Overview
This document covers basic set-up and installation of the indexer for the ShopBot Desktop Tool.
Before you begin
You will need the following tools:
• 4mm (or 5/32”) Allen wrench
• 3/16” Allen wrench
• #2 Phillips-head screwdriver
• A small flat-head screwdriver suitable for electronics
Wiring the indexer (if not installed by ShopBot)
WARNING: Unplug your ShopBot’s power cord before removing the back cover or making any changes to the wiring.
Using your 4mm (or 5/32") allen wrench, remove the two screws that hold the plexiglass cover onto the back of the machine.
Take the loose end of the indexer wire and route it through the hole in the side of the frame.
Locate the green terminal blocks on the top right corner of the board and loosen each screw. Insert one wire into the top of each block in the following order, going from left to right:
Brown – white – green – yellow
Pay close attention to the order of these and double-check your work. If you have trouble getting the wire ends into the terminal blocks, it may help to use a pair of small needle-nose pliers. When you are finished, gently pull on each wire to make sure it is tightly screwed into the block.
Attaching the control card
The indexer comes with its own control card that allows it to communicate with the rest of the machine. This fits into the plug directly underneath the terminal blocks that you were just working with. Make sure that all the pins are lined up properly before pressing it into the plug. If any of the pins are out of line, the indexer won’t work and you risk damaging the board, so take care to align it properly. If you look at it from the side you can get a better view of how the pins are lining up. Once it’s aligned, press it into the plug until it’s fully seated.
If everything looks good so far, you can replace the plexiglass cover on the back of the machine and continue with the mechanical part of the installation.
Installing the headstock
You can install the headstock anywhere on the left side of the table. Choose two adjacent grooves and slide a pair of T-nuts into each of them. Position the headstock over the T-nuts, then thread the screws into the nuts and tighten them down. Follow the same process for the tailstock, but don’t tighten the screws fully. Leaving the screws a little loose will allow you to slide the tailstock along the grooves, which you’ll need to do when setting up your material.
Above left: Sliding the T-nuts into the groove
Above right: Tightening the screws on the headstock
Plug in the Wago connector
The gray Wago connector is the indexer’s link to the machine for data and power. Clip these together and make sure that the two sides of the connector are fully pressed together.
Above left: CORRECT: both ends tightly connected
Above right: INCORRECT: notice the gap on the right side
Using the chuck
Opening and closing the chuck jaws is done by rotating the knurled ring behind the chuck body. Rough adjustments can be made by hand, but for better leverage you can insert the tommy bars into the holes on the chuck body and knurled ring. If you are looking at the face of the chuck, rotating the ring clockwise will tighten the jaws, counter-clockwise will loosen it. The chuck jaws can be reversed for gripping the inside of a surface (for example, a hole created with a forstner bit). This is useful for working on large-diameter stock.
Above left: Chuck jaws set up to grip inwards
Above left: set up to grip outwards
To remove the chuck jaws, open the chuck as wide as it will go and pull the jaws out one at a time. If they don’t come out at first, wiggle the knurled ring back and forth while pulling outwards on the jaw until it comes free.
To put the jaws back in, they each need to sit in the correct slot. Notice that the slots are numbered 1 through 3 on the chuck face. This corresponds to the number stamped on the chuck jaw. Jaw #2 always sits in the same slot, but jaws 1 and 3 need to switch places when you switch from inwards-gripping to outwards-gripping. This is not as complicated as it might sound. Just align the jaws so that the slot number on the chuck matches the number on the side of the jaw that faces it.
Once you have the jaws in the correct slots, maintain even pressure on each jaw while rotating the knurled ring clockwise. You don’t need to apply much pressure, just enough to keep them aligned until the threads catch. Be sure that the jaws are moving evenly towards the center of the chuck. If they seem uneven, reverse direction and remove the jaws to start over.
Adjusting the tailstock
The knurled ring on the body of the tailstock allows you to adjust the pressure of the center point against the material. Once you have your material clamped in the chuck jaws, rotate this ring so that the center point recedes back into the tailstock. Then slide the tailstock up against the material and tighten the screws down. Now rotate the ring in the opposite direction to push the center point into the material. You can use the tommy bars for greater leverage if necessary.
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