MicroAdjustable Rip Fence

ldh · Post by **ldh** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 8:55 pm

[quote="dusty"]Idh,

Did you have to drill through the knobs that you used or did you buy them this way (so that the rod goes all the way through).

I have completed my proof of concept model. It works but I want a larger knob and I want to use a finer thread than I did for this one.

Dusty,
The 3/8x16 through knobs are available through Rockler and several sources. I welded the 3/8 threaded rod to the t-nut to make attachment to the fence easier and to allow for the double knobs at the adjustment side giving me a push/pull zero slap adjustment mechanism. One could probably use quick release knobs and a smaller mounting board to enhance it a bit. Good pics of your work, I will have to work on getting better pics and present them as you do.
ldh

pinkiewerewolf · Post by **pinkiewerewolf** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 9:14 pm

Yep, great photos of your work Dusty. I admire the ingenuity.

ldh · Post by **ldh** » Sun Dec 28, 2008 2:25 pm

Dusty,
This is what I came up with for moving the 520 fence in and out and a method of measuring the movement from 0-22 inches in thousands. I just zero the depth gage to the blade and add the extensions for the measurement needed. Seems to work quite well and if there is enough interest I will post some pics of it on the SS.

ldh

[ATTACH]2789[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]2791[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]2792[/ATTACH]

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Sun Dec 28, 2008 2:44 pm

This looks as though it will do a fantastic job of getting the required accuracy dialed into your cuts.

I have a question though. When adjusting the rip fence to the blade (width of a cut), is the dial gauge attached to the top of the fence.

BTW That depth gauge is terrific. All of those screw on extensions gives you some versatility (reach) that I cannot get with mine. This limitation is occasionally a factor.

I have not yet gotten my dial gauge attached to the fixture I developed. I need to drill and tap some holes in the base and the table saw has had priority in setup lately. I'll get mine done as soon as I can change to drill press and post a couple pictures.

These are great ideas. Hopefully someone else will find a hint that works for them and develop one of their own. Each new attempt usually results in some improvement.

The knobs that you are using now look to be a perfect fit for this application.

Is there any sort of secret associated with the measuring tape I see wrapped around the adjustment screw? Is that home made?

ldh · Post by **ldh** » Sun Dec 28, 2008 3:05 pm

dusty wrote:This looks as though it will do a fantastic job of getting the required accuracy dialed into your cuts.

I have a question though. When adjusting the rip fence to the blade (width of a cut), is the dial gauge attached to the top of the fence.

BTW That depth gauge is terrific. All of those screw on extensions gives you some versatility (reach) that I cannot get with mine. This limitation is occasionally a factor.

I have not yet gotten my dial gauge attached to the fixture I developed. I need to drill and tap some holes in the base and the table saw has had priority in setup lately. I'll get mine done as soon as I can change to drill press and post a couple pictures.

These are great ideas. Hopefully someone else will find a hint that works for them and develop one of their own. Each new attempt usually results in some improvement.

The knobs that you are using now look to be a perfect fit for this application.

Is there any sort of secret associated with the measuring tape I see wrapped around the adjustment screw? Is that home made?

Dusty,
It can be mounted on the fence or in the mitre slot, your preference. The steel knobs are 2" from the J. Winco Co. I found the steel against a brass washer on each side of the aluminum angle gave me the best results. The measuring tape is a paper scale attached with #77 adhesive that I made with a cad prg on my computer. The small tics are 1/16 of 1/16 inch movement of the fence or about .004. Clear scotch tape around the paper and they are fairly durable....and cheap to replace. I am now working on a 8" indexing wheel the will atach to the back of my Oneway chuck.
ldh

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Sun Dec 28, 2008 4:20 pm

ldh wrote:Dusty,
......
I am now working on a 8" indexing wheel the will attach to the back of my Oneway chuck.
ldh

I should invest some time and money into an indexing wheel. Maybe I'd learn to drill holes accurately. I used to blame my drilling mistakes on not being able to see...I can't do that anymore.

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Sun Dec 28, 2008 6:51 pm

WOW! Hey there idh - you deserve a great big ATTA BOY!!!

I'd love to see it on your Mark V, When you get the time.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 5:47 pm

dusty wrote:I don't see why it needs to be refined at all. It looks great and you said it works. This is all the counts. Along with the fact that you didn't have to pay big bucks makes this fantastic. Great Job.

I am having a bit of trouble with mine. The adjusting knob is too small. My finger strength is inadequate to move the adjustment. Need a bigger knob.

Didn't want to have to buy anything. The most points are awarded for "use of existing materials". I'm going to get zero points in that category on this one.

Thanks for the inputs though. You have given me some ideas. Pictures will follow when something materializes.

My version of the Micro Adjuster is now complete except for some sanding and a paint job.

I decided that I didn't need the indexing tape (at least for now).

The major problem with the previous version was that I could hardly turn the know (too small). I fixed that by modifying a wooden wheel that I had in my scrap box.

I attached the dial gauge mostly to be able to measure the movement during development. The dial gauge will probably not be a permanent attachment.

These photos show the jig attached to the Mark V with a clamp. The jig can be outfitted with a Shopsmith T-Nut and attached to a t-track that way.

If more reach is required, the base can be turned 90 degrees. If still more reach is required, the bolt will be replaced with a piece of threaded rod. Of course the fixtures need to be relocated on the base. The base has been predrilled and tapped to facilitate that.

ldh · Post by **ldh** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 5:57 pm

charlese wrote: I'd love to see it on your Mark V, When you get the time.

Chuck,
This is what it looks like on the 520. I zero the gage to the fence with the fence at zero to the saw blade then add the number of gage extensions I need to go from 0-22 inches. The fence adjuster allows me to move the fence in or out by thousands. It does allow for very accurate initial setup. I am sure one of the Incra or Jointech fences would make more sense, but Dusty's foray into building a micro-fence-adjuster for the SS got me thinking about it and this is what I came up with.

ldh

[ATTACH]2966[/ATTACH]

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 9:28 pm

That's Super! Thank you for the photo!:D Looks like a very workable system.

Shopsmith Forums

MicroAdjustable Rip Fence

Fence Adjuster

MicroAdjustable Rip Fence