The Fine Height Adjuster for the table saw blade was Brian Lamb's great idea. I contributed the Speed Nut to the concept to allow for quick "get close" blade height setting and then the fine height adjusting to the desired height setting. If you do rabbets/rebates, dadoes or tenons this fine height adjuster is worth its weight in gold, OK maybe not gold, but definitely silver.Near the bottom of this page there's a link to drawings of the parts in .dxf format that you can download if you're interested in either making this gem yourself or want to have a machine shop make you one ( if they do it figure on shelling out some dough. If you're not a machinist and don't have a machine shop handy figure on spending 10 to 20 hours making the parts with what you do have) And each time you use this device remember to either say out loud, or at least think 'THANK YOU BRIAN". - he created the .dxf files and shared them.
Height Adjuster Installation
The Height Adjuster installation requires drilling and tapping only one hole in the X31, pressing one brass bushing into the Mounting Bracket (easily done with a drill press) and extending the thread on the Tilt Shaft by about an inch oto accomodate a Nylon Centered Lock Nut.
You will need the following tools
- M12 ISO 1.75 pitch Die to extemd the thread on the Lever Shaft (see Step 2)
- M5 Drill Bit to drill a new hole in the existing bracket on the X31 (see Step 4).
Note: A drill bit extension or an extra long drill bit is required as you can see.- M6 ISO 1 pitch Tap to retap the existing hole and the new hole on the existing bracket on the X31 (see Step 4)
Note: You'll need an extension to tap the hole. The drill bit extension may do the trick.
Note: you'll need and extension for the tap as you can see- Long Drill Bit Extension which can also be used with the M6 Tap (see Step 4)
- Cutting Oil (clove oil works well but any oil will probably work)
- 5 mm Allen Wrench
NOTE: I had to grind off some of the head of the allen head bolt for the bottom hole and a bit off the face of my X31 to get the lower allen head bolt to fit.
If the Tap starts to squeek STOP! Back it off to clear the metal chips, add some oil and tap some more. IF YOU DON'T YOU MAY SNAP THE TAP - and they're a PITA to remove when they snap off in the hole. Word to the wise.
Installation Step 10
Tighten the nylon centered Lock Nut (shown in Step 6) up to the handle of the Lever Assembly
That's it. You're done!
(Unforrtunately, Tim, who had a batch of these things made and sold them to members has moved to Canada and is no longer selling them. HOWEVER - there's a Yahoo Robland X-31 group with about 400 members. On occassion, a member may, as a service to the group and not for profit, volunteer to arrange to have things made for the X31 - if there's sufficient interest. Head over to the group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RoblandX-31 and join up. It's free and a great resource for X31 owners
If YOU want to have a go at making one or want to have a machinist make one for you CLICK HERE to get to Brian Lamb's drawings in .dxf format.