Aux Table Alignment

mountainbreeze · Post by **mountainbreeze** » Thu Nov 10, 2011 2:21 pm

I can't seem to get my auxiliary table aligned with my main table so that the fence will straddle the two of them as needed when ripping a board somewhere around 7" wide. If I align the top and front edges, the bevel on the underside is off. And visa versa. Any ideas on how to get this properly aligned?

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JPG · Post by **JPG** » Fri Nov 11, 2011 8:26 am

mountainbreeze wrote:I can't seem to get my auxiliary table aligned with my main table so that the fence will straddle the two of them as needed when ripping a board somewhere around 7" wide. If I align the top and front edges, the bevel on the underside is off. And visa versa. Any ideas on how to get this properly aligned?

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Not without a Milling machine!:(

Which version M5 do you have there? - Does it have the dual blade slot table? It is because of this specific 'issue' that the extra blade slot was created.

If I am understanding the pix properly, the left table is the main and the right is the extension, or is that reversed?(main left means probably a goldie, main right means probably a greenie with a 7" extension).

A goldie should have the extra slot. If a later MV, no extra slot.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Fri Nov 11, 2011 11:25 am

I have posted, in the past, on this subject. I learned a lot while doing so. I learned best not to do it again. Alignment of the extension tables on a 500 are absolutely nothing like what I know or think I know.

All I can do is hope for you to have the best of times while engrossed in this endeavor and that it ALL WORKS OUT as you would have it to. Good Luck.

There were just too many different companies involved during those times.

I worked on a major engineering/manufacturing project that was passed from one division to another. That was a nightmare. I can not even imagine passing a product like the Mark 5 from one company to another (more than once).

The very fact that Mark 5/Vs from that era are still cranking out sawdust is a true sign of the talent those designers and builders had.

mountainbreeze · Post by **mountainbreeze** » Fri Nov 11, 2011 11:30 am

I have a Mark V that was purchased in March of 1977 (SN 11779). It is gray and yes, the main table has a slot near the left side. I never really knew what the intended purpose of the left edge slot was but I used it when ripping 7" boards. I thought maybe it was for something else since it was a shorter slot.

Yes, the left table is the main in the top picture.

So, is the answer that the two tables cannot be aligned to accomodate the fence and I should not straddle the fence across the main/aux tables, and instead, use the left slot when necessary?

heathicus · Post by **heathicus** » Fri Nov 11, 2011 12:00 pm

mountainbreeze wrote:So, is the answer that the two tables cannot be aligned to accomodate the fence and I should not straddle the fence across the main/aux tables, and instead, use the left slot when necessary?

I believe that is the answer. I don't think straddling the fence between two tables was ever part of the design.

Another option might be to attach an auxiliary fence to the rip fence of appropriate thickness so the rip fence can be attached to the extension table, with the auxiliary fence the desired distance from the blade (overhanging onto the main table if necessary).

reible · Post by **reible** » Fri Nov 11, 2011 12:27 pm

Hi,

I have 2 machines of that general vintage, a 76 with the dual slots and a 79 without the extra slot. In both cases I can align the tables and extension table and work over the joint.

One of the key elements to being able to do this is having extension tables of the same era as the main table. The problem doing this is knowing which ones are. What is throwing me off is that it sounds like you got your machine new in 77 so you should have a matched set....

How are the back side of the tables aligning?

On a side note this is another improvement you might want to do if you haven't already done it. One thing I have done is to redo the mounting of the extension tables using studs and nuts, the same thing that newer machines have changed to. It is now a lot easier to make adjustments to the extension table.

Ed

reible · Post by **reible** » Fri Nov 11, 2011 1:55 pm

Here is yet another post about this subject, it took me a while to remember enough to know what to search for but it happened so take a look here:

https://forum.shopsmith.com/viewtopic.php?t=6272

Ed

mountainbreeze · Post by **mountainbreeze** » Fri Nov 11, 2011 7:59 pm

Ok, I definately don't have a matched pair. I've tried everything and I can see no way to align to two. Also, the other treads seem to indicate that Shopsmith added the extra slot just to accomodate this shortcoming.

Has anyone ever successfully obtained a second main table and adapted it as the aux table?

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Fri Nov 11, 2011 9:54 pm

mountainbreeze wrote:Ok, I definately don't have a matched pair. I've tried everything and I can see no way to align to two. Also, the other treads seem to indicate that Shopsmith added the extra slot just to accomodate this shortcoming.

Has anyone ever successfully obtained a second main table and adapted it as the aux table?

Wait for it! A response from Plant City, FL.

reible · Post by **reible** » Fri Nov 11, 2011 10:37 pm

Taken from the current online version of the PTWFE.

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So yes it is designed to straddle.

There are several work-a-rounds that come to mind. First the extension table and the main table to not have to be in the same plane. You can lower the extension table and adjust the height so it is just lower then the main table, then mount the rip fence on the extension table where it can be slid up to the main table. If that is not far enough just add a piece of wood to the fence (sitting on the main table)to get closer to the blade. Going farther away you just do with the fence and distance between main and extension table.

Second has already been mentioned, add a fence spacing fixture as show on the top of the image above.

The second main table I have never tried on a 500 but I think I recall others having done so. I'd go with that as a last stitch effort.

If this above is not making sense I can try and provide more details or perhaps someone can take a few pictures showing the details.

Ed