Miter saw acting weird (re-titled thread)

[Roly]

This is exactly what it is... OP can take the fence to a machine shop and have it ground. At my old job this would have been a lunch hour "government job".

This tool was built for the framing industry where plus or minus 1/16" is more than accurate.

However, checking it for straightness using a chinese straight edge and a plastic square is almost as laughable as expecting perfection out of this machine.

After reading this I checked my plastic speed square against my Starrett square,  they didn't match.  Wonder which one is off.
  Roly

[CLETUS]

After reading this I checked my plastic speed square against my Starrett square,  they didn't match.  Wonder which one is off.
  Roly

I'll take plastic shrinkage and warpage for $500, Roly.

[Handplanesandmore]

Haha.

Even a Starrett square can be out of square, if it has been dropped or bumped aggressively. From time to time, I check and fine-tune my combo squares, including a Starrett, against a machinist square or a CNC-cut square. The Starrett was out a hair to my surprise, due to wear from use.

Something I don't quite get is that how come so many people rely on their big box store aluminum levels as the gold standard for straightness.

Simon

[KingwoodFan1989]

Lol, I better invest in a more dedicated straight edge and square!

However, to the one who mentioned that I shouldn't expect perfection out of this saw, I think if others (Stwood being one example) can get pretty much that out of their saws with the same fence as mine, I have a right to expect the same thing. I'll be giving DeWalt a call shortly. 


EDIT: 

Well, wouldn't you know it...DeWalt said that since Amazon was the originator of the sale to me, I had to take it up with them. I'll get the exchange under way later.

ANOTHER EDIT (Predictable, huh? 
 )

I deleted a BUNCH of stuff from my previous edit....I called DeWalt again to see if another customer service rep would answer. It happened, and the lady on the other end was telling me about ways to clamp the fence and screw the screws back in. I'll have to figure out a way to try that. She also referred me to a certified repair shop that I've actually been to before (same one my table saw got its arbor changed out on). I'm gonna give that shop a call before I bother with Amazon. Heck, with my luck, I might end up getting another saw that has a perfect fence but the sliding mechanism isn't accurate. 
  

I do find it weird that all the major companies other than Hitachi (and I think Bosch with their newer glider saws) use this one-piece fence design...I know it's not the best idea, but I'm beginning to think more and more that this has to be some sort of a fluke. Although it does seem like a no brainer to use a two piece fence, it's weird that even Festool uses the one-piece design. That tells me it has to be a fluke that my fence happens to be out.

[Stwood_]

Lets see....clamp something down to force fence back.

C-clamp on front of table.
3 or 4" long 3/8" bolt and a nut.
Flush the nut on the bolt and lay said bolt down on table between fence and clamp.
May have to clamp a wood block down under that clamp.
Take two 9/16" wrenches and turn the nut, lengthening the bolt.

Anyway, some kinda variation of that procedure.

[KingwoodFan1989]

Lets see....clamp something down to force fence back.

C-clamp on front of table.
3 or 4" long 3/8" bolt and a nut.
Flush the nut on the bolt and lay said bolt down on table between fence and clamp.
May have to clamp a wood block down under that clamp.
Take two 9/16" wrenches and turn the nut, lengthening the bolt.

Anyway, some kinda variation of that procedure.

I talked with the tool repair place, and they'd recommend the route the lady on the phone earlier said...ask them to send me another fence. The guy I spoke to there was actually a bit shocked that I got a fence that was out of flat...I won't be able to reach DeWalt again until at least tomorrow, though, so I'm trying to get a picture in my head of how I would do your procedure as listed above...

I can't find my C-clamps, so I'll need to get a few of those, so that's the first thing.
Sounds like I would need aftermarket bolts and nuts with this plan. Is that correct?

I'm not very good at learning new things like this without some kind of visual, so I'm gonna also search through some videos (if vids of this type of thing are out there).

[Stwood_]

I can't find my C-clamps, so I'll need to get a few of those, so that's the first thing.
Sounds like I would need aftermarket bolts and nuts with this plan. Is that correct?

I'm not very good at learning new things like this without some kind of visual, so I'm gonna also search through some videos.

I''l stage a picture here in a bit.

[Handplanesandmore]

Well, wouldn't you know it...DeWalt said that since Amazon was the originator of the sale to me, I had to take it up with them. I'll get the exchange under way later.

ANOTHER EDIT (Predictable, huh?   )

I deleted a BUNCH of stuff from my previous edit....I called DeWalt again to see if another customer service rep would answer. It happened, and the lady on the other end was telling me about ways to clamp the fence and screw the screws back in. I'll have to figure out a way to try that. She also referred me to a certified repair shop

I am kinda at a loss. If the advice from your first call to Dewalt was that you should contact Amazon, why did you still try the fix the saw in your hand by yourself? About that certified repair shop referral, are you planning to foot the bill for the fix?

It puzzles me that you would want to go through that kind of trouble when the trouble belongs to Amazon, which has a customer service to handle things like that (exchange or refund).

Simon

[Stwood_]

This is a 5/16"x2-1/2" bolt and nut.
3/4" thick wood block.

When you try to remove that nut, the fence should move back. Shouldn't take much.

   

[KingwoodFan1989]

I am kinda of at a loss. If the advice from your first call to Dewalt was that you should contact Amazon, why did you still try the fix the saw in your hand by yourself? About that certified repair shop referral, are you planning to foot the bill for the fix?

It puzzles me that you would want to go through that kind of trouble when the trouble belongs to Amazon, which has a customer service to handle things like that (exchange or refund).

Simon

Oh, those attempts at fixing were done before I made that first call. The repair shop recommended to me that I have DeWalt send me another fence, which the second rep (whose name I remember, so I can hopefully get a hold of that person again) offered to do. 

Yes, I could exchange the saw and THEN try to get a replacement fence if the second one isn't good, but since the fence is the only problem, why not cut out the middle man (Amazon) and just get that part changed out? I feel like if I exchanged it and the other unit didn't have a flat fence, I'd probably give up on this model and go with another brand that has a 2-piece fence.

Stwood, looks simple enough, but are you sure it'll work even with the countersunk bolt inserts in the fence? And with that force in play, is there a chance the fence will snap back as soon as I remove the setup you showed me?

Hopefully, the new fence will just be flat (or much closer than the one I have now) and I won't have to adjust anything. I certainly don't think cutting the fence at the center would help (given that those countersunk holes cause the fence to be set in a very specific position anyway). 

It seems my best three options are to get a (hopefully flat) replacement fence, trying the idea Stwood gave me, or, as a last resort, returning the saw altogether and going with a model that has a 2-piece fence.