x-y table AKA a "two-way router table"

[David Hall]

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

[bridger]

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

[David Hall]

[Lobby Dosser]

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

[David Hall]

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

[Lobby Dosser]

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

[bridger]

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....

[David Hall]

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

[Lobby Dosser]

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

LD

[David Hall]

Sure can. You volunteering ;)

Dave Hall

[Lobby Dosser]

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

I'll post.

LD

[David Hall]

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