Miter gauge assembly
A miter gauge for guiding a work piece over a work surface of a work platform in relation to a saw blade. A fence plate is connected to a base assembly and is movable relative to a base of the base assembly to adjust the position of the fence plate relative to the base. Brackets connecting the fence plate to the base are each movable relative to the base to adjust the orientation of the fence plate relative to a first axis perpendicular to the blade in order to square the fence engaging face to the blade. The fence plate is movable relative to the two brackets to adjust the orientation of the fence plate relative to a second axis perpendicular to the work surface in order to square the fence engaging face to the work surface.
1 . A miter gauge for guiding a work piece over a work platform in relation to a blade, the work platform having a work surface, a first axis perpendicular to the blade and parallel to the work surface and a second axis extending from and normal to the work surface, the miter gauge comprising:
a base assembly configured to engage and slide over the work platform, the base assembly comprising:
a base configured to be operatively coupled to the work platform;
a fence plate operatively coupled to the base and moveable relative to the base to adjust the position of the fence plate relative to the base, the fence plate having a fence engaging face; and
brackets operatively connecting the fence plate to the base, each bracket connected to the fence plate and the base, each bracket being movable relative to the base to adjust the orientation of the fence plate relative to the first axis in order to square the fence engaging face to the blade, the fence plate being movable relative to the brackets to adjust the orientation of the fence plate relative to the second axis in order to square the fence engaging face to the work surface.
2 . The miter gauge as set forth in claim 1 , wherein each bracket includes at least one projection and the base defines at least one slot, each projection being received in one of the at least one slot and being slidable within the slot to guide the movement of each bracket relative to the base when the bracket is moved to square the fence engaging face to the blade.
3 . The miter gauge as set forth in claim 2 , wherein the engagement between the at least one projection and the base prevents each bracket from moving relative to the base in a direction that is generally parallel to the second axis.
4 . The miter gauge as set forth in claim 3 , further comprising fasteners connecting each bracket to the fence plate, the fasteners being received in fastener openings defined by each bracket, the fastener openings being larger than the fasteners so that the fasteners can move within the fastener openings to square the fence engaging face to the second axis of the work surface.
5 . The miter gauge as set forth in claim 1 wherein the base has exterior surfaces, each bracket being movable along one of the exterior surfaces to adjust the orientation of the fence plate relative to the first axis to square the fence engaging face to the blade.
6 . The miter gauge as set forth in claim 1 wherein the base and each bracket have exterior surfaces facing each other, one of the base and brackets includes a slot and the other of the base and brackets includes a projection, the slot being elongate in a direction parallel to the exterior surface of said one of the base and brackets, and the projection being elongate in a direction to parallel to the exterior surface of the other of the base and brackets, the projection being sized so that the projection is movable within the slot in a first direction parallel to the facing exterior surface of the base and bracket.
7 . The miter gauge as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a first fastener opening in at least one of the brackets, a second fastener opening in the base, and a fastener received through the first and second fastener openings and connecting said one of the brackets to the base, the first fastener opening having a first diameter, the second fastener opening having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter, and the fastener having a third diameter smaller than the first diameter of the first fastener opening.
8 . The miter gauge as set forth in claim 7 wherein there are plural first fastener openings, plural second fastener openings and plural fasteners received through respectively aligned pairs of the first and second fastener openings to connect the bracket to the base.
9 . The miter gauge as set forth in claim 8 wherein each of the first fastener openings has a first diameter, each of the second fastener openings has a second diameter smaller than the first diameter, and each of the fasteners has a third diameter smaller than the first diameter of the first fastener opening.
10 . The miter gauge as set forth in claim 7 further comprising a third fastener opening in the fence plate, another first fastener opening in the bracket, and another fastener received through the first and third fastener openings and connecting the bracket to the fence plate.
11 . The miter gauge as set forth in claim 10 wherein the first diameter of the first fastener opening in the bracket is larger than a third diameter of the third fastener opening in the fence plate.
12 . The miter gauge as set forth in claim 11 wherein the first fastener openings are free of threads, the second and third fastener openings are threaded, and the fasteners are threadably engaged with respective ones of the second and third fastener openings.
13 . A miter gauge for guiding a work piece over a work platform in relation to a blade, the work platform having a work surface, a first axis perpendicular to the blade and parallel to the work surface and a second axis extending from and normal to the work surface, the miter gauge comprising:
a base configured to be operatively coupled to the work platform, the base including an engagement surface;
a fence plate operatively coupled to the base, the fence plate having an engagement surface; and
a bracket operatively connecting the fence plate to the base, the bracket connected to the fence plate and the base and having a base engagement surface and a fence plate engagement surface;
a first fastener connecting the bracket to the base, the first fastener being configurable relative to the base and bracket between a first position in which the first fastener clamps the base engagement surface of the bracket against the engagement surface of the base, and a second position in which the first fastener maintains connection between the base and the bracket, but does not clamp the base engagement surface of the bracket against the engagement surface of the base, the base engagement surface of the bracket being slidable along the engagement surface of the base.
14 . The miter gauge as set forth in claim 13 further comprising a second fastener connecting the bracket to the fence plate, the second fastener being configurable relative to the fence plate and bracket between a first position in which the second fastener clamps the fence plate engagement surface of the bracket against the engagement surface of the fence plate, and a second position in which the second fastener maintains connection between the fence plate and the bracket, but does not clamp the fence plate engagement surface of the bracket against the engagement surface of the fence plate, the fence plate engagement surface of the bracket being slidable along the engagement surface of the fence plate.