Saw blade alignment

bearcat2k · Post by **bearcat2k** » Sun Feb 23, 2014 5:37 pm

Hi Guys,

After receiving the dial indicator and watching the critical alignment DVD, I tried following the instructions for adjusting the trunnions on the main table. However, after following the directions as closely as possible, I can't seem to get my main table to stay within 0.025 inches from the front of the blade to the outfeed of the blade. Is there something I am doing wrong here?

Moreover, I seems that even when I have the main table completely locked down, there is still a wobble in the table of 0.020 inches (at least). Is there any way to make the table at least a little bit more stable without the support legs? The table seems to wobble too much to do any real precision work.

Thanks for your help!

Mike

joshh · Post by **joshh** » Sun Feb 23, 2014 6:21 pm

What model do you have? (500,505,510,520)

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Sun Feb 23, 2014 6:53 pm

bearcat2k wrote:Hi Guys,

After receiving the dial indicator and watching the critical alignment DVD, I tried following the instructions for adjusting the trunnions on the main table. However, after following the directions as closely as possible, I can't seem to get my main table to stay within 0.025 inches from the front of the blade to the outfeed of the blade. Is there something I am doing wrong here?

Moreover, I seems that even when I have the main table completely locked down, there is still a wobble in the table of 0.020 inches (at least). Is there any way to make the table at least a little bit more stable without the support legs? The table seems to wobble too much to do any real precision work.

Thanks for your help!

Mike

Under force, the Main Table may move that much but should settle back to an original position when the force is removed.

May I suggest a repeat of the table alignment but this time, if you attempted to pivot around the rear/left trunnion bolt, this time try but pivot around a different bolt. I would suggest the right/front.

Your table should be closer to parallel than that if you just push the table back and to the left.

bearcat2k · Post by **bearcat2k** » Sun Feb 23, 2014 7:27 pm

joshh wrote:What model do you have? (500,505,510,520)

I have a Mark V 520.

algale · Post by **algale** » Sun Feb 23, 2014 8:15 pm

I hate to open up this can or worms, but if you are having trouble getting alignment, it could be because your trunnions are not all properly drilled to the correct size and there is insufficient clearance around the bolt holes. There are many posts about this and how you can either redrill it yourself or send it back to Shopsmith. There is also a camp that says this isn't necessary. Try searching the words "drill" and "trunnion."

I was one who redrilled my own and it made my alignments, which had been an ordeal, into a 15 minute job.

As for the deflection/flexing you are getting, seems extreme. Are you deliberately twisting it? The table will not flex that much in operation. You can do precision work on a Shopsmith.

bearcat2k · Post by **bearcat2k** » Tue Feb 25, 2014 9:22 am

As always, I appreciate the advice of everyone on this board. There were conflicting opinions as to the value of increasing the trunnion hole size, so I think I will do that as a last resort. In the meantime, I will keep monkeying with the table, and maybe I can get it right. I may just need more practice at this.

Also, please don't think I indicated that the Shopsmith is not a precision machine. I was just saying MY (unaligned) Shopsmith didn't seem to be accurate enough to do precision work. Even with all the warts, I use my Shopsmith, if for no other reason that it is really easy to get good advice on how to perform operations and how to fix things on it.

Thanks again for your advice!

Mike

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Tue Feb 25, 2014 9:50 am

There are several variables involved which make this a difficult task to achieve by proxy.

As stated by others, the solutions have been varied. I now have one machine that is drilled out and one machine that is not. They both align equally well.

Since Shopsmith now drills all four holes to the same diameter, doing the same is not likely to cause any problems.

Here is a thread that discusses the problem from both points of view.

Good luck doing whatever you chose to do. I do, however, strongly recommend that you get the table properly aligned before you rip much more wood. Kick backs can make for a REALLY BAD DAY.

algale · Post by **algale** » Tue Feb 25, 2014 10:20 am

As long as you need to do an alignment, you may as well at least pop off the trunnions and see what you are dealing with in terms of hole diameters. It isn't difficult to do. If they already are the same size, one less thing to worry about.

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