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

>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

[email protected] (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 <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<3iGfd.10307$kr4.8490@trnddc01>...
> [email protected] (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

[email protected] (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! :o)

On 26 Oct 2004 09:11:15 -0700, [email protected] (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.

On 27 Oct 2004 06:25:38 -0700, [email protected] (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....