Shopsmith Forums

I'm using a brand-new Mark 7 with the stock miter gauge for the table saw. I can't seem to get the miter gauge to slide smoothly in the track. I have cleaned the track, the bar, and the t-washer, and I made sure the stop screw is backed all the way out. I applied a thin coat of Johnson's paste wax to the track and the bar. It still slides really rough, and sticks every inch or two. Any thoughts on how to make it slide more smoothly? Should I sand the edges of the bar or something?

Before sanding anything check the miter slots on the table and see if there any burrs along the sides of the track.Also check the nylon screws or bolts under the miter gauge and see if they are set properly. If there are any bright spots on the table surface that will indicate contact. The nylon screws should hold the miter gauge head slightly above the table to avoid metal to metal contact.
Bill V
PS I would contact Customer Service as soon as possible if this is a new machine. They should come from the factory fully aligned and ready to go.

kkoyle wrote:I'm using a brand-new Mark 7 with the stock miter gauge for the table saw. I can't seem to get the miter gauge to slide smoothly in the track. I have cleaned the track, the bar, and the t-washer, and I made sure the stop screw is backed all the way out. I applied a thin coat of Johnson's paste wax to the track and the bar. It still slides really rough, and sticks every inch or two. Any thoughts on how to make it slide more smoothly? Should I sand the edges of the bar or something?

I would not do any sanding. The miter bar should slide very smoothly so the first thing to do is find out why it is not. Then if it turns out to be a shopsmith issue contact them for repairs or replacement.

The problem is that at this point we don't know if the problem is in the table or the miter gauge. If you take it upon yourself to modify the wrong one then it might come back to bite you later. Do you have any other shopsmith tools with miter tracks? Have a friend with a shopsmith that you could use to test the miter gauge in his track and his miter gauge in your track?

In the mean time a good visual inspection is in order. Look over the miter gauge bar for nicks or burrs and put it against a known straight edge to see if it could be bent.

Now when you say you wax the parts, can we assume that you also polished off the wax? If not then do so, it can get quite stiff this time of year if you live in a colder area and have limited heat. If you did not buff off then add a bit more fresh wax and then buff right away. It should feel slick when you are done.

The other question is are both miter slots/miter gauge the same with the sticking issue? If it is only one side then you can spend more time looking for an issue there.

As was mentioned the miter gauge has two rub areas on the underside so check to make sure they are adjusted.

You can also take off the washer that supplies the t-nut function and see if it slides differently without it.

Anything you can think of to do to isolate the problem would go a long way to finding a solution.

Ed

The other thing you might want to do is add your location. If you happened to live near another owner they might have the time to check out your situation and test your miter gauge and table for fit issues.

Ed

Cut a piece of wood to fit snuggly in the miter track (47/64" wide). Height makes no difference. Cut it short, about 2".

Slide that short piece back and forth in the miter track. If there is a spot in the track that causes binding, you will know where very soon.

Also, remove the t washer. That would eliminate the possibility of the washer/washer track being the culprit.

Have you 'backed' out the tapered screw?

He mentioned a "stop screw" in his original post and I assume that is what he meant.
Bill V

I second Dusty's idea. The wood miter bar will quickly show scuffing if it is rubbing anywhere.

wa2crk wrote:He mentioned a "stop screw" in his original post and I assume that is what he meant.
Bill V

True, but it was unclear to me what a 'stop screw' was. To me it is a wedge screw.

The angle stops have a screws, but they are irrelevant to the problem. Hence my confusion.

Either the bar or the track should give visual indication where any rubbing is occurring.

I would also be feeling with a finger especially at the ends of the bar and around the notch for the t slot washer.

The bar may have been spread too far by the wedge screw at assembly?