# Scheppach TS2500



## Mike.C (1 Apr 2006)

I own a Scheppach TS2500 (not the TS2500ci cast iron model), and as you know, Scheppach in their wisdom designed this table saw with a non standard mitre gauge slot (upside down "T"). Which means that some, or maybe even most, of the after market accessories such as Incra, Osborne, and many other's do not fit, or as far as i know, cannot easily be used with this saw.

Why it was designed like this i do not know. 

Is their new cast iron model the same? 

Do all or most other manufactures build a standard mitre slot into their table saws?

Anyway i would like to use at least the Osborne, so is there a way that i can either:

(1) Convert the slots in my saw?

(2) Or if most other table saws have a standard mitre slot, and as a consequence most accessories are manufactured to use this type of slot, would it be easy to get the metal runner part of a mitre gauge made to fit my saw and at the same time the accessory?

(3) Would it be easier to get a new saw? Not an option really because it is a very good saw.

(4) I DO NOT WANT ANY APRIL FOOLS SOLUTIONS :wink: 

Cheers

Mike


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## Philly (1 Apr 2006)

Mike
Not sure about converting an Osborne-how wide is the Scheppach slot?
Why not make a crosscut sled instead?? Search for sled, there's plenty in the archive.
Hope this helps
Philly


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## Mcluma (1 Apr 2006)

use part of the mitre gauge (only the part that runs in the slot)

McLuma


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## Mike.C (1 Apr 2006)

:roll:  I really didn't do a good job of explaining or even writing my problem did i?  :roll:  My only excuse is that i was in a hurry.



> Philly wrote:
> 
> Mike, not sure about converting an Osborne-how wide is the Scheppach slot?
> Why not make a crosscut sled instead?? Search for sled, there's plenty in the archive.



What i really had in mind was something like this http://www.incra.biz/Products/MiterExpress.html As you can see with Incra's Miter Express all you have to do is remove the metal part of your standard mitre gauge and fit it straight onto the Incra. But as the mitre gauge on the Scheppach is rubbish, i was wondering if i could get the metal part of it made up to fit both my slot and the Incra.

As for the Osborne i read somewhere that it has a number of screws which when turned expands the gauge to fit any saw. But as the Scheppach comes with a non-standard slots i wanted to know if i could again get the metal part of the gauge made up to fit.

I was going to bring a Incra back with me from the US but my dad did some digging and could not find anyone who would convert it.

McLuma, thanks for your advice, but as i have said above the mitre gauge is really not very good.

Cheers

Mike

Edit, Philly i have just remembered where i read about the adjustable Osborne, your web site.


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## Noel (2 Apr 2006)

Mike, most aftermarket mitre gauges (North American manufactured) have an adjusting facility on the bar, usually graphite, nylon or steel expandable rings or studs. This is purely to account for any slop in the mitre slot and is not a means for the gauge to fit any size of slot.
Although I've used the EB3 I do not own one (too lightweight for me, IMPO) but I think replacing the bar to fit your TS would not be a big problem. As well as sourcing a suitable lenght of steel bar you would need to ensure that you have a means to attach the triangulation bar and the main fence. Other than that can't see a problem. Would imagine the Incra would also be easily adapted.

Noel


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## devonwoody (2 Apr 2006)

After a conversation I had with a tablesaw supplier he said he wished the manufacturers would do away with the table slot.


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## Jake (2 Apr 2006)

devonwoody":3o5i9vd9 said:


> After a conversation I had with a tablesaw supplier he said he wished the manufacturers would do away with the table slot.



Why was that, DW?


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## devonwoody (2 Apr 2006)

Jake":39rryavk said:


> devonwoody":39rryavk said:
> 
> 
> > After a conversation I had with a tablesaw supplier he said he wished the manufacturers would do away with the table slot.
> ...



Perhaps he was getting a lot of stick re his slot.


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## johnelliott (2 Apr 2006)

Remember, you don't need steel or steel working capabilities to make a suitable bar. Tufnol and aluminium are two materials that can be worked with TCT woodworking tools, and will be entirely suitable for this purpose

John


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## Mike.C (2 Apr 2006)

> john wrote:
> 
> Remember, you don't need steel or steel working capabilities to make a suitable bar. Tufnol and aluminium are two materrials that can be worked with TCT woodworking tools, and will be entirely suitable for this purpose.



What an brilliant idea :idea: :idea: :idea: and of course the plus point of using this sort of material/s is if it gets damaged i can easily make another one myself.



> Noel wrote:
> 
> As well as sourcing a suitable lenght of steel bar you would need to ensure that you have a means to attach the triangulation bar and the main fence.



Obviously i have not got the Osborne in front of me to tell, but would i be right in saying that the fixings would be something like countersunk screws. If this is the correct, would it just be a case of drilling and countersinking the Tufnol/aluminium?

Cheers

Mike


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## Noel (2 Apr 2006)

Mike, John makes a good point especially since your TS has an aluminium top, which I didn't notice in your original post. With a CI top a bar in anything other than steel would wear pretty quickly.
Tufnol / ali etc would work well. In fact any siutable material that would not be too abrasive on the TS slot would suit.
Further, you might not even need any means of adjustment on the bar if it was machined/sized to fit snugly in your slot.
Any other fixing are usually attached with countersunk machine screws from the bottom of the bar but once you have the EB3 you'll get a better idea of what is needed.

Noel


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## Mike.C (2 Apr 2006)

Cheers Noel, i agree.

Mike


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## Lord Nibbo (2 Apr 2006)

Mike.C":3cdba3v4 said:


> I own a Scheppach TS2500
> 
> Anyway i would like to use at least the Osborne, so is there a way that i can either:
> 
> ...



I bought a piece of bronze 3/4" wide 3/8" deep 12" long to make a mitre guage, it cost about £4.

I bought it from "Southwest Surplus tooling" it's an aldins cave of old and new tools. They stock just about anything you can think of including machined bar in bronze or steel in sizes from 1/4" up to 1 1/4" in various thickness in 1/8" inclements.

I dunno if Alf has ever been there to confirm it's an Aladins cave for tools it's near Portreath
I don't know if they do telephone orders but your welcome to try.
There telephone number is 01209 843636


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## devonwoody (2 Apr 2006)

Thanks again your lordship.

Where are they (southwest suplus) Is this the place that the upper floor and all shelving is constructed from Dexion? 
I remember going in there around 25 years ago.
I need a small piece of brass sheet around 3/32" thick.


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## Alf (2 Apr 2006)

Lord Nibbo":10e0hpsg said:


> I dunno if Alf has ever been there to confirm it's an Aladins cave for tools it's near Portreath


I have and it is, but in an odd exactly-how-humungous-a-bearing-would-you-like-Mr-Atlantic-Liner-builder? kinda way. Gone a bit too Rolson/Am-tech for my tastes, but there are still useful things to find. The selection of power tools is pretty good, good range of files for not too silly money, that sort of thing. More of a Mecca for the Model Engineering fraternity, so excellent for metal bits and bobs.

DW, nope, no upper floor except the office. It's north of Redruth - don't tell me you ventured that deeply into Cornwall! :shock: Oh, hang on, maybe you're thinking of MacSalvors in Pool? They have an upper floor and copious quantities of shelving which is probably Dexion (if they were able to get it cheap...) Another oddity indeed with a similar tendency towards the cheaper brands, plus outrageously over-priced Stanley. The odd things that come and go, the real surplus stuff, that's often rather interesting though. 

If the depths of Cornwall don't appeal (and even the Cornish reckon that area's cowboy country) then try FES, College Engineering or Reeves.

Cheers, Alf


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## syntec4 (2 Apr 2006)

I made a 'sandwich' of stainless strips from B&Q to form a 'T' Bar for my crosscutting sled. 

See here 
very Cheap and Easy.


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## Lord Nibbo (2 Apr 2006)

Alf":1lm5u66r said:


> Lord Nibbo":1lm5u66r said:
> 
> 
> > I dunno if Alf has ever been there to confirm it's an Aladins cave for tools it's near Portreath
> ...



Your desciption is spot on Alf, yes they do stock rather big bearings don't they, wouldn't like to lift the size router bits they would fit. :wink: 

Swmbo likes going with me because she heads straight for the small factory outlets for cheap shoes (moshula kickers etc) plus loads of other brands. and other shop where they stock realy cheap wrangler jeans, bedding, cushions etc.

DW just head for Portreath, it's on the right about 1 mile before Portreath

Like Alf says it is a bit AmTec Rolson etc, on the better makes in woodwork machinery I think you can get them cheaper on the net, they had a Tormek 2006 at £310 (D&M do them for £279) Other stuff like Trend bit and pieces are pretty near RRP. I'm in to boats and it's excellent for things like shackles & chain. They definately do brass sheet.


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## devonwoody (3 Apr 2006)

Alf , yes it would have been at Pool/Hayle, but in the 70/80's it went under another name I think. It was the talk of all the reps. who called there looking for business, the Dexion was brand new then, even the floor beams had been used with the stuff. 

I am only for a piece of brass sheeting 80mmx45mm so I am on the lookout, perhaps there is a supplier between Torbay and Yandles. 

Syntec 4.
Your photo/slide display was very interesting and in fact I have thought for some it could provide another idea of using a whole sheet of MDF on the tablesaw top. This could be arranged so the saw blade has minimum clearance and with ingenuity even mitre guide tracks could be integrated.


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## Mike.C (3 Apr 2006)

> Lord Nibbo wrote:
> 
> I bought a piece of bronze 3/4" wide 3/8" deep 12" long to make a mitre gauge, it cost about £4.



I have never used bronze before, what sort of tools would you need to work with it?

Cheers

Mike


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## tim (3 Apr 2006)

Mike

Why not use something like maple or oak?

Cheers

Tim


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## Lord Nibbo (3 Apr 2006)

Mike.C":1z43k1ra said:


> > Lord Nibbo wrote:
> >
> > I bought a piece of bronze 3/4" wide 3/8" deep 12" long to make a mitre gauge, it cost about £4.
> 
> ...



Nothing special I just treated it like you would working with steel.


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## Mike.C (3 Apr 2006)

> Tim wrote:
> 
> Mike
> 
> Why not use something like maple or oak?



Cheers Tim

Mike


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## tim (4 Apr 2006)

Mike

It occurred to me last night that the reason I haven't done something like this on my ali top TS2500 is that the slots are not parallel to the blade and there is now way that I can find of altering that.

Have you checked yours. There was a thread around a couple of months ago about this but I can't find it now :roll: 

Cheers

Tim


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## Mike.C (4 Apr 2006)

> Tim wrote:
> 
> Mike
> 
> ...



No i was in the US and missed that one. Are there any other members who have found this problem on their saw? I will have to check mine. But surely if this was the case i would have noticed it by now?

As for not being able to alter and correct this problem. I have not been under mine for a good few years, but isn't there a couple of bolts under there which allow you to alter the setting of the blade/blade cage, which in turn will allow you to set the blade parallel to the mitre slots?

Of course i maybe thinking about another saw, but i will check it out and let you know.

Cheers

Mike


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## Adam (4 Apr 2006)

I think this was the bit you were after:

"
There are 4 bolts which fix the die cast trunion mount to the underside of the table, there are also 2 steel plates either side of the trunion mount bolted to the frame. The reason the mounting cannot be adjusted is because these steel plates restrict any movement of the mount. However the only reason for these steel plates is to avoid damage to the saw during shipping, so once the saw is with the end user they can safely be removed. This allows for 3mm of movement of the trunion mount (as the mounting holes are oversized), that should be enough to pull it into line. In addition each table section is screwed to the frame separately and each section can be adjusted separately so if the mitre slots are not quite parallel that can be adjusted too "


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## Mike.C (4 Apr 2006)

Cheers Adam. I knew that there was some way to alter the blade.

There you go Tim, you can now get your mitre slots into line with your blade, and then convert some of those lovely Incra goodies to run in your saw. 

Cheers

Mike


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## Chris Knight (4 Apr 2006)

Adam,

On my TS4010 the table has nothing mounted on the underside, it just fits on the saw's frame - is the 2500 so different?

I retrofitted a cast iron top to my saw and I couldn't get the slots exactly parallel to the blade but without taking it all apart again, from memory I would have said that I needed slightly to enlarge the bolt holes in the frame to provide sufficient adjustment possibility. I should have done this at the time but was too impatient.


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## Mike.C (5 Apr 2006)

> waterhead37 wrote:
> 
> On my TS4010 the table has nothing mounted on the underneath, it just fits on the saw's frame-is the 2500 so different?
> 
> I retrofitted a cast iron top to my saw.



It looks like the structural/underneath of the TS4010 and the TS2500 are a lot different than i thought. Because first of all when i enquired about fitting a cast iron top to my saw i was told that it was to lightweight to take it. And now secondly, your 4010 does not have anyway of altering the blade where my 2500 does.
Very strange i must say.

Cheers

Mike


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