Shopsmith Forums

The Mark VII two-top side table is a nice feature upgrade in that you can use it on the end, as you would on a Mark V, or attach it directly to the main table for cuts up to 14" wide. This cool idea is almost entirely defeated in design, however, because the front clamp on the Mark VII table fence is too wide for the stock side-table rail. Who let that out into the world, I wonder?

Anyhow, today I got around to cutting a longer rail, using the front rail from the spare main table from my parts machine. In the photo I have the original part on the table and the new one installed. Note the width of the fence bracket relative to the rail.

This seems like a necessary fix, but I wonder whether there is a better idea in circulation. I'll have to make another one for the other orientation, of course, but I can put that on the spare side table.

Mine seems to work fine. Yes the rail is short but my rip fence clamp locks onto the chamfer on the bottom of the rail. I haven't got a dial indicator out but rips square and true enough for me.

The reason for the shortness of the two rails is two fold. First they will interfere with each other and the fence casting would hit the opposite rail. Second the rail is only as wide as the open area of the underside of the table. You had to notch the wider rail. Your modification will only work for one orientation.

The 'shortness' is very intentional.

The rail casting is wider than the stock rail; best case, the alignment screws both fall outside that length, so can't do anything useful; there's also no way to bridge to the main-table rail. No one else sees this as a problem?

Them screws are NOT for alignment. They are there to intentionally skew the fence to quill shaft angle from 90°. They are best either backed out far away from the rail or removed completely.

Yes, the fence clamp rails are slightly different in size. I don't try to bridge the rails with the fence. I have it on the main table or on the extention table.

Since there is a narrow range where bridging the tables is deemed necessary but not possible due to slight rail dimensional deviations etc. the second blade slot exists. That allows ripping within that restricted width range. A common attribute shared with the Mark 5 model as well especially the greenies and early goldies which have a cast in front rail on the main table and both those and later Mark 5 all had the cast in aux rail. The Mark VII has the extruded aluminum rails on both tables

I think it should be possible to get main/aux table bridging possible with a Mark VII, but that would require perfect persnickety alignment adjustments. i.e. Likely elusive.