Shopsmith Forums

hi all, i just got a Mark V recently. It is an old one, from the 50s. So far I am loving it.

It didn't come with a manual, but it came with 2 shopsmith books. i got the Lathe working fine. Figured that out. I also kind of got the drill press working.

Today I got the table saw attachment working, but when I was trying to use the adjustable dado, it kept striking against the saw table. I put the wider throat plate in, and I made sure it had clearance before I turned on the saw. But as soon as I had it running, it started to hit. I turned it off right away, and I am about ready to just take that off. Any thought as to why that would happen? I have made sure the nuts were tight on the blade, and I also made sure that the saw was tightened into place.

I haven't been able to figure out how to hook up the router.

I was trying to build a box for a friend, and at first I was going to router dovetails in to put them together that way. when I couldn't figure that out, I was going to dado out slots to put the box together that way, and as i said above, I had problems with that too.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. I love this tool already. I want to make sure I don't mess it up before I can use it. I am done using it for now until I can figure out what I am doing wrong.

Thanks for any help anybody can give me.

Nathan

Welcome Nathan

Please update your profile and include location, you never know who's close for help/instruction.

Please review the first 2 sticky threads in the maintenance section. Tons of great information there about getting your machine up, running and maintained properly.

I can't offer any advice on the dado as I don't have one anymore. I could not keep my wobble blade adjusted so I got rid of it. I have a stacked head running around somewhere , but it is very dull. I just use my Router for cuts like that.

I have never used the SS as a router/shaper either, just not my thing.

I'm old school when it comes to dove tails and do them the old fashioned way, with a sharp marking knife, a saw and a sharp chisel.

I do a lot of turning and now that I have a band saw, I'm using the heck ut of it.

Again welcome to the friendliest forum I visit.

I recommend looking for a copy of the hardback book Power Tool Woodworking for Everyone (PTWFE). You can find it on Amazon or eBay. A lot of Goodwill stores list used books on both those sites.

There are several editions, each one featuring a different generation of SS. Personally, I bought the edition from the '50s to match my machine, but it's not necessary; they're all helpful.

Check your PMs.

[quote="Culprit"]I recommend looking for a copy of the hardback book Power Tool Woodworking for Everyone (PTWFE). You can find it on Amazon or eBay. A lot of Goodwill stores list used books on both those sites.

There are several editions, each one featuring a different generation of SS. Personally, I bought the edition from the '50s to match my machine, but it's not necessary]

Very good advice. Mine came with my machine, Grandfather (1955), to my Dad (1970), to me (2001). I still use that book to this day. So much good info in there.

Stick;
Are you using the adjustable dado or the stacked dado set? Obviously something is moving but it is difficult to say what from the info you gave. Where exactly does the dado hit the table? Are you locking the quill before you try to make a dado? There is a five point safety check that SS recommends to be done before you start the machine.
1. Headstock to way tubes tight
2. table carriage to way tube tight.
3. Table tilt lock tight
4. Table height lock tight
5. Quill feed lock tight.
If all these stops are secure then nothing should move.
Also we LOVE pictures on this sight. If you could post some pics of your problems I think a solution would be found a lot faster.
Bill V

Hi Nathan! I use a wobble dado blade for all dados and grooves. Yes, if you do not do a full rotation of the blade before starting, the blade can cut away on the insert.

As wa2crk (Bill) said, it is always necessary to check those 5 locks (to tighten) before running the saw. True confessions - I have forgotten the carriage lock a couple of times and have the scars on the insert to prove it. The only good thing about such a mistake is - the insert is aluminum and the carbide tips on the wobble blade will cut aluminum without damage to the blade.

Hi and welcome to the forums!

I'd go over to this location and have a look at the online version of the Power Tool Woodworking for Everyone book.

http://www.shopsmith.com/academy/welcome.htm

If the books that came with your machine do not include this book then you can look over the online one while you shop for a version to purchase that might be a better fit for the version of shopsmith you own.

Ed

Thanks all for the help!

In looking at the books, it looks like I have the first edition and the 4th edition.

Apparently I need to slow down a little bit, read a bit more and stop trying to muddle my way through. Just anxious to get working on stuff now that I have the tools.

Charlese, I did do a full rotation, and it didn't touch, but then when I started it, thats when it started touching. I thought I had all the locks tightened down, but now thinking about it, I think I missed one. Dang, never fails. Think you got it figured out...

Wa2crk, its the adjustable dado. I was digging through teh box of tools, and that is the one I found. I think the quill lock is the one I forgot to do. I will get some pictures done and see about posting some.

Terry, I updated my profile.

thanks all!

nathan

Bill,

You were right. I must not have tightened the quill lock. I locked everything down this morning and ran it a few times without the table on to make sure nothing was moving. then I moved the table over, tightened all the locks down, ran it a few times and nothing.

Thank you for your help! I was getting really frustrated with myself figuring I was doign something wrong. Well, I guess I was.

Charlese: Question for you.

So I am working on a box right now, and I am using the dado to cut slots to fit the sides together. If I have the dado set at 1/2", I need to move it an inch each time to get it to be a half inch with a half inch slot, right? New at this and don't want to screw up the sides already cut. Started working on it during my lunch, and messed up the practice pieces, and that is where I think I went wrong. Didn't leave enough gap.

Nathan

stickthrower wrote: Charlese: Question for you.

So I am working on a box right now, and I am using the dado to cut slots to fit the sides together. If I have the dado set at 1/2", I need to move it an inch each time to get it to be a half inch with a half inch slot, right? New at this and don't want to screw up the sides already cut. Started working on it during my lunch, and messed up the practice pieces, and that is where I think I went wrong. Didn't leave enough gap.

Nathan

Sounds like you are going to do box joints to fit the box corners together. Before you start, you need to make a box joint jig. The measuring between cuts usually won't work very well, because the the minute differences between measurements. If your dado blade is actually set just a little less or greater than 1/2" the measurements between cuts must be equal to the cut width. Also, alternate sides of the box must have cuts and fingers at alternating 1/2" distances. In other words, if the sides have a finger at the bottom, the front and back must have a groove at the bottom.

Somewhere in the Shopsmith Sawdust sessions, there is a plan for a box joint jig. If you can't find it - holler!! I'll try to help.