Re-machine Miter Slot

rweikle · Post by **rweikle** » Sun Mar 15, 2009 12:22 pm

I have read many posts on this site regarding the SS miter slot and the non-standard size. Has anyone thought of taking the table and 520 fence to a machine shop and having the slot re-machined to the standard 3/4 X 3/8 miter slot size?:eek:

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Sun Mar 15, 2009 12:37 pm

rweikle wrote:I have read many posts on this sight regarding the SS miter slot and the non-standard size. Has anyone thought of taking the table and 520 fence to a machine shop and having the slot re-machined to the standard 3/4 X 3/8 miter slot size?:eek:

NO! None of the SS thingeys which are supposed to go there would then fit. The 500 table could be milled, but the amount of casting material would be reduced(weaker). The 505/510/520 tables use an insert and reducing the material in them would cause a similar weakness(more so).

I would make MORE sense to modify any NON SS item to fit the SS. The difference is only about .030".

Does anyone make a t-slot strip(which takes a 3/4" bar AND fits in the SS slot)?

rweikle · Post by **rweikle** » Sun Mar 15, 2009 2:04 pm

The actual difference in the slots is .022 it is hard to believe that this would weaken the table. So, it make MORE sense to modify 1000 different fixture I might buy in the future than to modify the table? This means I'm locked into buying from SS, looking for companies that make items that fit, or doing without.

a1gutterman · Post by **a1gutterman** » Sun Mar 15, 2009 2:13 pm

rweikle wrote:The actual difference in the slots is .022 it is hard to believe that this would weaken the table. So, it make MORE sense to modify 1000 different fixture I might buy in the future than to modify the table? This means I'm locked into buying from SS, looking for companies that make items that fit, or doing without.

Welcome to these forums,

I am confident that you will enjoy the information that you get here. Many companies have proprietary hardware, including SS. One thing to remember is that ShopSmith has had their "standard" slot a lot longer then most others. If you want to alter your table, and feel that no harm or weakness will occur, there is nothing to stop you. Of course you will knot be able to use SS attachments that require that slot to be the "SS" size. You can always buy another table and modify one of them the way you want to. You could then interchange your tables as required for your project.

Gene Howe · Post by **Gene Howe** » Sun Mar 15, 2009 2:44 pm

a1gutterman wrote:Welcome to these forums,

I am confident that you will enjoy the information that you get here. Many companies have proprietary hardware, including SS. One thing to remember is that ShopSmith has had their "standard" slot a lot longer then most others. If you want to alter your table, and feel that no harm or weakness will occur, there is nothing to stop you. Of course you will knot be able to use SS attachments that require that slot to be the "SS" size. You can always buy another table and modify one of them the way you want to. You could then interchange your tables as required for your project.

That is exactly what I did. I didn't modify the slot, though. Just added rails to the table for a Jointech system. I've had a number of different lengths of steel bars milled to fit and use them interchangeably with different jigs. I make plenty of wood, too.
And, a few manufacturers have seen fit to alter their bars to fit.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Sun Mar 15, 2009 4:35 pm

rweikle wrote:The actual difference in the slots is .022 it is hard to believe that this would weaken the table. So, it make MORE sense to modify 1000 different fixture I might buy in the future than to modify the table? This means I'm locked into buying from SS, looking for companies that make items that fit, or doing without.

SS it the manufacturer that makes things that "FIT". Go ahead modify it, just don't call it a SS table anymore. Do what makes sense to you. Hopefully your 'irreversable' modification will NOT bite you in the future.

reible · Post by **reible** » Sun Mar 15, 2009 5:29 pm

Hi and welcome to the forum!

It is nice to see new posters and see what ideas they may have to share with us, and what we can share with them.

To answer your question, yes there has been discussions here and at the other shopsmith sights about changing the slot size. You by now have read some of the responses... sometime shopsmith owners get a little carried away defending the much loved machines. So often this subject just gets dropped and we never hear if anyone has actually carried out the idea... or at least I can't recall ever hearing results of the project.

As has been noted this could back fire and end up costing you a new table top... the last time I checked they were about $200. I have never looked to see how much material is in place so I have no idea if the idea could work. And it may depend on the table, the slots are milled in but I have no idea how centered they are in the casting??? I also know that shopsmith has said they have a special machine that does both slots at the same time to keep them parrallel so a general machine shop is not likely to be able to do this the same way... again I don't know if this is an issure or not.

What item did you have in mind that you needed the larger miter slot for? There are other companies that make miter gauges and sleds that fit shopsmith so you are not without options in that respect. Perhaps we can help in that way???

Ed

rweikle wrote:I have read many posts on this site regarding the SS miter slot and the non-standard size. Has anyone thought of taking the table and 520 fence to a machine shop and having the slot re-machined to the standard 3/4 X 3/8 miter slot size?:eek:

rweikle · Post by **rweikle** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 12:36 pm

reible wrote:Hi and welcome to the forum!

It is nice to see new posters and see what ideas they may have to share with us, and what we can share with them.

To answer your question, yes there has been discussions here and at the other shopsmith sights about changing the slot size. You by now have read some of the responses... sometime shopsmith owners get a little carried away defending the much loved machines. So often this subject just gets dropped and we never hear if anyone has actually carried out the idea... or at least I can't recall ever hearing results of the project.

As has been noted this could back fire and end up costing you a new table top... the last time I checked they were about $200. I have never looked to see how much material is in place so I have no idea if the idea could work. And it may depend on the table, the slots are milled in but I have no idea how centered they are in the casting??? I also know that shopsmith has said they have a special machine that does both slots at the same time to keep them parrallel so a general machine shop is not likely to be able to do this the same way... again I don't know if this is an issure or not.

What item did you have in mind that you needed the larger miter slot for? There are other companies that make miter gauges and sleds that fit shopsmith so you are not without options in that respect. Perhaps we can help in that way???

Ed

Ed,
Thank you for your kind words. I was just asking if anyone had ever tried enlarging the miter slot, I didn't mean to set someone off. You are right SS owners are passionate about the machine. I love mine and have had to wait years to get it.

I do not have any particular items in mind to fit the miter slot other than a feather board or two. I do own a couple of other machines that have the "standard" slot and it become inconvenient to make or have different size jigs and fixtures for each one.

I guess I won't be modifying the size of the miter slots on my table because I wouldn't want to call it anything other than a Shopsmith.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 1:46 pm

rweikle wrote:Ed,
Thank you for your kind words. I was just asking if anyone had ever tried enlarging the miter slot, I didn't mean to set someone off. You are right SS owners are passionate about the machine. I love mine and have had to wait years to get it.

I do not have any particular items in mind to fit the miter slot other than a feather board or two. I do own a couple of other machines that have the "standard" slot and it become inconvenient to make or have different size jigs and fixtures for each one.

I guess I won't be modifying the size of the miter slots on my table because I wouldn't want to call it anything other than a Shopsmith.

Not so much 'SET OFF' as 'Hate to see him do something irreversable which he will regret later'.

foxtrapper · Post by **foxtrapper** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 6:59 am

After you machine the table you can use shim stock to continue using the oem shopsmith equipment. There's nothing tricky about doing this, just drop the shim stock piece into the slot.

You could also machine down the particular accessory to fit the shopsmith. Then, use the same shimstock with the accessory when going to a regular unit.