Shopsmith Forums

Something seems to be seriously lacking at the far end of my old-style 500 rip fence. Either the far end hook is ought of whack, or there just isn't anything substantial for it to grab hold of. According to the parts diagram, my 500 table isn't missing anything. According to the diagram for this older, smooth-sided fence diagram, my fence is missing a pair of screws/set screws (items 221 in the exploded diagram).

I can't find the parts list or adjustment instructions for the old 500 slab-sided fence, but the instructions for the "upgraded" ribbed 500 fence leads me to believe that its setscrews became mere vestigial parts. The adjustment instructions say back them off so they don't touch the fence rail...and then they aren't mentioned again. Maybe they helped in the older version to get the fence parallel to the miter slot, but after experimenting, I don't think they help the gripper claw at the far end get any tighter.

I stuck a cardboard shim in the T-shaped part of the fence to simulate set screws pushing the whole fence away from the rail (towards the operator), but found that only causes the handle end of the fence to lock onto the front rail SOONER. It didn't draw the far end tighter.

You can see in my photo that the hook barely engages an uneven chamfer at the bottom of main table. That hook would need to be a bit longer, and a lot closer to engage the full thickness of the table. It's marginally better with the extension table, but still wiggles.

My pre-500 stuff is in the attic, but some of this I remember. Your fence likely has only one of the biasing setscrews, to the right of the lock handle, or a threaded hole for one. Like the later fence, you want to back this into non-contact. It is meant for an unusual setup where you deliberately set the fence non-parallel to use the disk sander as a width or thickness sander. You can find this setup in PTWFE. Not the preferred method since conical discs came out, and not possible on a 520/M7 fence. IIRC your rear lock looks about right. I don't recall it wrapping under the table and think it engages a chamfer at the rear of the table. I'm wondering if your problem might be at the in-feed end. Could one of the adjustment bolts be loose, or something wrong with the front lock? I'm pretty sure I recall a recent (-ish) thread on a similar problem and will look for that.

- David

See this link and other links within: (viewtopic.php?p=284525#p284525). There is info on the correct assembly/parts.

- David

Beware the 'fixes' by Sesh. The double lead nut belongs inside the ribs(not held out by a washer). The 'hook' should NOT extend under the beveled back edge.