back to woodworking again

[nuhobby]

This reminds me: There was a time or two years ago when I used a Miter Gage Stop Rod, gripped in the headstock's Drill Chuck. If that rod went cleanly through the holes in the miter gage riding in the slots on the table, I felt the whole system was at least "in the ball park" and I'd be comfortable using it.

- Chris

[dusty]

I am not sure how this post got back on top the heap but I am glad that it did. I reread my comments and no longer agree with my position. This method checked to see that everything relates to everything else in the proper manner. I'm looking forward to getting back in the shop so that I can check my machine against this method.

[Beave2012]

I am not sure how this post got back on top the heap but I am glad that it did. I reread my comments and no longer agree with my position. This method checked to see that everything relates to everything else in the proper manner. I'm looking forward to getting back in the shop so that I can check my machine against this method.

This is the first time I have seen this post and I remain skeptical. Too much is riding on the idea that the contacts with quill and tail are perfect, and I mean perfect, more so than the standard quill advancement with drill jaws extended. Even the smallest error increases exponentially over the length of the rod. And this is the constant reference point.

Simple check, put in the blade and test alignment to miter slot and cross cut. Then use a good square and check for the 90s. If it passes, wow I want one.

[algale]

I think it is a very clever and different approach to alignment.

I wish I had this rig to play with because I would align my Mark V with it and then I would check the results using my dial indicator and see exactly how well the rig measures up.

For it to work properly I would think that there would need to be some very close tolerances between (1) the rod and the hole in the bar and (2) the rod and the miter slot.

Also, I'm curious what it cost to have this rig made up by a machinist.

[JPG]

I agree with the clever part.

The hole needs to be loose enough to slip over the rod AND tight enough to guarantee the right angle to the rod. Mutually exclusive details.

The hole in the quill end needs to be perfect.

It would require a VERY good machinist to make this work well.


In any event if it works for him, what do we have to do with that? More power to him and thanks be to him for sharing!


As for dialing in the results, less said by me regarding overkill the better. However, it does NOT need to be 'perfect', just good enough to be safe. After all what we be cutting will vary/move/distort as it is cut.

[Ed in Tampa]

I believe any alignment made with a level assumes the floor the SS is sitting on is level, which it may not be. That the legs, way tubes, bench tubes and carriage is level which it may not be.

I see no use for the level. The rest is interesting and I would love to have a similar bar and rod to play with to see how it checks out with other methods.

[dusty]

It is NOT necessary for all of those referenced items to be level BUT they must all be in the same plane or in planes horizontal to one another.
Example: Your shop floor need not be "level" for the Shopsmith to align properly BUT the shop floor must be the reference surface against which all other related measurements are being made. My shop floor (aka "garage floor") has a code imposed slope of I believe 2°.