Tooth Set Tolerance

[Redmt]

I'm curious as to how much tolerance do you expect when setting? I know that uneven set causes grooves and waves but how much is too much? I'm learning my new Woodland setter and it's near impossible to get anything closer than a few thousandths. The goal it .021 but there's a range from .019 to .024

[barbender]

 I'd say that's a little bit wide, mine are usually within .003" of each other maximum. I set my Suffolks dual tooth setter so that the teeth are consistent side to side, and plus or minus .001" on the same side. Once I get it set, I just set my blades and don't check them again. They cut with a nice smooth finish so that's all I need. 

 One thing that can give you fits setting teeth is if your tooth height is not consistent. That would go back to sharpening. Something to check out anyways. Another thing would be if something knocked more set into the teeth, so they have more set than you are actually putting into them with the setter.

 

[Crossroads]

It's my understanding that the marks in the wood are caused by tooth height (often at the weld) more often than by set. Unless of course you have a tooth that is way out. 

[barbender]

I don't know, I've had some blades with terribly misaligned butt welds, to the point that they vibrated, but they still cut with a good finish. But an overset tooth or two makes a consistent pattern.

[jimbarry]

Agree with what @barbender says, teeth that are further out of set are what makes scoring marks on your wood surfaces. If the marks are on the wood that is still dogged on the mill, it is an outside tooth (or teeth) that are too far out of the average setting. If the score marks are on the underside of the board (or slab) coming off of the mill then its one or more of the inside set of teeth.

In my experience using WM's BMT250, not all of the teeth will have the same set, there will be an average within a couple mils. Nothing wrong with that, it will still produce a decent smooth lumber surface. They call it rough lumber for a reason.

[Chuck White]

To make setting a little less stressful, I used nail polish and put marks on the lens of the dial indicator at .022 & .025, if the needle stops between the marks it's good!

To get them all set exactly the same would be very stressful.

[maineshops]

I Made a jointer to true up any wide teeth set. Simply an old grinder stone laid on is side on a wooden platform that I can raise and lower in .001 of an inch incriments Lot quicker than checking each tooth and works great for me. ...dan

[Redmt]

I have the Woodland setter. It has a digital dial indicator. It nice but with the design of the setter it is upside down when setting the inside tooth. The issue is their setter doesn't seem to set each tooth consistently.  I don't see where a high tooth could make a rough cut as wouldn't the 100 an something lower teeth clean that up? 

[scsmith42]

At Jake's spring get-together this year, Gary mentioned that he strives for a maximum tolerance of .002.

[Chuck White]

I have the Woodland setter. It has a digital dial indicator. It nice but with the design of the setter it is upside down when setting the inside tooth. The issue is their setter doesn't seem to set each tooth consistently.  I don't see where a high tooth could make a rough cut as wouldn't the 100 an something lower teeth clean that up?

Through use, the teeth on a band can be off considerably from the one next to it, different stresses in the band itself, don't blame the setter too quickly.
An overset tooth will make unwanted marks on the lumber, and underset tooth will pretty much act like a raker. 

[Redmt]

During the early learning curve of operation of the setter I over set lots of teeth. I then built a "de-setter" from a couple driveshaft center carrier bearings making one of the on an offset so they could adjust against the blade. I'm starting off with blades that are all very much underset so setting is starting on an equal baseline. My question is how much is acceptable to be off? I'm guessing that .002 on a side is about all you can tolerate without having a pretty ugly cut.

[Cedarman]

I don't saw much any more, but I do set and sharpen all our blades.  I tell the guys to tag any blade that has hit a stone or metal so I know what to look for and then decide salvage or scrap.  If a blade is leaving bad  marks, I like a short section of board to see what the blade is doing.  Then I know what to look for when setting. I try to keep set to plus or minus 1.  I like 25 thousands, but as long as both sides are close to within 3 thousanths, I am happy with 20 thousanths to 28 thousanths  on .045  10 degree blades.  Actual set is not as important to me as equal set on both sides.

[trapper]

I have had a couple of blades come back from resharp that were overset.  probably that way when I sent them in, I now run them thru a desetter my friend made for me.  Will see how they come back now.