I tried resawing on the band saw for the first time, with not great results. (I was trying to cut 1/4" slices from 3" mahogany.) The pieces were uneven in thickness, and quite rough-surfaced. I used a 1/2" "std" blade, and since I don't have a fence for the band saw, used a "point" support I made with a plywood base, a 90 deg. vertical piece with a half round end positioned adjacent to the blade and 1/4" away. I pushed the stock up against that half round to try to maintain the spacing. The results varied in thickness from prox 3/16 - 5/16 randomly--probably reflecting shifts in the angle of the work to the blade. Should I use a fence instead? Anyone use anything other than the Shopsmith fence? Should I get a dedicated resawing blade? Any other suggestions...? Thanks! David Fleisig.
The best luck I've had with the 'point fence' is to use some scrap wood to find the angle that the saw blade "tracks" at... take several pieces of scrap and try them, adjusting the angle of the work piece to the point... this will not necessarily leave the work piece parallel to the miter track in the table, vary the angle +/- 15 degrees and i find that somewhere in that range the blade will stop trying to go to one side or the other... also keep the tension as tight as possible, and saw in good alignment... all helps... My resawing skills are limited as well but I've had good luck resawing red oak following above advice.... Rob Mcknight
The larger the blade the better. Tension the blade more than you should. I've never gotten a smooth cut when resawing. But over tensioning the blade helps it from following the grain as much and the wider blade helps with this also, can't wonder around as much. You can build your own fence. Just realize that it will not be parallel to the blade, due to the way the blades are make. I believe it tells you in the band saw manual how to do this. If you don't have a manual let me know and I'll look it up. Jim Wirtz
I'd set a combo square for the thickness you want, and use it to draw a line on the piece to rip. The point support is a good idea. It'll help stabilize the piece and provide a pivot point as you're sawing, but use the line for reference. A 1/2" blade ought to do it - I'd consider that a resaw blade. Make sure it's sharp. It ought to have 3 tpi. Any more and it'll clog in a thick piece of wood... ...Kevin
I've been able to slice 1/16 thick pieces from a 2 1/2 by 48" block with consistent thickness and a smooth cut surface (smooth enough to clean up with a scraper). I was using a 5/8 blade, 3 tpi, with a fence set up to track the blade's cutting 'tendency' (about a 3 degree offset). The blade was "over-tensioned" (set a bit tighter than the 1/2 setting). I think the 'keys' are setting up the fence, feed rate, and the blade. (Check Highland Hardware catalog for the best resaw blade and how to do it.) A blade that wanders can be "tuned" so that it doesn't. A good blade is inexpensive, won't break, and provides a smooth cut. I've also gotten good results with a SS 1/4 blade, but even tho the cut is ready for 150 grit paper the feed rate is sloooow. There's a cheap and easy way to make your own "power feed" setup so that you can let the tool do the work while you do something else (not too far away, of course). IMHO, the SS band saw does a great job once it's set up properly. You should not have to settle for uneven cuts and rough surfaces. (Just for the heck of it I sliced a piece off that same block that was less than 1/64 thick. There was one section (about 1" x 3/4) at the bottom that got cut out, and I think it's because I shooed away a skeeter half way thru the cut. ) Capt. Jack
While resawing raw logs (for woodturning) the other day I hit a rock. Now my blade is duller than a Brady Bunch rerun. Anybody out there ever sharpened a band saw blade? Do I just have to lightly hit the top of tooth? Seems like it outta be pretty easy... ...Kevin
Wow - thanks for the tip. I suppose they'd probably solder it too for a nominal fee. Sounds like a good way to stock up cheap... ...Kevin
Would not advise trying to sharpen a band saw blade. By the way...did you fellas know you can go to a machine shop and ask for band saw blade material cut off at 72 inches for a very low cost...Just an inexpensive idea you may want to consider. Sincerely, Shopsmith Inc. Dixie Moore
No reason why you couldn't sharpen them. Just our opinion since different size blades have different lifetime expectency anyway. For instance a 1/2 blade should last you 10-12 hours of use compared to the 1/16 blade, which will last you approx 1-2 hours. It's just a personal choice to have them sharpened that's all and not sure if the cost is justified when you can purchase a new blade (or band saw blade material) at a low cost. Most of our technicians here would rather purchase a new blade. That way you not only don't have to worry about the teeth but the weld weakening as well. Just our thoughts. Shopsmith Inc. Dixie Moore
I've read the various notes on resawing. I find an over tensioned 1/2 in blade generally works fairly well As I have a RAS and no table saw I do my ripping on my band saw. I made an adjustable fence for my band saw. I coped the ides from "ShopNotes" Vol 2 Issue 8 (march 93) This fence system is adjustable, to compensate for uneven cutting of the blade. Once calibrated it stays quite well. Ladysmith BC in the Islands of the Pacific, just northwest of Seattle
David and all, I do a lot of resawing with very good results. Here's some of the secrets of my success with my Shopsmith band saw, circa 1986, which has the improved table and rip-fence upgrade. First things first. I was NEVER able to make the goofy half-round jigs recommended for resawing to work correctly!!!!! In spite of that gross failure, I commonly resaw wood thinner than 1/8th inch, with very good control of thickness and evenness of cut.
TIP #1 Buy a MILLED resawing blade (as opposed to stamped, as the Shopsmith blades are) . They cut cleaner and with less effort. They also "track" much truer. I got mine from Ferris Machinery who is listed in all the major woodworking periodicals. It is very nice and less than $15.00. two years ago. I've had it re-sharpened once, and it is even better than new.
TIP #2: If you don't have "Cool Blocks" get some, and make sure you keep them properly adjusted. Also make sure you use the proper blade tension.
TIP # 3 Now the secret sauce....... Using a piece of well-squared scrap lumber ( a 3" to 4" wide board, nominally 3/4" thick and a couple of feet long) resaw along the centerline of the edge, adjusting the angle of attack to keep the blade tracking dead on the centerline. If you aren't very steady freehand, use a square or well-squared block to make sure the board is perpendicular to the table surface. You will likely find that you must hold the board at a slight angle to keep the blade tracking along the centerline (My saw/blade combination requires holding the rear of the board about 5 degrees right of center, to cause the cutting path to remain dead center) . After cutting 4 or 5 inches along the board, stop feeding the board into the blade. Hold the board perfectly steady, while still set at the angle required to yield straight cutting, and turn the saw OFF. Carefully mark along the edge of the board with a pencil, in order to mark the angle of the board on the table top . Now, adjust the angle of rip-fence to match the angle you've been using to track along the centerline. Cut off the "split" part of the board and now try a cut on the same board with the fence mounted with the cutting angle you've set. Using the same board is important, as a different board may give a slightly different result than the original. Make any fine adjustments you might need, and the fence should be able to make a very good cut set at any width. Every once in a while, I'll encounter a board with wild grain, that requires MINOR adjustment to track straight.
Tip #4: If you encounter a REALLY difficult board, you can "score" the edges with your table saw, ripping as far as possible through BOTH edges of the board, and then finishing the cut with the band saw. The pre-cut slots will help the band saw blade to track properly, BUT you will have to plane or join the board to get the cut surface even.
Have fun, but don't make red sawdust! Steve
Two things. First, its nice to hear from you Dixie, and I like your posts, but not all of us are fellas ! I know of at least two women reading and posting from time to time and think we shouldn't assume that all woodworkers are men, or all needleworkers are women. Now that I've gotten that said (apologies if it seems to be flamish, I don't mean to be), I would like to get advice on getting my rip fence adjusted ... I do ok following the directions (for the 510) and this lasts for a few cuts, but pretty quickly things seem to loosen up and I have to start all over -- I think I'm doing something wrong, but haven' t figured out what yet. Thanks! Susan
Haven't had that trouble with my fence, but, There are a few things you could try in case your inadvertently forcing it out of alignment and/or there is another problem. Keep in mind, that, not seeing you work or knowing what your doing these are only possibilities. Just before you tighten the knob on the rip fence, push it in towards the table. This will get things initially lined up, then tighten the screw and lock the handle. Double check your splitter. If this isn't aligned it will push the stock against the fence (if it's misaligned in that direction), and, may contribute to your fence losing it's squareness. Other things that sometimes catch me, but, are unrelated to the fence are; The set screw for the blade loosening and allowing the blade to wander. Forgetting to lock the spindle which also causes the blade to wander. And, of course, forgetting to lock up any of the other four locks. These things usually occur on the most important cuts. I suppose it's because I get cocky or am concentrating to much on the cut itself. Best I can do. Good Luck. Mike G.
I had a similar problem with my fence at one time. I discovered that it would creep when I was doing horizontal boring. I went through the alignment process and this time tightened the tension nut (on the far end) a bit tighter than I had before. It makes the locking lever more difficult to snap down into position, but the wandering fence problem is gone.
Be careful not to overdo it, however: my fence shows signs of an incipient crack at the bottom midpoint, clearly a result of over tightening by the former owner. Thanks for the reminder -- maybe now I'll get around to replacing it before the crack travels farther up the fence. This may explain why -- as in my earlier response to Mt Cowboy -- I've adopted the procedure of _always_ measuring a tooth before I cut, which, judging from the resounding silence, is apparently deemed unnecessary by everyone else: there may be some backlash (or bottomlash?) in my fence that allows it to wander. Dan
Same here. Now, rather than stress the fence and to ensure accuracy when I'm in that mode (applying horizontal stress to de fence) I clamp a piece o' scrap to the table abutting the back side of the fence. When I'm doin some *really* heavy boring (that is, with the machine, not writing letters) I put the scrap against the fence-back, in line with the bit and clamp on the right side of the table. Capt. Jack /decaptain/
Maybe you can do what I've seen on cracked bells and cymbals and drill a hole at the end of the crack. Often times that keeps it from "running". Just a thought, I have no idea if it will apply here or not. Gary
Good thought, thanks; I'll look again at its state of incipience to see if it warrants a try. But I suspect I'll just go on treating it gently, even if it means having to check the parallel often. Sort of like Mike's skeptical "RIGHT, SURE YOU WILL (g)" to Larry: In my case, "Right, sure I'll remember to hone my planer blades every single time." (Is there a smiley for "sigh!"?) Dan
Those subscribing to the woodworking list will probably see this little missive there also, but, I thought it important enough to repeat in both forums. For the most part WW is a one person thing, with hours spent in the shop alone. As we all know it is also a relatively dangerous hoppie, what with all those fast moving sharp edges and such. A safety item I never see mentioned (even by those that seem obsessed by the subject) is a telephone within easy reach within the shop. this last summer a man bled to death after opening up his hand (in the area of the web of the thumb as I remember). He was found several hours later, evidence showed he was most likely trying to get back to the house (probably to the phone). I humbly submit that one of the first safety steps to take is to have a phone (portable or wired extension) in your shop while you are working there! Mike G. (mtcowboy@marsweb.com) Lolo Mt.
Funny you should mention that Mike - in an inside SS memo I got from certain "un-named reliable sources" I understand that the next accessory for the Mark V is a telephone mounted on the end similar to the band saw. It couples with the same coupler as the band saw, which powers the coils. Dialing is accomplished w/the speed dial of course. We should see it in the X-mass specials catalog out soon... ...Kevin ;-)
I like it, though I'd hate be holding the phone and be near water when that 1 1/2 hp powered 20 hz ring came through. Mike G.
If'n you Montanan's weren't so partial to the Big Sky, and kept the shop a little closer, y'all wouldn't have to lasso the pony and ride to the house. ;-) Seriously, you made me think of another safety point. I live in PA where it is very expensive to insure the teenagers in the house. So expensive, that they don't even want to drive (since they have to pay the insurance!). I've been rethinking this arrangement and have come to the conclusion that it is short-sighted. Considering the number of trips I make to the emergency room. While, I don't have my own coffee cup (ala Tim 'The Tool Man' Taylor)... If my driver (my wife) wasn't around, it would be a very long wait for the ambulance folks. The bottom line is, bite the bullet and get them kids licensed and insured. You never know, they might have to drive me to the hospital, instead of the other way around. George Teachman
Mike; The other day I had an attack of the dummies, I was just shaken, not hurt, but I thought I'd pass this along. I was mitering some small pieces on the SS table saw. After about the 10th piece I relaxed and got careless. On completing the cut, I turned off the saw and pulled the pieces of wood away from the saw. The mitre gauge jumped out of the track and struck the still spinning saw blade. Broke two of the carbide teeth and put a 1/8" gouge in the slider. An expensive lesson that ruined the blade but I'm sure to be more careful. I have seen a "captive slider" that can't be removed from the track??? -- Later...... Randy Smith. rlsmith@success.net
I couldn't imagine trying to cut a 4x8 sheet of plywood on a table saw. This may just be my lack of imagination or experience. Either way, I invested in the Pennstate panel saw. Its not really a panel saw, but a guide that attaches to your circular saw that has 5 bearing guides on one side that ride along a piece of heavy aluminum angle. You get two sections of angle one about 5 feet long and the other about 10 feet long - this allows you to cut a 4x8 from corner to corner and 4x4 corner to corner. I keep the guide on my saw all the time. It doesn't get in the way of most regular use cutting. With a good blade in the saw it makes damn good cuts. I've had a few problems with it, but they were mostly my fault - a bolt holding one of the bearings loosened - that sort of thing. For us SS users who are used to a certain effort to set up prior to performing an operation, this device is like an old friend. I often use my SS as the table on which to hold the 4x8 panel for cutting. Pennstate is a catalog company and I would guess they have an 800 #. If anyone has any other questions I'd be happy to answer them. Oh yeah, it $99. And no I don't have any vested interest, yada, yada, yada..... Thomas
In the immortal words of Oliver Twist, "More, if you please." I wanna hear more. The only panel saws I've ever seen cost upwards of $1,000. Can you really get accurate performance from a jig that costs only $99? How much room does it take up? Would it accommodate my cheap ($39.95) Black & Decker circular saw? What are the limitations? The only panel saw I've ever really watched in operation is the humongous one at my local lumber yard, a behemoth that takes up a whole wall and has more adjustments than the Queen Mary had dials. Never heard of Pennstate. Can you supply more details? Best, Bob Seith
Hell if you got $99 to throw around, lot alone 1k send it this way and I'll set you up for $2 worth of scrap that will do the job. To cut 4x8's make up a T square turned up scrap. Make sure the top of the T is exactly a 90 deg. and about 2 feet long (one foot either side of the base). Now lay out some scrap plywood and clamp your T to it. Run your circular saw up the long leg and cut off the tip of the cross piece. Do this for each side of your circular saw. You now have a jig for accurately cutting ply wood. Just line up the end of the T with your cut line, clamp both ends and away you go. cash is acceptable!!!!! Mike G.
As is said, its not exactly a panel saw - they call it a portable panel saw. Its not one of those big, on the wall systems. Its just two pieces of heavy gauge aluminum angle and a fixture that mounts to the bottom of your circular saw on which is a 5 point ball bearing side that rides on the vertical part of the angle. The panel is cut while horizontal - not vertical. The Length of angle needs to be held firmly on the surface of the panel - I use small size QuickGrips because they are easy and have sufficient force to hold the piece secure. The exact lengths of the "fences" are 108" and 64".
It comes in two packages: one is a 10' long heavy duty cardboard tube, which I have secured to the ceiling of my garage to hold the two angle fences. Just about any 6 1/2 to 8 1/8 saw would work. The other is a box with the fixture. Limitations - I've found that trying to cut a thin strip off the edge of a panel can be tricky because the weight of the circular saw tends to twist the angle a bit and makes the edge of the panel not square. However, I've also found that I can easily get used to holing the saw up a little to prevent this problem.
Penn State Industries 1 800 656 4767.
>Bob Seith >seithr@cc.denison.edu. Enough? Thomas
Nice idea, but not nearly as versatile as the device I've described and the ball bearings that run on the angle make for an easy cut. They were also smart enough to make the angles long enough to overhang the ends of the longest panel so it is easy to clamp in place and you have some length to start the pass, that is the fixture sits on the angle that hangs off the end of the panel. But keep the ideas coming!! I'm sure you just sent a dozen people to the garage with a printout, making a new jig. Thomas
Here is a way to "fold" a bandsaw blade to have it loop around 3 times instead of once. Would someone please explain how to do it? Will Self
If you have 'Power Tool Woodworking For Everyone' check out the bandsaw section for pictures of how to "fold" bandsaw blades. (Page 236-237 in my copy) A picture is a lot easier to follow than a text only description. Also 'The Bandsaw Handbook' by Mark Duginske (great book) gives blade storage details. If you can't get access to these books let me know and I will post a text description. Rick
I would suggest practicing with a stiff fan belt. Grasp the belt/blade at opposite sides and begin twisting it. Allow/encourage it to fold up on itself, twisting it one full turn. - les
Hold the blade out in front of you with the thumb of one hand pointing up and the thumb of the other hand pointing down. Turn the hand with the thumb pointing down so that the thumb is pointing up and move your hands together. The blade will coil. I wear gloves when doing this. Art
The technique for this is the same technique used to "fold" those sun shades the metal loop through them. Basically, you grab the blade at the 4 o'clock and the 8 o'clock positions with the palms up. The next step is to rotate you hands to the palms down position while you cross one hand over the next.
I've been having to cut a lot of long (up to 24' 4x4s) with my SS. The problem I have is that I want a cut that's perpendicular to the length and trying to advance the piece through the blade without one end moving a bit faster and resulting in a non-perpendicular cut has been a problem even with an assistant at one end. At the moment I'm working with 2x4x8s which needs about a foot removed from the end. These really need to be done well. Any suggestions? Charles W. Mathews
Build yourself a sled -- take a piece of plywood, say 3'X2', attach two strips perpendicularly on the bottom side to run in the miter slots on either side of the saw blade, attach a 3' board (2x2? 2x4?) on the top side EXACTLY perpendicular to the saw blade (maybe 4-6 inches from one edge of the plywood so you won't saw your sled in half), and then another 3' board on the far edge -- preferably tall enough so that an inch or so clears the saw blade at it's farthest extension up through the table (again so you won't saw your sled in half). You can rig up a way to clamp your 2x4's in place on the sled, or just temporarily nail some stops so that your 2x4's will wedge up against the perpendicular board. I haven't built one yet -- it's been on my to-do list -- but the basic concept is pretty simple, and you can modify the dimensions as you see fit and/or useful. You can also get fancy with T-slots for sliding clamps/stops, etc. Peter Hernes
Cut it with a radial arm saw. Second choice is a circular saw (hmmm, a table saw and radial arm saw are "circular" saws too, aren't they?). A small square can serve as a fence when held on the 2x4 and can ensure that the saw blade remains perpendicular to the work. I have a 6 inch plastic square that's 1/4" thick, and works great for this. If you don't have either of these tools, then I would suggest the panel cutting jig that another writer described. - les
I know it is an expensive option, but this was the main reason I went out to purchase a power miter box. I have the crosscut table, but I found I still had to cut the piece long when working with an 8 to 12 foot board (say 25" for the above example) then cut to length when working with the short pieces. Hope this helps. I know I should have grabbed a Sawsmith before Shopsmith stopped making them. I used one in a class and having a table saw that you could pull the blade forward on would have come in handy more than once. The above situation is the perfect example. Richard Woelffer
I've had my 510 since '86. When the time permits, I've made a few useful thing with it, not just shop jigs.( it seems that every project needs three or four new jigs :>) ) It seems that I am always amazed at how handy the disk sander attachment is. Just last night I was trying to fit a thwart to my strip canoe. It needed a compound mitre to fit correctly. I didn't get it "exact" the first time, but with the help of the disk sander I was able to sneak up on it. All my sandpaper for the disk sander is 10 years old and they have lost a lot of their stickem so the loose sides just flop around as the disk rotates. I have been thinking of going to the hook and loop style because it seems like it would hold better and would allow me to switch the different grits back and forth. I have heard that if you are not careful, the hook and loop system can get too hot, the whole system melts down, and you can loose the hooks ( or is it the loops that remain on the disk? ). My question is: is the hook and loop system worth the upgrade cost? Thanks Bill
I prefer to use my disk sander instead of the jointer for straightening edges - I feel like I have much more control, and it never tears out on curly wood. When I used the hook & loop system, especially with coarser grits, I could never get a straight line out of the disk (the edges were too floppy). Now I just buy standard 12" disks and rubber cement them on (put rubber cement on both the disk and the back of the sandpaper, let them both dry then stick them together). If ever the dust gets in around the edge, I can just insert some more rubber cement. The disk sander is, by far, my most useful tool. Now if I could just get the dust to magically disappear! Darrel DeBoer
I bought it and like it. The cost seems to be offset by being able to change paper easily and therefore always using the best grit of paper for the job. Get one of those sandpaper cleaners too. Well worth the price (you should be able to get one for about $7 for a 2"x2"x12" one) Thomas
I have not used hook and loop on my disk, but I would not do without it on my orbital. Even with all the dust in my shop, the h/l sticks just fine. It makes changing grits so much easier. Pull one off slap on another.
However, has anyone else had the problem of having to replace the head of the R.O. sander, due to completely wearing out the hooks. I've been through a half dozen at about 20 bucks each - enough to buy a new sander.
Still using the same pad that my PC started with. Are your hooks an integral part of the pad or are they a glue on fabric?
If a piece is way out of straight, it helps to scribe a straight line and work to that. The key seems to be to run the piece all the way through from beginning to end - being very careful on those ends not to gouge. It might take a few minutes to get the feel of how much is taken off by the sandpaper. Hold a straightedge against it, sight toward a light source and make a mental note of where you need a little taken off. For curly wood, it's the only way to go. Darrel DeBoer
This sounds like a somewhat tedious solution. I envision two possible methods. 1) a conical sanding disk with the fence adjusted such that when the work has passed the sanding disk, it is the final width. 2) a flat sanding disk with the fence adjusted to a slight angle and the work is fed in from the wider side. You may want to add a 1x3 to the fence so that the end of the 1x3 ends perpendicular to the sanding disk outfeed side. In either case, make sure that the work is fed in such that the disk action pushes the work down to the table. I'll second the sander disk cleaning stick. I'm not a heavy user, but I've come close to paying for the stick in sandpaper savings, and have used less than an inch of it. It also saves time by extending the paper changing interval. I would welcome SS announcements of changes to their web page, sales announcements, etc. if they were tacked on to the end of a message of non-sales content. That is, I would prefer not to receive messages that contain just a sales announcement. - les
I think you need to make it a bit more clear that the wood is fed through at an angle to the surface of the sanding disk, so that the wood is making contact with just the outer edge of the disk. The other method to consider is buying the curved sanding disk that is designed exactly for this purpose. It actually does a better job than the flat disk and the direction of the sanding is parallel to the grain instead of across as is the case with the standard disk. Thomas
No, always keep the wood absolutely parallel with the sanding disk, putting just a slight amount of pressure on the side with the downward stroke. Always hold downward pressure on the piece so the upward stroke doesn't grab the piece. I've been doing this for years, you can argue about the effectiveness, but I'm very happy with it. Darrel DeBoer
Its not a matter of arguing with what works, but I've read several descriptions of this procedure - on SS and on stand alone disk sanders - and they always emphasize that the feed fence that you use to establish the amount of wood removed, which is usually quite small, is kept at a slight angle to the disk to avoid the wood from being lifted by the upward going side. From your description I cant see what you do to prevent this problem. I know in my experience the wood will indeed lift if you don't keep that slight (2-5degrees) angle. I will say again, it is not a matter of arguing, but a matter of safety. I think it is unsafe to keep the wood parallel to the disk because the wood can easily fly up when contact is made on the upward going side. Do you use the fence when you 'joint'? This may be the source of our different views of how to do this procedure. Thomas
A controversial subject. Oh boy! Checking the Shopsmith instructions and the section in the "Power Tool Woodworking for Everyone" book, I think you'll find the recommendation is TO off-set the rip-fence, and feed the material parallel to the fence, and at an angle to the sanding disc. This works even better with the conical sanding discs, but I used the technique for years with the flat sanding discs, to joint plywood. Steve Jaynes
In rereading, guess I was a bit curt, all I can say is just try it. You'll get the feel for how much material to take off. The feed direction is from the downstroke side, so if you're taking off even just a little material, by the time it gets to the upstroke, it can still be kept parallel to the disk and not bite. As for worst case safety issues: The only pieces I feel uncomfortable are those less than a quarter inch in section. Anything else that grabs is more a matter of damaging the piece than you. More of an annoyance. > >Do you use the fence when you 'joint'? This may be the source of our >different views of how to do this procedure. > No fence. - Darrel DeBoer
Just a rock-steady hand and lots of patience, it sounds like! I'd like to see you in action, but I suppose a users group isn't quite set up for that! Peter Hernes
I'm posting this in the hope that others won't make the same mistake... This morning, I was using my Shopsmith jointer to square up some rough oak stock. The boards were almost as wide as the jointer bed. While adjusting the fence, I exposed just a little too much of the blade (although a small bit of the blade was _still_ under the fence). I then tightened the fence. What happened was that the quadrant cracked along its length. The screw (being out of position too far out on the bar) forced the quadrant open, which caused the crack. At least it happened on the last board. Before I broke it, it was doing a nice job... Peter Hansen
What a relief! As soon as I saw the subject line, I thought, Oh, no, an accident. So it's only a $32 mistake. Not bad, compared to an accident. :-) The quadrant is an inferior piece which Shopsmith should be embarrassed about making. It should be made of something better than aluminum. Take some comfort in the fact that your quadrant was going to fail anyway and need replacing. You just hurried the process a little. Will Self
I am completely ignorant of what the quadrant is, but I've been following the various discussions about it breaking because it is make of cast Al. Is this a piece that could be made of polycarbonate? I've been using that material for a bunch of years and have replaced some cast aluminum parts with it. It is surprisingly sturdy, fracture and shatter resistant and takes threads and machining like a champ. Finally, you can work the stuff with the woodworking tools we all love. With a bit of care you can table or band saw it, use the router table to 'machine' it and by keeping the disk sander at the slowest speeds clean up imperfections or use the drum sander to shape it. So what is a quadrant anyway? I always thought is was the place the Enterprise flies around in and Voyager is trying to get back to (alpha quadrant). Thomas
Thanks for filling me in on the jointer saddle. I agree that this part is too weak for its intended use. The Shopsmith jointer is the only jointer I have ever used, so I have no comparison. I must say that while squaring the aforementioned oak, I found that I could deflect the fence fairly easily. The jointer is also fairly narrow. I often wonder if I should consider selling it and getting a 6" jointer. Delta's variable speed benchtop unit got a pretty good review recently in one of the woodworking magazines. I don't have the room for a floor model, which is why I like my SS jointer. Peter Hansen
The quadrant supports the jointer fence. It slides along the rectangular steel bar bolted to the end of the infeed table. It is the cast piece into which the lock handle and bolt screw go. It has the angle markings cast into it. It is the only support for the fence. Peter Hansen
I note that the current SSs have 1.125 horsepower electric motors. Keeping this in mind, I looked at my wife's vacuum--a canister model without a beater brush--and noted that it said 3.2 HP on the outside. I guess most vacuums are rated in that area today. I find it hard to believe that the electric motor that runs the fan to suck the air can do the work of a SS. I also note that hair dryers are now rated at around 1,500 watts--about 2 HP, though these mainly produce heat. What gives?? Has the way power equipment is rated been changed? Charles W. Mathews
Unfortunately, there are two ways to measure horsepower, peak and continuous. The SS uses an induction (brushless) motor, while vacuums and most small home appliances use a universal (brush) motor. Induction motors are generally rated in continuous horsepower. Thus, the SS is about 1 1/4 hp; a Delta Contractor's saw is 1 1/2 hp. Universal motors are rated in peak horsepower. This is the highest horsepower produced by the motor and is usually at stall speed. Or, when the motor is about to fail the "smoke test!" Thus, you will see routers, handsaws, vacuums and other small appliances with higher horsepower ratings than a large stationary machine. The best measure on universal motors is to see how much current (in amps) that a motor draws. The higher the current draw, the more powerful the motor is. The exception to the induction motor rule is our friends at Sears. Even on their table saws and such, they rate them in peak horsepower. Nevertheless, their contractor's saw is a 1 1/2 horsepower unit just like the Delta. Hope this helps. Frank
Frank, To further confuse this issue, I note that some appliances are rated in volt-amps rather than watts. This may also fall under your "peak" rating method for brush motors, I don't know, but it seems strange that two ratings that should be the same value are used. Charles W. Mathews
Unfortunately, the current draw is NOT an indicator of how powerful the motor is, particularly in this day and age. The imported low cost motors in particular tend to be very inefficient, and thus draw significantly more current for the same output power as a more efficient motor. Thus one cannot relay on current rating as a measure of power output. For virtually all woodworking applications, one can rely on the horsepower rating on the name plate of the motor. The exception is that in a very few cases some vendors have 'inflated' the ratings. My understanding is that this practice is virtually non-existent today. The issue between peak and continuous HP is generally not an issue for most woodworking applications. Although the rating is measured at a stalled rotor in either case, the induction motor will not be harmed by operating in this condition for moderate periods - 5 to 10 minutes anyway. For most woodworking applications, peaks of power are what is required (i.e. when the table saw hits a knot). The significantly higher cost of continuous rated motors is rarely necessary for home woodworking equipment. Ralph Sprang
Wiring FAQ Part 1
Wiring FAQ Part 2
It is a universal physical law that 1 HP is equal to 746 watts. Given heating loss, power factor and other inefficiencies, it is usually best to consider 1 HP is going to need 1000-1200 watts. A 110V 15A circuit can only deliver 1850 watts to a motor, so it cannot possibly be more than approximately 2 HP. Given rational efficiency factors, 1.5HP is more like it. Some equipment manufacturers (Sears in particular, most router manufacturers in general ;-) advertise a HP rating that is far in excess of what is possible. They are giving you a "stall horsepower" or similar. That means the power is measured when the motor is just about to stop turning because of the load. What they don't mention is that if you kept it in that condition for more than a few seconds your motor will melt - the motor is drawing far more current than its continuous rating. When comparing motors, compare the continuous horsepower. This should be on the motor nameplate. If you can't find that figure, check the amperage rating, which is always present. -- Les Bartel
My old Electronics course said 1 HP =746 Watts Therefore the most you can draw from a 15 amp circuit is about 1500 Watts. Exactly the rating on that hair dryer. BTW, that is mainly a resistive device producing heat from the element. I like the expression, i read recently about motor ratings, such as 3 HP or 4 HP etc , "the amount of power in the motor before it self destructs". A lot of products today, dont actually give the HP in Watts used Hope I'm not too confusing, it has been awhile since I have been in the classroom. "like my 10ER lathe" Joe Yablonski
If you have a better answer to any of these questions, please send it to the keeper of the FAQ, Tom Almy for inclusion. Thank you!