View Full Version : Ring Master Index Pin
wgander
05-01-2008, 10:41 PM
Will someone please send me the measurements of the Ring Master Index Pin?
I haven't used my Ring Master for years and when I cleaned it up I discovered the index pin was missing. I found something in my miscellaneous ShopSmith hardware that might work, but I'm not sure if it's the Index Pin.
(I was going to order one from ShopSmith with some other things but ShopSmith only sells the Ring Master, not replacement parts. Then, I found this part that might be the Index Pin.)
I wandered out to the Academy shop and miked the pin at .187" -- 3/16" if you prefer fractions to digits. However, if you have lost your pin I would count yourself as a fortunate man. The indexing system on the RingMaster is as useful as a screen door on a submarine. See http://www.shopsmithacademy.com/SS_Archives/SS111/SS111_Ringmaster_1.htm for a complete explanation.
With all good wishes,
cincinnati
05-01-2008, 11:31 PM
Nick!
I have been interested in the Ring Master for some time now but after seeing the videos it looks like it may be more complicated than I anticipated. The indexing pin guide and having to remove one knife then reinstall to make a ring. Is the tool that complicated or just the projects you were working on?
a1gutterman
05-01-2008, 11:48 PM
:) Nick!
I have been interested in the Ring Master for some time now but after seeing the videos it looks like it may be more complicated than I anticipated. The indexing pin guide and having to remove one knife then reinstall to make a ring. Is the tool that complicated or just the projects you were working on?
Wow! I don't have one...............yet, but there is no other way to get a bowl out of a flat board, is there? Assuming that is true, regardless of how complicated it is (Nick made it seem fairly easy to me, but like you, cicinnati, I haven't done it, so who can say........), it wood be worth it, unless you have a lot of money for wood. Oh!, and even if you turned all of your bowls from solid blocks, you could not get some of the interesting patterns that Nick demonstrated with the Ring Master. Just a thought.:)
Cincinnati -- the indexing pin simplies the use of the RingMaster and it may be a good place for someone to start. But it also severely limits what the RingMaster can do to just a few simple bowl designs. If you purchase the RingMaster and never get beyond using the indexer with both knives mounted, it would be similar to buying a Shopsmith and only using it as a disc sander.
Remember that in these Sawdust Sessions Drew and I don't regurgitate owner's manuals, not even Shopsmith owner's manuals. We always try to include something new, something different, something more, even in our maintanance segments. We explore the possibilities. Heck, you can always read and follow an owner's manual. We know you don't, but you can...
Considering you seem familar and competent with a Shopsmith Mark V -- itself a demanding tool -- I imagine you'll find the RingMaster is a walk in the park. And if you're tempted again to think that Drew and I are capable of doing something really complex, then we have a bridge we'd like to sell you.
With all good wishes,
paulmcohen
05-02-2008, 12:40 AM
Considering you seem familar and competent with a Shopsmith Mark V -- itself a demanding tool -- I imagine you'll find the RingMaster is a walk in the park. And if you're tempted again to think that Drew and I are capable of doing something really complex, then we have a bridge we'd like to sell you.
With all good wishes,
You built an airplane that seems a little more complex:rolleyes: Where is that bridge?
cincinnati
05-02-2008, 10:13 AM
Cincinnati -- the indexing pin simplies the use of the RingMaster and it may be a good place for someone to start. But it also severely limits what the RingMaster can do to just a few simple bowl designs. If you purchase the RingMaster and never get beyond using the indexer with both knives mounted, it would be similar to buying a Shopsmith and only using it as a disc sander.
Remember that in these Sawdust Sessions Drew and I don't regurgitate owner's manuals, not even Shopsmith owner's manuals. We always try to include something new, something different, something more, even in our maintanance segments. We explore the possibilities. Heck, you can always read and follow an owner's manual. We know you don't, but you can...
Considering you seem familar and competent with a Shopsmith Mark V -- itself a demanding tool -- I imagine you'll find the RingMaster is a walk in the park. And if you're tempted again to think that Drew and I are capable of doing something really complex, then we have a bridge we'd like to sell you.
With all good wishes,
Thanks Nick for the update.
"You built an airplane..."
Nine airplanes, but who's counting? We broke every one of those airplanes down into simple tasks -- so simple that Drew and I were able to involve hundreds of childen in the construction of these aircraft. And even with the involvement of so many novice craftsmen, these airplanes still passed FAA requirements and flew.
The point is, no matter how difficult or complex a project may look, it's never beyond your reach if you know how to break it down to its component tasks. So-called "master" craftsmen aren't necessarily any more skilled than the rest of us, they simply have greater knowledge and the wider repetoire of techniques that makes it easier for them to break seemingly complex projects down into simple tasks.
My experience working with children to build operational airplanes has convinced me that the driving force behind craftsmanship isn't smarts or skill; it's desire and passion. If you want to learn to use the RingMaster and create beautiful objects with it, then you will. And Drew and I will be tickled pea-green to help.
With all good wishes,