Complete alignment

[dusty]

I find myself involved in complete alignment checks rather regularly; however, this is seldom (if ever) due to a fault of the Shopsmith. I constantly get involved trying to understand some one elses preceived problems by playing with mine. Sure enough, I'll change something and all I can do is start over with a complete alignment.

The beauty in this is that a complete alignment only takes about a half hour. Once aligned, the Shopsmith is a dream. It seldom needs tweaking.

Woodburner says he alway checks his at the start of a project. His "projects" are probably worthy of a preliminary check. My projects are seldom anything where real precision is required and unless I suspect something to be out of adjustment I'm off and running.

Now I clean and lubricate probably more than is necessary. Most times when I do a clean and lub, I'll also run a quick alignment verification. This along with the ones I am forced, by my own curiousity. to do are enough.

[Nick]

"For me, I always check my alignment before starting any new project."

Exactly what we teach at the Academy.

With all good wishes,

[charlese]

It appears we, in this Forum, consist of the whole range of Mark V owner/operators. We have some who do regular and periodic alignment checks/proceedures - We have some who seldom look at alignment - We have some in-between.

Here's my story, for what it's worth. (2 cents?)

After moving the 510 from Texas to California, alignment was checked and found to be accurate. After getting involved with this forum, I did a re-alignment using the dial indicator, although it really didn't need it - I was already pretty darned good.

I have had problems with my rip fence, however. These started when I dropped it on the concrete floor and cracked the base. For years, I adjusted it by pushing the back over while locking down the out-feed clamp. It's amazing how good I got at that thumb pressure. Finally, tired of that, decided to re-adjust the fence. After much "fiddling", it was good to go, and has been for about a couple years now. I used the dial indicator to find the fence is still good. (crack and all) But it does have a slight bow (.002" measured) toward the saw blade. Since my rip cuts are all over-sized, this doesn't present a problem.

The need for perfect alignment of the table? Although I can understand the desire for perfect alignment, I still question if off by .001" or .002" is meaningful. Mine meets Shopsmith recommendations, I think, - and for sure meets my requirements. Alignment has been consistantly very good, through much use. It's a beautiful, versatile machine that works with me to take a piece of wood and make anything I want.

It certainly won't hurt a thing to check alignment each day, if that's what the operator wants. However, mine has stayed good through a move, storage, another move, and in this shop for 5 years. I suspect it will stay aligned for more years, without adjustment, as long as It doesn't get dropped on a concrete floor.

[Ed in Tampa]

It appears we, in this Forum, consist of the whole range of Mark V owner/operators. We have some who do regular and periodic alignment checks/proceedures - We have some who seldom look at alignment - We have some in-between.

Here's my story, for what it's worth. (2 cents?)

After moving the 510 from Texas to California, alignment was checked and found to be accurate. After getting involved with this forum, I did a re-alignment using the dial indicator, although it really didn't need it - I was already pretty darned good.

I have had problems with my rip fence, however. These started when I dropped it on the concrete floor and cracked the base. For years, I adjusted it by pushing the back over while locking down the out-feed clamp. It's amazing how good I got at that thumb pressure. Finally, tired of that, decided to re-adjust the fence. After much "fiddling", it was good to go, and has been for about a couple years now. I used the dial indicator to find the fence is still good. (crack and all) But it does have a slight bow (.002" measured) toward the saw blade. Since my rip cuts are all over-sized, this doesn't present a problem.

The need for perfect alignment of the table? Although I can understand the desire for perfect alignment, I still question if off by .001" or .002" is meaningful. Mine meets Shopsmith recommendations, I think, - and for sure meets my requirements. Alignment has been consistantly very good, through much use. It's a beautiful, versatile machine that works with me to take a piece of wood and make anything I want.

It certainly won't hurt a thing to check alignment each day, if that's what the operator wants. However, mine has stayed good through a move, storage, another move, and in this shop for 5 years. I suspect it will stay aligned for more years, without adjustment, as long as It doesn't get dropped on a concrete floor.

Chuck
I think you said it best. What I totally disagree with is the common misconception that because the SS is capable of many different configurations that it doesn't hold it's alignment in any of them. That is something I found to be simply not true. A properly setup and properly functioning SS will not lose alignment when it switched from saw mode, to drill mode, to lathe mode and back to saw mode. It may be hard to duplicate the original project setup, such as depth of cut or width of rip. However even these have been made really accurate through the additions of the Adjustable height collar, and rip fence measuring strips. I further believe using either the INCRA or Jointech fence system you can get back to within a .001" of your original setup.
In my opinion setting the SS into proper alignment and expecting it to keep that alignment is not a problem and that is the point I was trying to make.
Ed

[wgander]

Before I finished my first major woodworking project I learned the importance of planning so that I would not have to go back to a previous setup.
After you use the SS a few times it only takes a minute to change to a different function, but it's a nuisance to have to reset the fence, etc.
As for this obsession about thousandths of an inch - I just don't get it. We're working with wood, we sand it and usually finish it. And, it's wood: it expands and contracts with the weather, and wears if it moves in it's use.

[charlese]

Hi Ed! It is obvious that we agree on this issue. I also certainly agree with the wisdom of "checking" alignment before starting a new project. Especially if it has been used by others, such as in the Academy. When I do this "checking", it is done with a machinist's square.

- Also remembered - - (Which may add a little more credibility to the sturdiness of the Mark V's table alignment) The main table I now have originally came from my defunct Crafter's Station. So did the fence. I kept these items as the CS had to be returned to SS. It was just easier to keep the old table and fence than to re-package them.