Rip fence and floating table

wingman2010 · Post by **wingman2010** » Wed Jan 15, 2014 11:10 pm

It never fails that when I need to rip a board or use the fence, I need to set the fence up just off the edge of the main table. I usually set up the headstock and main table near the middle or left side of the machine so there's a foot or so between the accessory table and main table. I fill the void with a floating table but I can't ever get it aligned correctly. You can see the fence mis aligned when it straddles the main and floating table.

Should I move the main table up against the accessory table for wide ripping? If so, are the floating tables for support only?

I just bought the video by Rick Davis, it was really great! It did not mention anything about aligning floating tables.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Thu Jan 16, 2014 4:43 am

What Model Shopsmith are we talking about. I cannot speak for the 500. I have very little experience there.

With the 520, using the rip fence, mounted on the floating table, is no issue at all. You just need to be particular when you initially align the tables to the rails.

This can also be done on the 510 but it takes more due diligence. On the 510, I sometimes have to actually move either the front end of the table OR the rear of the table on the tubes to get fence to blade alignment.

anmius · Post by **anmius** » Thu Jan 16, 2014 11:49 am

dusty wrote:What Model Shopsmith are we talking about. I cannot speak for the 500. I have very little experience there.

With the 520, using the rip fence, mounted on the floating table, is no issue at all. You just need to be particular when you initially align the tables to the rails.

This can also be done on the 510 but it takes more due diligence. On the 510, I sometimes have to actually move either the front end of the table OR the rear of the table on the tubes to get fence to blade alignment.

The "500" is even easier. I doesn't have "floating tables."

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu Jan 16, 2014 12:05 pm

This has reared it's head before.

Fence bridging main and floating table.

We need pix man!

I be guessing a 510(round tubes).

Could be tube spacers(happened before).

Could be different era tubes(happened before).

Could be bent joining tubes(I had to make some distinction from 510 table tubes).

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu Jan 16, 2014 12:07 pm

anmius wrote:The "500" is even easier. I doesn't have "floating tables."

But has the 'problem' even worse(except the older M5 that had two blade slots).

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Thu Jan 16, 2014 1:22 pm

Do like Dusty has said in his earlier post. But no need to do a bunch of measuring. Just make sure the rip fence is a little further away from the back of the blade than the front. Using a story stick, the stick should have about 1/32" to (less than) <1/16" extra room at the back of the blade.

Be aware that you may have a kick back of your cut off piece.

wa2crk · Post by **wa2crk** » Thu Jan 16, 2014 3:23 pm

Also note that very few of the extension tubes are absolutely straight. Check where the crown is on the tubes and mark the tube and when installing them place the crown up. This way the floating table will remain aligned to the main table. If one crown is and the other to the front or rear then the floating table can be pulled off alignment and also the fence.
Bill v

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu Jan 16, 2014 7:40 pm

wa2crk wrote:Also note that very few of the extension tubes are absolutely straight. Check where the crown is on the tubes and mark the tube and when installing them place the crown up. This way the floating table will remain aligned to the main table. If one crown is and the other to the front or rear then the floating table can be pulled off alignment and also the fence.
Bill v

If a crown exists, the tube is 'bent'.

Crown 'up' with a 520, crown 'out' with a 510. As I 'see' it.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Thu Jan 16, 2014 8:08 pm

I would suggest that if you have an extension tube that is crowned enough to cause misalignment of the tables you should get rid of it. Use it to hang the tables on the wall but not on the Shopsmith.

The crown has to be very significant to introduce misalignment.

This statement contradicts some of my previous comments regarding table alignment. I bought new 5' heavy duty extension tubes (I think on ebay). They were definitely straighter than the 5' tubes I had/have but using them did nothing to improve my alignments.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu Jan 16, 2014 8:39 pm

I think a 520 would less susceptible to bent tubes problems(one of the design improvements over the 510). The extrusion top seat will tend to pull the warp out of the tubes. Also the warp will tend to cause in/out shift of the tables rather than vertical.

The 510 is not so fortunate. The warp can cause vertical alignment problems.

Reason being, the 520 has two rigid points of contact, the 510 only has one point of contact(that can vary).

I am ignoring the screw contact points. Not relevant.