Cabinet base for the Mk5

[johnhunter]

Hi, I am from Melbourne Australia and have owned a Mk5 since 1981. Just recently I decided to make a cabinet with drawers underneath to sit the main body of the machine on and dispense with the metal legs. I figured this would utilise the space under the machine more efficiently. Has anybody else done this? If so some pictures would be appreciated.
johnhunter

[algale]

Welcome to the Forum. There are a couple of different approaches. One is to keep the Shopsmith as is and build a cabinet that slips in underneath and hangs from the so-called bench tubes. Shopsmith even published a plan for this design which is posted on the Forum somewhere. Another approach is to remove the Shopsmith legs and mount the castings directly on its own cabinet. I will see if I can find the photos and repost them here.

EDIT: Check out this thread on the forum. Several ideas. Haven't found the plans yet. http://www.shopsmith.com/ss_forum/viewt ... e&start=10

[mbcabinetmaker]

Yes welcome! You will get good advice here!

[db5]

There are advantages to both and disadvantages. Disadvantages first: Keeping it as is means less storage space. Combining them means less mobility. I've seen three options, separate, combined and attached, that is hanging from the tubes. After careful consideration I opted for separate so I could move the SS easily and have access to the under SS storage. I gave up some storage space but found those inches were not important. This allowed me to have space above the cabinet to store floor mats and space below to receive a cutoff table. My problem was space. If space is not an issue then keep your options open and consider all suggestions. If you want pictures of what I have PM me and I'll send them.

[edflorence]

Hi John;

Just thought I would throw another idea into the mix - instead of cabinets under the Shopsmith, I opted to hang a tray from the legs. My reason for doing this was that I find I move the Shopsmith frequently and I did not want either heavy cabinets hanging from the tubes or cabinets I would have to deal with when moving the Shopsmith to and from its parking spot against one wall of the shop. My shop space is small (11 x 20) and am always turning the machine one way or the other to get the best light or to make room for ripping long pieces or to get from under the dust collector so I can set it up in drill press mode, and so on. But, I still wanted a way to keep featherboards, allen wrenches, extension cords, push sticks etc etc all close to hand. The attached photos show how I bolted a tray to the legs...this proved to be a good solution as it is light, convenient, holds a lot of stuff and does not hinder moving the machine. A fringe benefit that I did not discover until the tray was installed is that when using the table saw mode, the tray catches almost 100% of the saw dust that the dust collector misses. It is quick and easy to vacuum the dust out of the tray and really cuts down on the amount of floor sweeping. I liked the first tray so well I have also installed a smaller version on my new Mini.

Mini-Tray.jpg (59.05 KiB) Viewed 6319 times

Mk-V-500-Tray.jpg (96.99 KiB) Viewed 6319 times

[beeg]

Well here's the plan for underneath.

[rjent]

Hi John;

Just thought I would throw another idea into the mix - instead of cabinets under the Shopsmith, I opted to hang a tray from the legs. My reason for doing this was that I find I move the Shopsmith frequently and I did not want either heavy cabinets hanging from the tubes or cabinets I would have to deal with when moving the Shopsmith to and from its parking spot against one wall of the shop. My shop space is small (11 x 20) and am always turning the machine one way or the other to get the best light or to make room for ripping long pieces or to get from under the dust collector so I can set it up in drill press mode, and so on. But, I still wanted a way to keep featherboards, allen wrenches, extension cords, push sticks etc etc all close to hand. The attached photos show how I bolted a tray to the legs...this proved to be a good solution as it is light, convenient, holds a lot of stuff and does not hinder moving the machine. A fringe benefit that I did not discover until the tray was installed is that when using the table saw mode, the tray catches almost 100% of the saw dust that the dust collector misses. It is quick and easy to vacuum the dust out of the tray and really cuts down on the amount of floor sweeping. I liked the first tray so well I have also installed a smaller version on my new Mini.

Mini-Tray.jpg

Mk-V-500-Tray.jpg

What an outstanding idea! Looks great!

[rcplaneguy]

How do you keep sawdust out of the fixed trays? I like mobile separates for that reason.

[edflorence]

I like those trays on wheels...clever idea. I have a clamp rack on wheels, and one of these days I would like to have all my lathe tools on a wheeled "tool tower"...one of these days. As far as keeping dust out of the fixed trays, I don't. I like the way they catch the dust before it hits the floor. Easy to vacuum the trays with the dc.

[kenharry]

I'm finally getting around to building an under cabinet for my Mark VII. I'm using the plans posted elsewhere (the hanging cabinet), but have a question for those that have made one. From the dimensions I see, the "ears" - that go around the lower tubes, are high enough that the SS cannot roll past it. I'm thinking of changing the layout of it so there is instead basically an inverted U that drops over the tubes and then attaches to the cabinet. This way they could be disconnected and the SS rolled away, or the cabinet (I'm planning on casters). Comments?