table alignment

dcottrill · Post by **dcottrill** » Sat Jun 06, 2009 10:46 pm

I spent most of the day on the honey-do-list. Managed to complete 5 items and she was happy. Then I spent some time on my do list.

The tie bar is wrapped (twisted), it is off significantly, which explains why my table has always been so difficult to get on and off the SS. In the past I had figured that it just needed more polishing. That is not the case. Why I never saw it until today? I just didn't know what I didn't know. Nick's sawdust seasons educated me and I knew where to start looking for and to start asking questions. Plus the forum post.

There is hope for an old dog.

Went and borrowed a table from a friend and it slide in and out like a charm. The table is even with in 0.004" of being aligned.

Also checked table flatness. My table is out 0.003" from the right front to the left back corner. The one I borrowed is better, only 0.002" out.

It has been a learning experience.

Anyone know how to align the tie bar?

keakap · Post by **keakap** » Sun Jun 07, 2009 12:40 am

weelildaddy wrote:... I guess I will take it apart and try drilling the holes larger myself rather than being without the machine for an extended period of time.

My essperience: I sent my Main table back to SS for evaluation. They checked it, found it defective, and sent a good one to replace it. Total time was like a week. And I'm in Hawaii! Most mainland companies still don't know we're a state yet and try to charge International Postage!

( I aint kidding either. The second day after I mailed it I got an e-mail saying the table was bad and a new one was on the way!)

dcottrill · Post by **dcottrill** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 9:41 pm

I talked to SS today. They told me to send it back and they will look it over, if it has looks like it has not been abusded or hit they will mostlikely replace it. It will be shipping out tomorrow.

Thanks for the words of encouragement.

algale · Post by **algale** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 8:21 am

I am reviving this old thread to add that my Mark V 520 (original purchase date 1/10/01) was also discovered to have the "defective" rear trunnion (with only 3/8ths inch holes for the bolts).

Given that Dusty found this problem in a machine more than 20 years old and mine is 11 years old, that means that many, many machines potentially have this issue.

To fix the problem I used Dusty's set-up on the auxiliary table (post #53) to line up and drill the trunnions (use clamps and a piece of scrap under the trunnion to protect the table); I also recommend putting some paper towels down on the carriage and tubes to protect them from aluminum shavings and lubricant from the drilling operation (since you are boring horizontally into a vertical surface in this operation, you can drizzle a drop or two of lubricant on the trunnion).

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 9:13 am

[quote="algale"]I am reviving this old thread to add that my Mark V 520 (original purchase date 1/10/01) was also discovered to have the "defective" rear trunnion (with only 3/8ths inch holes for the bolts).

Given that Dusty found this problem in a machine more than 20 years old and mine is 11 years old, that means that many, many machines potentially have this issue.

To fix the problem I used Dusty's set-up on the auxiliary table (post #53) to line up and drill the trunnions (use clamps and a piece of scrap under the trunnion to protect the table)]

It can be argued that this condition is NOT A DEFECT and that what you and I (and others) have done is make a change to the trunnions that simply results in it being easier to perform table alignments.

algale · Post by **algale** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 9:24 am

dusty wrote:It can be argued that this condition is NOT A DEFECT and that what you and I (and others) have done is make a change to the trunnions that simply results in it being easier to perform table alignments.

Yup. That's why I put "defective" in quotations in my post. Even though Nick weighed in on this thread and indicated it was a manufacturing error, I have my doubts for the reasons you identified, namely it is the same casting as the front trunnion and yet this "defect" never seems to show up on the front trunnion.

I suspect the new Mark 7 ships with rear trunnions with the 1/2 inch holes. Anybody with a new Mark 7 care to take a look at their rear trunnions and see whether it has 3/8ths or 1/2 inch holes for the table bolts?

Al

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 9:52 am

algale wrote:Yup. That's why I put "defective" in quotations in my post. Even though Nick weighed in on this thread and indicated it was a manufacturing error, I have my doubts for the reasons you identified, namely it is the same casting as the front trunnion and yet this "defect" never seems to show up on the front trunnion.

I suspect the new Mark 7 ships with rear trunnions with the 1/2 inch holes. Anybody with a new Mark 7 care to take a look at their rear trunnions and see whether it has 3/8ths or 1/2 inch holes for the table bolts?

Al

I do hope that some one takes you up on this.

I would bet that the new trunnions (on the Mark 7s) have the same mix of hole sizes (front trunnions are 1/2" and rear trunnions are 3/8").

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 12:04 pm

dusty wrote:I do hope that some one takes you up on this.

I would bet that the new trunnions (on the Mark 7s) have the same mix of hole sizes (front trunnions are 1/2" and rear trunnions are 3/8").

Jumping in here with minimal experience(I have not looked at mine[yet]), but it seems to me that the one rear hole that is accessible prior to tilting, would be a reasonable candidate for a smaller diameter(the adjustment pivot point) hole.

I just could not stand the suspense, so I just came back from 'looking' at my early vintage 510 table(the one with holes in the rails, and tapped holes for mounting the thicker rails).
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Wanna know what size the rear trunion holes are?:D
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1/2":eek:

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 12:14 pm

dusty wrote:I do hope that some one takes you up on this.

I would bet that the new trunnions (on the Mark 7s) have the same mix of hole sizes (front trunnions are 1/2" and rear trunnions are 3/8").

Jumping in here with minimal experience(I have not looked at mine[yet]), but it seems to me that the one rear hole that is accessible prior to tilting, would be a reasonable candidate for a smaller diameter(the adjustment pivot point) hole.

I just could not stand the suspense, so I just came back from 'looking' at my early vintage 510 table(the one with holes in the rails, and tapped holes for mounting the thicker rails).
.
.
.
.
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Wanna know what size the rear trunion holes are?:D
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.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
1/2":eek:

wa2crk · Post by **wa2crk** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 12:32 pm

I am not going to take my table apart for an investigation but I think that I would prefer that the pivot hole to be tight and the others loose. I don't see a reason for the whole table to float all over the place when trying to do an adjustment. If alignment can not be achieved without opening the pivot hole then manufacturing tolerances and assembly procedures need to be checked.
Bill V