Foot activated ON/OFF switch - Good idea or safety hazard?

[tfrayne]

I recently purchased a 1998 Mk V 510 that had been upgraded with a 520 fence and rails.

It came with LOTS of extras. Most were ShopSmith items and some were not (got a cool dovetail jig in there.)

One item I’m not sure about. It’s a foot activated ON/OFF switch. It is activated by stepping forward on the pedal and turns off by stepping on the back of the pedal.

It seems to work fine and I have it installed. I’m still learning about the machine so I’m not ready to use it per se, but I do turn it on and off as I’m using the drill chuck with a wire wheel to help clean parts.

I’m wondering if this foot pedal is something offered by ShopSmith or an aftermarket item; and whether or not more experienced SS users think it’s a good idea.

It seems to me that in normal operations one would be moving around the tool. If it were plugged in and accidentally activated, the machine would power up.

Thoughts?

[Hobbyman2]

My thoughts are it would depend on the application ?

[edma194]

Do you plug your Shopsmith into this foot pedal and the switch on the headstock is still operating? If that's the case you should only plug the machine into the foot pedal when you want to use it. You have to make sure to turn off the main switch on the headstock when not in use because the foot pedal is dangerous if it could be accidently kicked or stepped on while the main switch is on.

[RonKlein]

If this is the foot switch that Shopsmith sold, I believe that was intended to turn on the shop vac (dust collector). It is not heavy duty enough to operate the Mark V.

[tfrayne]

Thanks. That seems to make more sense. I haven’t delved into the dust collector yet.

[JPG]

Yes there is a potential for inadvertent operation(both on and off).

One should be very careful using it(regardless of what is being controlled).

[SteveMaryland]

I had thought that a foot switch could improve safety but maybe not. My thinking was that if operator got into a jam during an operation, he (she) could shut the machine off faster and safer with a foot switch than having to reach over and find that toggle switch. It has happened...

As for the current teeny tiny toggle switch, it is tough to find in a hurry if operator has his eyes on the work. Maybe what is needed is one of those big red pushbutton emergency shutoff switches found on industrial machinery. Where would you mount it?...

[JPG]

On the floor! Seriously that IS a decent idea.

Big red mushroom head like 210 x 210 above.

[chapmanruss]

Shopsmith has and still does sell a remote Foot Switch. It can be found under the Dust Collection section of the online catalog as seen at the link below.

https://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/cat ... switch.htm

I do not believe it was ever intended to be used for the Mark V or any Mark series Shopsmith. I have one and it is rated at 13 amps which I use on my Dust Collector. It works great for that.

[tfrayne]

Here is a photo of the foot pedal. It looks to be the same as in the link provided. THANKS!