Shopsmith Forums

Does anyone have this rip scale? What is your opinion of it?

Any and all comments appreciated.

It is on sale and I am considering getting it and wondering if it is worth the money.

TIA

lv2wdwrk wrote:Does anyone have this rip scale? What is your opinion of it?

Any and all comments appreciated.

It is on sale and I am considering getting it and wondering if it is worth the money.

TIA

Yes, I have upgraded to the 520 configuration and I think that I would do it again. But, I have also recently acquired a 510 and I have no intention of upgrading it.

The cost ($340.55) of the upgrade is a lot of money to spend for a rip fence and that is really all you get- a rip fence. Yes, there is a lot of hardware that come along with it but that was all necessitated because they (Shopsmith) changed the mounting design.

Don't take me wrong, I like the 520 fence for its' stability and the ease of setup that it provides. I can very easily compare the 510 fence to the 520 fence and the 520 comes out the leader in all categories. I have repeatability with the 520 that is difficult to achieve with the 510 but there is nothing I can think of that cannot be done on a 510.

The big difference is obviously the mechanical characteristics of the two rail systems. But, alignment is still the critical element. To get the best from either system, they must be aligned accurately and "to the degree of accuracy" that one expects to get in the end. If you need accuracy to within 1/32" (or better) you must align to that level.

dusty wrote:Yes, I have upgraded to the 520 configuration and I think that I would do it again. But, I have also recently acquired a 510 and I have no intention of upgrading it.

The cost ($340.55) of the upgrade is a lot of money to spend for a rip fence and that is really all you get- a rip fence. Yes, there is a lot of hardware that come along with it but that was all necessitated because they (Shopsmith) changed the mounting design.

Don't take me wrong, I like the 520 fence for its' stability and the ease of setup that it provides. I can very easily compare the 510 fence to the 520 fence and the 520 comes out the leader in all categories. I have repeatability with the 520 that is difficult to achieve with the 510 but there is nothing I can think of that cannot be done on a 510.

The big difference is obviously the mechanical characteristics of the two rail systems. But, alignment is still the critical element. To get the best from either system, they must be aligned accurately and "to the degree of accuracy" that one expects to get in the end. If you need accuracy to within 1/32" (or better) you must align to that level.

Dusty, Thanks for the reply, but I have a 520. I am asking about just the Rip Scale upgrade since I got mine before the scale came out.

hi ,
I definitely agree with Dusty. I upgraded from the 500 system to the 510 (a 20 year desired upgrade) and I really appreciate the extra capacity and performance of the fence. I still would like to upgrade to the 520 system, however my priority is to upgrade to the power pro headstock before upgrading the fence system.
A little about the performance of the 510 fence system. To achieve repeatability, I make sure I have some correctly sized stock that I can fit between the saw blade, drill bit, or whatever operation I'm performing and the fence. Then slide the fence up to the stock and lock it down. To make sure I'm set up correctly I'll slide the stock between the blade and fence to make sure there is no binding. I would still use the same method if I had the 520 so that would not change for me. If I trusted the scale (and since it would be mine and only used by me I would trust it) then initial set-up would be faster for not having to rely on a tape measure.
All that being said, I think you would be happy if you did get the 520 system. Especially if you had a priority list and that was at the top.

stay safe everyone

lv2wdwrk wrote:Dusty, Thanks for the reply, but I have a 520. I am asking about just the Rip Scale upgrade since I got mine before the scale came out.

In that case I would have to say that the decision is very much dependent upon how you would use it. You certainly cannot use it with the attitude that "I just set it for zero so it is good to go". That metal ruler can be moved very easily. If you do critical setups without verification, you might be dissatisfied. Every time you move the quill it needs to be rechecked. Every time you change a blade, it needs to be rechecked, etc, etc.

These checks could be done just as easily with a metal ruler. My problem is I all too often cannot find where I put that metal ruler when I want it. If it is stuck to the magnetic strip, I know where it is at.

Beside, I am pinching pennies for a PowerPro and an OPR. My judgment may be impaired.

I have to agree with Dusty on this one. My 520 upgrade came with the scale. Past experience has shown that at best such things are a good general guide. It is useful for quickly getting the fence into approximate position. Cuts requiring accuracy must still be checked.

Troy

dusty wrote:In that case I would have to say that the decision is very much dependent upon how you would use it. You certainly cannot use it with the attitude that "I just set it for zero so it is good to go". That metal ruler can be moved very easily. If you do critical setups without verification, you might be dissatisfied. Every time you move the quill it needs to be rechecked. Every time you change a blade, it needs to be rechecked, etc, etc.

These checks could be done just as easily with a metal ruler. My problem is I all too often cannot find where I put that metal ruler when I want it. If it is stuck to the magnetic strip, I know where it is at.

Beside, I am pinching pennies for a PowerPro and an OPR. My judgment may be impaired.

Sounds to me it might be a bigger PITA than it is worth. A GOOD metal ruler would be a lot less expensive. Perhaps a hanger of some type could be put on the SS to hold the ruler. Then it would be there when needed (unless it has been used someplace else).

Troy, if you did not have the scale, do you think it is worth the upgrade?

I got the scale when I upgraded my 510's to 520's. I really like it especially when sizing parts with my conical sander. When using it with my table saw, I routinely slide the fence over to the blade and check that the scale is zeroed. I think the scale that spans multiple tables is susceptible to movement from being inadvertently hit. But again, it only takes a second to check zero. The other thing is to keep a brush handy to dust off the magnetic strip before mounting the scale. I use magnetic strips from an old refrigerator door seal to keep the scales close by when not in use on the Mark V's bench tubes.

lv2wdwrk wrote:Sounds to me it might be a bigger PITA than it is worth. A GOOD metal ruler would be a lot less expensive. Perhaps a hanger of some type could be put on the SS to hold the ruler. Then it would be there when needed (unless it has been used someplace else).

A magnet from an old speaker can be used depending on the size of the ruler. I use one on the side of the headstock to hold a six inch metal ruler ( with 1/64 increments) and the hex wrench.