Tool Review:
Jointech Smart Miter Review
August 21, 2003
I recently purchased the Smart Miter from Jointech.
The unit came well packed and I was very pleased with the fit and finish.
The video that came with it had detailed explanations for assembly, set-up and
features.
I experienced no problems with the assembly of the basic unit.
The manual was well written and the assembly instructions were easy
to follow. The alignment of the table to the saw blade was not quite as
easy as shown in the video, however it was not difficult to get the table
positioned and square to the blade as described in the manual.
The calibration of the fence was a relatively easy chore. As described in
the manual, I used the "calibration block" that came with the
unit to set the scale on the fence at the 4.0" mark.. I used dial
calipers to verify that distance from the stop block to the saw blade and
tweaked the scale setting accordingly. To my surprise, the setting was
within .003 using the block.
I set the scale on the fence extension just as described and verified by cutting
a length of scrap material to 36". Result was
dead-on.
After set-up I made numerous cuts at different angles, using both the positive and negative angle features of the unit, checking all cuts using a machinist's combination square, and protractor.
I then set-up the unit to cut 8 pieces to identical lengths at 22.5 degrees. The 8 pieces went together perfectly to form an octagon. Zero gaps were detected at any joint. Results were perfect.
The unit performed "as advertised"
I had 2 minor quality issues during the assembly and set-up.
1. The knob that came with the Hold Down Clamp had faulty threads which prohibited the knob from screwing down on the threaded rod so the clamp height could be adjusted.
2. The hard plastic end on the fence (blade end) had been positioned at a slight angle causing an interference when sliding the Hold Down Clamp into the "T" slot in the rear of the fence. I had to file the bottom edge of the plastic to allow for insertion of the clamp assembly.
I reported these issues to Jointech via telephone. I was assured a new knob was on the way.
Overall I was very pleased with the unit. I am looking forward to using it on my upcoming projects and I feel it is a great addition to my shop. I am sure it will improve the quality of my work by making perfect miters when required.
Ken Salisbury (The Old Rebel)