Shopsmith Forums

edflorence wrote: Sun Jun 29, 2025 10:52 pm Have you tried unlocking the carriage and headstock at the same time to see if the headstock still won't move freely? Might be worth a shot.

No, I haven't tried that yet, but that's a very good idea to look out for. For now, the mark is pushed out of the way. This week is VBS and then I won't be on any woodworking project for a while. Picking up an old truck soon and will start working on it as my main hobby, until the money runs dry and back to woodworking with scraps again.

I've been experiencing similar problem on a recently acquired 510. The way tubes are horribly misaligned. I place the machine in level, finding the lower crossbars level too, I then placed the level in various spots along the way tubes and found them unlevel. First off, I'll say I don't have the double tilt table, but it does have lift assist. I have seen that lift assist places quite a strain on one side of the way tubes, which complicates the alignment task in general. I was able to rotate the way tubes and bring it into level, or at least pretty close. The problem after that is that I really have to clamp down on the lock to keep the way tubes down evenly when the machine is in normal position, and in doing so, it does not want to release when the lever is unlocked to bring the machine in the upright position, you have to use the screwdriver to loosen it further.
Before getting them "leveled", I could actually see a tilt in the machine. It's better now. That lift assist adds a troubling aspect to the machine, but I can see the benefit of it if you're arthritic or have other health limiting factors.
All that said, I haven't notice an actual method in the manual for truing up the way tubes

When you say "level"/"tilt", what direction? End to end or across the way tubes? Does the level/tilt across the way tubes increase as the level is moved from the hinge end toward the clamping end or does it vary some other way?

Yes; across the tubes. The middle was farther out of level than the ends. rotating the tubes helped, As stated, getting the tubes to rest evenly is pretty hard with that lift assist

Curious if the c-c spacing at the center also changed.

I presume both way tubes were 'bowed"(slightly). One concave upward and the other concave downward.

I suggest both concave downwards is preferable.

Short of removing them and rolling them across a relatively flat and level plane, I'm going to assume they aren't in perfect plane. That still leaves the issues of the lift assist applying uneven pressure, and difficulty getting the tubes trued up so the stay level in the down position. I'm going to assume the reduced spring pressure while in the up position will not cause any twist

I should have mention the headstock slides easier now, and that before, the headstock moved with some difficulty depending on where it was along the way tubes.

Not having any experience with the lift assist, I am confused re how it contributes to this problem.

JPG wrote: Mon Jul 28, 2025 7:51 pm Not having any experience with the lift assist, I am confused re how it contributes to this problem.

I have to agree. I have had the tilt assist since it was first introduced and never have had a problem. It clamps to the way tubed right next to the tilt base so unless there is a problem with the way tube clamping in the tilt base how could it contribute to misalignment in the way tubes? The tilt assist clamp just clamps to the way tubes in the orientation they are already in. It is not attached to anything else to force a change in the way tubes alignment.

In a previous thread I mentioned I’ve found that tightening down the Lift Assist bracket bolts too much can distort the way tube spacing and prevent the carriage from moving all the way to the right. Not sure that it would affect the headstock, but food for thought.