Tip #54 MARK V Introduction

Tip #54 MARK V Introduction
Many people feel that power
tools are complicated machines, to
be operated only by skilled technicians. Actually they are a means for
almost anyone to achieve highquality workmanship with a minimum of practice.
Power tools are woodworking
experts. They do not require the
long period of apprenticeship
needed to accomplish fine work
with hand tools. The essentials of
woodworking are reduced to a few
fundamentals of proper machine
setup. Accuracy, speed, and power
are built into the machine; the
operator merely sets it and guides
it.
Anyone who has ever tried to
cut a board with a handsaw will
probably agree that a certain
amount of skill is required for even
this most elementary woodworking
operation. With a table saw, however, the operator merely sets the
rip fence or the miter gauge, turns
on the motor, and moves the board
forward. The saw cuts the board
quickly and easily, producing an
edge that is straight and square.
A power tool does not care
who flicks the switch. It will perform in exactly the same way
whether the operator is skilled or
unskilled. It does a good job--a
consistently good job. All the little
variations, all the small discrepancies that occur in handwork, are
eliminated.
The purpose of this book is to
supplement the self-confidence that
comes with ownership of power
tools. All the information needed
for basic power tool function is
included in this volume and any
woodworking project can be
completed through use of the
techniques and procedures described. Even highly advanced
techniques are shown to be no
more than step-by-step procedures
that can be followed by anyone.
All of the operations and
techniques shown throughout the
book can be performed on the
Shopsmith Woodworking System.
Whether you have all the components of the System or are just
starting out, this book will help you
to perform woodworking proce-
dures with ease, confidence and
accuracy. As you use your System,
your skills and confidence will
increase and soon you'll find your
self attempting more advanced
procedures and techniques. You'll
also notice that your projects are
becoming more professional looking.
Woodworking is a wonderful
means for personal expression, a
great source of satisfaction and a
perfect way to relax. So, start to
build your System, get to know it,
use it frequently, work safely and
enjoy the rewards.
BUILDING THE SYSTEM
The Shopsmith Woodworking
System begins with the Mark V
(Figure 1-1), a multi-purpose
power
tool based on the notion that
separate power tools have a number
of common parts. If these parts are
arranged in a logical, adaptable
format, the essentials for five basic
power tools--table saw, disc sander,
drill press, horizontal boring machine and lathe--will be readily
Figure 1-1. The Shopsmith Woodworking System begins with the Mark V. The (A) Model 500 and(B) Model 510 are shown in the
table saw mode.
A
B
C
D
Figure 1-2. The Shopsmith Mark V Model 510 is shown in the (A) disc sander, (B) drill press, (C) horizontal boring, and (D)
lathe modes.
available (Figure 1-2). This multipurpose concept does not limit or
detract from the effectiveness or
abilities of the tools. In fact, some
of the capabilities and capacities are
superior to most single-purpose
tools.
Basically, the Mark V is a frame
or "bench" that holds a power plant
and a worktable. The upper tubes
of this bench can be tilted horizontally or vertically. The power plant
and the worktable slide independently along the upper tubes so that
they can be positioned right next to
each other or almost three feet
apart. You can mount many different accessories to the power plant,
such as saw blades, drill bits, and
sanding discs and operate them at
variable speeds. The worktable can
be positioned over, under, or beside
these accessories to hold workpieces at different angles. In this
way, the three components-- bench,
power plant, and work-table-combine to make a unique, capable,
and versatile wood-working system. The bench gives the Mark V
its stability, the power plant supplies the power you need to perform a multitude of wood-working
tasks, and the worktable supports
the stock as you work.
One of the most impressive
advantages the Mark V offers is the
simultaneous use of modes, making
special and routine applications
simpler. As an example, with the
auxiliary spindle, it is possible to set
up dual sanding functions. With
two sanding discs mounted (Figure
1-3), you can work with two
different grits of sandpaper. The
disc and drum sander combination
(Figure 1-4) provides capabilities
for straight edge, inside curve and
outside curve sanding. Another
dual setup is the saw/jointer combination (Figure 1-5). With this setup
you can joint one edge of a board
before beginning a sawing operation.
This produces a smooth, straight
edge to place against the rip fence
and assures a straight, square cut.
When you're ripping, cut the stock
slightly oversize so that you can also
finish the second edge on the jointer.
Warning: Never mount a
cutter or blade on the auxiliary
Figure 1-3. A dual disc sander
setup. Note how the extension
table is used as a work support
surface for the extra disc.
spindle. Also, whenever a dual
tool setup is used, the speed dial
must be set for the slowest operating tool. Do not run the tool,
even when it's not being used, at
a higher speed than recommended. Guards should be in
place.
Add Major Accessories
Add the Major Accessories-Jointer, Bandsaw, Belt Sander,
Scroll Saw, Jigsaw and Planer--to
your workshop and increase your
capabilities even more. The Major
Accessories mount on the Mark V
and are connected to the power
plant by a power coupler (Figure 16). The major accessories can also
be mounted on Shopsmith Power
Stands (Figure 1-7) if you desire
freestanding machines. The Professional Planer comes with its own
power stand and a model of the
Scroll Saw comes with legs and a
motor.
Jointer--As you might guess
from its name, the jointer (Figure 18) is extremely useful for making
many woodworking joints because
it will produce a very smooth,
straight edge on a board. This edge
will be square to the face of the
stock or any other angle between
45° and 90°. This kind of highquality edge is essential for joining
stock together edge-to-edge to
make wide workpieces.
The jointer's capabilities also
permit you to straighten the edges
and surfaces of warped stock;
remove minor cups; surface rough
stock; cut edge rabbets, tenons,
bevels, chamfers; and make tapers
and special shapes used in furniture
designs.
Bandsaw--The bandsaw (Figure 1-9) gets it name from the
continuous loop or "band" formed
by the flexible blade. The blade cuts
Figure 1-4. The disc sander/drum sander combination. Be sure to use
only the speeds that are in the disc sander range.
Figure 1-5. The saw/jointer setup lets you square up one edge of a board
before beginning a sawing operation. This produces a smooth, straight
edge to place against the rip fence. A dust collection system is shown
attached to both machines.
with a downward motion, toward
the table. Because it cuts continuously, you'll find the bandsaw is one
of the fastest cutting tools in your
shop.
The bandsaw will perform a
wide variety of workshop operations. The two most common uses
are cutting curves and irregular
shapes, and resawing (slicing thin
boards from thick ones). You can
also crosscut; rip cut; cut bevels,
miters, compound curves, duplicate
parts; and make many other special
cuts as well.
You can cut materials other
than wood. With the proper blade
Figure 1-6. A power coupler makes the
connection between the hub on the Mark
V auxiliary spindle and the hub on the
drive shaft of the major accessory, in this
case, the jointer.
installed, the bandsaw will cut
plastic, plastic laminates, particle
board, and even soft non-ferrous
metals such as copper, brass and
aluminum.
Belt Sander--The belt sander
(Figure 1-10) is extremely useful
for doing many different finishing
jobs. It will produce a smooth
surface on a board in less time and
with less work than hand sanding.
The belt sander also offers an
important advantage over disc
Figure 1-7. The major accessories can
also be mounted on Shopsmith Power
Stands. The belt sander is shown.
Figure 1-9. The Shopsmith 11"
Bandsaw.
Figure 1-8. The Shopsmith 4" Jointer.
Figure 1-10. The Shopsmith 6" Belt Sander.
sanders and orbital sanders: The
abrasive belt travels in one direction
only, leaving no "swirl marks." With
a belt sander, you can sand parallel
to the wood grain.
The belt sander's capabilities
permit you to sand edge, end, miter
and bevel cuts quickly and accurately. You can also sand convex
and concave shapes and create
compound curves in workpieces.
The belt sander can also be used to
sharpen tools by using the sharpening guide.
Scroll Saw--The scroll saw
(Figure 1-11) cuts curves and other
irregular shapes in wood, plastics,
and soft metals. Fine-toothed
blades leave fewer millmarks; thus
requiring less sanding. Thin blades
can cut small radii, allowing you to
cut small details accurately. The
scroll saw can make piercing cuts
enabling you to saw internal curves
and designs in a workpiece without
cutting through from the outside. In
addition, it cuts at any angle between "0" and 45°.
Jigsaw--The jigsaw (Figure 112) performs the same operations
as the ones mentioned for the scroll
saw, plus it converts to a sabre saw
to cut large workpieces. Also, the
lower chuck will hold machine files
so that you can shape and smooth