Not sure if I am posting this in proper place or not. Don't do a lot of thread starting here, so if I am wrong I apolgize.
Some time back I purchased a lift assist unit and also a Power Pro unit. As happens life got in the way of things and neither has been installed. Browseing thru these forums I have a couple questions.
1. Is the lift assist a good benefit? Looks like if I install and want to use it it will quite frequently have to be disconnected in order to reconfigure my set-up with SS. Going from horizontal to vertical. A couple of posts even went so far as to say that they have found the best use of lift is as a paper weight on a shelf.
2 My Power Pro unit is still in box it arrived in, never opened. Would it be more beneficial to install Power Pro before Lift Assist? Hopefully life is going to allow me to do these upgrades, but I would like to do them in the most beneficial order.
I also had the caster upgrade and worked on it for an hour or so yesterday. Got one end of it completed now hope to finish the other end today. Yea instructions said if should only take about an hour. Somehow my age has caught up with me and I don't work as fast as I should. Instructions also said have someone help turn unit over. Well I am 72 and live and work alone so it is usually up to me to figure out how to make this happen by myself. Just takes a little longer, but I usually figure it out. Oh yea some people tell me I am to stubborn, which is probably true.
If someone has an answer to my questions I would appreciate them..
Lift Assist
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baysidebob
- Gold Member
- Posts: 299
- Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2006 1:06 pm
- Location: Bayside, Ca.
Lift Assist
I keep finding little windows on this forum, that I don't really know what they do. So sometimes I experiment. Probably shouldn't do that, I know in my shop it can get me into trouble.
Bayside Bob
Bayside Bob
I found with the use of a couple 2X4s to lift one end and a small 2X4 block under each side of the leg works beautifully. This frees up the original caster assembly so the screws can be removed. The new 3" caster and assembly can be installed in this position. Check my Ebay (billstoolz) listing for pictures. Of course, I had to set on the floor to drill the holes but it was much easier than turning the Shopsmith upsides down.
Bill Mayo bill.mayo@verizon.net
Shopsmith owner since 73. Sell, repair and rebuild Shopsmith, Total Shop & Wood Master headstocks, SPTs, attachments, accessories and parts. US Navy 1955-1975 (FTCS/E-8)
Shopsmith owner since 73. Sell, repair and rebuild Shopsmith, Total Shop & Wood Master headstocks, SPTs, attachments, accessories and parts. US Navy 1955-1975 (FTCS/E-8)
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baysidebob
- Gold Member
- Posts: 299
- Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2006 1:06 pm
- Location: Bayside, Ca.
Bill, thanks sounds like you and I both used similar methods. Luckily I have a short adjustabe roll around stool.
I keep finding little windows on this forum, that I don't really know what they do. So sometimes I experiment. Probably shouldn't do that, I know in my shop it can get me into trouble.
Bayside Bob
Bayside Bob
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dusty
- Platinum Member
- Posts: 21530
- Joined: Wed Nov 22, 2006 6:52 am
- Location: Tucson (Wildcat Country), Arizona
Lift Assist
Bob, I installed the new casters on my Mark V without turning it upside down or lifting it off the ground.
This was done with the Mark V resting on all four while I sat on the garage floor. Getting up when I was done became a task but that is for another story.
http://shopsmith.net/forums/showthread. ... ght=caster
As for when to install the lift assist, I don't believe that it makes much difference which is installed first. Neither installation will interfere with the other. However, I would get the lift assist installed before I had to go into drill press mode again. It made that task so much easier for this old man.
Good luck in getting this done. Wish I was where I could come and help.
This was done with the Mark V resting on all four while I sat on the garage floor. Getting up when I was done became a task but that is for another story.
http://shopsmith.net/forums/showthread. ... ght=caster
As for when to install the lift assist, I don't believe that it makes much difference which is installed first. Neither installation will interfere with the other. However, I would get the lift assist installed before I had to go into drill press mode again. It made that task so much easier for this old man.
Good luck in getting this done. Wish I was where I could come and help.
"Making Sawdust Safely"
Dusty
Sent from my Dell XPS using Firefox.
Dusty
Sent from my Dell XPS using Firefox.
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rjent
- Platinum Member
- Posts: 2121
- Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2014 3:00 pm
- Location: Hot Springs, New Mexico
The lift assist is worth it weight in gold. As far as the change for left side tilt, don't worry about it. It is a 2 second change. It is nothing and well worth the assist when going drill press ....
Hope it helps!
Dick
Hope it helps!
Dick
Dick
1965 Mark VII S/N 407684
1951 10 ER S/N ER 44570 -- Reborn 9/16/14
1950 10 ER S/N ER 33479 Reborn July 2016
1950 10 ER S/N ER 39671
1951 jigsaw X 2
1951 !0 ER #3 in rebuild
500, Jointer, Bsaw, Bsander, Planer
2014 Mark 7 W/Lift assist - 14 4" Jointer - DC3300
And a plethora of small stuff .....
"The trouble with quotes on the Internet is that you can never know if they are genuine." - Benjamin Franklin
1965 Mark VII S/N 407684
1951 10 ER S/N ER 44570 -- Reborn 9/16/14
1950 10 ER S/N ER 33479 Reborn July 2016
1950 10 ER S/N ER 39671
1951 jigsaw X 2
1951 !0 ER #3 in rebuild
500, Jointer, Bsaw, Bsander, Planer
2014 Mark 7 W/Lift assist - 14 4" Jointer - DC3300
And a plethora of small stuff .....
"The trouble with quotes on the Internet is that you can never know if they are genuine." - Benjamin Franklin
Oh yes the lift assist.
Yes the good news is that most of the time changes to vertical are a whole lot easier. I have mine on the machine unless I have issues where I feel I need to remove it. For some people it would stay on all the time, it just depends on what you need to do and how you can work around some of the issues.
It does have some "issues". Since the lift assist take up room on the right side of the machine it can make certain tasks more difficult. The main table is unable to slide fully to the right so making some cuts with the table set to 45 degrees less "doable".
Lathe functions with the universal tool rest can also be effected.
The other thing to keep in mind is the machine must be vertical to remove the lift assist so when you what to use the tilt on the other end you first must go vertical, unhook then with out the assist go back down. Same thing happens when you want to reattach the lift assist, you still must be able to to lift it without the assist to change over.
My solution for cases when the lift assist must be removed was to make some plastic collars so I can return it to the correct location and not have to mess with that adjustment.
Since you got the lift assist at the same time you got the upgrade they must have sold you the powerpro version. It wouldn't hurt to check before you start the assembly. If you have the wrong version give them a call and get the right one. If you were to do the lift assist before the powerpro being installed I would watch how fast it goes when lifting the lighter standard headstock, could be a problem but I'm not sure. For that reason I might go with the powerpro first.
Ed
Yes the good news is that most of the time changes to vertical are a whole lot easier. I have mine on the machine unless I have issues where I feel I need to remove it. For some people it would stay on all the time, it just depends on what you need to do and how you can work around some of the issues.
It does have some "issues". Since the lift assist take up room on the right side of the machine it can make certain tasks more difficult. The main table is unable to slide fully to the right so making some cuts with the table set to 45 degrees less "doable".
Lathe functions with the universal tool rest can also be effected.
The other thing to keep in mind is the machine must be vertical to remove the lift assist so when you what to use the tilt on the other end you first must go vertical, unhook then with out the assist go back down. Same thing happens when you want to reattach the lift assist, you still must be able to to lift it without the assist to change over.
My solution for cases when the lift assist must be removed was to make some plastic collars so I can return it to the correct location and not have to mess with that adjustment.
Since you got the lift assist at the same time you got the upgrade they must have sold you the powerpro version. It wouldn't hurt to check before you start the assembly. If you have the wrong version give them a call and get the right one. If you were to do the lift assist before the powerpro being installed I would watch how fast it goes when lifting the lighter standard headstock, could be a problem but I'm not sure. For that reason I might go with the powerpro first.
Ed
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baysidebob
- Gold Member
- Posts: 299
- Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2006 1:06 pm
- Location: Bayside, Ca.
The other day I posted that in had the upgrade of the 3" caster set, the Power Pro, and the lift asist to install on my SS.
Yestesday I finished the caster set, WOW what a difference to move it around the shop. I really like this improvement.
Today decided to do the Power Pro upgrade. Not really a lot to that one, so did manage to get it done today also. Didn't have time to try if out, so I hope I got it right and everything works alright.
So next I will tackle the lift assist. Looked at the instructions on line and it looks pretty straight forward. Hope I can get to it tomorrow, I'll give it a jolly good try anyway.
Want to thank everyone for the encouraging works, as I athink those always help. Special thanks to Dusty, as he offered, If he lived close enough to come over and give me a helping hand. Thanks Dusty that was a wonderful gesture.
When I unpacked my Power Pro I found it had been shipped to me 12-2012, so it really was time to get it on machine.
Did notice that my original head stock had a label on it that showed date of manufacture. Has anyone tried and been successful at getting this of to put on new PP unit? Or is it just not necessary?
Yestesday I finished the caster set, WOW what a difference to move it around the shop. I really like this improvement.
Today decided to do the Power Pro upgrade. Not really a lot to that one, so did manage to get it done today also. Didn't have time to try if out, so I hope I got it right and everything works alright.
So next I will tackle the lift assist. Looked at the instructions on line and it looks pretty straight forward. Hope I can get to it tomorrow, I'll give it a jolly good try anyway.
Want to thank everyone for the encouraging works, as I athink those always help. Special thanks to Dusty, as he offered, If he lived close enough to come over and give me a helping hand. Thanks Dusty that was a wonderful gesture.
When I unpacked my Power Pro I found it had been shipped to me 12-2012, so it really was time to get it on machine.
Did notice that my original head stock had a label on it that showed date of manufacture. Has anyone tried and been successful at getting this of to put on new PP unit? Or is it just not necessary?
I keep finding little windows on this forum, that I don't really know what they do. So sometimes I experiment. Probably shouldn't do that, I know in my shop it can get me into trouble.
Bayside Bob
Bayside Bob