Stop collar

Gene Howe · Post by **Gene Howe** » Sun Dec 07, 2008 6:05 am

Has anyone used the indexing stop collar?
I saw Nick using it cutting coves in a hands on video and it seems to be both easy and provides a margin of safety for that operation.
Is the vernier scale helpful. Seems to me to be too small to read.
Thanks.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Sun Dec 07, 2008 8:10 am

I use the adjustable stop collar and am very pleased with it.

I do not have the indexing tape that Nick presented. I adjust by fractional rotation. I do have four white vertical lines marked to indicate 1/4 revolutions.

shydragon · Post by **shydragon** » Sun Dec 07, 2008 9:27 am

I have the stop collar. It can very useful, especially when you might want to cut a dado to a certain depth. You can micro adjust until you get to the depth you need. I downloaded the vernier scale and applied it using spray adhesive. After it dried, I coated it with clear fingernail polish.

reible · Post by **reible** » Sun Dec 07, 2008 10:45 am

Hi, as I recall we have had many many posts on the adj. stop collar and I'd bet you could find out a lot more about them by doing a search...

Some of us had them long before Nick did the demo and we even discussed them but they seemed to be a little noticed item until the famous Nick demo after which shopsmith sold a lot of them.

This was a real weakness for shopsmith and we had to contend with using stop collars (non-adjustable) and marking the saw legs etc to get this much needed feature... So when they showed up in the catalog some years ago at least a few of us found them and as they say the rest is history.

This is truly something you can and will use in your shop... one well worth the price.

I did print out the scale thing but after having to mess with it several time to get it right I fell back to my previous position which was it wasn't needed. Most of us had a method of subdividing circle into four parts (marks, tape, punches etc) and then could guess to the half way point between. The one turn = 1/16" using the provided mark would then be marked at a half turn, or 1/32" and the other two gave you marks at the 1/4 turns for 1/64". By guessing at half way between marks gave you 1/128" which is just plain odd to work with so a little trial and error tweaking got you where you wanted to be without the fancy paper scale.

Ed

pinkiewerewolf · Post by **pinkiewerewolf** » Sun Dec 07, 2008 12:26 pm

I tried the paper scale too and gave up on it.

I'd echo what Dusty and Ed have said about the methods of indexing.

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Sun Dec 07, 2008 2:59 pm

I have two stop collars, both have punch marks at the quarter turn locations. This is essentially the same thing as Dusty's paint marks, and also mentioned in the last Paragraph of Ed reible's post.

I put 3 vertical punch marks on the through the 0 and three on the 1/2 turn. I put 2 vertical marks on the quarter turn locations. When dirtied up with a little sawdust these marks are very visible. (If I have my seeing eye glasses on).

Like Ed said. It is very closely adjustable. Geeze! at least to the nearest .01" (hundredth) of an inch.

kartoffelkopf · Post by **kartoffelkopf** » Sun Dec 07, 2008 4:46 pm

Don't forget, you can also use the adjustable stop collar in any of your drill-press mode set-ups. I think I use mine just as much that way as I do on the table saw. Worth its purchase price, without a doubt.

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Sun Dec 07, 2008 11:27 pm

Hi, fkartoffelkopf! Noticed that you joined our forum today! WELCOME!!!:D
I love the Potatohead picture!
Will you tell us what part of the World you call home?

Yes, I agree the adjustable stop collar is useful in many positions. It can even be used on the "other side" of the carriage.

Gene Howe · Post by **Gene Howe** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 9:58 am

Thanks everyone.
You've made up my mind.
Yesterday, I had to dado several pieces, each at different depths and was wishing I had that collar.
Ordering TODAY.

markap · Post by **markap** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 11:04 am

Ordered one yesterday....