Shopsmith Forums

One thing I noticed when using my Shopsmith as a lathe for turning small items is that rotating the shaft to access the allen screw to change fixtures is awkward without some kind of leverage. So, I cut a 6 in. disk from an old cherry board and mounted it to a faceplate using double faced tape. Once I finished shaping and sanding it smooth, I gave it a couple of coats of Formby's. Mounted it on a spare saw arbor. Works very well, although I don't know how it will hold up at higher speeds. There is something actually soothing about using it.



Ken

Nice idea on the spare arbor. I never though of that!

I do like your idea and while I have used some less fancy methods such as a 6" faceplate and such yours is much more ascetic. Well done!

As a plug for the powerpro headstock it is much easier to rotate the shaft on it so I no longer need to "add" anything to do the adjustments to shaft location.

Ed

kenbu wrote:One thing I noticed when using my Shopsmith as a lathe for turning small items is that rotating the shaft to access the allen screw to change fixtures is awkward without some kind of leverage. So, I cut a 6 in. disk from an old cherry board and mounted it to a faceplate using double faced tape. Once I finished shaping and sanding it smooth, I gave it a couple of coats of Formby's. Mounted it on a spare saw arbor. Works very well, although I don't know how it will hold up at higher speeds. There is something actually soothing about using it.



Ken

Great looking and practical. I use a hub that fits into the coupler for the bandsaw and other SPTs. This fixture you have made reminds me of the treadle sewing machines. I like it very much. Thanks for sharing your pic and idea.

I've been intending to do something very similar for about as long as I can remember turning wood on my SS. Nicely done. Maybe I'll find the incentive now to get my own turned. I love making my own embellishments for the equipment in this hobby.

Using the saw arbor makes a safer profile. The left hand thread is backwards for this application. Do make sure the nut stays tight!

I would consider pinning/set screwing the nut if it becomes a problem.

Well Done!