Any tricks to make 500 table saw less fussy?

TheBigE · Post by **TheBigE** » Sat May 19, 2012 10:50 am

Hello Everyone,
First post here. I've had a mid 80s 500 Mark V for about a year now. I really like it. I've been doing woodworking for several years. I have a stand alone table saw and all that but have been fiddling with the 500 for months now.

My first question for all you veterans is, how do you over come the "fussiness" of using the 500 table? I find the table saw very capable. With patients it does everything a table saw can do. But, when moving the fence back and forth one finds it, well; fussy.

I have the wider extension table so any ripping wider then 12" or so I have to slide the headstock back. Not quite as simple as simply sliding the fence on my other table saw.

I'm aware of the upgrades and all that. May go that route someday but for now I'm just using the 500 as is and getting familiar with it. I'm almost done building a hanging cabinet that I built using only the Mark V.

I've built an extension rip fence, a sled, and a wooden clamp that clamps on the way tubes to hold a drafting style lamp. And one trick I use is clamping a metal drywall square to the table at the measurement I want and then lock the fence and slide the headstock and carriage toward the the fence and then lock down. Gonna play out in the garage today so maybe I'll snap some picks.

Whew, sorry so long on first post. But I do like this unique machine. Thanks in advanced for any tips. Hopefully this can help other people as well.

-Erich-

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Sat May 19, 2012 1:28 pm

Please elaborate on 'fussiness'.

Headstock/table carriage 'TRACKING'?

Difficulty moving the 'pair'?

Fine tuning the fence/blade spacing?

???

Picks(sic) would be nice. They might help us unnerstand what all you are using when fussy rears its head.

Gene Howe · Post by **Gene Howe** » Sat May 19, 2012 1:29 pm

Before installing a Jointech fence, I would do the drywall square thing, too. I liked to adjust the fence using a playing card between the square and the fence at the extreme out feed end. Then I'd tighten the fence and use the set screws to get it just right. From that point, the fence didn't need adjustment after moving it for different widths. I'd usually recheck the alignment about once a week if I was ripping a lot.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Sat May 19, 2012 1:42 pm

Gene Howe wrote:Before installing a Jointech fence, I would do the drywall square thing, too. I liked to adjust the fence using a playing card between the square and the fence at the extreme out feed end. Then I'd tighten the fence and use the set screws to get it just right. From that point, the fence didn't need adjustment after moving it for different widths. I'd usually recheck the alignment about once a week if I was ripping a lot.

Humph!:eek: Another misusing the offsetting set screws(including the redundant extra one).

Sorry but this just keeps coming up. The 'proper' adjustment is under the fence.

;)

That is IIUC what you just described and you are using a M5 or a MV500.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Sat May 19, 2012 3:26 pm

[quote="JPG40504"]Humph!:eek: Another misusing the offsetting set screws(including the redundant extra one).

Sorry but this just keeps coming up. The 'proper' adjustment is under the fence.

]

I understand what you are saying but why is that procedure 'improper'? I did that same thing with the 510 fence for years and often wondered why there wasn't a screw on the other side.

Gene Howe · Post by **Gene Howe** » Sat May 19, 2012 5:19 pm

Mine is a 500. Two screws.

dusty wrote:I understand what you are saying but why is that procedure 'improper'? I did that same thing with the 510 fence for years and often wondered why there wasn't a screw on the other side.

TheBigE · Post by **TheBigE** » Sat May 19, 2012 5:57 pm

No No. Nothing wrong with set up or any adjustment. It's just can be an act of frustration to put the fence where you want it sometimes. It doesn't slide the best. I'm aware of the trick to lock the fence down close to the measurement you would like and then use the quill feed to adjust the blade spot on.

As I said before I did some playing out in the garage today. I snapped some pics of the Mark V and some set ups I've come up with.

I guess I was just thinking of a thread people with 500s and 10E/ERs could post some of their tricks to get around some of the obsticales the table system has. Like I said, the table saw is plenty cable as a 500. Just has some quirkiness to it with the small table and untied extension table.

-Erich_

TheBigE · Post by **TheBigE** » Sat May 19, 2012 7:25 pm

Here is a pic of my Mark V set up to cut some 2 by to 3" widths. No biggie here setting the fence once you get used to it.

[ATTACH]17423[/ATTACH]

Here is a pic of what I was referring to earlier about using a metal drywall square or similar ruler that is stiff.

[ATTACH]17421[/ATTACH]

Clamp the ruler/square at the measurement you want and slide the headstock/carriage toward the fence.

[ATTACH]17422[/ATTACH]

Any other ideas?

TheBigE · Post by **TheBigE** » Sat May 19, 2012 7:34 pm

One other trick I use is this hardboard guide seen below. It's 6"x20" with a 14" cut that can be used to help set the guard/splitter quickly. Especially if you've adjusted the quill to set the blade just right.

[ATTACH]17424[/ATTACH]

This is a panel sled I made. The stop is hard to see on the right. With this sled design of a front fence coupled with a front extension, I can cut close to 24" panels.

[ATTACH]17425[/ATTACH]

Still, setting up this sled can be easier then sliding the fence between different widths at times.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Sat May 19, 2012 7:40 pm

TheBigE wrote:Here is a pic of my Mark V set up to cut some 2 by to 3" widths. No biggie here setting the fence once you get used to it.

[ATTACH]17423[/ATTACH]

Here is a pic of what I was referring to earlier about using a metal drywall square or similar ruler that is stiff.

[ATTACH]17421[/ATTACH]

Clamp the ruler/square at the measurement you want and slide the headstock/carriage toward the fence.

[ATTACH]17422[/ATTACH]

Any other ideas?

Interesting setup! I would say part of your consternation is the fence extension getting in the way of easy access to the fence clamping knob. It also gets in the way of applying slight pressure to the fence while sliding it.

You have not mentioned the really PITA attribute of wanting to set the fence straddling the main table and the extension table.