When we moved from the mountains to Tucson, I disassembled my Jointech sawtrain from the Shopsmith it was on. It’s been in pieces , on the shop floor since. The original manual is long gone. Now that the new shop is in a semi organized state, it’s time to reassemble that monster I call the FrankenSmith. After weeks of research and head scratching (my memory isn’t what it once was) i began the reassembling task. It’s all been T&E. It’s similar to the Incra Tablesaw fence and router system. But, lots more parts! Yesterday, I got all the tables installed and ready for the router. Today it’ll be alignments and final tightening. Then, it’s on to installing the fence mecanisms. We should be fully operational by the weekend. I’m not quite ecstatic but, damned happy! PIPs to follow.

Once you get that together I'd like to see a pic...I've never seen a SS Jointech thingy.

@Gene Howe

This might help.

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/1161870/Jointech-Saw-Train.html

11 minutes ago, Larry Buskirk said:

@Gene Howe

This might help.

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/1161870/Jointech-Saw-Train.html

 

Two weeks late, Larry.  Right on time I see

19 minutes ago, Cal said:

 

Two weeks late, Larry.  Right on time I see

 Gene's post was only 2 Hrs ago , but it might have taken "Two Weeks" to get here. 

Edited November 24, 20214 yr by Larry Buskirk

Thanks, Larry. I have that one. It'll be a great help in installing the saw/router fence system but, the rest is not FrankenSmith specific. I have the manuals for every other tool in the shop. Why not this one? God only knows.

A PIP. The tables installed. Doesn't look like a hard job but, believe me, it twernt easy getting everything lined up and secured. 

The second picture is the fence system and router that goes in that big hole. I'm bushed. Work commences on the fence system manana. 

 

 

Hindsight is 20-20, but I've come to the point of using my phone and taking LOTS of pictures anymore. My memory ain't what it used to be and seriously after the operation and anesthesia this time, it honestly seems worse or just hasn't recovered. IDK. Anyways, taking a lot more pictures, then create folders for the specific project in my gallery and store the pics in that folder. Easy to retrieve. Working pretty well so far.

 

BTW What is that big honking router you have in the lift? Brand/ HP, etc.

8 hours ago, Grandpadave52 said:

Hindsight is 20-20, but I've come to the point of using my phone and taking LOTS of pictures anymore. My memory ain't what it used to be and seriously after the operation and anesthesia this time, it honestly seems worse or just hasn't recovered. IDK. Anyways, taking a lot more pictures, then create folders for the specific project in my gallery and store the pics in that folder. Easy to retrieve. Working pretty well so far.

 

BTW What is that big honking router you have in the lift? Brand/ HP, etc.I

Dave, I only wish I'd had that much...or any.. foresight 18 months ago.   

That big honkin' router is a PC 7518. 3.5 HP, IIRC. Variable speed and in a Jessem lift. All dolled up like that, a crane is required to lift it in and out of the table. That little B&D cordless drill you see on the floor, with the hex rod in it, replaces the lift crank. Along with a pair of bent collet wrenches, changing bits is a lot easier. Not that I'm lazy. I'm green and just hate wasting energy.  Especially, MY energy. Now, if only the PC had a "keyless chuck". One can dream, right?

Today, all that mess on the floor gets installed and tweaked. Then it's done and,  I can say "The FrankenSmith lives, Igor!".

 

 

 

Edited November 25, 20214 yr by Gene Howe

Splendid Gene!  Does this table prevent you from using the SS as a SS?  Or does the head unit slide down to the other end for other attachments?

Gene, you might want to consider, if it's not to late, taking picture of the whole process.  Then, create a small text file about important stuff, put the whole shebang on a jumpdrive, put that in a ziplock bag and store with the machine.  Maybe not for you, but the next owner.

1 hour ago, Cal said:

Splendid Gene!  Does this table prevent you from using the SS as a SS?  Or does the head unit slide down to the other end for other attachments?

@Cal, yes it's possible to use it for all it's normal functions. But, I have another Shopsmith that is used for those, as well as all crosscuts, bevel work, etc. The FrankenSmith stays in place where it's mounted. I never move the headstock or the tilting saw table normally and, the only sawing are rips. Just too much hassle to configure it for anything else. Since a 24 tooth ripping blade is pretty much my permanent blade on Frankie, I don't do any cross cutting with it. 

Edited November 25, 20214 yr by Gene Howe

Pictures of the Frankensmith alignment procedure.

First one is the Master Plate info. It's an invaluable aid for set ups like this. Second pic shows it used to square the tilting table on the Shopsmith. The third is how it's used to align/square the fence of the FrankenSmith. This was done prior to tightening all the screw and connections.

Thanks. I have not seen these advertised now for some years.  And the railings are very different.  Is that part of the attachment.  Those don't look like 510 or 520 railings.  

6 hours ago, FlGatorwood said:

Thanks. I have not seen these advertised now for some years.  And the railings are very different.  Is that part of the attachment.  Those don't look like 510 or 520 railings.  

Are you referring to the Master Plate or the Jointech? The master plate is about 15-20 years old. And, Jointech went belly up sometime in the 90s.

Those black extrusions (rails?) are part of the Jointech system. The only semi permanent attachment to the Shopsmith are at the table. The rest of the extrusions are screwed to the Jointech grey or white auxiliary tables. Those rails And tables are held in alignment by a series of steel bars that slide within the extrusions on both sides and, are tapped for 1/4X20 knobbed all thread at various points under the extrusions to keep them aligned and, in place. That's a weakness of the system. That series of bars should be one, continuous 5' piece of steel, as there is no reason to ever reconfigure the alignment once it's all operational. That weakness will be remedied next week when I get newly manufactured 5' bars from the machinist. At that point, every thing will be pretty rigid.

Sorry.  I have not seen an advertisement for the JoinTech for many years.  Like a few other accessories, they have dropped.  

 

The table rails is what I had reference to.  You clarified that.  I was trying to figure out if the table rails were 520 series or not.  However from your description, they work much the same way as 510 or 520 with short pieces of tubing to connect them to make one large table.  I appreciate your honesty regarding that issue.  I have been wanting the 520 table system for several years, but I think it is more bother than it is worth.  I will stay with my old 500 system.  I have learned like the old guys did and it works pretty well for me.  

 

Thanks, buddy, for clarifying the information.  Now, I know what I don't want.