A pencil line is too wide. It has to be much finer to see if is really square. If you own a good marking knife that would work. What ever you are using as the base must also be straight so again to see what you have you have to have both pieces to the puzzle. Some thing like this would work:
http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.a ... 2936,42949
In general you need to have things that are an order of magnitude better then what you hope to measure. So if you want to measure something to .1" the tools need to .01" accurate to check to see if it is right on. Since most of us can not afford such tools we do the best we can with what we have.
Ed
Perfect Cross-Cuts?
Moderator: admin
Re: Perfect Cross-Cuts?
{Knight of the Shopsmith} [Hero's don't wear capes, they wear dog tags]
Re: Perfect Cross-Cuts?
==========Dansmith wrote:I think I have 2 squares that are on (I used the line test; however, the eye sight is not what it used to be). The others, not so much. I would like to have a precision milled block; but, those things are expensive.dusty wrote:Once you think you have that perfect 90° cut, check everything you find in your shop that measures a right angle and check them out. Framing squares, combination squares, miter gauge, t-squares, engineering sqaure. You may be quit surprised.
I am fortunate to have a cople pieces of 1" think aluminum that was milled to very tight tolerances that I use as "set-up blocks". You can do the same thing with a block of hardwood.
You have one ,,it is the SS table !!

Hobbyman2 Favorite Quote: "If a man does his best, what else is there?"
- General George S. Patton (1885-1945)
- General George S. Patton (1885-1945)
Re: Perfect Cross-Cuts?
Thanks. I just tried it on the SS 500 table, and one of my squares appears to be right on, and the other only about .001-.002 off. I used the right side of the table (one that faces away from headstock). Other side has a different design.Hobbyman2 wrote:==========Dansmith wrote:I think I have 2 squares that are on (I used the line test; however, the eye sight is not what it used to be). The others, not so much. I would like to have a precision milled block; but, those things are expensive.dusty wrote:Once you think you have that perfect 90° cut, check everything you find in your shop that measures a right angle and check them out. Framing squares, combination squares, miter gauge, t-squares, engineering sqaure. You may be quit surprised.
I am fortunate to have a cople pieces of 1" think aluminum that was milled to very tight tolerances that I use as "set-up blocks". You can do the same thing with a block of hardwood.
You have one ,,it is the SS table !!
- JPG
- Platinum Member
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- Joined: Wed Dec 10, 2008 7:42 pm
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Re: Perfect Cross-Cuts?
Maybe! That assumes the 4 sides are machined to be so. Not all tables are so. And if they were, the degree of accuracy compared to a gauge block/master plate is underwhelming.Hobbyman2 wrote:==========Dansmith wrote:I think I have 2 squares that are on (I used the line test; however, the eye sight is not what it used to be). The others, not so much. I would like to have a precision milled block; but, those things are expensive.dusty wrote:Once you think you have that perfect 90° cut, check everything you find in your shop that measures a right angle and check them out. Framing squares, combination squares, miter gauge, t-squares, engineering sqaure. You may be quit surprised.
I am fortunate to have a cople pieces of 1" think aluminum that was milled to very tight tolerances that I use as "set-up blocks". You can do the same thing with a block of hardwood.
You have one ,,it is the SS table !!
Probably close enough for wood work though(assuming machined surfaces).
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Goldie(Bought New SN 377425)/4" jointer/6" beltsander/12" planer/stripsander/bandsaw/powerstation /Scroll saw/Jig saw /Craftsman 10" ras/Craftsman 6" thicknessplaner/ Dayton10"tablesaw(restoredfromneighborstrashpile)/ Mark VII restoration in 'progress'/ 10E[/size](SN E3779) restoration in progress, a 510 on the back burner and a growing pile of items to be eventually returned to useful life. - aka Red Grange
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Goldie(Bought New SN 377425)/4" jointer/6" beltsander/12" planer/stripsander/bandsaw/powerstation /Scroll saw/Jig saw /Craftsman 10" ras/Craftsman 6" thicknessplaner/ Dayton10"tablesaw(restoredfromneighborstrashpile)/ Mark VII restoration in 'progress'/ 10E[/size](SN E3779) restoration in progress, a 510 on the back burner and a growing pile of items to be eventually returned to useful life. - aka Red Grange
Re: Perfect Cross-Cuts?
You might be surprised how accurate they are ,,,,as well as how identical they are.
When in doubt ,,, check it.
When in doubt ,,, check it.
Hobbyman2 Favorite Quote: "If a man does his best, what else is there?"
- General George S. Patton (1885-1945)
- General George S. Patton (1885-1945)
Re: Perfect Cross-Cuts?
I don't have to check it. Not all the table are milled on all sides and even if they were there is no way for us to know what shopsmith used as a reference to cut the slots.Hobbyman2 wrote:You might be surprised how accurate they are ,,,,as well as how identical they are.
When in doubt ,,, check it.
Remember I'm not the one who can't get a square cut......... just saying.
If I had a set of drawings from shopsmith to look at I would know how valid this is but without it you might get lucky but no where do we have access to such things. We do know that both slots on at least the new tables are milled at the same time. We do not know how the table is fixtured, a guess might be those raised areas on the side of the table because the table side is not machined and it is unlikely that would be used as a reference.
We have no knowledge as to what shopsmith will allow for tolerances, I am sure that it will be a lot more then we would like to know about. The only thing we are pretty sure about is that the slots are aligned and parallel to each other. From that the first step away is the miter bar........ I doubt there is a dimension or check to the edge of the table, why would there be it is not a controlled surface.
This is really silly, read the manual and follow the instructions don't just make stuff up.
Enough already!
Ed
{Knight of the Shopsmith} [Hero's don't wear capes, they wear dog tags]
Re: Perfect Cross-Cuts?
no where do we have access to such things
==
Not trying to be smart here,,, but you do have these things ,, you have the table ,it will give actual real time dimensions, even more accurate then the drawing.
The square shown in the picture proves beyond doubt this works and has for years.
===============
We have no knowledge as to what shopsmith will allow for tolerances
===========
SS quality control has and I am pretty sure if the tables were not to spec they would be sent back to the builder .
==========
This is really silly,
====
Really ?
Guess we will just have to disagree .
==========
don't just make stuff up
======
Dont have to the pictures verify the claim .
==
Not trying to be smart here,,, but you do have these things ,, you have the table ,it will give actual real time dimensions, even more accurate then the drawing.
The square shown in the picture proves beyond doubt this works and has for years.
===============
We have no knowledge as to what shopsmith will allow for tolerances
===========
SS quality control has and I am pretty sure if the tables were not to spec they would be sent back to the builder .
==========
This is really silly,
====
Really ?
Guess we will just have to disagree .
==========
don't just make stuff up
======
Dont have to the pictures verify the claim .
Hobbyman2 Favorite Quote: "If a man does his best, what else is there?"
- General George S. Patton (1885-1945)
- General George S. Patton (1885-1945)
- JPG
- Platinum Member
- Posts: 35457
- Joined: Wed Dec 10, 2008 7:42 pm
- Location: Lexington, Ky (TAMECAT territory)
Re: Perfect Cross-Cuts?
Well Ed I guess we can lead a horse to water, but cannot make it drink.
Agreeing to disagree is often an excuse to not pursue common understanding.
This is all a matter of mindset. Assuming and inconcise observations will not replace logical thinking.
Agreeing to disagree is often an excuse to not pursue common understanding.
This is all a matter of mindset. Assuming and inconcise observations will not replace logical thinking.
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Goldie(Bought New SN 377425)/4" jointer/6" beltsander/12" planer/stripsander/bandsaw/powerstation /Scroll saw/Jig saw /Craftsman 10" ras/Craftsman 6" thicknessplaner/ Dayton10"tablesaw(restoredfromneighborstrashpile)/ Mark VII restoration in 'progress'/ 10E[/size](SN E3779) restoration in progress, a 510 on the back burner and a growing pile of items to be eventually returned to useful life. - aka Red Grange
╟JPG ╢
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Goldie(Bought New SN 377425)/4" jointer/6" beltsander/12" planer/stripsander/bandsaw/powerstation /Scroll saw/Jig saw /Craftsman 10" ras/Craftsman 6" thicknessplaner/ Dayton10"tablesaw(restoredfromneighborstrashpile)/ Mark VII restoration in 'progress'/ 10E[/size](SN E3779) restoration in progress, a 510 on the back burner and a growing pile of items to be eventually returned to useful life. - aka Red Grange