Shopsmith Forums

The miter gauge has two holes on either side..what are they for??

Ash1562 wrote: Wed Aug 31, 2022 3:50 pm The miter gauge has two holes on either side..what are they for??20220831_155018.jpg

It is for the miter gauge stop rod (item #505629). It inserts in on the left or right side and then the setscrews to secure it are inserted into the holes on top that you also marked. Check out the pics at the forum link below:

viewtopic.php?p=52892#p52892

https://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/cat ... rgauge.htm

Ash1562 wrote: Wed Aug 31, 2022 3:50 pm The miter gauge has two holes on either side..what are they for??20220831_155018.jpg

1) The horizontal holes can hold a stop rod for repetitive crosscuts (https://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/cat ... rgauge.htm) OR a long allen-type wrench (or alternative long thingy) for aligning the miter slots parallel to blade or rip fence parallel to slot. (This depends on which of many alignment procedures you use. I have not used this method in years.)
2) The vertical holes allow you to install a setscrew that would hold said stop rod or alignment gage.
3) IIRC on some miter gauges the access to the nylon pads that the front edge of the gauge ride on is also through the vertical holes. If this applies to yours, then you want to ensure no setscrews, stop rods, etc. are present as they block access. To my recollection, often faulty, Greenies like yours originally have this type of nylon pad. IIRC it is a simple nylon setscrew. On later versions the nylon pad is a screw that screws in (and adjusts) from the bottom, and is a larger surface. They are not interchangeable, the casting is different.

- David

Not to threadjack but since we're on the topic of miter gauge holes, can we broaden the discussion to ask as well what are these holes on the far end of the miter gauge bar? C-C distance is tighter than the ones for the miter protractor though the holes themselves are similar

HopefulSSer wrote: Wed Aug 31, 2022 5:44 pm Not to threadjack but since we're on the topic of miter gauge holes, can we broaden the discussion to ask as well what are these holes on the far end of the miter gauge bar? C-C distance is tighter than the ones for the miter protractor though the holes themselves are similar

Those holes are not present on later miter gauge bars. As far as I know they have no Mark 5/V purpose, I used to use one of them to hang it on the wall. But I think they were mentioned in another thread.(?) And of course, later 510 and on versions have the 'washer' for the T-slot that adds another threaded hole and a machined recess for the washer. Perhaps Russ could shed some light on when some of this evolution took place.

If we can nominate changes, I'd like to see a second T-washer near the other end and a second 'lock' that would let me improve fit between bar and slot.

- David

To confirm on the question Ash1562 asked, RFGuy and David are correct. The smooth bore holes on the sides of the Miter's Protractor are for the Stop Rod and can be used to check alignment of the blade to the table and the fence. The threaded hole on the top of the Miter's Protractor goes all the way through and on earlier Miter's had two purposes. First to adjust the nylon oval end slotted set screw that are the glides for the miter. Later Miters use a different glide and both are shown in the picture below. The second purpose for the top threaded holes is to lock the stop rod in position with a set screw. The Stop Rod came out during the Model 10's production and their Miter's Protractors have the holes too but not the nylon glides.

_ .
The later Hex Head Glide is on the left and the earlier set screw type is on the right. Originally the set screw type was white not black like the replacements shown. By the way I am not the one who put the saw blade cut in the Miter's Protractor on the left. A good reminder to watch where the Miter is going to go when you tilt the Table for bevel cuts.

As for HopefulSSer's question, the holes on the leading end of the earlier Miter Bars have a purpose. The Universal Hold Down came out during the Model 10's and continued after the introduction of the Mark 5 in 1954. The Model 10 version had 1/4" set screws and the Mark 5 version changed to 5/16" set screws for the Shopsmith Toolbox, the 5/32" Allen Wrench. As shown in the instructions on the box top for the Universal Hold Down there is a post that can attach through the end counter sunk hole (top left). For Model 10 users they had to drill the end hole themselves. The second threaded hole can hold the other post with a threaded end, but that post was generally used in the hole the Safety Grip attached to. I don't recall if there was another use for the threaded hole. The special Mark 5 Miter on a Model 10 bar only has the counter sunk hole on the end of the bar. As shown on the box's top below the Universal Hold Down can be used in many ways and just 5 are illustrated there. Additional uses are shown in the instructions.

_ .
The above pictures are the Model 10 version.

The 1960 Goldie I restored still had both of those holes (countersunk and threaded) on the Miter bar. I don't know when they were discontinued.

Whoa- never saw that universal hold down kit before... I guess it has been replaced by featherboards and the like ?

b

Y'all are awesome. Thank you!

Never seen that kit either. Interesting!

The csink hole and the tapped hole continued at least through the Mark VII.