Model 500 rip fence upgrade?

johnmccrossen · Post by **johnmccrossen** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 12:26 pm

Jim,
I was pleased to get an email response from SS first thing Monday AM about my question on the fence. They did not have a suggested solution without seeing the problem, but offered to check it out if I wanted to send it back to them. More great customer service I'm thinking. Anyway, I fixed the stripped holes over the weekend.

Alec,
Your original question was about the upgrade model 500 fence vs the original fence. I bought the upgrade fence since my original one was bowed and I could not straighten it. After also getting another original style fence with my second machine and fixing the stripped holes in the upgrade fence, I expect to now use them both like Mr. Reible mentioned. John McCrossen

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 11:36 pm

johnmccrossen wrote:Jim,
I was pleased to get an email response from SS first thing Monday AM about my question on the fence. They did not have a suggested solution without seeing the problem, but offered to check it out if I wanted to send it back to them. More great customer service I'm thinking. Anyway, I fixed the stripped holes over the weekend.
. . . John McCrossen

How DID you fix the stripped threads(3/16x24) in 'thin' material???

johnmccrossen · Post by **johnmccrossen** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 10:52 am

jpg,

I cut a small piece of 3/16" thick aluminum plate as an insert to fit inside of the rip fence frame where the stripped mounting screw holes are. Then I had to radius the edges of the insert to match the extrusion. I attached the insert with "JB Weld" epoxy and clamped it overnight. Then carefully drilled through the existing holes and the new insert with the proper tap drill (# 25 I think) for the # 10-24 screw threads, tapped the new holes, and put it back together using the original screws. Seems to hold fine now. I could have used a little thicker insert but that would then require longer 10-24 screws. Lots of other ways to fix, but this simple and worked for now. John

easterngray · Post by **easterngray** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 5:30 am

Thanks for the feedback John! Alec

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 2:13 pm

John: Due to my stupidity, My Thank You msg never got posted(preview doesn't get it there). NOT the first time I have goofed thusly!:D

GOOD JOB!!!!

Didja share this 'fix' with the folks @ SS????:rolleyes:

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 3:58 pm

reible wrote: ... and the loss of the hole in the fence for mounting the hold down or for using the lathe center....

Ed

You put a TAPERED shank into a STRAIGHT hole??? Wasn't it a bit WOBBLEY?

Or were you referring to the other end(spur) mounted on hold down shaft(5/8")?

If so why???

reible · Post by **reible** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 4:48 pm

If you take a look in the PTWFE at least in the older versions this was SOP for several operations.

I'm guessing you have both parts, fence and dead/live center so go give it a try... was it wobbly??? How about that... must have been designed to work that way. The fact is there is NO wobble.

Ed

jpg40504 wrote:You put a TAPERED shank into a STRAIGHT hole??? Wasn't it a bit WOBBLEY?

Or were you referring to the other end(spur) mounted on hold down shaft(5/8")? If so why???

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 5:40 pm

Perhaps I have a lower threshold for defining 'wobbley'. All three tapered tailstock gadgets(dead/live/chuck adapter) are (to me) wobbley on all three 500 fences that I have.

I CAN see however that once straight line pressure is applied they would tend to 'self align' due to the taper, but would only be contacting the hole in the fence around the 'top' of the hole.

OK for occasional light work, but not 'perfect'!:D nor durable. - - OK in a pinch!

OR perhaps my 'holes' are 'out of round' on all three ancient fences. OR . . . . .

johnmccrossen · Post by **johnmccrossen** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 6:24 pm

More interesting discussions. I actually thought the hole in the top of the 500 fence was a #2 Morse taper because of the pictures in the PTWFE book that show the use of tapered centers in the hole. After reading the last couple of posts, I checked my old fences and what do you know; the hole is a straight 5/8in. dia with a set screw. I guess I would have known that if I had a mortising hold down. And yes, the #2 MT arbors will fit snugly as shown in the PTWFE book to be used for some operations but with side pressure, I expect the tapered arbor would move. Anyway, another day of learning more stuff that I hope I can remember. Thanks, John

reible · Post by **reible** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 7:17 pm

Interesting but on mine it is rock solid. And works just like advertised by shopsmith. And I mean rock solid, ones in place it will not even move a fraction of a thousands of an inch. You slide it in and it just fits...

Wonder what makes yours and mine so different? My fence came with my unit when I got it in 1976. I guess I would have to see how your fences differ from mine.

I showed this to a guy with an older green model and he was shocked to find out that you could do this and his model fit just like mine. I've also gone to demos where this was shown and I believe this was also part of the 3 days of classes I got for free when I purchased my shopsmith. So I have no doubt at all this is a functional way to do things.

If you have the PTWFE with the yellow cover that is 7-1/2" x 10-1/4" you can check page 263 where it is used as pivot with the disk sander (two pictures and text), page 219 where it is being used with the jig saw (couple more pictures and text)

If you have the yellow one called the revised edition check page 274.

The 4th edition page 222....
[ATTACH]3217[/ATTACH]

There maybe more examples in the books but I really don't have the time or desire to do a page by page search. I have also seen this in either the year books or the online tips pages...

Ed

jpg40504 wrote:Perhaps I have a lower threshold for defining 'wobbley'. All three tapered tailstock gadgets(dead/live/chuck adapter) are (to me) wobbley on all three 500 fences that I have.
I CAN see however that once straight line pressure is applied they would tend to 'self align' due to the taper, but would only be contacting the hole in the fence around the 'top' of the hole.
OK for occasional light work, but not 'perfect'!:D nor durable. - - OK in a pinch!

OR perhaps my 'holes' are 'out of round' on all three ancient fences. OR . . . . .