Problems with 520 Fence and Alignment

[dusty]

I've taken a small part of a post in another thread out of context for duscussion here. Charlese mentioned some concern that he has about the 520 fence that is biasing his decision to upgarde to a 520.

I just want to go on record as saying, "I don't see any problems with the 520 fence". Especially the alignment of the fence. It does absolutely everything that it is advertised to do. It does everything that I expect of a rip fence.


Yes, I'm still planning on a Speed Reducer and some additional SS repair parts (to hold in stock). After that is done, there's just not much more that I need. Granted, I've been tempted by the sales on upgrading to the 520, but problems others have reported with alignment and the fence issues, have me holding off a bit longer for that purchase. (I still love my 510).


We have seen some of your work. It is beautiful and I don't believe the 520 Upgrade will do anything to improve the quality of the work you do but I do believe the 520 fence system will make life in the shop easier for you.

Please be specific. What sort of concerns do you have with the fence and/or alignment. Maybe we can clear the way to a final decision on whether or not you want to upgrade.

This isn't a clear cut decision because the 510 does work so well - especially in the hands of a craftsman such as yourself. I had my 510 for many years and was never really never dissatisfied. Upgrading was an impulse purchase but boy am I glad I did it.

What negatives are you wrestling with?

[charlese]

Here's what I can remember off hand - - The rails on the front of the main table may be mis-aligned, causing a mis-alignment of the fence. Nick posted on this subject showing how this (sag I think) can be shimmed and fixed. Nick gave his solution after talking with the shop crew.

In the last couple of days there was an issue of too tight clamping hold downs on the fence, causing the rear of the fence to raise off the table. It sounds like there is no adjustment of the fence hold downs. This adjustment exists on the 510 fence. I might suspect that since there is no tension adjustment for hold downs ofn the 520 fence - the real problem is caused by mis-alignment of the table rails, but I am no expert on the 520.

There have been several references concerning inability to slant the 520 fence. (This feature exists on 500 and 510) The differences between the 500, 510 and 520 fences were explained pretty well by one of our more frequent and apparently Knowledgeable "posters".

There are issues with attaching sacrificial fences to the 520 fence. This involves the lacking of horizontal bolt holes through the 520 fence. There seems to be a somewhat awkward way to attach sacrificial fences from the Tee slots on top of the fence, but this also has an issue or two.

I can't remember this one exactly, but it seems some folks have had problems in the converting process itself. Something about mis-alignment here.

There are several other issues, but can't recall them now. Although I have been tempted a couple of times to add a short Post in a few Threads to ask. "...and you are happy with your 520?" But didn't because it wouldn't have been nice. I have to agree that folks having 520s are happy with them, and I don't want to disrespect them or their 520s. However, it is a fact that although I have been tempted to buy the upgrade because it looks cool, I feel my $ would be better spent on a speed reducer (and my recent OPR).

[dusty]

Yes, you are correct. All of those issues have surfaced on the forum. I guess I didn't recall them because I dismissed each of them as non-problems (with the design and construction).

"The rails on the front of the main table may be misaligned, ..." - certainly, this could be a problem. The fence is essentially a T fence. It clamps onto the front rail and squares itself with the rail. If the rail is either not true or is not perpendicular to the plane of the blade - the fence will not be parallel to the blade. That happens with your fence and rails also. SOLUTION: shim the rails to make them perpendicular to the plane of the blade or replace them if they are not straight.

The clamping hold-down on the 510 works great. In fact, the 510 fence system works great. Adjusting the 510 fence is a bit tricky because you are not able to access all of the adjustment points when the fence is installed but that is only a convenience issue. The 520 fence is not all that dissimilar to the 510 fence. The hold down is adjustable. You adjust it just like you do the 510. The locking mechanism is an offset cam connected to the lock bar with a threaded rod. Adjust the length of the rod to adjust the lever tension. The adjustment is a one of two nuts on the outfeed end of the fence. The other nut is for the other cam; this cam and lever (the lower lever) square the fence with the rail.

The issue here is that there is no adjustment procedure in the paperwork that comes with the upgrade kit.

Yes. I don't believe you can slant the 520 fence. Do you deliberately slant the 510 fence? If you do - then this may be an issue. Why might you want to slant the fence? Other than a resawing issue - why would you not want the fence to be square with the front rail (parallel to the blade)?

Attaching sacrificial fences to the 520 fence is no problem. The fence has four t-slots for this and there are other ways. The 510 has thru holes for bolts and if you have built up a stock of sacrificial fences or fixtures that bolt to the fence then you might have an issue. You can always drill holes thru you fence but, like me, you might not want to do that.

"....folks have problems in the converting process itself." If you do the conversion on a surface that is not smooth and flat, you may have an issue. Your workbench becomes a point of reference during the installation of the rails. I don't recall there being an issue here. I certainly didn't have one. The entire conversion happened in less than an hour.

With regard to utilization of disposable income you may have an issue. It certainly is for me. I, like many others who have time to chant on this forum, also live on a fixed income. You are trying to budget for a speed reducer. I want the mortising fixture. You bought an OPR. I bought the router table.

You had significant vehicle expenses and I think you have a motor home. I too have an RV and the expenses that go with keeping that rolling stock on the road.

Here we are all alike. Our money does not grow on trees. Spend it wisely!
Life is full of choices. Make them with due fore thought.:)

[Bruce]

Yes. I don't believe you can slant the 520 fence. Do you deliberately slant the 510 fence? If you do - then this may be an issue. Why might you want to slant the fence? Other than a resawing issue - why would you not want the fence to be square with the front rail (parallel to the blade)?

I think what charlese is talking about is the ability to skew the back of the fence to the right to use the disc sander to edge sand boards as described in PTWWFE. When used in this manner you had to go to the rear of the machine to push the board through. This is a safety issue since now you don't have access to the power switch to turn off the machine in the event of a problem.

[charlese]

"... The 520 fence is not all that dissimilar to the 510 fence. The hold down is adjustable. You adjust it just like you do the 510. The locking mechanism is an offset cam connected to the lock bar with a threaded rod. Adjust the length of the rod to adjust the lever tension. The adjustment is a one of two nuts on the outfeed end of the fence. The other nut is for the other cam; this cam and lever (the lower lever) square the fence with the rail.

The issue here is that there is no adjustment procedure in the paperwork that comes with the upgrade kit.

You are correct! I mis-understood this issue.

[james.miller]

When attaching jigs or sacrificial fence to the 520 fence there is a t-slot on the face of the fence at the same height as the holes in the 510 fence. Use the Shopsmith T-nuts and short bolts to attach old or new jigs to the 520 fence.

The Conical Sander is much safer to use than angling the fence on the 500 or 510, and when used with the Adjustable Stop Collar it is incredibly accurate. Watch the Sawdust Session segment on the Conical Sander and then download the file for the Venier Tapes for the Adjustable Stop Collar http://www.shopsmithacademy.com/ it's at the top of the page.



Just my two bits worth.

[charlese]

When attaching jigs or sacrificial fence to the 520 fence there is a t-slot on the face of the fence at the same height as the holes in the 510 fence. Use the Shopsmith T-nuts and short bolts to attach old or new jigs to the 520 fence....

...Just my two bits worth.

Thanks for your two bits worth! REALLY! And I owe you $0.24 'cause I only gave a Penny for your thoughts.

Thanks to Dusty too! He said it - I read it - My paradigm wouldn't let me process it to my consious thought. Funny things, paradigms. I had to see it in a simple two sentence paragraph before I could process it.

I hadn't paid enough attention to the fact the there are T slots on the faces of the 520 rip fence. You have caused me to completely re-think the 520. Oh, it's tough to lose paradigms!

I no longer have any of those issues with the 520. Maybe I'll even upgrade sometime. It'l probably be the next of the bigger purchases, after the speed reducer.