Ridgid R4512 Table Saw - The Nickel Test
I'm pretty much finished with the basic set-up of my Ridgid R4512 table saw. I've installed the wings and rails and the storage brackets. I've installed the blade, blade guard and safety pawls. I'll do a whole post soon about how to work the safety equipment. The blade guard and pawls install and uninstall very easily, so I'll demonstrate that soon. Otherwise, it's time to do the nickel test to see how well I've done setting things up. The nickel test involves setting a nickel on edge on the table of the saw, turning the motor on and seeing if the vibrations knock the nickel over. If they do, then something is out of whack. When I first turned on the saw, I did notice some vibration but I quickly fixed that by shimming one of the legs. My basement floor is not flat at all, so the saw wasn't sitting solidly on all four legs. When I shimmed the leg and tried again, the vibration totally went away. Here is the real test of whether the saw is in or out of whack (that's a technical term):