Shopsmith Forums

Another newbie dilemma...

Ordered the Shopsmith help kit with DVD, working my way through the video. For one of the procedures it said to lock the miter gauge to the table with the lock screw. Well, mine wouldn't lock, at least at first...after tightening the screw I could still remove it easily.

I figured that after sitting for 40 years it might need some lubrication. I put on a few drops of Kroil, let it work in for a minute or two, then put my T-handle Allen wrench on it and tightened. There was a click and a spark (really!), and then the miter gauge was well and truly locked in place...

...to stay, it seems like. I attempted to loosen the lock screw, but I couldn't turn it with the T-handle. I thought I would use a more expendable Allen wrench, so I used the long-arm wrench which originally came with the Shopsmith. It bent like a pretzel. I put on a little more penetrating oil and tried a good-quality Eklind long-arm hex wrench which I had in my mechanic's tool chest. The setscrew stripped out without turning.

Any suggestions as to how I can remove this miter gauge from my saw table?

If you increase the temperature of the table, the aluminum will expand about twice as much as the steel miter bar. Hopefully enough to loosen it. Given the age, I’m guessing that this an older machine without the T-slot and hold-down washer on the miter bar? If so, you would only need to heat the area around the locking screw, and then lift the bar straight up. I’d start with a just a heat gun, which shouldn’t risk permanent damage to the table.

If you can get the bar out of the table, that should give you plenty room to extract the lock screw with an easy-out. Or if you’re real lucky, an easy-out used in-place might engage the lock screw before bottoming in the miter slot. Or if it does bottom out, it might act as a jack screw to force the miter bar out (and mar the miter slot in the process)

If the thermal-expansion trick doesn’t work, I suppose that you could also drill a small hole through the bottom of the T-slot, to provide clearance for the easy-out. As a last resort, you could insert a punch through that hole, and drive the bar out of the slot (again assuming that there is no T-slot washer).

That 'screw' has a tapered 1/4" pipe thread. It works by jamming into the miter gauge bar thus expanding the width. You say click, my experience says squeak. Other than possible grinding a taper on a larger allen wrench to wedge into the hex hole I have no new insight re removal.

I have gone through the opposite scenario(won't lock due to wear of the bar threads) which a new 'screw' fails to remedy(the 'screw' bottoms out on the table before locking the bar). I have found that simply inserting a strip of paper creates sufficient shimming to lock the bar.

Point is the wedging is the result of very small interference. Also great torque is needed when that interference begins. So, if it fails to lock a thin paper wedge will work and is preferable to creating the
excessive thread wear and excessive torque jamming described above.

I've never used these but I wonder if they might work without having to drill as deep as an "easy" out: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ontel-Speed ... /303667297
I would definitely try the application of moderate heat first though. If you can get the miter gauge out of the slot everything becomes much easier.

- David

Okay, short and sweet: The heat gun treatment didn't help, either when applied from the bottom of the table or the top. The EZ-out didn't work either, although I now have a nice 3/16" hole in my miter gauge slot to remind me to upgrade to the Pro Fence & Table system .

What did work: A Dremel Moto-Tool with a 1" cutoff wheel, applied longitudinally in the miter gauge slot. Went through that setscrew like a knife through butter. Okay, very cold butter, but you get the idea. Once I had the setscrew cut in half knocking the two halves out with a pin punch was simple.

Does anyone think that the miter gauge is worth saving with a new setscrew, or just simply order a new replacement?

ehbowen wrote:Okay, short and sweet: The heat gun treatment didn't help, either when applied from the bottom of the table or the top. The EZ-out didn't work either, although I now have a nice 3/16" hole in my miter gauge slot to remind me to upgrade to the Pro Fence & Table system .

What did work: A Dremel Moto-Tool with a 1" cutoff wheel, applied longitudinally in the miter gauge slot. Went through that setscrew like a knife through butter. Okay, very cold butter, but you get the idea. Once I had the setscrew cut in half knocking the two halves out with a pin punch was simple.

Does anyone think that the miter gauge is worth saving with a new setscrew, or just simply order a new replacement?

That depends upon how much of the bar material came into contact with the cutoff wheel.

If you do replace the bar, keep the old one for use in a jig.

JPG wrote:

ehbowen wrote:Okay, short and sweet: The heat gun treatment didn't help, either when applied from the bottom of the table or the top. The EZ-out didn't work either, although I now have a nice 3/16" hole in my miter gauge slot to remind me to upgrade to the Pro Fence & Table system .

What did work: A Dremel Moto-Tool with a 1" cutoff wheel, applied longitudinally in the miter gauge slot. Went through that setscrew like a knife through butter. Okay, very cold butter, but you get the idea. Once I had the setscrew cut in half knocking the two halves out with a pin punch was simple.

Does anyone think that the miter gauge is worth saving with a new setscrew, or just simply order a new replacement?

That depends upon how much of the bar material came into contact with the cutoff wheel.

If you do replace the bar, keep the old one for use in a jig.

If I understand correctly, the miter bar is still usable as is. The only functionality lost is the ability tp lock the bar in the table. I don't recall the last time I did that. If you don't want the miter bar - send it to me.

I'm a bit late, but for next time, some times a crescent wrench applied as low on the hex shaft as possible, will greatly assist you.