Shopsmith Forums

Hi All

I'm confused regarding how to align the fence. One source wants to align it to the saw blade and one wants to align it to the miter slot. Both of them want to use the hex head bolts on the underside of fence. My question is concerning the 2 set screws in the handle of the fence. I note that I can align the fence by using them, so I wonder just what is their use? I hope I'm clear in my question.

GeorgeM

GeorgeM wrote:Hi All

I'm confused regarding how to align the fence. One source wants to align it to the saw blade and one wants to align it to the miter slot. Both of them want to use the hex head bolts on the underside of fence. My question is concerning the 2 set screws in the handle of the fence. I note that I can align the fence by using them, so I wonder just what is their use? I hope I'm clear in my question.

GeorgeM

The table miter slot should be aligned parallel to the blade (aligning the table). The fence needs to be parallel to both the blade and the miter slot. Once you have aligned the blade to the miter slot you can align the fence to either with the same results. IMO you should use the hex bolts to do the initial alignment. I am not sure what the set screws are for on the 500 fence other than making minor tweaks after the initial alignment. The band saw fence is the same as the 500 saw fence only shorter. In that case the set screws are used to tweak the fence to compensate for blade drift when re-sawing.

GeorgeM wrote:Hi All

I'm confused regarding how to align the fence. One source wants to align it to the saw blade and one wants to align it to the miter slot. Both of them want to use the hex head bolts on the underside of fence. My question is concerning the 2 set screws in the handle of the fence. I note that I can align the fence by using them, so I wonder just what is their use? I hope I'm clear in my question.

GeorgeM

Aligning the table is a technique. There are several different techniques. It does not matter which you use so long as the rip fence ends up parallel to the blade. If the fence is parallel to the blade and the miter slot is parallel to the blade then the fence will be parallel to the miter slot.


I'll refrain from commenting on the purpose of the set screws in the fence. If I say what I believe, I know that I will get pounced upon. However, all of the fences that I have are equipped with alignment methods that do not use those set screws.

I would not think of 'pouncing' on Dusty, but perhaps a bit of history might help understanding.

Way back in the Greenie/Goldie days there was only one 'biasing' screw. Biasing because the fence should be parallel to both the miter gauge slat and the face(side) of the blade. Also back in those days there was only a flat sanding disk.

That biasing screw was intended to allow temporary skewing of the fence. That skewing increased the distance between the fence and the rear circumference of the disk. That allowed for feeding stock from the rear, the back of the disk cleared the stock, but the front engaged it as it rotated down towards the table.

It provided a method of jointing/dimensioning edges.

The later conical disk eliminated the need, but it is still not a standard accessory.

SS, INC. added the second screw for what purpose I know not.

I assert that those screws need to be backed away from the rail or removed entirely until needed.

I have purchased fences that were not aligned correctly and those screws were a work around to get it parallel. I strongly feel the base casting is a better reference surface for the fence against the rail than the end of a screw or two.

Tell us Dusty, I promise to not pounce!

JPG wrote:I would not think of 'pouncing' on Dusty, but perhaps a bit of history might help understanding.

Way back in the Greenie/Goldie days there was only one 'biasing' screw. Biasing because the fence should be parallel to both the miter gauge slat and the face(side) of the blade. Also back in those days there was only a flat sanding disk.

That biasing screw was intended to allow temporary skewing of the fence. That skewing increased the distance between the fence and the rear circumference of the disk. That allowed for feeding stock from the rear, the back of the disk cleared the stock, but the front engaged it as it rotated down towards the table.

It provided a method of jointing/dimensioning edges.

The later conical disk eliminated the need, but it is still not a standard accessory.

SS, INC. added the second screw for what purpose I know not.

I assert that those screws need to be backed away from the rail or removed entirely until needed.

I have purchased fences that were not aligned correctly and those screws were a work around to get it parallel. I strongly feel the base casting is a better reference surface for the fence against the rail than the end of a screw or two.

Tell us Dusty, I promise to not pounce!

No, you do not think about it. You just do it.

Is it possible that the second set screw allows one to skew the fence in either direction?

Yes it does allow skewing in the opposite direction, but for what purpose???

P.S. Perhaps for the bandsaw fence????

JPG wrote:Yes it does allow skewing in the opposite direction, but for what purpose???

P.S. Perhaps for the bandsaw fence????

That too but as I said in an earlier post maybe the idea was to allow minor tweaking to the fence fence alignment to the saw blade in either direction without a whole sale reaingment of everything.

Correct me if I am wrong but the 500 saw fence came out long before the band saw fence. They are the same but the BS fence is shorter. Those set screws work great on the BS fence but they were introduced on the 500 fence before the BS fence.

OK, Thanks for all the comments. It made sense to me not to use the set screws at all, but I wanted to hear from you folks also. I will try to align the blade to the slot and then the fence to the slot and that should put all things in harmony

Thanks
GeorgeM

So who is going to remember the old conical/flat disk shopsmith use to sell?

When you had that it resembled a saw blade and the rip fence could be mounted to the right or the left.... and yes the rip fence was tilted differently depending on which side the rip fence was on. The disk also did not care which side faced which side so that was another option.

I think, or at least I think I do, the 510 still had the option. The 520 is the first one without the ability to off set the fence. I made a "L" shaped fence that I could use as an off-set fence because I sell like that feature.

So there was a reason that it was made to go either way.

Ed

GeorgeM wrote:OK, Thanks for all the comments. It made sense to me not to use the set screws at all, but I wanted to hear from you folks also. I will try to align the blade to the slot and then the fence to the slot and that should put all things in harmony

Thanks
GeorgeM

Do you have the manual to use as a guide? There is a process involved and getting the alignment right is critical for safety as well as good woodworking.

I don't recall if you have a copy of the bible Power Tool Woodworking for Everyone (PTWFE). If not that is something you really should have in addition to the manual.

I spent a lot of hours using my 1976 machine (that I got new) as a 500 before upgrading it to the current top of the line powerpro/dual tilt/520. I still like the 500 for a lot of smaller jobs and in fact have two of them.

Ed