Shopsmith Forums

There have been many, many discussions on how to and how not to perform main table alignment. Hopefully, everyone who owns or uses a Mark 5/V has learned how to achieve this alignment.

What I would like for someone to tell me is: How do you maintain that alignment while securing the trunnion bolts? Are there any tricks?

I just very gingerly secure the two readily accessible bolts. At first just barely and then alternating back and forth go tighter and tighter while watching to make certain that the table has not been moved. Then, with equal care, I tilt the table so that I can secure the other two bolts (one of which is already firmly engaged. That is the one that I use a the pivot point during table alignment.

I hope this is a long and varied discussion. As long and varied as have been the discussions on doing and measuring table movement.

Why the question? Are you saying you have not been able to maintain alignment while securing the trunion bolts?

jsburger wrote:Why the question? Are you saying you have not been able to maintain alignment while securing the trunion bolts?

I think that you might be trying to provoke an argument here but I will answer your question anyhow. I enjoy a bit of friendly sparring.

No, I am able to secure the table. I disclosed how in the initial post. It just seems that with all of the many users out there, someone has developed some tricks to do that with greater ease and maybe even accuracy.

However, I won't be surprised when you tell me that you have never had a problem. You just tighten the trunnion bolts and there it is...spot on.

dusty wrote:

jsburger wrote:Why the question? Are you saying you have not been able to maintain alignment while securing the trunion bolts?

I think that you might be trying to provoke an argument here but I will answer your question anyhow. I enjoy a bit of friendly sparring.

No, I am able to secure the table. I disclosed how in the initial post. It just seems that with all of the many users out there, someone has developed some tricks to do that with greater ease and maybe even accuracy.

However, I won't be surprised when you tell me that you have never had a problem. You just tighten the trunnion bolts and there it is...spot on.

Absolutely no argument. I just asked a simple question. You have gone to extreme (in my opinion) but very interesting lengths to align your SS. Then you started a thread about tightening the bolts and maintaining the precise alignment with no explanation why.

jsburger wrote:

dusty wrote:

jsburger wrote:Why the question? Are you saying you have not been able to maintain alignment while securing the trunion bolts?

I think that you might be trying to provoke an argument here but I will answer your question anyhow. I enjoy a bit of friendly sparring.

No, I am able to secure the table. I disclosed how in the initial post. It just seems that with all of the many users out there, someone has developed some tricks to do that with greater ease and maybe even accuracy.

However, I won't be surprised when you tell me that you have never had a problem. You just tighten the trunnion bolts and there it is...spot on.

Absolutely no argument. I just asked a simple question. You have gone to extreme (in my opinion) but very interesting lengths to align your SS. Then you started a thread about tightening the bolts and maintaining the precise alignment with no explanation why.

I think Dusty was fishing for 'a better way'.

JPG wrote:

jsburger wrote:

dusty wrote:
I think that you might be trying to provoke an argument here but I will answer your question anyhow. I enjoy a bit of friendly sparring.

No, I am able to secure the table. I disclosed how in the initial post. It just seems that with all of the many users out there, someone has developed some tricks to do that with greater ease and maybe even accuracy.

However, I won't be surprised when you tell me that you have never had a problem. You just tighten the trunnion bolts and there it is...spot on.

Absolutely no argument. I just asked a simple question. You have gone to extreme (in my opinion) but very interesting lengths to align your SS. Then you started a thread about tightening the bolts and maintaining the precise alignment with no explanation why.

I think Dusty was fishing for 'a better way'.

I agree now. If he had said that I would not have asked my question.

jsburger wrote:

dusty wrote:

jsburger wrote:Why the question? Are you saying you have not been able to maintain alignment while securing the trunion bolts?

I think that you might be trying to provoke an argument here but I will answer your question anyhow. I enjoy a bit of friendly sparring.

No, I am able to secure the table. I disclosed how in the initial post. It just seems that with all of the many users out there, someone has developed some tricks to do that with greater ease and maybe even accuracy.

However, I won't be surprised when you tell me that you have never had a problem. You just tighten the trunnion bolts and there it is...spot on.

Absolutely no argument. I just asked a simple question. You have gone to extreme (in my opinion) but very interesting lengths to align your SS. Then you started a thread about tightening the bolts and maintaining the precise alignment with no explanation why.

What I would like for someone to tell me is: How to maintain that alignment while securing the trunnion bolts? Are there any tricks?

Hey Dusty,
This may seem WAY out there as an idea, but is there a way to force a small amount of CA glue (I am thinking specifically of the DAP Rapid Fuse glue because it has a longer open use window) between mating surfaces? Maybe along the edges of the meeting areas of the trunnions and table?? Once it sets, then tightening the bolts might cause less of a torque influenced change??
Yep, sounds like a way out there idea to me, but you asked.

Be well,
Ben

Like you Dusty, I have aligned my table and then, with the dial indicator still in place, watched the needle jump .005 to .007 as I started tightening the first trunnion bolt. Same with my 520 rip fence and the bolts that you loosen and then tighten to align it.

One solution was to determine how much and in which direction the needle jumped as I tightened that first bolt and then realigned with that amount of error built in in the opposite direction. Then tightening the first bolt brought the table fence into alignment. I have never seen the needle jump significantly after getting that first bolt locked down good and tight.

The post by algale got me thinking. Yes, Yes a very dangerous thing for me to do. Anyway... Is there a ShopSmith suggested torque setting for the bolts? If so, could you sneak up on all four bolts in a cross pattern little by little until you reach that number? Tedious, probably, but also I would presume very little chance of changing the initial alignment and even if you did, a chance to correct it before the error grows too large.

Just a thought

Be well,
Ben