Shopsmith Forums

I was putting together a shorty Mark V last night with an extra carriage and main table that came with my 59 Mark V.
For some reason the carriage won't accept the extension legs of the main table. This table will fit the other carriage. ( I have swapped them on that unit before)
So I guess the carriage is the problem but I can't see where the problem is.

An ideas?
Thanks in advance.

pinkiewerewolf wrote: For some reason the carriage won't accept the extension legs of the main table. This table will fit the other carriage.

So I guess the carriage is the problem but I can't see where the problem is.

Thanks in advance.

I assume you are meaning the "Tie Bar and Tube Assembly" (part of the main table) from both of the tables will fit in one carriage but will not fit in the other carriage.

No, I don't have any ideas. But I have a similar but different problem. I have two carriages that will accept the tie bar and tube assembly from one of the tables but will not readily accept the other.

I can actually get it into the carriage and can crank it up and down but with unacceptable difficulty. I suspected the tubes were not parallel but a board cut to fit snugly between the legs of the good table (my home made feeler gauge) also fits the other. The tubes appear to be parallel and equal distant to the good table.

John and Dusty- In the recent Sawdust Session on alignment of the auxiliary table with the main table, Nick addressed the situation where the auxiliary table will not easily slide up and down in its mounting holes. If I remember correctly, the solution was to loosen the nuts that connect the auxiliary table top to the tubes, so then the tubes are free to align themselves perfectly parallel in the mounting holes. Can the same solution be applied to your tables?

Gary

Yes, Gary you are correct. In that session, Nick was dealing with alignment of the tables to one another and this was a side note. He was discussing why, sometimes the extension tables are difficult to raise and lower.

His solution was to remove all tension on the nuts that secure the extension table to the "Extension Table Base" and then (with the extension table properly aligned to the main table) secure the nuts without twisting the table.

Pinky's problem is with the main table and carriage. Only two bolts secure each trunnion to the table so I don't think that can happen.

Thanks guys, I'm going to tie into it some more and check the other carriage again to see if there is a visable difference.
If not then I'll disassemble the carriage and give it another try.

Look down into the carriage holes the table tubes drop into. Check to see if one or more of the table elevating pinion gears have moved out of alignment. I have problems from time to time dropping my 520 table back into the carriage after I have used the big lathe rest. Vibration (?) causes the pinions to move enough that the table will not drop in.

Simple fix. My two fingers can realign them and open that hole. Voila, table drops right back.

You can have similar fits with those Accessory Mount Locks (those hand twisty things that lock the extension tables) manage to mistime themselves or misalign themselves in their holes.

Doc

Since I have many sets of carriages and table legs, I have to do a mix and match as some main and extension table legs will not fit into the carriage hole or the base arm or the headrest. The table pinion can cause the legs not to insert into the carriage. They can get damaged fron dropping the table legs into the carriage. I have a few table pinions that just will not work. Also I have to do matching of carriges to way tubes, both sets of sheaves, speed dial assembly, quill shaft splines to the drive sleeve assy, Switching from bolts to studs on the extension table really helps releave the twisting stress from the table top.

Another problem in this area is that Shopsmith had 2 different sizes (OD) way and bench tubes somewhere back in the 50s I believe. So far I have only found one shopsmith with these unique size way and bench tubes, carriage, headstock, base, base arm and headrest so I had to find and keep the set together and rebuild and paint them. This was a few years ago and gave me a fit at the time as I believe any 500 part would fit any 500. I was lucky to find all the unique parts in my shed. I made a MINI out of it. Measure the tubes (OD), and carriage (ID) and base, base arm and headrest (ID). The standard is 1 3/4". If smaller OD, someone may have switched to using the Total Shop parts which has smaller tubes. They look the same. I still have all the Total Shop parts at this time. Have fun.

Bill Mayo

pinkiewerewolf wrote:Thanks guys, I'm going to tie into it some more and check the other carriage again to see if there is a visable difference.
If not then I'll disassemble the carriage and give it another try.

Thanks again guys. I'm going to try a few more things.
I'll let you know what I find.
Y'all are the best!

Ahhhh, I feel foolish now.

I tried my other main table in the "troublesome" carriage and it wouldn't go either, but the "good" carriage took the table that I was having trouble with on the shorty. When I tried to swap tables again on the full length Mark V, I had a problem getting it to accept the table.
I looked down the holes in the carriage at the gears and noticed a "shoulder" past the spot where the gears are cut in. When I poked my finger in it moved .
Eureka! But why wouldn't the other one move like that?
Well, it is old and a bit oxidized. So I gave it some attention and it freed up enough to allow me to move the "shoulders" out of the way.
Now the table is in the carriage and moving freely.
I think I'll take it apart over spring break next week and shine everything up a bit.
Thanks again for the advice.
The shorty is a kind of two tone copper color. If it were pristine it would be a beaut!

That "shoulder" is on the table elevating pinion. I clean them and use a dry moly lube on them, teeth too, as they can get corroded and hard to turn. The teeth on the pinion can be damaged and can make raising/lowering the table a little harder at times.

Bill Mayo

pinkiewerewolf wrote:Ahhhh, I feel foolish now.
I looked down the holes in the carriage at the gears and noticed a "shoulder" past the spot where the gears are cut in. When I poked my finger in it moved .
Eureka! But why wouldn't the other one move like that?
Well, it is old and a bit oxidized. So I gave it some attention and it freed up enough to allow me to move the "shoulders" out of the way.
Now the table is in the carriage and moving freely.
I think I'll take it apart over spring break next week and shine everything up a bit.
Thanks again for the advice.
The shorty is a kind of two tone copper color. If it were pristine it would be a beaut!