Finally... my 500 to 520 upgrade experience!

chrispitude · Post by **chrispitude** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 12:02 pm

dusty wrote:Chris,

I'm not sure we are in concert. If I pull the stock out, the saw guard will return to the table top. It does not hang up. It moves up and down very freely.

Ahh, I thought the last picture showed it hung up. Thanks dusty, sounds like something is up with my guard. I'll ask Shopsmith about it on Monday. I appreciate you taking the time to check your unit to help me out.

- Chris

chrispitude · Post by **chrispitude** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 3:41 pm

I spoke to Shopsmith on Monday. The fellow who answered the phone said that the upper guard on his demo Shopsmith hung up the same way mine does on that back edge. I will try trimming it with a utility knife.

I explained the crooked pivot pin in the back of the rip fence. I offered to email them pictures. I haven't heard anything back, but when I called up yesterday to ask about my backordered 24" miter extension, the woman mentioned that there also seems to be a new order for a rip fence on my account. It sounds like they're sending me a replacement.

I thought you all might enjoy some pictures of my new 520, freshly aligned with its Freud thin-kerf blade installed:

http://www.chrispitude.net/view.php?alb ... =14&size=2

Sitting across the tables is an 8' board, which is what I did not feel safe cross-cutting on the 500's small main table/aux table and decided to upgrade.

- Chris

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 4:21 pm

Chris;

Your setup looks great; however, to handle long stock like that I believe you need an extension on your miter gauge. For a long time, I just bolted a piece of aluminum angle to the face of the fence.

I have now traded that for a sliding cross cut table(555535).

Have you resolved the fit problem with your 520 rip fence?

chrispitude · Post by **chrispitude** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 5:02 pm

Hi dusty,

My 24" aluminum miter extension is backordered for a couple more weeks.

I need to cut 24 1x6 boards into three 31.75" lengths, and 16 2x4 boards in half, and I think the extension would make this an easier prospect. Maybe I'll see if I can put something else together in the meantime, like your angle iron idea or some other flat piece of metal/wood stock attached to the miter.

I saw your previous post on the crosscut sled and it looks like a real nice piece! Given its price, I decided to see how the 24" extension will work (if it ever arrives) and if I decide I need more, that crosscut sled looks like the trick.

I am hoping that a replacement rip fence arrives soon!

- Chris

chiroindixon · Post by **chiroindixon** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 5:08 pm

Now that you have the setup....it's a simple chore to "make" a crosscut sled.
Yes, you can buy them but they are very simple to make. Check any book on table saws and they will have simple plans.

But with a 520, I would advise that you buy a SS long miter bar. That extra "coin" that secures it in the T slot beats a non-secured miter bar.

Cross cutting with a sled is so much easier, safer and faster.

Have fun....

Doc

reible · Post by **reible** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 5:14 pm

Hi,

Glad you are getting set up for the project. It sounds like shopsmith is just going to replace the rip fence so that should take care of that matter.

Maybe the newer plastic parts have that "feature" built in to keep the guard up??? Like I said I don't see that on mine but sometimes it had to tell a feature from a mistake.

As Dusty mentioned you want to make the miter gauge wider, either with a scrap of wood or some other such item. In the future you might want to think about buying a sled or making one, another easy project.

I personally like to have the miter gauge in the right slot for longer pieces like that where the shorter cut off piece is the the left and the longer material is to the right... which I think is what you are showing for the material. You might want to give it try each way and see how if feels to you.... Yes I'm right handed so for most of the time I have a stronger grip with that hand.

With the tables all waxed up thing should slide very nice... if you feel it sticking somewhere touch it up with some more wax.

Ed

chrispitude · Post by **chrispitude** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 5:48 pm

reible wrote:As Dusty mentioned you want to make the miter gauge wider, either with a scrap of wood or some other such item. In the future you might want to think about buying a sled or making one, another easy project.

I personally like to have the miter gauge in the right slot for longer pieces like that where the shorter cut off piece is the the left and the longer material is to the right... which I think is what you are showing for the material. You might want to give it try each way and see how if feels to you.... Yes I'm right handed so for most of the time I have a stronger grip with that hand.

Hi Ed,

I will start looking around for crosscut sled plans, thanks! Do the sleds keep the workpiece pretty close to the table? With an 8ft board, I am wondering if the droop on either side of the sled would be an issue. I'll do some searching and see what plans I come up with.

Thanks for your advice on positioning the miter. This is the sort of thing where I am completely in the dark. I didn't know if there was a "correct" side to use, or if most folks swapped from one side to the other depending on what they were doing (and what those reasons would even be), or if they tended to favor a certain side. I am righthanded too. I've been a bit wary of standing in or reaching across the kickback path of the blade, so I always keep the miter to the left of the blade so I am not reaching across its plane. I was figuring on keeping the longest length on the left side, keeping the miter on the left side of the blade, and pushing it with my right hand. I guess I will try some different combinations and see how they feel.

This is exactly the sort of advice that really helps me find my path forward. My wife sometimes accuses me of overthinking things (I am a semiconductor electrical engineer by trade) but when it comes to power tools like these, I definitely prefer to err on the side of safety. Thanks!

- Chris

8iowa · Post by **8iowa** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 5:53 pm

Before I got my miter sled I used to put waxed paper on the extension tables, using masking tape underneath the tables to hold it in place. If the boards are quite long, a ball bearing roller stand close to the outboard end is also a big help.

reible · Post by **reible** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 7:02 pm

chrispitude wrote:Hi Ed,

I will start looking around for crosscut sled plans, thanks! Do the sleds keep the workpiece pretty close to the table? With an 8ft board, I am wondering if the droop on either side of the sled would be an issue. I'll do some searching and see what plans I come up with.

Thanks for your advice on positioning the miter. This is the sort of thing where I am completely in the dark. I didn't know if there was a "correct" side to use, or if most folks swapped from one side to the other depending on what they were doing (and what those reasons would even be), or if they tended to favor a certain side. I am righthanded too. I've been a bit wary of standing in or reaching across the kickback path of the blade, so I always keep the miter to the left of the blade so I am not reaching across its plane. I was figuring on keeping the longest length on the left side, keeping the miter on the left side of the blade, and pushing it with my right hand. I guess I will try some different combinations and see how they feel.

This is exactly the sort of advice that really helps me find my path forward. My wife sometimes accuses me of overthinking things (I am a semiconductor electrical engineer by trade) but when it comes to power tools like these, I definitely prefer to err on the side of safety. Thanks!

- Chris

OK it looks like taking a lunch break while writing a message is not such a good idea and I may have mislead you from how I worded things. So let me reword what I wrote.

In the case of having the miter gauge in the right slot I use my left hand on the miter gauge and right to help keep the stock square to the cut. If I were cutting smaller stock I would use the left slot and my right, stronger hand for the miter gauge. For me 85-90% time the miter gauge is in the left slot. Things, like when tilting the table give you less options, you have to use the proper slot or you can saw apart your miter gauge......

The some of the rules are not cut and fast on things in woodworking so you end up often doing it how you feel most comfortable and safe. I hope this didn't confuse you too much. The idea you mentioned using the left side works well too, and remember the headstock and main table can be place along the tubes to give you different support. If the main length to the left feels un-balanced that way move things around.

When you build a sled as you noted the sled is now placed the workpiece higher then the tables. If the over hang is not much then this is not a problem. If however the board is long enough it will sag. The solution is to add a platform to the externsion/floating table (double sided tape, or make one of several other ways of keeping the platform in place. This can be topped with some wax or better yet some of the Slick Strips tape
http://pricecutter.com/product.asp?pn=400-1158%5D http://pricecutter.com/product.asp?pn=4 ... 1205368907

Now everything is back on the same level and you still have a slick set-up.

Ed

edit: link should work now, sorry.

osx-addict · Post by **osx-addict** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 8:23 pm

reible wrote:...This can be topped with some wax or better yet some of the Slick Strips tape
[http://pricecutter.com/product.asp?pn=400-1158]

Remove the "]" from the above link and it will work.. Not sure why it put it there..