Rapidor cutting at an angle - what to adjust?

[skotl]

I love my Rapidor but can't figure out how to get it to cut square. On a piece of 25mm square it's 1.5mm out to the bottom right. On a piece of 6mm x 120mm held vertically, it's a centimetre off to the right by the time it's finished.

Any tips on what to adjust to bring it back in line?

From lathes.co.uk, this looks like my model:

 

[Milkybars]

Suspect it may be the wooden packing needs replacing /adjusting. I have been fidling / adjusting today but until I have the arm and bow in place I can't definitively comment.
I am sure someone else will be along shortly quite a few have them on here

 

[skotl]

Suspect it may be the wooden packing needs replacing /adjusting. I have been fidling / adjusting today but until I have the arm and bow in place I can't definitively comment.
I am sure someone else will be along shortly quite a few have them on here

Interesting. Someone else mentioned them to me a while back - they're here, right?

 

[Milkybars]

No the two nuts further back, the four nuts should have spring washers under 3/8" Nuts. Take the top casting off and the 4 wooden spacers are there.

 

[skotl]

No the two nuts further back, the four nuts should have spring washers under 3/8" Nuts. Take the top casting off and the 4 wooden spacers are there.

Aha! Thanks - never had these open so will go try that tomorrow

 

[Milkybars]

They are nuts on Studs ..if the stud comes with it you'll have to use the 2 spanner / nut techinigue to get them back locked in !

 

[MattF]

Those are just shims, to space the castings so that the bars are a snug, sliding fit. If you need to alter cut geometry, it is where the bars connect to the bow, (which is those front two), which you'll need to pack to compensate. Is the blade good?

 

[skotl]

Those are just shims, to space the castings so that the bars are a snug, sliding fit. If you need to alter cut geometry, it is where the bars connect to the bow, (which is those front two), which you'll need to pack to compensate. Is the blade good?

I think so, and it seems snug in its fitting. But I just got a new batch from Julia on here so I'll try swapping these to see if that helps.

 

[JMS1972]

I think so, and it seems snug in its fitting. But I just got a new batch from Julia on here so I'll try swapping these to see if that helps.

Is the blade tensioned nice and tight?

 

[skotl]

Is the blade tensioned nice and tight?

Think so. Is there a more scientific way to test than by feel?

 

[JMS1972]

I don't know?

Think so. Is there a more scientific way to test than by feel

I don't know...


While having a quick Google for that I saw something about some saws being designed to cut in the pull stroke rather than push so might be worth trying swapping the blade round?

 

[brightspark]

I don't know?

I don't know...


While having a quick Google for that I saw something about some saws being designed to cut in the pull stroke rather than push so might be worth trying swapping the blade round?

ther rapidor cuts on the forward stroke

 

[brightspark]

the only way you could alter the angle of the bow would be by packing with shims under one side of the clamp holding the bow . it would have to be verry slight otherwise it would make the guide bars and the conrod little end bind and distort

 

[brewdexta]

I had the same issue, a small shim helped, it back in this thread

 

[Brad93]

Youre gonna need some 1 thou, 2 thou, 5 thou shim stock.

 

[brightspark]

Youre gonna need some 1 thou, 2 thou, 5 thou shim stock.

steel coke cans make lovely shimstock. can cut it with scissors

 

[decca]

I had a similar problem with mine. I found that the screw that goes through the hole in the blade (like a grub screw with a reduced shank) was going too far in and pushing the blade off plumb. I just backed it off a little so the blade found its own position and the saw cut dead square. Before this I had tried to shim the part that holds the bow on and when I tightened it up the casting snapped and I had to weld it back together so be careful of that.

 

[jimbo84]

If you haven't already double check the blade, I find on mine the finer toothed blades that aren't as thick/tall can bend and then not cut straight. The courser blades that are thicker/taller run through straight.