Smitty
JULY/AUG
2004
Volume 47/Issue 4
IN
THIS ISSUE
Project
Articles
•
Antique Quilt Display Rack
• Heart-Shaped Display Stand
• Duck Napkin Holder
DEPARTMENTS
•
Ask Smitty
• Owner’s Gallery
• Letters from Owners
•
New Baby Workshop Calendar
Academy Notes
Hardwood
Information You Should Know - Pt 1
Service Pointers
MARK
V Alignment
Woodworking
Technologies
New
Woodworking Glues
Safety
Safety Lessons I've Learned
What's
New
The
Shopsmith Gift Card
EDUCATION
• Find
A Shopsmith Woodworking Academy Near You
•
National
Woodworking Academy in Dayton, OH
ONLINE
CATALOGS
• Online Accessory Catalog
•
Request
Printed Accessory Catalog
• Online
Replacement Parts Catalog
MARK
V INFORMATION
•
Find
A Shopsmith
MARK V Demo Near You
•
Request
MARK V Information Package
LINKS
•
Links Worth Visiting
•
Free Woodworking
Tips
FEEDBACK
Contacting
Shopsmith
Copyright
2004.
Shopsmith, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
ASK
SMITTY!
Here
are the questions . . .
and SMITTY’S answers for this issue!
Solving
Dust Collection Problems
From Ray Jackson Poole Dorset, U.K.
I
am trying to improve the dust collection on my Model 510 MARK V. I have
been using the Shopsmith Dust Collector and have also used a more powerful
one but most of the sawdust seems to end up on the floor! Any ideas?
First of all...be sure to use your upper saw guard. The second most frequent cause of this problem is having the sides of the lower saw guard set too close to the blade.
To solve the problem, loosen the lower saw guard and open it up to as wide as possible so you have more clearance between the guard sides and the blade. If you then tilt the table, you may have to close it back up to accommodate the table tilt.
Using
Non-Shopsmith Dado Blades
From Rob T. via email:
I have a non-Shopsmith dado blade and am wondering whether or not
I can use it on my MARK V ?
Yes, of course you can. As long as it's not over 10" in diameter and has a 5/8" arbor hole. Of course, if you don't have a 5/8" arbor, you'll have to order one (Part # 555321 for a Model 500 or # 555608 for a Model 510). You can order these through the Shopsmith catalog on the Shopsmith.com website.
Bandsaw
Blade Problems
From Terry Logie via email from South Africa:
Hi there...what size (diameter) table leg can I turn using the speed
reducer? 6 inches? 7 inches? I'd like to know BEFORE I buy the reducer.
I live in South Africa and it's expensive getting parts here.
You should have no problem turning a 6" to 7" diameter table leg with the speed reducer. However, when turning such large diameter workpieces, it's always best to do whatever you can to “pre-round” your turning stock as much as possible BEFORE mounting it on the lathe.
Do this by making a series of table saw rip cuts (at a 45-degree angle) or passes across your jointer. The object is to make your turning blank octagonal prior to turning. This will reduce the mass and make the job much safer.
Two more important points:
1): Be sure your lathe centers are “buried” in the workpiece as deep as possible. Shopsmith's dead centers are quite small and heavy workpieces can work loose from them if they're not well seated in the ends of the stock.
2): Be sure your workpiece is evenly dried prior to turning. I once bought a 6" x 8" piece of oak that had been resting on the ground outdoors. One side was air dried...the other side (in contact with the ground) was wet with moisture. When I chucked it up in the Lathe, it practically vibrated my teeth out and promptly tore the dead center out of the end of the stock...then shot across the shop like a bullet. Largely because it was out of balance.
Just remember that turning large workpieces requires extra caution. Be very careful.
