Freud box joint cutter set

[clovishound]

I just purchased one of these to make rabbets for a couple companion urns, and later to be used to make the joints they are intended for in small boxes. I set it up when I first got it, and cut some test cuts. Nice smooth flat, square cuts. I had to put the regular blade back on to cut some replacement parts for one I destroyed during glue up. When I put the cutter set back on I'm now getting a  telltale line partway across the bottom of the kerf. My assumption is that one of the two cutters is misaligned with the other. Anybody have experience with this, and a fix to make sure it doesn't happen again?

I tried loosening up the set and repositioning the two cutters to fall between different sets of teeth. No joy, in fact, it made it worse. I flipped them over and cut a 1/4" kerf, which was perfect.

My suspicion is that I may need to mark the teeth and try rotating one of them tooth by tooth, until I find the right combo, then mark it. Thought I'd ask here before going through all that.

[museumguy]

I have the set and have never noticed the issue that you describe. Is it possible that one of the blades is sitting in the grooves of the arbor?

[Bill_de]

Make sure there is no small amount of debris stuck to one of the plate surfaces.


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[Woodenfish]

Freud has a full replacement warranty if defective.

[clovishound]

OK, after finishing my current project, I decided to take another look at the cutter set. I made a cut and then unplugged the saw and used the higher half of the cut as a gauge block as I slowly rotated the blade by hand. I went from not touching to heavy interference to not touching in 10 teeth. 20 tooth cutter, so it's not concentric. I counted to the center of those 10 and then loosened up the set and rotated the outside one 5 teeth from the high. Tightened things back down and test cuts came out perfect.

I must have accidentally installed it the first time in just the right orientation. As soon as I can find my Sharpie, I will mark the blades and just make sure I install them correctly oriented. Probably easier than getting a replacement set from Freud. I also wonder if the issue could be my arbor, which doesn't present itself with a single blade. There is a short section of unthreaded shaft on the arbor that a single blade would ride in. The outside cutter from this set rides on the threaded portion of the arbor. I could try measuring the arbor in different locations with my calipers (I know a micrometer is the right tool for the job, but don't have one), but since I have a simple solution that works, I'll probably just go with that. I still think that the issue is the cutter set. That makes the most sense given the issue and the solution. l suppose it would be interesting to see if I could duplicate the problem with the blades reversed in the 1/4" configuration. At this point it doesn't seem worth the trouble.

[Alan S]

OK, after finishing my current project, I decided to take another look at the cutter set. I made a cut and then unplugged the saw and used the higher half of the cut as a gauge block as I slowly rotated the blade by hand. I went from not touching to heavy interference to not touching in 10 teeth. 20 tooth cutter, so it's not concentric. I counted to the center of those 10 and then loosened up the set and rotated the outside one 5 teeth from the high. Tightened things back down and test cuts came out perfect.

I must have accidentally installed it the first time in just the right orientation. As soon as I can find my Sharpie, I will mark the blades and just make sure I install them correctly oriented. Probably easier than getting a replacement set from Freud. I also wonder if the issue could be my arbor, which doesn't present itself with a single blade. There is a short section of unthreaded shaft on the arbor that a single blade would ride in. The outside cutter from this set rides on the threaded portion of the arbor. I could try measuring the arbor in different locations with my calipers (I know a micrometer is the right tool for the job, but don't have one), but since I have a simple solution that works, I'll probably just go with that. I still think that the issue is the cutter set. That makes the most sense given the issue and the solution. l suppose it would be interesting to see if I could duplicate the problem with the blades reversed in the 1/4" configuration. At this point it doesn't seem worth the trouble.

Is it only one of your blades that is not concentric?  I assume so.

If the problem is that the threaded part of your arbor does not hold the outside blade sufficiently centered, then swapping the two blades should make the other one look out of round.  If the inner one never looks out of round, regardless of which blade is there, it's your arbor.

Note that if rotating an out of round blade fixes things, both the blade is out of round and your arbor is out of center, by the same amount. It seems more likely the threaded part of the arbor is small, and that sometimes you can get the blade to clamp down centered anyway.

[handi]

Another vote here for getting it replaced.

I have owned that set for years now, I use it a lot. I have NEVER bothered with orienting the blades to each other, nor would I. That is not how these should work.

Freud will make it right, why do a work around?