Miter Guage Alternatives

[curiousgeorge]

Exactly WHERE is the 1/64" play with the SS miter gauge? I need to misadjust or improperly assemble it to get anywhere near that amount of 'play'.

JPG,
I can appreciate that you are an avid Shopsmith fan, and don't get your feelers stomped on, but lets face it, the machine is not perfect. It is entirely possible to have a 1/64" slop with the SS miter bar. They are just not that precise Vs. the Incra and other Miter systems.

[dusty]

Exactly WHERE is the 1/64" play with the SS miter gauge? I need to misadjust or improperly assemble it to get anywhere near that amount of 'play'.

All of the play (what little there is) in the Shopsmith miter gauge is a function of the miter bar.

However, since I received my V120, I have done some comparative analysis between the V120 and the Shopsmith miter.

There is a difference but (are you ready for this) not enough to talk about unless you are doing something like segmented turnings. The Shopsmith miter bar moves about .1 of a degree which is minimum in normal woodworking. It is also true that the Incra Miter Bar, when properly adjusted, just does not move in the miter track.

I still like my V120 but it is not going to do anything to noticeably improve my woodworking skills. I am still an apprentice level woodworker learning without the benefit of a master.

[JPG]

My feelers are far more durable than CG has implied!;) Neither am I blind to the ss's shortcomings.

I just have NOT experienced this 1/64" slop(or whatever) with the mitergauge. Yes I agree there ARE less 'sloppy' bars out there, but I do NOT get .016" gaps between my bar and the slot. Mine are more than .006 and less than .010. At one foot out from the face of the miter gauge, this 'slop'[I used .008 to calculate this] can introduce an angular difference of less than .04 degrees.

There are other causes of 'slop(the pivot screw is one)', but with proper adjustment they can be minimized.

I do not wish to minimize the difficulty of getting accurate cuts for segment angle cutting, but I really believe the miterset made for setting mitergauges for that purpose with the ss mitergauge provides a successful method. My experience with the 'normal' version(sets angles to within .5 degree) has been very satisfying. Repeatability IS easily attainable, but not as easily as with the incra products(if I am to believe others related experience and my understanding of their use).

All this requires the ss mitergauge be adjusted properly so as to minimize ALL its possible areas of being 'sloppy' in addition to the bar.

My original question was Where is 1/64" sloppiness occuring. My own experience has been much less.

[dusty]

JPG,
I can appreciate that you are an avid Shopsmith fan, and don't get your feelers stomped on, but lets face it, the machine is not perfect. It is entirely possible to have a 1/64" slop with the SS miter bar. They are just not that precise Vs. the Incra and other Miter systems.

George, I'm sorry but if you have a 1/64" of slop in the miter bar (miter bar lateral movement within the track) you have something terribly wrong. Without discussing the Incra miter bar, using only the standard Shopsmith miter bar, the movement of the bar within the track should be less than about .007". In fact, I think I remember Nick saying that we should expect it to be about .005".

[flashbacpt]

I use the Miterset product for segmented turnings. I find that it is both functional, affordable, and accurate for the many cuts needed to complete a segmented turning project.
To complete my cuts, I use the SS miter gauge extension, adding a piece of adhesive sandpaper along its length, thus locking the piece of wood in place for cutting. I found, before the addition of the sandpaper, that the initial contact with the blade can cause a slight movement of the wood being cut, thus tossing off the precise angle needed.
Also, with the many cuts required in segmented work, taking it slow for each and every cut, and having a sharp blade also helps.
Just my two cents worth!:)

John
FlashbacPT

[jmilligan]

I didn't realize my question about miter guage alternatives/accessories would generate such a lengthy exchange. I forgot to include in my original message that I am left handed so I tend to work the opposite direction as right handed folks would do when using the miter guage and saw.

I ordered and just received the extension fence for the miter guage (556005) that Dusty referred me to in one of his responses. Thanks Dusty, I can see that this accessory for the miter guage will fix my problems in cutting angles working larger stock.

Being relatively new to the Shopsmith, the online videos and this owner/users forum have been extremely helpful to me. Thanks again for all of the reponses to my various questions in this forum.

[dusty]

I didn't realize my question about miter guage alternatives/accessories would generate such a lengthy exchange. I forgot to include in my original message that I am left handed so I tend to work the opposite direction as right handed folks would do when using the miter guage and saw.

I ordered and just received the extension fence for the miter guage (556005) that Dusty referred me to in one of his responses. Thanks Dusty, I can see that this accessory for the miter guage will fix my problems in cutting angles working larger stock.

Being relatively new to the Shopsmith, the online videos and this owner/users forum have been extremely helpful to me. Thanks again for all of the reponses to my various questions in this forum.

Jeff, you are most welcome. This is really what this forum is all about. It is the next best thing to being able to jump across the back fence to do the same thing ion your shop.

I've been toying with my miter gauge (Incra V120) ever since I received it.

Just today I have completed still another complete alignment and put every thing back together.

I have modified my table alignment procedure by employing the miter gauge as one of the reference tools.

Pictures/procedure at nine.

[rayjack]

I use the standard SS mitre guage and if neccessary the miterset to get spot-on acuracy.
NB If you are in the UK and want to order from mitreset make sure they charge it out as I suggested to them in my email, ie increase the charge for p&p and decrease the item price below £18 otherwise you will probably get stuck for Customs Duty & VAT (anything under £18 comes through unchecked). I had to pay another tenner for mine.

If necessary us a simple wooden extension (use MDF or similar to avoid distortion) and add abasive paper to the face to avoid slippage.

BTW are there any other UK readers of this forum?

[foxtrapper]

I wanted to check my Mitre gauge before I posted. Mine, and I think every shopsmith mitre gauge, has adjustment screws in slots on the rail to expand it, taking out all the slop. You adjust it until it's just able to slide freely.

To the poster with tremendous slop, have you adjusted yours? It rather sounds like the adjustment screws have not been tightened or perhaps not even installed.

[JPG]

I wanted to check my Mitre gauge before I posted. Mine, and I think every shopsmith mitre gauge, has adjustment screws in slots on the rail to expand it, taking out all the slop. You adjust it until it's just able to slide freely.

To the poster with tremendous slop, have you adjusted yours? It rather sounds like the adjustment screws have not been tightened or perhaps not even installed.

The purpose of that tapered 'screw' is to LOCK the bar in a desired position. It was not intended to be used as a 'slop eliminator'. It is of some use for slop removal, but due to its location and being only one it still has a tendency to rotate at various locations along the slot. Do not overlook the pivot screw. If loose, the 'head' can wobble considerably.