I recently came into possesion of an item that is essentially an X-Y
table. It is all aluminum with a table about 6" x 18" with 4 t-nut
slots in it. it moves left-right and forward-backward via two threaded
rods with knobs that are marked for fine increments. It was sold by
Shopsmith in 1986 as a "Two-Way Router Table". I found it advertised
in an old 1985 copy of their catalog. It has no markings on it to
identify manufacturer, model, or anything else to ID it. I emailed
Shopsmith and got a call the next day from a nice lady who remembered
the item and had looked it up in a couple of old catalogs, but could
not find any information on how it was used or how (or whether for
that matter) it could connect to a Shopsmith Mark V. She had checked
around the company headquarters and couldn't find anyone else who
remembered this thing or had any information on file for it.
Apparently Shopsmith stopped selling it in 1986 as it is in their
Spring/Summer 1986 catalog but not in the Winter 1986 or later
catalogs (according to the nice lady from Shopsmith). It is new and
complete in the box, but has no instructions or other documentation
with it. Does anyone recognize this item or have any information on
it. I have Googled and web searched to no avail.

Thanks

Dave Hall

On 26 Oct 2004 09:11:15 -0700, (David Hall)
wrote:

I recently came into possesion of an item that is essentially an X-Y
table. It is all aluminum with a table about 6" x 18" with 4 t-nut
slots in it. it moves left-right and forward-backward via two threaded
rods with knobs that are marked for fine increments. It was sold by
Shopsmith in 1986 as a "Two-Way Router Table". I found it advertised
in an old 1985 copy of their catalog. It has no markings on it to
identify manufacturer, model, or anything else to ID it. I emailed
Shopsmith and got a call the next day from a nice lady who remembered
the item and had looked it up in a couple of old catalogs, but could
not find any information on how it was used or how (or whether for
that matter) it could connect to a Shopsmith Mark V. She had checked
around the company headquarters and couldn't find anyone else who
remembered this thing or had any information on file for it.
Apparently Shopsmith stopped selling it in 1986 as it is in their
Spring/Summer 1986 catalog but not in the Winter 1986 or later
catalogs (according to the nice lady from Shopsmith). It is new and
complete in the box, but has no instructions or other documentation
with it. Does anyone recognize this item or have any information on
it. I have Googled and web searched to no avail.

Thanks

Dave Hall


sounds like it might make a good start on a spindle mortiser.

I recently came into possesion of an item that is essentially an X-Y
table. It is all aluminum with a table about 6" x 18" with 4 t-nut
slots in it. it moves left-right and forward-backward via two threaded
rods with knobs that are marked for fine increments. It was sold by
Shopsmith in 1986 as a "Two-Way Router Table". I found it advertised
in an old 1985 copy of their catalog. It has no markings on it to
identify manufacturer, model, or anything else to ID it. I emailed
Shopsmith and got a call the next day from a nice lady who remembered
the item and had looked it up in a couple of old catalogs, but could
not find any information on how it was used or how (or whether for
that matter) it could connect to a Shopsmith Mark V. She had checked
around the company headquarters and couldn't find anyone else who
remembered this thing or had any information on file for it.
Apparently Shopsmith stopped selling it in 1986 as it is in their
Spring/Summer 1986 catalog but not in the Winter 1986 or later
catalogs (according to the nice lady from Shopsmith). It is new and
complete in the box, but has no instructions or other documentation
with it. Does anyone recognize this item or have any information on
it. I have Googled and web searched to no avail.

Thanks

Dave Hall

(David Hall) wrote:

I recently came into possesion of an item that is essentially an X-Y
table. It is all aluminum with a table about 6" x 18" with 4 t-nut
slots in it. it moves left-right and forward-backward via two threaded
rods with knobs that are marked for fine increments. It was sold by
Shopsmith in 1986 as a "Two-Way Router Table". I found it advertised
in an old 1985 copy of their catalog. It has no markings on it to
identify manufacturer, model, or anything else to ID it. I emailed
Shopsmith and got a call the next day from a nice lady who remembered
the item and had looked it up in a couple of old catalogs, but could
not find any information on how it was used or how (or whether for
that matter) it could connect to a Shopsmith Mark V. She had checked
around the company headquarters and couldn't find anyone else who
remembered this thing or had any information on file for it.
Apparently Shopsmith stopped selling it in 1986 as it is in their
Spring/Summer 1986 catalog but not in the Winter 1986 or later
catalogs (according to the nice lady from Shopsmith). It is new and
complete in the box, but has no instructions or other documentation
with it. Does anyone recognize this item or have any information on
it. I have Googled and web searched to no avail.

Thanks

Dave Hall



This sounds like what they used to call the Shopsmith Routing System.
From your description above, you may not have all the parts. The System
was a stand alone table which allowed a router to be mounted below the
table or above as a pin router. The pin router mode had a rack and pinion
height adjustment.

There is a how to in Chapter 22 of 'Power Tool Woodworking for Everyone'
(available used at Amazon - ISBN 0936611006).

If you like, I could scan a picture or two for you, or you could scan the
catalog page and send to me for an ID. Remove the backwards nospam and
excess dot from my e-mail.

LD

Lobby Dosser wrote in message news:3iGfd.10307$kr4.8490@trnddc01...
(David Hall) wrote:

I recently came into possesion of an item that is essentially an X-Y
table. It is all aluminum with a table about 6" x 18" with 4 t-nut
slots in it. it moves left-right and forward-backward via two threaded
rods with knobs that are marked for fine increments. It was sold by
Shopsmith in 1986 as a "Two-Way Router Table". I found it advertised
in an old 1985 copy of their catalog. It has no markings on it to
identify manufacturer, model, or anything else to ID it. I emailed
Shopsmith and got a call the next day from a nice lady who remembered
the item and had looked it up in a couple of old catalogs, but could
not find any information on how it was used or how (or whether for
that matter) it could connect to a Shopsmith Mark V. She had checked
around the company headquarters and couldn't find anyone else who
remembered this thing or had any information on file for it.
Apparently Shopsmith stopped selling it in 1986 as it is in their
Spring/Summer 1986 catalog but not in the Winter 1986 or later
catalogs (according to the nice lady from Shopsmith). It is new and
complete in the box, but has no instructions or other documentation
with it. Does anyone recognize this item or have any information on
it. I have Googled and web searched to no avail.

Thanks

Dave Hall



This sounds like what they used to call the Shopsmith Routing System.
From your description above, you may not have all the parts. The System
was a stand alone table which allowed a router to be mounted below the
table or above as a pin router. The pin router mode had a rack and pinion
height adjustment.

There is a how to in Chapter 22 of 'Power Tool Woodworking for Everyone'
(available used at Amazon - ISBN 0936611006).

If you like, I could scan a picture or two for you, or you could scan the
catalog page and send to me for an ID. Remove the backwards nospam and
excess dot from my e-mail.

LD


Thanks. I have seen the Shopsmith overarm router (which, as you note,
also allowed the router to be under the table). This is not part of
that unit. It was clearly sold as a separate thing back when Shopsmith
had retail stores and sold lots of third party items that had nothing
to do with the Mark V or any Shopsmith branded equipment. In the
scheme of things, it is a trinket - small, all aluminum, etc., but
seems it might be interesting to use once I figure it out. It appears
that it was designed to attach to a small drillpress (with a 1-3/8"
column), according to the one line description in the 1985 catalog,
and you would then "rout" with the drillpress. We all know how good of
a router a drillpress makes Must not have been a big seller since
Shopsmith can't find any info on it, the Shopsmith users group (over a
1000 strong I believe) never heard of it, nobody here seems to have
heard of it and web/google searches bring up nothing. I can see why
Shopsmith dropped it in 1986

Dave Hall

(David Hall) wrote:

Shopsmith can't find any info on it, the Shopsmith users group (over a
1000 strong I believe) never heard of it, nobody here seems to have
heard of it and web/google searches bring up nothing. I can see why
Shopsmith dropped it in 1986



The you have an 'Old, Antique, Vintage, Unique' piece of Shopsmith history.
Sounds like a sure bet for e-bay! )

On 27 Oct 2004 06:25:38 -0700, (David Hall)
wrote:


Thanks. I have seen the Shopsmith overarm router (which, as you note,
also allowed the router to be under the table). This is not part of
that unit. It was clearly sold as a separate thing back when Shopsmith
had retail stores and sold lots of third party items that had nothing
to do with the Mark V or any Shopsmith branded equipment. In the
scheme of things, it is a trinket - small, all aluminum, etc., but
seems it might be interesting to use once I figure it out. It appears
that it was designed to attach to a small drillpress (with a 1-3/8"
column), according to the one line description in the 1985 catalog,
and you would then "rout" with the drillpress. We all know how good of
a router a drillpress makes Must not have been a big seller since
Shopsmith can't find any info on it, the Shopsmith users group (over a
1000 strong I believe) never heard of it, nobody here seems to have
heard of it and web/google searches bring up nothing. I can see why
Shopsmith dropped it in 1986

Dave Hall


routing on a drillpress is an exercise in frustration... that's why I
bought a milldrill. ; ^ )

can you post a picture of this thing you have in ABPW? it sounds to me
like it could be the start of something interesting if you add a
router and some hold down tooling....

routing on a drillpress is an exercise in frustration... that's why I
bought a milldrill. ; ^ )

can you post a picture of this thing you have in ABPW? it sounds to me
like it could be the start of something interesting if you add a
router and some hold down tooling....


I would if I knew how to post a picture to ABPW via Compuserve's newsreader
system. But, I don't so I guess I won't

Dave Hall

(David Hall) wrote:

routing on a drillpress is an exercise in frustration... that's why I
bought a milldrill. ; ^ )

can you post a picture of this thing you have in ABPW? it sounds to me
like it could be the start of something interesting if you add a
router and some hold down tooling....


I would if I knew how to post a picture to ABPW via Compuserve's
newsreader system. But, I don't so I guess I won't

Dave Hall


Can you e-mail and someone else could post it?

LD

Lobby Dosser wrote in message news:nhYfd.10513$kr4.7569@trnddc01...
(David Hall) wrote:

routing on a drillpress is an exercise in frustration... that's why I
bought a milldrill. ; ^ )

can you post a picture of this thing you have in ABPW? it sounds to me
like it could be the start of something interesting if you add a
router and some hold down tooling....


I would if I knew how to post a picture to ABPW via Compuserve's
newsreader system. But, I don't so I guess I won't

Dave Hall


Can you e-mail and someone else could post it?

Sure can. You volunteering

Dave Hall
LD

(David Hall) wrote:

Lobby Dosser wrote in message
news:nhYfd.10513$kr4.7569@trnddc01...
(David Hall) wrote:

routing on a drillpress is an exercise in frustration... that's why
I bought a milldrill. ; ^ )

can you post a picture of this thing you have in ABPW? it sounds to
me like it could be the start of something interesting if you add a
router and some hold down tooling....


I would if I knew how to post a picture to ABPW via Compuserve's
newsreader system. But, I don't so I guess I won't

Dave Hall


Can you e-mail and someone else could post it?

Sure can. You volunteering

Dave Hall
LD


Sure. e-mail to lobby dot dosser at verizon dot net

I'll post.

LD

Can you e-mail and someone else could post it?

Sure can. You volunteering

Dave Hall
LD


Sure. e-mail to lobby dot dosser at verizon dot net

I'll post.

LD

It should be there. Thanks. What I sent was a picture someone found from a 1984
Shopsmith catalog. It actually answers some questions as it shows the XY table
clamped to a shopsmith table while in drillpress or router mode. That is more
info than I had before. Hopefully this picture will garner some suggestions on
productive use of this tool and maybe even jog the memory of someone who once
owned one.

Thanks again.

Dave Hall