Shopsmith Forums

Hi;
If you are using multiple blades try to make a ZCI for each blade and mark the insert with the specific blade that it has been made for. Each blade has different characteristics and kerf widths that can cause the slot to "expand".
Different strokes for different folks, different inserts for different blades.
Bill V

dusty wrote:I will attempt to put this thread back onto its original track, Ed. The original question (restated) was "Has anyone done anything to overcome the obvious shortcomings of the Shopsmith table saw"?

Hmmm. Just what are those short comings. This might be hard but maybe I can sincerely list a couple.

The Shopsnith has a tilting table. Is that bad? What problems are caused by this serious limitation of space? I don't think this can be corrected so we'll have to learn to live with it.

The Shopsmith table, sometimes tilts when the user doesn't want a tilt! I make certain that I have the front and rear extension tubes installed](my dream TS which I will never have)[/SIZE]. It is even smaller than many cabinet smalls - especially if we are discussing a 500. I use the extension and floating tables - sometimes many of them.

It needs an outfeed table (and maybe even a infeed table). So I built one that attaches on the outfeed side and tilts with the main table. When the outfeed table is not there (which is seldom) I relie on a workbench that is located about 3' from the outfeed edge of the saw. I have spent a lot of time trying to figure how that bench top could be elevated.

OKAY. Let's hear about what the rest of you have done to overcome all of those short comings - not just the ones I have listed but expand on solutions. With all of the apparent discontent - there must be a multitude.

THIS IS NOT ABOUT THE SHORTCOMINGS - IT IS ABOUT THE SOLUTIONS.

Dusty
You are right
This is not about the shortcomings - it is about the solutions.

I wonder if the solution for tilt delimma isn't the slidding bevel sled.

Back in the day there was a very popular tablesaw (I can't remember the name) that was used almost exclusively in high quality wood furniture/cabinet shops. This saw had a tilting table and the almost everyone the owner built a slidding bevel cut off table for it.

Later in the early days of tilt arbor many people claimed that tilting the blade caused the blade to "Heel" because the arbor assembly torqued as it was being cranked over to a bevel angle. Again many cabinet shops removed the tilt crank and made the user use a slidding bevel jig.

I remember seeing them and basically they were a crosscut sled with a second bottom and working part of the sled tilted at an exact 45 degrees. Later I saw one that had a leg and steps so the table cold be set at few different angles.

I rarely if ever cut bevels so I never made one of these and I really don't recall all the thought that went into them. I remember they had offset hinges so there was no danger of the metal hinge coming in to contact with the blade.

I was hoping someone on the forum would remember and either give us a picture or a drawing of really nice one. I would think if someone is doing a lot of bevels and needs precise angles a really accurate bevel sled would be the cats meow.

Ed in Tampa wrote:Dusty
You are right
This is not about the shortcomings - it is about the solutions.

I wonder if the solution for tilt delimma isn't the slidding bevel sled.

. . .

I was hoping someone on the forum would remember and either give us a picture or a drawing of really nice one. I would think if someone is doing a lot of bevels and needs precise angles a really accurate bevel sled would be the cats meow.

Paul must be taking a nap! Here is one like he made to cut the side miters on his 'curio cabinet'. The very precise 45&#176]11046[/ATTACH]

P.S. Notice it also has the 'sliding work piece' problem(hence the clamp) and relys on the blade to table angle being correct(90°)