510 table alignment - follow-up, mods, and tweaks

[ddvann79]

Fine demonstration, Cobalt. A real cliff-hanger. I've seen the newer version of that fence in catalogs but they seemed fairly complicated. Your adaptation to the SS is pretty straight forward.

[cobalt60]

I am envious of the Incra fence. I have an older and much smaller version that I use in the same way except I hardly ever use it with the drill press. I'll have to think about that and try it.

I always considered them out of my price range, until I saw the Twin Linear auction. At a bit over a hundred bucks, I figured I could mangle a floating table and experiment. Of course, the regular fence is still totally available for use anytime.

My original idea, actually, was to use the one I think you might have (black or grey in color?), and find a way to reversibly mount it to the actual SS fence's side. That way, you could add the floating table with the Incra mounted, link it to the SS fence, and use both the Incremental positioning as well as the SS fence lock-down. This idea would actually be the MOST space-economical, I'd imagine. Would love to see if anyone has tried it!

Also, thanks again for making the first step of this process possible/palatable, dusty!

Fine demonstration, Cobalt. A real cliff-hanger. I've seen the newer version of that fence in catalogs but they seemed fairly complicated. Your adaptation to the SS is pretty straight forward.

I personally think the Incra products that run "on rails," e.g. the ones made for table saws, are actually quite intrusive. Only shops I've ever seen them installed in are ones that have 2-3 table saws, and just one is the Incra one.



I forgot, one more mod/tweak that's pretty minor but I really enjoy and use a lot. I was using an Incra SE1000 miter bar and really liked it, but found it wasn't available for the SS miter slot size. One day, they were on mega-gold-box sale (or something) on Amazon, and I figured I'd try to make it work, and if I couldn't I'd resell on eBay (or something). Wasn't really a solid plan.

The point of interest is that Incra sells parts to all their products, much like SS does. I ordered a few of the SS-sized miter bars from the 120 model (available from SS). This ALMOST worked out of the box, but only one of the threaded holes didn't line up. I ended up drilling and tapping all three to fit the SE1000, and... check it out:




[ATTACH]13015[/ATTACH]


The newer version (HD model, I think) has more tick-marks, but I actually prefer this way. Fewer and larger means you're never going to be one mark off. Plus, the vernier scale allows for infinitely fine adjustment when needed. I personally view the single-degree increment version as overkill -- just more than needed.

[ATTACH]13012[/ATTACH]

Well, speaking of "more than needed," one of the reasons I like this bar is its ability to swing a FULL 90 degrees in both directions. Requires side-to-side adjustment so you don't hit the blade, but it's just nice to know there's no limiting factor there.

[ATTACH]13013[/ATTACH]



[ATTACH]13014[/ATTACH]

For comparison, here's the original miter bar next to the SS-sized one. If anyone wants to try this for themselves, I'm sure I can spare one of these extra bars, so just let me know. I have two that are already tapped and ready for this particular miter system.

[ATTACH]13011[/ATTACH]

[charlese]

Holy Cow!!!! This is not your Father's shopsmith!

Well done, cobalt60 !!!!!! Wonderful show and tell! Beautiful, handy machine!

Here's a great big ATTA BOY!!!!!

[keakap]

...I personally think the Incra products that run "on rails," e.g. the ones made for table saws, are actually quite intrusive....

The Incra "Shopsmith TS-LS" attaches with 2 bolts to an auxiliary or Extension table, no other points or hardware on the SS, and installs - deinstalls in about one to two minutes, aligned and ready to go!

(or, on the Ext. table, simply slide the bar back home then drop the Ext. table- Incra and all- down below the Main. "Changeover" = 13 seconds.)

[cobalt60]

The Incra "Shopsmith TS-LS" attaches with 2 bolts to an auxiliary or Extension table, no other points or hardware on the SS, and installs - deinstalls in about one to two minutes, aligned and ready to go!

(or, on the Ext. table, simply slide the bar back home then drop the Ext. table- Incra and all- down below the Main. "Changeover" = 13 seconds.)

Ah, good to know. I definitely didn't mean to disparage any current product, especially one I've neither used or even seen in real life!


On one hand, my main goal here was to show a few inexpensive ways to modify the SS with non-standard after-market mods. The Incra Twin Linear, for example, cost me about $100 used. I guess it's just not a well-known or popular model, even though it has (as best I can tell) all the features of their current top-of-the-line model plus the Wonder Fence. Similar point with the miter bar -- if it goes on sale again, it's even inexpensive when new, and offers the option to swing a full 90 degrees in both directions (the v2000 model has a more limited angle range, I believe.


Funniest part, I suppose, is that I'm really falling back in love with some of my hand tools these days, so a lot of work seems to be getting done by japanese saws, hand planes, and chisels these days.


Maybe that's partially because I need to "tune-up" my free-standing SS Planer. It's the older (oldest?) model with old rollers, non-improved chip collection, and who knows what other improve-able features. I'd love to get it tip-top, especially if there are some easy wins I could achieve with little effort. Any suggestions?

[dusty]

Ah, good to know. I definitely didn't mean to disparage any current product, especially one I've neither used or even seen in real life!


On one hand, my main goal here was to show a few inexpensive ways to modify the SS with non-standard after-market mods. The Incra Twin Linear, for example, cost me about $100 used. I guess it's just not a well-known or popular model, even though it has (as best I can tell) all the features of their current top-of-the-line model plus the Wonder Fence. Similar point with the miter bar -- if it goes on sale again, it's even inexpensive when new, and offers the option to swing a full 90 degrees in both directions (the v2000 model has a more limited angle range, I believe.


Funniest part, I suppose, is that I'm really falling back in love with some of my hand tools these days, so a lot of work seems to be getting done by japanese saws, hand planes, and chisels these days.


Maybe that's partially because I need to "tune-up" my free-standing SS Planer. It's the older (oldest?) model with old rollers, non-improved chip collection, and who knows what other improve-able features. I'd love to get it tip-top, especially if there are some easy wins I could achieve with little effort. Any suggestions?

Thank you for all of the fine photo images that you have added to this thread. They clearly show some of what is required to operate a well tuned wood working shop; one that is capable of extreme precision and smooth operation. The addition of Incra accessories to your Mark V, in my opinion, makes it the ultimate in a small, nonprofessional wood shop environment.

[nuhobby]

Funniest part, I suppose, is that I'm really falling back in love with some of my hand tools these days, so a lot of work seems to be getting done by japanese saws, hand planes, and chisels these days.

I'm right there with you. From the basement shop, my wife hears everything I do in her upstairs room. For lathe-turning, the PowerPro has helped reduce noise a lot. Otherwise, I've been weaning myself off the loud tools. Hey, I work slow and take a long time to get stuff done, so I'm fine with this.

[cobalt60]

Well... I've had to make some hard decisions lately. After some additional recent tool acquisitions, followed by a change of address, I find myself at a sad conclusion.

...I need to sell all my SS stuff...

Maybe one day, I'll have space to get back into having a couple different tools, but as a hobbyist and amateur, I just need to move.

I know this forum isn't for buy/sell posts, but I wanted to heads-up the folks here to helped me create this monster before I post anything to the 'bay. Let me know if anyone's interested in the floating table w/ Incra fence mounted into tapped holes, the Router-floating-table and PC690 mounted, or the Incra miter bar. Also, I have one SS-sized miter bar left in anyone wants that (you can use it to make your own Incra miter bar, using a store-bought version).

Thanks to everyone, again, and I'll keep checking this forum for great woodworking & machine ideas, and of course, great people!

[dusty]

I am really sorry to hear this. I hope that you have a shop, where ever that might be, to retreat to for a sawdust session now and then. These sessions are vital, in my opinion, to healthy, happy living.

Thanks for the thread here and for all of the great photo images. It surely is a testament to you and your mechanical skills. You have certainly shown how the Shopsmith can be used in a variety of ways and with "precision".

Good luck.

[Ed in Tampa]

Cobalt60
Your mods to the fence rails work basically as the 520 tigthener do. Great work

I know if I still had my 510 I would be making that modification today. My advice to any 510 user is to install the same modification you will not believe how nice the table set up is.

I know I hated my 510 table setup but I love my 520 tables now. And for the same reason I needed my tables to be perfectly in the same plane or height.

I had an extra main table so I machined out some of it and installed my router into it. I never thought of using my floating table. When you use these tables you must have tables all at exactly the same plane or wood catches in the difference when you rout.