table alignment

paulmcohen · Post by **paulmcohen** » Tue May 27, 2008 9:39 pm

[quote="dusty"]Paul]

It is "perfectly flat", you can use any part of it. It is also larger then a saw blade so you can use it to do vertical alignment as well as horizontal alignment.

You don't have to use a single tooth and move it which might show run out.

Mine came in a package with the dial indicator and bar that fit the Shopsmith so this is always how I did it.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Tue May 27, 2008 10:09 pm

Thanks Paul.

I'll have to look through the pile of stuff I have been carrying around with me and see if I have something that will do the trick.

I have two or three pieces of aluminum stock about that size but it is all 1/2" thick. It has been machined flat but I'd have to drill a hole into it that is perfectly perpendicular to the plate surface.

You know, it might not have to be "perfectly" square to the plate. When it is mounted the arbor washers might take care of positioning the plate.

Wonder is there is a reason it is 6"x10" and not either a 10" round or a 10" square plate. Cost may be the primary factor.

paulmcohen · Post by **paulmcohen** » Tue May 27, 2008 11:11 pm

There is not much point of having it extend below the table. The hole is near one side so that most of the 6" side sticks above the table. If hole is not perpendicular to the face how will the washers help. This is one time you might want to find a friend with a machine shop.

shydragon · Post by **shydragon** » Wed May 28, 2008 9:38 am

I ordered the dial indicator a couple of weeks ago. Do they always come with the alignment disk, or was that some special deal?

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Wed May 28, 2008 2:42 pm

If you find out that they are to come with the alignment disk, please let me know. I bought the dial indicator and did not receive the disk.

That having been said, the Master Plate is not a Shopsmith offering and I believe you have to order it separately and NOT from Shopsmith.

I just googled "master plate" to find the source.

paulmcohen · Post by **paulmcohen** » Wed May 28, 2008 3:06 pm

shydragon wrote:I ordered the dial indicator a couple of weeks ago. Do they always come with the alignment disk, or was that some special deal?

I think it was a special deal, in was 10+ years ago so I don't remember.

paulmcohen · Post by **paulmcohen** » Wed May 28, 2008 3:13 pm

dusty wrote:If you find out that they are to come with the alignment disk, please let me know. I bought the dial indicator and did not receive the disk.

That having been said, the Master Plate is not a Shopsmith offering and I believe you have to order it separately and NOT from Shopsmith.

I just googled "master plate" to find the source.

I did not get it from Shopsmith directly, I got it from Woodcraft who in 1990 was a Shopsmith reseller/dealer and they put it together. They did this a lot, they offered classes on the Shopsmith (with a discount on purchases) and frequently had accessories that they put together like a pen turning mandrel or a dial indicator with a Shopsmith compatible mitre bar.

They still sell a few Shopsmith accessories, like lathe chucks with a 5/8" hole and modular tool rests for the Shopsmith.

curiousgeorge · Post by **curiousgeorge** » Wed May 28, 2008 4:25 pm

Get ready to float a loan if you are going to buy one of those plates. They are precision milled and don't give them away.

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyId=2017

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=6039

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Wed May 28, 2008 6:05 pm

You had me taking deep breathes there, curiousgeorge.

I expected this plate to be a couple c notes. Woodcraft only wants $50.00. Guess I can go buy four at that price.

No, actually it is spec'd at .003" flatness. I have saw blades that I think are that flat.

At least I think that is what I am measuring. I set the dial indicator up with the tip touching a spot just inside the gullet. Set the dial indicator for zero. While watching the dial indicator, turn the blade VERY SLOWLY by turning the power take off (do not touch the blade). I think the reading that I are seeing on the dial indicator is an indication of two factors. Blade flatness and Alignment of the Table Miter Bar to the Blade.

If I am correct - I don't need a Master Plate. Why? - Because it won't help to get my alignment any better than it already is (not if it is spec'd at .003").

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 12:31 pm

Dusty
Now that the dust has settled and you have had time to think through this whole process, what is your final call?

In your opinion do you think it was a manufacturing glitch versus a engineering design that had the back trunnion holes at 3/8 instead of 1/2?

And do you think it was or was not worth the effort to correct this?

How hard was it to drill out the holes?

Would you recommend someone try to do this themselves or to send their trunnions back to SS for correction?

Ed

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table alignment

Table Alignment