Shopsmith Forums

I just got the e-mail that the Incra Miter Express is on sell. Do any of you have one? My Mark V has the 500 table, plus I have the standard size 500 extension table plus the upgrade size 500 extension table for it.

I have never heard of the Incra Miter Express. Is it pretty much a fancy cross-cut sled? What are the pros and cons? Currently I am just using the standard miter gauge, haven't quite got around to making a cross cut sled. Is this better than a cross cut sled?

For me there are a couple positives. One is that it has the t-track for hold downs, etc., but more importantly is the ability to use Incra's miter gauges if that is in your future.

The price is a good one even though Incra has a special going currently.

Personally, I will be getting the combo which includes the Incra 1000HD. It IS a bigger cash outlay, but I am getting tired of standing my SS miter gauge on end and then using built in angle display on my cell phone to set the angle (yes, I am too cheap to buy the wixey angle cube thingy, since I already own the phone). The combo also comes with the stop and extension so it should be every thing "I" need AFAIK.

You can build a very nice sled (as shown in some recent threads). But for me, having watched Nick' demo using the sled, I prefer buying the Incra and trusting that if I break something, there is a place where I can go buy the replacements rather than rebuilding.

Just my 2 cents.

Ben

rdavidp wrote:...
I have never heard of the Incra Miter Express. Is it pretty much a fancy cross-cut sled? What are the pros and cons? Currently I am just using the standard miter gauge, haven't quite got around to making a cross cut sled. Is this better than a cross cut sled?

Not so much a fancy crosscut sled as a fancy miter sled. Yer miter gauge fits into one of the ME slots and is locked to it, as is the workpiece(to the sled). Two of the other slots are for hold-downs, very nice. So the only moving- or moveable- object is the sled. No worries about miter gauge slot slop anymore, as the Incra t-slot whut holds the miter gauge has these clever expand-o washer thingies in it that custom build the bar to the slot (the slot thickens!). You can do 45 degree miter cuts wit yer eyes closed. If you have the Incra V120 it will replace the SS gauge but the SS gauge Clamp fits onto it, and an adapter block fits onto the front of that, allowing both SS Auxiliary fences and Incra's'. There's a brace for the miter gauge Aux Ext fences too, naturally, and all together it makes a solid transport. Imagine the base of the SS miter gauge- what, 4 or 5 inches of a semicircle- and make it roughly the size of your main table!
I did try it as a crosscut sled when I was building my workbench, and with the Incra 62" AuxExt fence it was quite handy for the longer parts (W/ Incra's Stops). But most of the w-bench cutting was done with the SS crosscut sled. For a lot of parts- 13", 16", 23, yada yada not too long, the sled was easiier, simpler and perfectly adequate for simple square cuts across all them 2x4s. I wouldn't substitute the ME for the crosscut sled, nor vice versa.

I'm a little embarassed to admit I buy all these like the sled and the other sled, but frankly I justify it with the fact that my Mark5 was virtually unusable for anything but rough milling when I started trying to use it for anything serious. I needed help. I'm just about convinced that that was partly the result of a rough trip across the Pacific in a cargo container, accompanied with who knows how many trips in trucks, cranes and lifts run by the oh so gentle and oh so caring longshoremen or whoever. But that can't essplane away the eventual gross replacement of all the bad tables and the 520 upgrade. (Altho it does somewhat essplane the down-to-the-ground total disassembly, realignment and reassembly of the Mark 5.)

Miter Express. Like most accessories made by most people (maybe a little moreso w/ Incra), the individual device is meant to excel at ONE thing. They try to make it do other stuff well or adequately, and often succeed, but remember the ONE THING, first. Rest is gravy. And the Miter Express is swimming in it.

Imho.

benush26 wrote:... but I am getting tired of standing my SS miter gauge on end and then using built in angle display on my cell phone to set the angle (yes, I am too cheap to buy the wixey angle cube thingy, since I already own the phone). ...Ben

LOL ! I use my wixey-type ON the SS miter gauge on end.

benush26 wrote: But for me, having watched Nick' demo using the sled, I prefer buying the Incra and trusting that if I break something,

Is this Demo in one of the Sawdust sessions or available somewhere online? I would like to see it.

In review, I'm still bothered by your description of your tables as 500. If that is truly the case, I don't think the Incra stuff will work on your machine.
I was assuming you have the 510 tables et al, because of the mention of ext tables...

The Shopsmith site says they sell the Incra Miter Express for the 500, and it is indeed the 500 table I have along with two auxillary tables for the 500 that fit in the slots that the SPTs and tailstock fit in.

rdavidp wrote:Is this Demo in one of the Sawdust sessions or available somewhere online? I would like to see it.

Yes,

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qwHKtgM9-CM

This is the link when using a tablet. I think you can just delete the "m." before youtube and it will display normally.

Hi,

I've done some posts here on the miter express. Right now I'm not sure where they are and don't have time to do a lot of searches.

Incra has the express and the 5000. The 5000 I believe was only for 505/510/520 models while the express also worked with the 500. The 5000 is also much larger, one of those good bad sort of things. I selected the express as it seem to fit my needs a little better.

The express will let you use the standard shopsmith miter gauge, or other miter gauges. I started using mine with the shopsmith 2000 miter gauge. I have sense gone to a stock incra 1000HD miter gauge. This gives me 1/10 degree settings. I've also upgraded the fence on the 1000HD so it is longer then standard. (The flip stop also embeds in the fence a welcome fix from incra, no more issues with that!)

Most operations do not require this much precision but when they do this is the way to go. While you can get as accurate other ways they will not allow you do change angles as fast or as repeatable.

Ed

I've had the Incra 5000 setup on my 510 for a few years now and love it. Caught it while on sale. Yes, it is a bit cumbersome at times but that's overshadowed by the precision I get from this setup. Really well made and simple to use.