Shopsmith Forums

Ed in Tampa wrote:Does anyone out there have the aux table height adjuster? How does it work. I think this would be a great idea! However many things that seem to be great ideas in concept prove to be more bothersome than worthwhile. I would like some owner feedback on this one.

With the sawtrain version of the Jointech system you replace the aluminum table that is mounted on the auxilary carriage with a laminate MDF table. This table has two t bolts to accept railes on the underside of the router table along with a hole that has a steel cross pin in it. The hole is large enough so that a threaded rod can slid in from the bottom and the pin serves two purposes. One to act a stop to take the vertical jacking load and the other to fit into a slot of the threaded rod to keep it from rotating when the jack handle is turned.

The jack is a threaded rod with a slot milled into the top of it and a plastic jacking bar that is threaded so that you can screw it along the threaded bar. The center screw of the leg section off the SS was replaced with a special part that once mounted has a short short vertical dowel sticking up. This accepts a hollow rod about 12- 14" long.

The idea is to slip the tube over the hook that is mounted on the leg, drop the threaded rod with the threaded jacking bar so that the slot in the rod is positioned up (not down inside the tube) and then the end of the threaded rod is inserted into the hole in the fixed table so that the slot in the rod is nestled on the cross pin. So to jack the table you keep the SS fixed table locking rod loose and then when the jacking bar is turned the table is raised as you expose more threaded rod and is lowered when less thread is exposed. It was a little clumsey to use in that you had to adjust the main table a little and then the auxillary and step it down or up a little at a time to try and keep both tables level. The sawtrain rails used flat bars to connect the tables so there was a little more play in the system to allow for two tables to be at slightly different heights.

With the heavy router table on the SS this jack comes in handy. But this is also one of reasons I did not keep my SS set up with the sawtrain rails. The fixed table had to be used in conjunction with the 22" x 32" Jointech router table which was heavy and clumsey to use.

I suppose that even with the 520 Jointech system the jack would help lift the clincher. Don't you just wish sometimes more than others for a blade that raises and lowers instead of the table? I still see a benefit for two adjustable collars - one on the main table and one on the fixed auxillary table. I own one and it is on my main table, countless times I wish for a second one.

Frank

tdubnik wrote:I ordered the Jointech complete system for my 520. This includes the router table without the front and back rails. I will have to buy the rails but the problem is that they are not in stock and SS can't quote a delivery date.

I've been watching eBay but none have shown up there either.

Looks like I'll get the Jointech soon, but the router table will be unusable for a while.

Wow that's a bummer. I had a complete set of old 520 rails that I was able to use for my recent Jointech acquisition. Now I have to figure out what to do with the floating and extension table 520 rails.

It would be nice if Jointech could include or offer them with their system.