Shopsmith Forums

Rick,
Thank you for the additional information about the uses for router tables.
Six months ago I wouldn't have known that I had a choice as all I'd heard of before were the tables.
Sometimes the more choices (and limited funds) I have the harder it is for me to make a choice. Hence, all my questions and research.
Chuck,
I'm not opposed to cutting the raised panels on the table saw, in fact I enjoy using the table saw over all other tools. Must be something primal.
I watched Norm's series on Kitchen cabinets and that is why I've become enamoured with the routers. Rick brings out some great points for the table system.
Once again, I need to watch Nick's series on the OPR. I picked up the first one this morning and was loving the ease of the mortising with the OPR. A huge selling point for that particular system.
Where did I stash that lucky dollar for Wednesday's lottery?:D

james.miller wrote:Charlese, did you have the router bit above the surface of the table? It's hard to tell exactly where the router bit is from the pictures as they are not close ups. My concern is safety. My impression after watching Sawdust Session was that the router bit should be under the surface of the table with the cutting edge exposed, for safety, so the work piece doesn't get caught and thrown back.

Yes, I had the bit above the table. Thanks for your concern! That's why I used the hold-down block. So the work piece wouldn't get away and go up into the bit. (this is a procedure normally done with RASs to keep work to climbing into the saw) I made small repetitive passes, against the bit rotation.

Another issue, I worried about, was the sideways force on the 1/4" bit shaft. I think this was the most dangerous part.

Then the Eureka moment! When I viewed Nick's Sawdust Session on how to make a sliding table, and fences. I made one immediately (that day!) and will never again have a bit above the table, when in horizontal mode. Ain't the Sawdust sessions Great?

I hope the point of my photos is not lost. I wanted to show the horizontal mode is possible with the OPR and adds a giant versatility to the rig. Another important point is the fact that one can use the OPR in Horiz. mode and still be able to use SPTs without moving the OPR.

I placed my order for the OPR.
Thanks for all the advice everyone, and for those photos Chuck. (They really are worth than a thousand words.
With my midterm in Math behind me, maybe I can get down to making some sawdust again.

Did you ever find out what X equals? Every time I solved one of those equations - the prof. always came up with another value for it. Are they still trying to find out the true value? I really think no-one knows! Sometimes X equals a plus or minus thing.

Chuck, they started mixing a, m, & n into the mix today.
I don't remember the alphabet being this hard in Kindergarten!

I was looking at some of the math that Nick uses (I belive he called it Trig. which is several classes beyond where I need to go for my degree which is Culinary Management) and I was totally excited that I noticed slope in an equation.

Yes, i am Math challenged.LOL

WOW, that was fast.
The OPR has already been shipped out.
Now I'm feeling the pressure.
You guys will want pictures of "completed" projects now.
(I freaked for a second until I checked the product #. SS listed it as a router upgrade instead of OPR on the order form.)

Relax John. When you first open up the box and put the thing on your SS - it might be a bit puzzling! Even though I had read, and studied, the manual on line, before receiving the OPR, it took me a while before getting the thing set up. For a relative simple thing, all of the possible positions had me baffled for a while.

There a lot of little parts that come with it, like screw inserts, washers, knobs, Allen wrenches --. You will want a special pace to put these for future use.

Thanks Chuck, I might have to build a cabinet for router bits and such so I'll just add a drawer (or two) for the OPR pieces.
You Da Man Chuck!

X-Mas is today!:)
A knock on the door and there was the OPR and a sawblade that I had ordered.
Shoot, this box is heavier than I expected....
Dig the staples out off the lid, there is the table, yep, that has some heft to it... but still...
Pull out the box inside a box...Now I see where that extra heft is coming from.
Cut the tape open the box and there it is staring at me, the OPR arm. I pull it gingerly from the box and I'm impressed.
The build quality on this thing seems to be overkill. (not that I'm complaining!)
Everything, including the shield is far more refined and substantial than I imagined.
I have to head to school, before tackling the assembly tonight (since I won't be able to concentrate on the books or sleep until I do) but I'll let y'all know as I go along just how it is going.
Thanks Shopsmith, I'm impressed.
Pinkie

charlese wrote:Relax John. When you first open up the box and put the thing on your SS - it might be a bit puzzling! Even though I had read, and studied, the manual on line, before receiving the OPR, it took me a while before getting the thing set up. For a relative simple thing, all of the possible positions had me baffled for a while.

There a lot of little parts that come with it, like screw inserts, washers, knobs, Allen wrenches --. You will want a special pace to put these for future use.

Chuck, you weren't kidding I'm looking at quite a few parts (still inside their packages) this might be a slow go for me to get it right on the first attempt.