.

Since the blade is now perfectly aligned with the miter slot, you can also confidently align the fence with the miter slot. Take a square frame or ruler that is at least as long as your fence and place it inside the miter slot. Slide the guide towards the straight edge until they are pressed firmly. Closely inspect the gap between the guide and the straight edge to confirm there are no gaps. When gaps appear, simply adjust your fence to correct them (see your manual for details). It is also recommended that you check the guide’s locking mechanism to ensure that it can withstand the pressure of use without slipping.

Square your blade to the saw table:
To make sure your blade is square to the table, simply set your saw’s arbor angle to zero degrees. Using a small framing square or layout square, make sure the blade makes an exact ninety-degree angle, or square, with the saw table. If you can’t find a perfect ninety degree angle, adjust the zero degree stop on the saw in the proper direction until you get a perfect square angle. The specifications for this procedure should also be described more fully in the manual for the saw.

Inspect your throat plate:
Now that your blade is square and your fence and blade are aligned with the miter slot of the saw, you’ll want to double check the level of your throat plate. The throat plate should be at or just below the level of the saw table; if it sits above this level, the throat plate can interfere with the material as it moves toward the blade. To most effectively check the height of the throat plate, slide the square or straight edge across it to make sure it does not snag. If the plate protrudes beyond table level, use the plate adjustment screws to lower it. As with the blade, check here for cleanliness as well. Sawdust is a gagging creature with a tendency to accumulate.