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Five Cut Method

2nd draft
The five cut test measures the accuracy of the squareness of your guide rail to your fence on you MFT3
table. Since it does not rely on any square, it negates the problem of a square itself not being 90 degrees.
If you have changed your MFT3 setup, are unsure of the squareness of your guide rail, or otherwise want
to check your MFT3 configuration, this test will help you. You only need a relatively good caliper for this
test.
I'll not repeat the entire theory of the five cut methodyou can find ample documentation on that, for
example, here: http://www.evenfallstudios.com/metrology/five_sided_cut_method.html.
The test involves cutting a board five times, rotating the piece counter clockwise, magnifying your error
each time, and allowing you to easily measure the error from the final cut. You will cut the initial side twice,
with the last or fifth cut producing a narrow piece of wood you can easily measure.
Start with a perfectly flat board. Bigger is better, so a piece 540 mm square MDF is ideal. My piece
happened to measure 540 mm by 300 mm, less than ideal, but still good enough.
Layout your board and mark the cuts clockwise. (You will cut the piece counter clockwise, as the pictures
make clear.)

Layout the board so you will make make each cut counter clockwise. You should always have the
previous cut against the fence, a technique will will magnify your error.
Start the cuts with side one. You only need to cut a small slice from each side.

Cut a thin slice each time.


Do the following cut the same way.

Second Cut. The number "2" is under the guide rail. Note how the previous cut, cut 1, is against the
fence.
Make cuts 3 and 4 in the same manner. You have now made 4 cuts and are ready for the fifth cut, cutting
the initial side once again. For this cut, leave a piece large enough to measure, about 25 mm wide.

For the final cut, leave a piece wide enough to measure.


Mark the side closest to the fence with an "F," and the side furthest from the fence with an "A." (I actually
forgot to mark my bottom side "A.)

Mark the top and bottom. These markings will tell you the direction of your error.
Measure both ends with a caliper.

Measure the side closest to the fence. Your caliper need not cost a fortune. This $20 tool worked fine.

Measure the side opposite the fence


Finally, measure the length of the off cut piece.

Measure the length of the off cut piece


Use a basic formula to determine the amount of your accumulated error:
error = (top measure - bottom measure)/(4 * length of off cut)
You get the top measure and bottom measure from the readings from the calliper. The formula ignores the
first cut, because this cut established the first true side.
(31.19 - 31.74 )/(540 * 4) = -.55 mm/2160 mm.
That works out to approximately .15 mm for 540 mm. In other words, if you are cutting a board 540 mm
wide, your cut will be .15mm off, or about the thickness of two sheets of paper.
You can calculate the errors in degrees by this formula:
error = 1/4 * arcsin [top measure - bottom measure / length]
error = 1/4 * arcsin[(31.19 - 31.74)/540] = -.0158 degrees.
If you want are mathematically minded, you might want to see the angle in radians. Radians measure the
actual length of the arc in real numbers.
-.0158 * 2 * pi * 540/360 = .149 mm.
Of course, the .149 mm is the exact amount you will be off if you cut a 540 mm board, and yields the
same result as our first equation, minus the rounding errors.

Woodworkers use the five cut method to true a sled for their table saws. After the test, the woodworker will
move the fence on his sled the appropriate amount. I did not do this for my setup for a few reasons. I don't
know if you can get more accuracy out of a MFT3 setup, though other members claim you can. Also, the
fence and guide rails are not permanently fixed on the MFT3 table as they are on a table saw sled. So
even if you adjusted the setup for more accuracy, you would lose it the first time you dissembled and
reassembled it.
For my own sake, I am satisfied with my accuracy, and know the limits of the MFT3. However, I am open
to actually further adjusting my guide rail or fence for the sake of improving this document; if someone
cares to post pictures or give instructions, I will do so.
Thanks to Rick Christopherson for correcting a serious error in my methods in the first draft. When I have
time, I will post the math for this method.

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