Struggling to cut accurately with a Skill type saw.

I had the same problem! I was asked to make some cabinets and cut was off square or just wasn't cutting right.

Very frustrating! Have you tried replacing the blade also setting a square on the rail to see if it's square.

 

As tore said, square the blade up to the plate. You can usually do this if its got adjustment to cut mitres.

May also benefit from a good quality blade

 

Can't beat Freud blades for quailty, reliability & clean cutting.

Bosch GKS 190 a darn good saw, around £105.

Buy once, buy quailty, can be expensive, but it will last a lifetime, if you look after it.

 

I know you are saying you don't have the budget. But if your saw is cutting off square or rubbish cut. It is useless! It isn't fit for purpose your work will look poor. Not only that makes an easy job look hard. For me it was either spend another 200 on a saw that might do a job. Risk having to buy another again. Which ends up costing more in the long run. Believe me I have done this with numerous tools. I just save now for the right one.

I was faced with the same scenario. Recently bought a festool. I'm confident now to cut any finished material smack on and the cut is great.

 

I would preferably use a carpenters square! You know a wooden edge. Normally faithfully.

You can sit this on the body then, and see if it's the saw or the blade.

Combination might not be accurate.

 

Unless you mean the blade is not sitting square with the guard/body. As you say front and back.

I thought you meant your bevel wasn't square.

That is strange and can possibly dangerous as you are working against the material. Has it been hit or dropped?

 

You'd probably get a more accurate measurement if measuring from the blade across the wider part of the plate.
Really, you just need to twist the plate and 3.5mm is not a lot.

If you can hold the plate in a wide enough vice, then twist the whole saw body in the opposite direction to the twist, should do it. If it is held by rivets, once it is straight(thorough checking) you should tap the rivets tight again.

More than likely just the angle adjuster holding it, which should be tightened before twisting.

If you can wobble the plate when it is secure, then something is too loose, and if not sorted it might well be dangerous.

Mr. HandyAndy - Really

 

Hit it with a hammer.

 

I don't think Chippie meant with a regard to 'trueing' up the base plate!

 

If the edge of the base and the blade were out of true, the saw would be juddering a bit and you would have a very wide saw cut.

I would make up something like this. The you can use something like a "speed" or roofing square on the back edge ensure 90 degrees to base.

 

Festool do a 3M one.

 

Because they come in two pieces, Festool track come in eight different lengths, allowing you any length guide rail from 800mm- 5mtrs or so to be made up.

 

Not wishing to sound rude & not knowing what combination square is being used, I would bet on my Moore & Wright square being more accurate than any carpenters square.

 

M&W Engineering square has a fixed riveted blade, so will be far more accurate than any adjustable combination square.
Sadly now , a lot of M&W I think is now made in China, I have a Mitutoyo Engineers Precision Square I use for woodworking,cost about £25, but worth it.

 

Here.

http://www.axminster.co.uk/hand-tools/measuring-marking/squares/squares-engineering

A lot of engineering squares are BS939 Grade B standard, which about +/- 0.016mm for squares up to 300mm.