Shopsmith Forums

Posted: **Fri Jan 16, 2009 8:41 pm**

When I started this thread Ed, I had read recently that you didn't like the SS dial indicator. But that was after I had already received it from SS. So that's why I included the (Il. Ed). But I NEEDED something for alignment, and hope it works out for me.

After reading your post #10, I feel like that I am one of the people that almost blindly follows along. That is because you and several others have MUCH more woodworking experience than I. BUT with what is said, I HAVE to be able to understand it. Meaning that if something doesn't make sense to me or WHY would you do it that way. I'm going to ASK. I do have to thank you for reminding me to NOT just be one of the herd. I can't say that I've disagreed with people here, but all the have to have items are not for me. I don't want the 520 upgrade, the Inca stuff, and a few other things. With what I have, I NEED to learn/relearn how to use it.

So far I've only aligned the table front to back. I'll get back later with next step.

Posted: **Sat Jan 17, 2009 1:10 am**

I bought the dial indicator, (I was also following along), with the thought of great wonders and magic of aligning my SS. Boy, was I disheartened, when I had some deflection in the table itself from trying to keep the dial indicator snug in the miter slot. So, I finally went back to the old way shown in the manual using the miter guage and hex wrench

So, I guess what I'm getting at, is there might not be as much runout as the guage is telling you. You might actually deflecting the table slightly.

Posted: **Sun Jan 18, 2009 7:03 am**

shydragon wrote:I bought the dial indicator, (I was also following along), with the thought of great wonders and magic of aligning my SS. Boy, was I disheartened, when I had some deflection in the table itself from trying to keep the dial indicator snug in the miter slot. So, I finally went back to the old way shown in the manual using the miter guage and hex wrench

So, I guess what I'm getting at, is there might not be as much runout as the guage is telling you. You might actually deflecting the table slightly.

Please don't lay the inaccuracies noted in reading the dial gauge that are created by deflecting the table off on the dial gauge.

You simply must be acutely aware that nothing can be moved while taking a reading or the reading will change. You are not aligning "old iron" you are working with a piece of equipment designed to be easily moved and frequently reconfigured.

The comfort comes when you experience a well aligned piece of equipment that can be repositioned and reconfigured without adversely effecting those alignments.

Examples:

When I am using the dial gauge to do a table alignment, I don't touch the blade to rotate it.....I use the auxiliary hub (left end of head stock). This way a do not inadvertently flex the blade.

I have mounted my dial gauge on a platform that slides in the miter track. This platform is about 3"x5". This tends to stabilize the dial gauge's physical position and compensates for the "wiggle" in the miter bar.

Shopsmith Forums

Maint. Time