510 Table Saw - looking for tips setting depth & fence width

[RFGuy]

FWIW, my square was my fathers, and I am 59 years old.

That is an heirloom to cherish for sure! Nice...


I see your point on the table height adjustment. I agree that some kind of coarse adjustment/ruler system would be nice. Keep in mind though that your Shopsmith was designed decades ago. Still, even modern tablesaws (even nice, expensive cabinet saws) don't have a table height adjustment ruler/readout system (correct me if I am wrong if anyone knows of one that does). Maybe a Felder or some other high end computerized cabinet saw does this? As John pointed out though, you can use the Shopsmith adjustable stop collars for making micro adjustments of the table height. I only recently purchased these for myself and haven't had a chance to use them yet. These may be of some benefit for you, once you set a reference for the height to begin with.

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

The whole measurement/rulers on the machine is something I wish for as well. More modern tablesaws, e.g. tend to have decent rulers on the bar that the fence attaches to making it easier to setup the width of the cut. Many of these make it easy to attach an aftermarket DRO (digital readout) making it fast and accurate for setting a cut width. Shopsmith has the magnetic steel ruler attachment for the 520 table system, but in my experience it hasn't worked well since I keep bumping it with my hand by accident. Many members have attached the Incra positioner system in some form of fashion to their Shopsmith as an upgrade. This works well if you have a Shopsmith dedicated to tablesaw cuts, but not so well when you need to use a single Shopsmith for all of its functions and so have to changeover.

[dusty]

Thanks all for the participation and responses. As a new SS user, I am learning my tool and at the same time learning its pluses and limits.

First, it seems illogical that the table height adjustment has no indexing marks. I agree with test cuts to check any setting prior to a cut on a project. However in the case of horizontal boring, if I want the table set to 3/4 inch to drill the center of a 2x4 it requires too much fiddling around. Perhaps this is an improvement opportunity for SS. The quill has depth markings, the table has angle adjustment markings, but the table height has nothing.

I think SS ought to have the the height adjustment knob marked at least to know how much the table height is adjusted for each turn of the knob. It does not need to be micrometer accurate, but 1/8th to 1/16th would be great. Ideally it could zero at the saw blade top, and the horizontal boring bottom.

I have had a similar problem with my unmarked reloading dies depth adjustment. I scribed quarter marks and measured the change in depth per turn and made a chart, so I knew how much depth change was made per turn. Similarly, I am going to measure the height adjustment per turn and scribe either 1/8’s, 16ths, or 32nd marks on the wheel and calculate the table height change.

In my opinion, you should be able set the table height to zero with the saw, turn the height adjustment to whatever height, like 3/4” test and then micro adjust. I like the micro adjusters shown earlier in this thread.

It’s not a CNC machine, but setting accurate table heights would be a definite improvement in my humble opinion.

If you really serious about indexing the table for depth of cut, consider marking the table legs. An index mark calibrated to depth of cut could be located right as the table leg enters the carriage. I do this (sorta) when I want to change depth of cut knowing that I will want to return to what I have marked.

I have also marked the saw blade to achieve the same thing but that requires that the blade be at the exact same location as when it was marked. Precise repeatability is questionable.

[Hobbyman2]

I am not sure how you can get more accurate then putting index lines on the wood and setting the blade depth to match ? that will make up for anything that is not perfect with the table .

I did use the square that was described as a depth gage for a long time, then I found a actual table saw / router depth gage , it is not digital and non adjustable , it resembles the one here, that said I still jut put a line on the board and set the blade depth to the line . https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-in-1-Step-De ... SwcgNcxNmm JMO

[Hobbyman2]

if you want to get real accurate you can buy brass reference blocks { gage` blocks } that are highly accurate . I haven't seen them in a while but they do exist , keep in mind if you are using them the insert has to be exactly perfectly flat with the table for these to work. https://www.starrett.com/category/preci ... -blocks/12

[BigDanS]

If you really serious about indexing the table for depth of cut, consider marking the table legs. An index mark calibrated to depth of cut could be located right as the table leg enters the carriage. I do this (sorta) when I want to change depth of cut knowing that I will want to return to what I have marked.

I have also marked the saw blade to achieve the same thing but that requires that the blade be at the exact same location as when it was marked. Precise repeatability is questionable.

Marking the table legs is an excellent idea! That should be done at the factory when they are made, a great improvement in my opinion.

[algale]

If I recall correctly, one of our members (mbcabinetmaker) made a series of wooded height blocks that installed/stacked on the carriage to quickly set blade height to the ones he most often used.

[reible]

Might as well put my few cents worth. First I personally have never seen a table saw with a calibrated depth adjustment. They might exist somewhere but not it my world. My guess is that it is impractical to do. First I'm not so sure how close say a 10" blade is when new much less how close it is after many uses and sharpening.

Back in the old days with steel blades you actually attempted to grind all the teeth to the same diameter and I know that was something I did a lot of times and they always needed work. New blades, I'm not sure what surfaces get ground but it would not surprise me if the diameter is reduced each time along with changes from wear.

I'm also not sure that all blades are actually 10", even if that is what they say. When you pay just a few bucks for a blade you have to wonder what short cuts they took making it. When you start paying $100 then that might be a lot more controlled.

Then there is things like dado blades, 6", 8" and even 10". If the saw is calibrated for 10" do you just subtract to get the depth of cut or make it adjustable? You start opening a can of worms when you start having fixed dimensions on things that are not fixed.

I think you need to develop a skill set and that will take a bit of time but having machines that take those developmental tools away do not make you a better woodworker, at least in my opinion. There are a lot of things in woodworking where the machine needs to be used and learned if you want to truly be a woodworker.

I have a collection of set-up tools but they are only as good as I am using them. To get the depth of cut set on table saw can be done any number of ways but you also need to watch that you are on the high spot of the blade, that your table insert and table are at the same height and that you have tighten all the locks. And it never hurts to make test cuts. Not doing so will pretty much be a sure way of messing up a project.

Anyway I'd say get started learning then figure out what makes sense as you go. Make some bird houses or something like that before you start more precise and more difficult projects. I've been woodworking 60 years and I still learn things on just about every project.

Ed

[jsburger]

Very, very well said Ed!

[jsburger]

The problem with very precise table height adjustments is the coarseness of the rack and pinion gears. It is OK for course adjustments but hard to make precise adjustments. Once you get the adjustment correct you have to hold the adjustment lever/wheel and tighten the lock without the height moving. It can be done but takes some finesse.

As I said before the adjustable stop collar is the answer. Set the table to approximate height (1/8" - 1/4"), drop the stop collar down to the top of the table carriage and lock it. Now the table is not going to move. You can hold your measuring device and rotate the stop collar to adjust the table. No holding anything to keep the height correct. Once set just lock the table.

Marking the table legs is no more precise than marking the saw guard or fence. The adjustable stop collar is 2 1/4" in diameter and has precision threads. One rotation of the ring is 1/16". A one quarter turn is 1/64". A 1/8 turn is 1/128" and is very easy to do given the 2 1/4" diameter of the collar. My Powermatic 2000 cabinet saw has nothing for blade height other than the crank and the height crank is about as course as the SS.

I think the SS adjustable stop collar is a hidden gem that a lot of users over look.

[dusty]

Thank you, John. I believe I might have just learned something that should have been obvious to me the day a received my first stop collar.