Shopsmith Forums

Hobbyman2 wrote:the two alignment screws are shown in one of those videos,,, they are underneath the fence.


Would it make any difference though if the fence was skewed to make it parallel to the blade or at any other angle ?

Those two screws are correct for that version of the 510 rip fence.

There are 510 variations as well as 500 and 520 differences.


Anything other than parallel to the blade is hazardous. Usually the miter gauge slot is first aligned to the blade, and then the slot is a reference for aligning the fence.

Anything other than parallel to the blade is hazardous. Usually the miter gauge slot is first aligned to the blade, and then the slot is a reference for aligning the fence.

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+1

I thought you were saying the fence shouldn't be adjusted by the screws to make it parallel to the blade .

My bad

What you are basically saying ,,,in theory ,,is,,, you could loosen those 2 set screws ,,,,,clamp the fence to the table,,,, and align the table so the fence was parallel to the blade ,,tighten the table mount bolts on the trunnion and it should all be square ..

No, I said first align the table(miter gauge slots) to the blade.

Then align the rip fence to the slots.

Nothing else is intended nor implied.

My original post re 'incorrect' set screws was referring to the ones on the front of the rip fence 'base'.

Hobbyman2 wrote:Anything other than parallel to the blade is hazardous. Usually the miter gauge slot is first aligned to the blade, and then the slot is a reference for aligning the fence.

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+1

I thought you were saying the fence shouldn't be adjusted by the screws to make it parallel to the blade .

My bad

What you are basically saying ,,,in theory ,,is,,, you could loosen those 2 set screws ,,,,,clamp the fence to the table,,,, and align the table so the fence was parallel to the blade ,,tighten the table mount bolts on the trunnion and it should all be square ..

I think the missing bit of info here is that Shopsmith provided a different/correct means to adjust the rip fence parallel to the miter slots, for normal operation. The screws in question were provided only so that you could temporarily misalign the fence, in order to joint a board with the edge of a flat sanding disc. But they present the risk of accidentally leaving the fence misaligned, which is of course hazardous if you then proceed to do an actual ripping operation.

The rip-fence alignment procedure for normal operation starts on page 12 of this document.

Thanks,,,,,, I might print that one out.

Hobbyman2 wrote:Thanks,,,,,, I might print that one out.

I suggest you print the whole thing!

Done and read it twice!!

You have been getting a whole lot of expert advice and so I would like to add only one thing: The slides and the holes in all of the devices tend to get gunked up with oil, wax, sawdust, and other stuff. It's critical that these are clean before you try any other adjustments. Through trial and error I have found the easiest way to do this is to take off the headstock and then use PENETRATING OIL as a solvent. Not all oils work as well for this and the can will say penetrating oil on the outside. After a good clean-up, a thin coat of wax or oil helps to delay your next servicing, which should be done about every 10 hours of operation.

Regarding alignment: I have used the Shopsmith for 40 years and tried all sorts of adjustments for the fence. The one I like the best is this one: I DO NOT EVEN HAVE THE SET SCREWS IN THE FENCE. I haven't had them there for years. I first loosen the screws, place the fence on the table and align it to the slots. Tighten the screws. Done.

As you USE the fence there will be times when you do not want the saw kerf to hit the back of the cut. There are many methods to aid but MY favorite is after the fence is ready to go, LOOSEN THE FENCE SLIGHTLY AND PHYSICALLY PUSH THE BACK CLAMP AWAY FROM THE BLADE ABOUT AN EIGHTH OF AN INCH. That way the back of the blade doe not nick your cut.

Hippie wrote:Regarding alignment: I have used the Shopsmith for 40 years and tried all sorts of adjustments for the fence. The one I like the best is this one: I DO NOT EVEN HAVE THE SET SCREWS IN THE FENCE. I haven't had them there for years. I first loosen the screws, place the fence on the table and align it to the slots. Tighten the screws. Done.

As you USE the fence there will be times when you do not want the saw kerf to hit the back of the cut. There are many methods to aid but MY favorite is after the fence is ready to go, LOOSEN THE FENCE SLIGHTLY AND PHYSICALLY PUSH THE BACK CLAMP AWAY FROM THE BLADE ABOUT AN EIGHTH OF AN INCH. That way the back of the blade doe not nick your cut.

To each their own.