Shopsmith Forums

[quote="dusty"]I'm sorry, Roy, really I am but I can not let this go by.

Dave: It may be why you are happy but you must not conclude that if you ever use a rip fence that is mounted on a floating table you will no longer be so happy.

You can accurately rip with the fence mounted on a floating table. I do it frequently, in fact did so today. The secret is simply to install the floating table rails with care]


Dusty I can see why your method eliminates the problems I experienced but that requires you to mount the table the same way every time. To me that didn't work I kept forgetting to lift here and push down there.

The 520 is the solution and I believe the reason Shopsmith made the 520 fence rails the way they did. They know the problem and silently fixed it with the 520.

And yes I'm sorry for in my part in the hyjacking of this thread.

Ed in Tampa wrote: On the 520 the tube slide into a extrusion but the thumb screw comes up from the bottom. So the connector tube is always pushed against the top of the extrusion in all tables. If the extrusions are in plane the table will always be in plane. Far superior method.

I wanted to add something I noticed at a Lowes demo a few days ago. Billy was demoing in the Moore, OK, Lowes; he obviously had all the current stuff, not sure if it was an off-the-line Mark 7 or an upgraded machine, didn't think to ask. While I was waiting on him to come over to the machine, I checked his table alignment. I moved a floating table right next to the main table, tightened the knobs on both on the back side, and there was a good 1/8"+, maybe 1/4", drop between the two tables (the floating table was lower). I didn't do anything to the front knobs, but it did appear they were very close to the same height even loose. I think this validates Dusty's comment that there were problems with the tables at some point (and that Billy perhaps had these old tables) or that there is vertical adjustability in how the rails attach to the tables and that these were simply out of alignment.

I hope y'all that are carping over the 510/520 fence bridging never have to use a '500' without the second blade slot.

Bridging is 'normally' not an option. IMHO the design was never intended to be 'bridged'.

Yes I understand the superiority of the 520 rail design.

However I believe the 510 is usable, but with great attention to 'detail' with the tubes.

I am in the process of upgrading a Mark 500 (1985) to a "Mark VII". Have just finished the PP upgrade. Have the components for the table upgrade to a 520 and the dual pivot for a Mark VII. However it appears that with all of this, the vertical rails connecting the tables is not included in the upgrade package. Am I correct in my understanding? If so I am really pissed.

Do you mean the vertical mounting tubes for the extension table?

yes, the vertical mounting tubes that align the tables.

c2h6o wrote:yes, the vertical mounting tubes that align the tables.

Any chance that those "vertical mounting tubes" are mounted parallel to the floor? ]this[/URL] page, they should be included in a 500-to-520 upgrade kit. But most folks would call that orientation "horizontal".

Did you buy the upgrade from Shopsmith or another source? If elsewhere/used, you can usually find a set of tubes on eBay. There is a also a seller who offers a custom long pair.

Mark V table alignment takes time but it is a simple task. When I need to do mine, I do it on the work bench. Doing it this way, the table tops are always in the same plane and my only task is to install/align the rails.

[ATTACH]26218[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]26221[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]26222[/ATTACH]

The gap between the bench tube and the lower surface of the rails (on mine) measures .356". I had a piece of hard wood cut for this purpose but it is now hiding somewhere (probably in the shop on my other work bench).

Only after I have completed this alignment do I remount the tables on the Mark V. It is then that I align the extension table to the Main Table.

If you have only one extension table, align it to the side of the Main Table that you are most likely to have it mounted. Once aligned there, it may not be aligned to the other side.

roy_okc wrote:Did you buy the upgrade from Shopsmith or another source? If elsewhere/used, you can usually find a set of tubes on eBay. There is a also a seller who offers a custom long pair.

Is there another source for 1" outside diameter tubes, at local big box stores, etc?