Adapting A Shopsmith For Another Use...

rb61 · Post by **rb61** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 12:01 pm

I have an interest in knife making. My first step would be simple stock removal done on a belt sander. From a factory, these devices can be very expensive. It struck me that they are simply an electric motor with a pulley set up to route the belts, with a tool rest for the piece being worked. I have a spare Shopsmith, and was wondering if anybody has ever seen a set up for using their Shopsmith head as a motor for a home made set up? I was thinking that I could cut the spare down into being a Mini setup and rig something to it. The ability to vary speeds, along with available gear reduction and increase assemblies seems like a match made in heaven.

Anybody here ever do this or know of somebody who has?

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 12:20 pm

A mini with a belt sander? As such it could still be used as a power station for other SPTs.

BuckeyeDennis · Post by **BuckeyeDennis** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 12:30 pm

Here are a couple of threads that may be of interest:

http://shopsmith.net/forums/showthread.htm?t=5468
https://forum.shopsmith.com/viewtopic.php?t=10157

I believe that the second one was written up in a magazine.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 12:30 pm

Unless space is an issue, a full size Mark v with a belt sander, strip sander or disc sander could be used and still have the ability to power other SPTs.

No, I have not seen what you describe but you don't mention any tasks that could not be done on a Shopsmith with some accessories.

beeg · Post by **beeg** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 3:42 pm

If you wood go to "User CP" in the top red bar, then "edit signature". You can add all the equipment ya have for us to see in the future, we might be able to suggest other options. Such as buying a SS belt sander, strip sander or disc sander.

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 4:24 pm

rb61 wrote:I have an interest in knife making. My first step would be simple stock removal done on a belt sander. From a factory, these devices can be very expensive. It struck me that they are simply an electric motor with a pulley set up to route the belts, with a tool rest for the piece being worked. I have a spare Shopsmith, and was wondering if anybody has ever seen a set up for using their Shopsmith head as a motor for a home made set up? I was thinking that I could cut the spare down into being a Mini setup and rig something to it. The ability to vary speeds, along with available gear reduction and increase assemblies seems like a match made in heaven.

Anybody here ever do this or know of somebody who has?

No, but I have sharpened knives on the strip sander - see "Sawdust Session" #10. http://www.shopsmithacademy.com/SS_Arch ... _Index.htm

And the Shopsmith Academy shop Tips show the knife holding tool that you can make. Drawing and measurements are on the blackboard. http://www.shopsmithacademy.com/Tips_Ar ... Knives.htm

And one of these holds the knife holding tool right where you want it. http://www.shopsmithacademy.com/Tips_Ar ... Knives.htm

peterm · Post by **peterm** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 9:07 pm

Here is the magazine (Machinists Workshop, Oct/Nov 2013) referred to by BuckeyeDennis with my grinder on the cover:
[ATTACH]26247[/ATTACH]

I use it a lot but have never made a knife with it. Sharpened a few with the holder charlese mentioned and it works great. Here is a pic of the holder:

[ATTACH]26248[/ATTACH]

peterm · Post by **peterm** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 9:14 pm

Here is the magazine (Machinists Workshop, Oct/Nov 2013) referred to by BuckeyeDennis with my grinder on the cover:
[ATTACH]26247[/ATTACH]

I use it a lot but have never made a knife with it. Sharpened a few with the holder charlese mentioned and it works great. Here is a pic of the holder:

[ATTACH]26248[/ATTACH]

rb61 · Post by **rb61** » Sat Sep 27, 2014 1:18 am

Thanks for everybody's input on this. It is the exact direction I was thinking in. As for why do I want to set up a second Shopsmith dedicated to this...? I want to be able to keep the wood working and the metal working set-ups separate from each other. I don't want to mix metal filings and saw dust together on the machines- and don't want the chance for metal filings to find sawdust I might have missed during clean up and set it on fire....

billmayo · Post by **billmayo** » Sat Sep 27, 2014 5:16 am

rb61 wrote:Thanks for everybody's input on this. It is the exact direction I was thinking in. As for why do I want to set up a second Shopsmith dedicated to this...? I want to be able to keep the wood working and the metal working set-ups separate from each other. I don't want to mix metal filings and saw dust together on the machines- and don't want the chance for metal filings to find sawdust I might have missed during clean up and set it on fire....

Since I do more metal working than wood working, please contact me as I have modified Shopsmiths for a lot of metal working tasks. I am even in Florida so you may be able to visit my shop. Thanks.

Bill