Abstract: A rotary cutter lifting apparatus comprising a table plate having an opening and an upper surface, a carriage disposed beneath the table plate and adapted for supporting the rotary cutter, and an adjustment mechanism positioned entirely below the table plate upper surface and operable through the opening. A method of operating a rotary cutter lifting apparatus comprising the steps of positioning the rotary cutter lifting apparatus having a carriage and an adjustment mechanism entirely below a table plate upper surface having an opening, and operating the adjustment mechanism through the opening.

Abstract: A rotary cutter lifting apparatus comprising a table plate having an opening and an upper surface, a carriage disposed beneath the table plate and adapted for supporting the rotary cutter, and an adjustment mechanism positioned entirely below the table plate upper surface and operable through the opening. A method of operating a rotary cutter lifting apparatus comprising the steps of positioning the rotary cutter lifting apparatus having a carriage and an adjustment mechanism entirely below a table plate upper surface having an opening, and operating the adjustment mechanism through the opening.

Abstract: A gauge for aligning a saw comprising a body having a bottom surface, a centering device adapted to fit within a miter gauge slot having various sizes, a cradle located on the centering device, and wherein the body bottom surface rests on the cradle during operation. A method of aligning a saw blade or a table fence comprising the steps of locating a centering device within a miter gauge slot, locating a cradle on the centering device, locating a body having a measurement portion and a counterweight on the cradle, adjusting the measurement portion to achieve a reference point, moving the centering device, the cradle, and the body along the miter gauge slot length to a second position, and obtaining a distance from the measurement portion as the body is moved along the miter gauge slot length.

Abstract: A rotary cutter lifting apparatus comprising a table plate having an opening and an upper surface, a carriage disposed beneath the table plate and adapted for supporting the rotary cutter, and an adjustment mechanism positioned entirely below the table plate upper surface and operable through the opening. A method of operating a rotary cutter lifting apparatus comprising the steps of positioning the rotary cutter lifting apparatus having a carriage and an adjustment mechanism entirely below a table plate upper surface having an opening, and operating the adjustment mechanism through the opening.

Abstract: A device for sharpening a tool blade has a pair of spaced guide rails and a bracket for mounting a sharpening stone on the guide rails. A carriage is slidably supported on the guide rails and has a pair of spaced slide plates adjustably supporting a blade angle plate thereon. A clamp mechanism secures the tool blade on the angle plate which is secured in an adjusted position for forming a primary angle on the blade cutting edge by reciprocal movement of the carriage along the guide rails. The angle plate and attached tool blade are readjusted on the carriage for subsequently forming a secondary angle on the cutting edge of the tool blade. Printed indicia adjacent a plurality of adjustment holes formed in the slide plates set the primary and secondary angles of the cutting edge. Mating surfaces on the carriage and guide rails set the amount of material to be removed from the blade during reciprocal movement along an abrasive sharpening material.

Abstract: A method of changing the distance between a rotary cutter disposed on a carriage assembly and a work surface. The method includes the steps of providing a first mechanism on the carriage assembly for making small distance changes between the rotary cutter and the work surface and providing a second mechanism on the carriage assembly for making larger distance changes between the rotary cutter and the work surface. The user selects one of the first and the second mechanisms to adjust the distance between the rotary cutter and the work surface and then activates the selected one of the first and the second mechanisms. Activation of the second mechanism automatically disengages the first mechanism.

Abstract: A method of changing the distance between a rotary cutter disposed on a carriage assembly and a work surface. The method includes the steps of providing a first mechanism on the carriage assembly for making small distance changes between the rotary cutter and the work surface and providing a second mechanism on the carriage assembly for making larger distance changes between the rotary cutter and the work surface. The user selects one of the first and the second mechanisms to adjust the distance between the rotary cutter and the work surface and then activates the selected one of the first and the second mechanisms. Activation of the second mechanism automatically disengages the first mechanism.

Abstract: A method of changing the distance between a rotary cutter disposed on a carriage assembly and a work surface. The method includes the steps of providing a first mechanism on the carriage assembly for making small distance changes between the rotary cutter and the work surface and providing a second mechanism on the carriage assembly for making larger distance changes between the rotary cutter and the work surface. The user selects one of the first and the second mechanisms to adjust the distance between the rotary cutter and the work surface and then activates the selected one of the first and the second mechanisms. Activation of the second mechanism automatically disengages the first mechanism.

Abstract: A gauge for aligning a saw comprising a body having a bottom surface, a centering device adapted to fit within a miter gauge slot having various sizes, a cradle located on the centering device, and wherein the body bottom surface rests on the cradle during operation. A method of aligning a saw blade or a table fence comprising the steps of locating a centering device within a miter gauge slot, locating a cradle on the centering device, locating a body having a measurement portion and a counterweight on the cradle, adjusting the measurement portion to achieve a reference point, moving the centering device, the cradle, and the body along the miter gauge slot length to a second position, and obtaining a distance from the measurement portion as the body is moved along the miter gauge slot length.

Abstract: A method of changing the distance between a rotary cutter disposed on a carriage assembly and a work surface. The method includes the steps of providing a first mechanism on the carriage assembly for making small distance changes between the rotary cutter and the work surface and providing a second mechanism on the carriage assembly for making larger distance changes between the rotary cutter and the work surface. The user selects one of the first and the second mechanisms to adjust the distance between the rotary cutter and the work surface and then activates the selected one of the first and the second mechanisms. Activation of the second mechanism automatically disengages the first mechanism.

Abstract: A gauge for aligning a saw comprising a body having a bottom surface, a centering device adapted to fit within a miter gauge slot having various sizes, a cradle located on the centering device, and wherein the body bottom surface rests on the cradle during operation. A method of aligning a saw blade or a table fence comprising the steps of locating a centering device within a miter gauge slot, locating a cradle on the centering device, locating a body having a measurement portion and a counterweight on the cradle, adjusting the measurement portion to achieve a reference point, moving the centering device, the cradle, and the body along the miter gauge slot length to a second position, and obtaining a distance from the measurement portion as the body is moved along the miter gauge slot length.

Abstract: An adjustment assembly for raising and lowering a rotary cutter includes a table plate, a carriage assembly there below for supporting the rotary cutter and a lift handle which mounts on the carriage assembly and extends above the table plate to provide rapid manual raising and lowering of the carriage assembly. The carriage assembly is mounted on a support assembly and is disengageable therefrom to allow the rapid raising and lowering. Preferably, the lift handle is insertable through an opening in the table plate and into an opening in the carriage assembly and rotatable to disengage an engaging member of the carriage assembly from the support assembly via a camming engagement. A vertical adjustment mechanism for finely adjusting the carriage assembly height may include an adjusting screw which the engaging member engages for fine vertical adjustment and disengages for rapid vertical adjustment.

Abstract: A gauge for aligning a saw comprising a body having a bottom surface, a centering device adapted to fit within a miter gauge slot having various sizes, a cradle located on the centering device, and wherein the body bottom surface rests on the cradle during operation. A method of aligning a saw blade or a table fence comprising the steps of locating a centering device within a miter gauge slot, locating a cradle on the centering device, locating a body having a measurement portion and a counterweight on the cradle, adjusting the measurement portion to achieve a reference point, moving the centering device, the cradle, and the body along the miter gauge slot length to a second position, and obtaining a distance from the measurement portion as the body is moved along the miter gauge slot length.

Abstract: An adjustment assembly for raising and lowering a rotary cutter includes a table plate, a carriage assembly there below for supporting the rotary cutter and a lift handle which mounts on the carriage assembly and extends above the table plate to provide rapid manual raising and lowering of the carriage assembly. The carriage assembly is mounted on a support assembly and is disengageable therefrom to allow the rapid raising and lowering. Preferably, the lift handle is insertable through an opening in the table plate and into an opening in the carriage assembly and rotatable to disengage an engaging member of the carriage assembly from the support assembly via a camming engagement. A vertical adjustment mechanism for finely adjusting the carriage assembly height may include an adjusting screw which the engaging member engages for fine vertical adjustment and disengages for rapid vertical adjustment.

Abstract: A device for sharpening a tool blade has a pair of spaced guide rails and a bracket for mounting a sharpening stone on the guide rails. A carriage is slidably supported on the guide rails and has a pair of spaced slide plates adjustably supporting a blade angle plate thereon. A clamp mechanism secures the tool blade on the angle plate which is secured in an adjusted position for forming a primary angle on the blade cutting edge by reciprocal movement of the carriage along the guide rails. The angle plate and attached tool blade are readjusted on the carriage for subsequently forming a secondary angle on the cutting edge of the tool blade. Printed indicia adjacent a plurality of adjustment holes formed in the slide plates set the primary and secondary angles of the cutting edge. Mating surfaces on the carriage and guide rails set the amount of material to be removed from the blade during reciprocal movement along an abrasive sharpening material.

Abstract: An adjustable scale typically used with a router table may be reset at any time to facilitate determining the change in height of the router regardless of where the scale is positioned when the router is at a given height. When used with a router table having a table plate with a height adjustment screw for adjusting the height of the router, the scale includes a marker carried by the table plate or the adjustment screw. When carried by the adjustment screw, the marker is rotatable relative to the adjustment screw to align markings thereon with a reference mark on the table plate to reset the scale. Thus, a zero marking may be aligned with the reference mark at any height of the router, and the adjustment screw and marker may then be rotated together to adjust the height of the router and simultaneously measure the height change.

Abstract: An adjustable scale typically used with a router table may be reset at any time to facilitate determining the change in height of the router regardless of where the scale is positioned when the router is at a given height. When used with a router table having a table plate with a height adjustment screw for adjusting the height of the router, the scale includes a marker carried by the table plate or the adjustment screw. When carried by the adjustment screw, the marker is rotatable relative to the adjustment screw to align markings thereon with a reference mark on the table plate to reset the scale. Thus, a zero marking may be aligned with the reference mark at any height of the router, and the adjustment screw and marker may then be rotated together to adjust the height of the router and simultaneously measure the height change.

Abstract: An adjustment assembly for raising and lowering a rotary cutter includes a table plate, a carriage assembly there below for supporting the rotary cutter and a lift handle which mounts on the carriage assembly and extends above the table plate to provide rapid manual raising and lowering of the carriage assembly. The carriage assembly is mounted on a support assembly and is disengageable therefrom to allow the rapid raising and lowering. Preferably, the lift handle is insertable through an opening in the table plate and into an opening in the carriage assembly and rotatable to disengage an engaging member of the carriage assembly from the support assembly via a camming engagement. A vertical adjustment mechanism for finely adjusting the carriage assembly height may include an adjusting screw which the engaging member engages for fine vertical adjustment and disengages for rapid vertical adjustment.