Shopsmith Forums

Ed,

Ingenious idea about simply setting matching risers on the side tables! So simple yet it escaped me...

I fixed my hanging saw guard today. First, I tried taking a utility knife to it to shave off that ridge of plastic on both back edges. Through a few slips of the blade, I managed to put some nicks in my formerly pristine guard. With a little more care, I was able to scrape off the rest of the lips on both sides. Unfortunately, it still hung up on the back pivot pin.

Taking a closer look at things, I realized the problem was not really the lip on the edges, but that the edges themselves were bent inward:

sides taper towards each other

As you sight down the guard from front (background of picture) to rear (foreground of picture), you can see that the guard is slightly bent so that the guard opening narrows where the pivot pin travels. To fix the problem for good, the guard needed to be straightened back out.

To fix this, I used one of my favorite powertools:

this puppy runs on 240VAC

I chose a handy socket that gently pushed the sides apart a bit, and cooked it at 200F for an hour. I took it out and let it cool, and now the back edges taper out ever so slightly instead of inward, and it falls back down to the table as easy as a dream!

- Chris

I highly recommend the SS Incra Miter Express. With ordering an extra drop table, it can go left and right side. Now, I spent $ extra. SS could not deliver it. I ordered a generic one and Incra was kind enough to give me a good deal on two SS compatible miterbars. I added 3" wide UHMW tape as well. It is a joy to use.mt

mtobey wrote:I highly recommend the SS Incra Miter Express. With ordering an extra drop table, it can go left and right side. Now, I spent $ extra. SS could not deliver it. I ordered a generic one and Incra was kind enough to give me a good deal on two SS compatible miterbars. I added 3" wide UHMW tape as well. It is a joy to use.mt

Hi mtobey,

That sure is a nice looking piece. So here are the two crosscut sled options:

Shopsmith Cross-Cut Sliding Table - $102.19
Incra Miter Express - $154.99

It looks like the Miter Express has its own miter bar system which overlays the Shopsmith channel to provide additional extension and crosscut capacity. That's very appealing.

I found some very glowing reviews of the generic version of the Miter Express:

review #1
review #2
review #3

Actually there are lots more, so I'll leave it to interested readers to Google for "Inca Miter Express review" for more.

On the one hand, I feel like I'm copping out if I don't roll my own like a "real woodworker." But on the other hand, I couldn't duplicate all the hardware and functionality that Incra has put in this package, especially at that price. mtobey, thanks for pointing me at this. I'll need to give this some more consideration, but it certainly looks like a great crosscutting option.

- Chris

chrispitude wrote:Hi mtobey,

That sure is a nice looking piece. So here are the two crosscut sled options:

Shopsmith Cross-Cut Sliding Table - $102.19
Incra Miter Express - $154.99

It looks like the Miter Express has its own miter bar system which overlays the Shopsmith channel to provide additional extension and crosscut capacity. That's very appealing.

I found some very glowing reviews of the generic version of the Miter Express:

review #1
review #2
review #3

Actually there are lots more, so I'll leave it to interested readers to Google for "Inca Miter Express review" for more.

On the one hand, I feel like I'm copping out if I don't roll my own like a "real woodworker." But on the other hand, I couldn't duplicate all the hardware and functionality that Incra has put in this package, especially at that price. mtobey, thanks for pointing me at this. I'll need to give this some more consideration, but it certainly looks like a great crosscutting option.

- Chris

Chris
If I may let me interject my thoughts here. I think the Mitre express makes sense if you have one those high dollar after market mitre gauges and want to incorporate it's functionality into your sled.
However most sled operations is used to crosscut with the cut being made at a 90 degrees.
I own the Shopsmith sled and I really like it but if I was going to do over I would build or buy a full sled that completely straddles the saw blade and has mitre bars on each side.
On both the both the Shopsmith and Mitre express only one side of the sled moves, the piece on the other side of the blade is stationary and is used to prevent the cut off from falling into the blade.
On a full sled, one that straddles the blade, both side (acutal the whole sled) move in unison and wood is totally supported. Plus having a mitre bar in each slot makes the sled that much more accuracy.

Also on a full sled you make the initial cut into the sled on your saw, so the kerf in sled shows you exactly where the blade is going to cut. Making it easy to align the piece of wood you want to cut. On the Shopsmith sled the sled stops about an inch short of the blade so you either have to measure or sight(guess) where the cut is being made.

You comment about making your own is probably a good one. Both Norm on Old Yankee Workshop and Dave Marks on Woodworks use sleds. In Dave's case he almost never makes a crosscut without using the sled. Both of these sleds offer good ideas on how to make your own. I think you can actually order plans from Old Yankee to make one just like Norm's
Ed

Ed in Tampa wrote:On both the both the Shopsmith and Mitre express only one side of the sled moves, the piece on the other side of the blade is stationary and is used to prevent the cut off from falling into the blade.
On a full sled, one that straddles the blade, both side (acutal the whole sled) move in unison and wood is totally supported. Plus having a mitre bar in each slot makes the sled that much more accuracy.

Thanks Ed. One of the reasons I talked myself out of a homemade blade-straddling sled was this... Let's say I am cutting an 8ft piece in half (which is something I actually need to do for my first shelving project). Even with a straddling sled, each half is still only supported by the moving sled for a small part of its 4' length. This is fine on the clamped side, but I am thinking it will want to pivot a bit around its far end on the unclamped side. I actually start wondering if it was better to not have a moving sled underneath the 4' waste piece, and simply let it come to a stop as the cut completes. For smaller lengths, I do see the benefits of a straddling sled since the sled should fully support the unclamped side.

Like I said before, I'm an engineer and I tend to overthink things. This is all theory, I have no practice (yet) to go on.

- Chris

Did you forget the idea of the "matching risers"? I have them for all my three sleds...

And....not to knock a SS ( I have two 520's).....but that chore of loping long 2x4's, I would prefer to do on my miter saw station....Finer cuts and finish work on the Mark V table.

It's always a question of "Do I move the tool across the workpiece, or the workpiece across the tool?". The easiest, safest way should prevail.

Doc

chrispitude wrote:Hi mtobey,

That sure is a nice looking piece. So here are the two crosscut sled options:

Shopsmith Cross-Cut Sliding Table - $102.19
Incra Miter Express - $154.99

It looks like the Miter Express has its own miter bar system which overlays the Shopsmith channel to provide additional extension and crosscut capacity. That's very appealing.

I found some very glowing reviews of the generic version of the Miter Express:

review #1
review #2
review #3

Actually there are lots more, so I'll leave it to interested readers to Google for "Inca Miter Express review" for more.

On the one hand, I feel like I'm copping out if I don't roll my own like a "real woodworker." But on the other hand, I couldn't duplicate all the hardware and functionality that Incra has put in this package, especially at that price. mtobey, thanks for pointing me at this. I'll need to give this some more consideration, but it certainly looks like a great crosscutting option.

- Chris

Hi,

If you do some seaches here you will find we have had at least a few dissussions on the miter express. If you are interested in my first expressions they are at:
https://forum.shopsmith.com/viewtopic.php?t=798

Ed

chrispitude wrote:Thanks Ed. One of the reasons I talked myself out of a homemade blade-straddling sled was this... Let's say I am cutting an 8ft piece in half (which is something I actually need to do for my first shelving project). Even with a straddling sled, each half is still only supported by the moving sled for a small part of its 4' length. This is fine on the clamped side, but I am thinking it will want to pivot a bit around its far end on the unclamped side. I actually start wondering if it was better to not have a moving sled underneath the 4' waste piece, and simply let it come to a stop as the cut completes. For smaller lengths, I do see the benefits of a straddling sled since the sled should fully support the unclamped side.

Like I said before, I'm an engineer and I tend to overthink things. This is all theory, I have no practice (yet) to go on.

- Chris

Chris
Your right but what keeps you from clamping both sides? On a sled that stradles the blade both sides both the keeper and cut off can be clamped. Again if you watch Dave Marks (Woodworks on DIY) he usually always crosscuts with a sled and usually one is side and often both sides are clamped or held.

Also if you look at either Dave Marks or Norm's sled you will see they have huge sleds. The fence on these sleds provide about 2 to 3 feet of support to the wood on both sides of the blade.

However if you doing a lot of cross cutting of 8 foot boards, a radial arm saw or mitre saw will do the job much better than a table saw.

Again you must make up your own mind and everyone has their own tastes which explains all the flavors of ice cream.
Ed

Ed in Tampa wrote:However if you doing a lot of cross cutting of 8 foot boards, a radial arm saw or mitre saw will do the job much better than a table saw.

Again you must make up your own mind and everyone has their own tastes which explains all the flavors of ice cream.
Ed

Hi Ed,

Your post has put everything into sharp focus for me. I tend to get caught up in not doing anything until I am 100% sure I know what is best, but I need to remind myself that experience is the best teacher.

My 24" aluminum miter extension is backordered until the end of March. I'll give this a shot with crosscutting the 1x6 into thirds. Then I can decide for myself how I want to proceed with crosscutting the 16 2x4s in half. Worst-case, I lay them out on the floor and clamp them together, and run my circular saw down them with an 8' straightedge. In fact, that's probably a lot easier than wrestling a bunch of 2x4 stock onto the Shopsmith, as much as I want to play with my new toy... A radial arm saw would be the best solution, but as it is I have to pull the car out of the garage and roll the Shopsmith out of the corner to do anything with it. I'm very space-limited.

In the meantime, I've added a season pass for Woodworks to my Tivo and I will start watching that as well. Watching him use the sled will probably give me some ideas too. I have an extra brand new 520 miter bar which I could devote to such a project. (It came with a bar to covert the 500 miter, but I bought a whole new miter assembly to replace my beat-up 500 miter.)

At a certain point, I need to just stop thinking and start doing. Boy, I really wish that miter extension would show up!

Thanks to all for your patient advice.

- Chris

Hi all,

I picked up some stuff at the DoItBest hardware store today:

• Penetrol
• Butcher's paste wax
• Trewax paste wax

I figured I would buy both and try them and see which one I liked. I also bought some mag wheel metal polish at the auto parts store.

The tubes had a fair amount of surface rust on them, but they cleaned up well. First I tried a shop rag with metal polish compound, shoeshine-style wrapped around the tube. This worked on the very light rust marks, but was very slow on the heavier rust marks. Next I moved to a green Scotchbrite scouring pad, coating the tube lightly with polishing compound, then lightly rotating the pad around the tube. (I wanted to keep the radial markings and not lengthwise markings from sliding the pad up and down the tube.)

Once all four tubes were nice and polished up, I wiped them down twice with mineral spirits, let them dry, then hit them with a coat of Trewax, waited 10 minutes, and buffed it out. For the polishing/cleaning/waxing steps, I worked in halves - moved the headstock and main table to one side and worked, then moved them to the other side and worked.

Here is the end result:

my precioussss

Next is cleaning and waxing the tables and floating table tubes!

- Chris