Shopsmith Forums

I am having trouble getting the Mark 7 to do accurate routing and shapiing. I have a new shaper fence but I just can't seem the keep the stock "tracking" on the cut well.

I am playing around with some tongue and groove using a three blade tongue cutter and a slot cutter router bit. I occasionally get a perfect fit and it is impressive, but most of the time it will be centered and then go off track. I am not aware of me deviating the wood when I run it through. Any tips?

These are 1 inch thick boards that are run through the jointer and paralleled with the saw. I can get them to be square within .009 on all planes. I just don't get it?

Dick

Are you maintaining contact with the table surface and the flat side? Any bowing/cupping of the parts?

Sounds to me like one of the mistakes I would make if not checking.

Check the tightness of the table height clamp, or in your case the sideways, clamp. Also check the carriage lock assembly. Sounds like either, or both, of the clamps could be lose.

There are always 5 clamps to be checked before sawing.

I assume the shaper fence is tightened down/

OK guys. Yes the stock is as perfect as a Shopsmith can make it , seriously I am amazed at the accuracy you can cut wood to. I can repeatedly get .010 tolerance without any effort at all and if I really work at it I can cut that in half. My small block Ford and Chevy engines don't need more than that.

It is very possible I am forgetting to lock something. A lot of "locks" to remember.

I assume, that since you are not ranting an raving that this is not difficult as it seems to be????

Thanks!

Dick

You ARE locking the quill feed!!!!;) One of the '5'.

Dick, do you have the router/shaper fence for your ER?

If you do, try duplicating the cut on your ER. Let us know what happens. (ER has a LOT less power and speed, so adjust for that.)

Also, like everyone said, make sure ALL the locks are locked.

steve

One more thing, are you running vertically or horizontally?

I can see doing this 2 ways on an ER, and 3 on your Mk7.

1, ER set up hz mode, table hz, too. Table below the cutter, and work slid under the cutter on table. 1.5, base Hz. Table vert, work slid on fence under work.

2, ER set vert mode, table hz. (Typical drill-press mode.) Work slid beside cutter, resting on table.

3, Mk7 set up, headstock down, spindle coming up through table.

steve

Using feather boards to keep the stock firmly down on the table, and firmly against the fence? Very slow feed rate?

One more thing I just thought of.

Don't use the shaper fence, use the rip fence, and cut on the other side. Use a featherboard mounted on the fence to hold down your work. I'd use my #2 (drill-press mode, see my first post) setup, too.

steve