Shopsmith Forums

So, here is something I learned today. There is a woodworking show in town this weekend at the expo center - you know, the kind of show with booths from all the tool and accessory manufacturers. I picked up a couple of "universal" miter bars that I hoped to use on a crosscut sled that I plan to build, along with a Fulton thin-rip tablesaw jig, also designed to fit a standard 3/4" slot. None of it fits. I honestly thought the Shopsmith had standard sized miter gauge slots, but apparently they are about 1/16" narrower. Why would Shopsmith do that to us? Wouldn't it be just as easy to make it a standard size? Frustrating.

I dont know why, but I feel your pain.

I have never seen a reason why this is so. It is especially interesting since the original Magna Shopsmith the model 10E/ER has standard 3/4" miter slots. Magna also made the first MK 5's so it is even more interesting that they changed the width.

I stand by my case as I posted sometime back in other posts with regard to the slots.

I believe they did it to keep a captive audience with regard to accessories.

Don G

Back then, there was no 'standard' size.

However making them slightly smaller than 3/4" allowed them to make them from 3/4" bar stock. Making them included machining to better tolerances than raw bar stock.

Regardless of the reason, once done it HAD to be continued to maintain interchangability throughout the product line.

dgreen810 wrote:I stand by my case as I posted sometime back in other posts with regard to the slots.

I believe they did it to keep a captive audience with regard to accessories.

Don G

Sorry Don, I don't agree just as I don't agree that they continue to use 1 1/4" bore saw blades. 1 1/4" arbors are still used today albeit on blades larger than 10". However, a 10" saw blade was unusual back in the early 50's on a home shop saw. Did 10" blades have a 1 1/4" hole back then?

JPG wrote:Back then, there was no 'standard' size.

However making them slightly smaller than 3/4" allowed them to make them from 3/4" bar stock. Making them included machining to better tolerances than raw bar stock.

Regardless of the reason, once done it HAD to be continued to maintain interchangability throughout the product line.

We will never know but I agree with you as that might be one reason.

You might say that they are standard size for a Shopsmith. I find the Shopsmith size easy to work with when you make a crosscut sled. I make the bars for my sleds out of hardwood. Because they are slightly under 3/4", any 3/4" hardwood like oak or maple can be easily sanded down for a tight fit. Rather than depend on something being right when you buy it to make the bars, you make them a custom fit.

Thanks for the heads up!!

You may want to check out the Zero Play Guide Bar System. Will fit the Shopsmith (fits my 500). I think it is an excellent product. See my breif review here: http://www.shopsmith.com/ss_forum/woodw ... 19738.html