Today in my shop (frank talk of stop collars)

[wasatch]

Stop collars also work great in helping you setup the vertical and horizontal alignment of a Special Purpose Tool (SPT) on the eccentric mounting tubes. You can get the drive shaft aligned faster to minimize vibration.

One example: I needed to strip sand and found vibration in the setup because the drive was a "little off" in the vertical adjustment causing the power coupler to be on an upward angle on the strip sander side. So the process is to loosen the set screws and lower the strip sander ever so slightly, which never happens (I seem to always over-correct), but with split collars already snug just slightly below the bottom of the strip sander's frame, I now have a "controllable" way to make this adjustment ever so slightly on each tube. I can even rotate each tube, once the split collar is secure, to manipulate the horizontal adjustment of the power coupler without changing the vertical setting I just got to where I wanted.

I also wanted to mention that I replaced the two original 3/16" allen screws in the split collars with button head screws with a 5/32" allen drive so I could use the do-all Shopsmith allen wrench. I did have to shave some of the button head off to fit the split collar bolt recess but the outcome was well worth the work.

[Ed in Tampa]

Well I'm back, physically anyway, not really a fan of travel but I like to see the places we go, so we go.

The thread did take some odd turns here and there.

Now that I've had a chance to catch up one thing that seems to have been mentioned several times was the condition of my 1976 machine... Just keep in mind that it has had a few updates in recent years. The main table legs were part of the dual tilt upgrade as an example and having the machine out in sunlight accounts for a lot of the shine.

I was running short on time before so I left this part for when I returned. I'm sure that some of you may have been thinking about how to have stops for the carriage or headstock. Once again one option is the use of stop collars on the way tube(s). You might notice I left off adjustments, that is because that is a tricky task. I've played with it several times but I don't have a solution I really like. (I do have several other ideas I have not yet tried.) Feel free to do your own testing.

One other critical thing that I think I should mention is that these stop collars can be over tightened and distort your tubes.... snug enough to hold but do not bare down on them.

[ATTACH]18776[/ATTACH]

Have some fun playing and feel free to keep posting your findings and other tips along the way.

Ed

I didn't know the way tubes and table support tubes were the same diameter. Interesting.

I have got to get a few of those split ring collars!

[wasatch]

Table tubes, SPT eccentric tubes = 1 1/4" Way tubes, Quill = 1 3/4"

[JPG]

Table tubes, SPT eccentric tubes = 1 1/4" Way tubes, Quill = 1 3/4"

The split clamps do come in different sizes all the way to humongous Ed !:rolleyes:

BTW 1" for the table extension tubes.

[rcplaneguy]

You can get the 1 1/4" dual split shaft collars at partsreplacementstore.com for $4.50 each plus shipping.

Thanks George, I just received two that I ordered just a few days ago. Thanks Reible for a great post, these are just what I need for moving the table when horizontal boring (dowel joints for skirts to legs on small nesting tables)

John

[c2h6o]

For the quill, the stop collar is bigger than 1.25 in. Is it more like 1.75 in or even bigger?

[JPG]

For the quill, the stop collar is bigger than 1.25 in. Is it more like 1.75 in or even bigger?

1.75 will do!