Shopsmith Forums

My table is aluminum, and only about 14" sq. (just guessing). And I like to have a larger table, but the extra table saw table (also aluminum, with a fence) may be a problem with the length of the drive coupler, and height orientation to the motor. I'll photo chronicle the retro-fit if it is feasible. I also want to be able to do resawing of nice woods for electric guitar faces (need 6.5" clearance), so I'll be modding the mounts to get more height there too.

I have an old bandsaw with the old cast iron table and had to order the insert for it as well. If you have the old cast iron table the insert is 2.5 inches and has no clips or screws in it. It has some very subtle "tabs" around the edge of it. It takes some gentle pressure from a screw driver to get it worked into the hole, but once its in, it is held in by mostly friction but holds as solid as a rock. Personally, if you're not gonna replace the table, just spend the money and buy the insert from shopsmith. If you fabricate your own, the fit will probably suck and it will rattle around and frustrate you to no end. Just my opinion.

I am a trained Goldsmith/Jeweler/Hand Engraver/Lapidary - I think I can make a disk of alumunim that'll fit nicely, thank you.

mgdesigns wrote:I am a trained Goldsmith/Jeweler/Hand Engraver/Lapidary - I think I can make a disk of alumunim that'll fit nicely, thank you.

Just to satisfy my curiosity, using what??

Measure the opening, and draw a circle on a sheet of aluminum and carefully cutout with a jeweler's sawframe, and then sand close to the line. Fit, sand, fit, sand, until snug. Then layout a cut for the bandsaw blade to be fed through to be installed. Seems fairly simple to me. Oh, maybe a groove around the perimeter for an o-ring to make it stay put (glued in place, and a cut for the sawblade, too. Did I miss something?

mgdesigns wrote:Measure the opening, and draw a circle on a sheet of aluminum and carefully cutout with a jeweler's sawframe, and then sand close to the line. Fit, sand, fit, sand, until snug. Then layout a cut for the bandsaw blade to be fed through to be installed. Seems fairly simple to me. Oh, maybe a groove around the perimeter for an o-ring to make it stay put (glued in place, and a cut for the sawblade, too. Did I miss something?

Nope! Shouldn't take too long by hand!:rolleyes:

JPG40504 wrote:Nope! Shouldn't take too long by hand!:rolleyes:

Actually, with a little practice it takes very little time to cut stuff out with a piercing saw on a bench block. I think I failed miserably to convince Mike of this though.

That said, as a devotee of the "why spend money to buy XXXXX when you can make it yourself" philosophy, this is one case where it just makes sense to buy the replacement part from Shopsmith.

Troy

JPG40504 wrote:Nope! Shouldn't take too long by hand!:rolleyes:

I can make it long before I can find an extra $20 for part and shipping. I make as much as I can because I am underpaid and have 2 little kids, and need to make do when I can. I don't try to make anything that it critical, but once I get this SS working, I will make things that I never could without it.

I design custom jewelry items with 3D CAD and then create using 4-axis CNC desktop mills, so this wood stuff is fairly primal to me at this point. But I have never done some of this either, so I enjoy the chance to learn, and keep on learning.

Photos of the original style replacement parts are always helpful, in comparison to the exploded view drawing on the website.

Mine is kind of beat up, but a scan is attached.

EDIT: Nevermind. I just remembered you said your table was aluminum. The image I attached is of the insert for the cast iron table. But I'm leaving the image attached in case somebody else ever needs it.

Thanks for the photo. Now I get the idea.