Time to plan the shorty shopsmith

[reible]

I have a spare headstock from a powerpro upgrade the I decided to get off my shop floor and put to use. I have the left over parts from a 500 to 520 upgrade and spare parts from a dual tilt upgrade.

I picked up a set of legs off ebay and have some tubes on order as of today. They should be here next Friday or so which is fine because I can't deal with them now anyway.

Still going to want some casters but I think that should about do it if I can find everything. Might need a few things as I don't have a list to work off of as to what I actually have nor one of what I need. I think I will need the hardware for the tube mounting, should have gotten that order in while the 5% sale was on but it wasn't on my list......

Conciseness has been that a cut off of 18" leaves you a pretty functional shorty. Right now I'm thinking that should be fine for me and even if I plan to put the unit in storage this fall it will make moving the parts around easier.

I have a portable bandsaw to cut the tubes with, haven't cut metal with it yet but got blade a while back at the Menard's 11% off sale. Since I don't need the cuts offs I could do a practice cut before doing the real cut.

I do have a few questions that might be things that some one here can answer.

Is there room to mount the Universal Lathe Tool? I've only mounted mine on my 520 but I think I remember them working on 500 as well???

How about the lathe duplicator table?

The Ring Master?

Anyone have it set up as a dual tilt, that would make it a router table/shaper if it the motor were reversible? And the table leg issue would need to be solved, maybe more effort then what it would be worth.

I was thinking it might be useful to have a reversible motor but to be honest I don't recall which motor this unit has so that might not be something I can even do. Does anyone have that functionality on their shorty? Lathe sanding and the likes, certainly not critical.

Don't see using it for a drill press but perhaps the sanding drum and or Oscillating Drum Sander?

From those that have done this anything else I should be thinking about? Like what else do you mount on it?

Ed

[ERLover]

Ed, I luv ya the same as Skou, take a break!!!! Pain meds are still clouding the brain a bit? I know cant be making saw dust but the brain wants to.
I took a Greenie to a shorty, I took off 16" or 18", I did not want to over do it, so I think 16", but cut them in a machine shop horizontal band saw, lube and hydrolic drop rate on the blade, it took more time to bring the tubes into the shop then the cutting!
With that said, I have my belt sander on one side, other side is set up for flat and conical sanding disc. Never been happier with the results, could have made it even shorter for that, but wanted to keep options open for horizontal boring on it too.

[jsburger]

I cut 18" off of mine and it works just fine. I use it mostly as a sanding station. Belt, strip and disk. One thing to keep in mind is that if you cut more than 18" there will not be enough room to use the disk sander off the side of the table only through the table slot. Using it off the side is handy sometimes because it gives you a larger table surface.

As for drill press, it works OK but is a little light on the back end. You can cause it to tilt buy pushing real hard on the front of the table. I don't use it in drill press mode any more because I have two dedicated drill presses, a 10ER and a MK V. However, when I did use it in drill press mode I always used the telescoping legs to support the table. That totally eliminated the tilting issue.

[RobertTaylor]

I cut 16" from my tubes with a "pipe cutter". I used 510 carriage but with a 500 carriage it should work with 18'. the pipe cutter gave a nice smooth square finish to the tube ends.

[jsburger]

I cut 16" from my tubes with a "pipe cutter". I used 510 carriage but with a 500 carriage it should work with 18'. the pipe cutter gave a nice smooth square finish to the tube ends.

FWIW, a 510 carriage works fine with 18" cut off. That is what mine is.

[RobertTaylor]

I cut 16" from my tubes with a "pipe cutter". I used 510 carriage but with a 500 carriage it should work with 18'. the pipe cutter gave a nice smooth square finish to the tube ends.

FWIW, a 510 carriage works fine with 18" cut off. That is what mine is.

Thanks John. I used the 16" cutoffs for a model 510 "drill press" only machine, carriage and headstock on backwards. I feel that the front leg is still is in my way, need to shorten the tubes even more.

[jsburger]

I cut 16" from my tubes with a "pipe cutter". I used 510 carriage but with a 500 carriage it should work with 18'. the pipe cutter gave a nice smooth square finish to the tube ends.

FWIW, a 510 carriage works fine with 18" cut off. That is what mine is.

Thanks John. I used the 16" cutoffs for a model 510 "drill press" only machine, carriage and headstock on backwards. I feel that the front leg is still is in my way, need to shorten the tubes even more.

I did exactly the same think with my 18" cit offs. I don't find the leg to be in the way because my foot fits under the arch in the leg and the other foot is outside the leg.

[reible]

I cut 16" from my tubes with a "pipe cutter". I used 510 carriage but with a 500 carriage it should work with 18'. the pipe cutter gave a nice smooth square finish to the tube ends.

I have a pipe cutter but have never tried it on large tubes. I know it works for 1-1/2" pipe and might work for larger. Have to dig it out once I have the weight restrictions lifted, I think it by itself is heavier then I should be lifting. I do think I know here it is anyway. Not for sure sure but most of those bits I have stored in one location.

How did you hole the tubes? I have a pipe clamp for water pipe but I think it will mark up the tubes...........

Got a shipping conformation on the tubes and they should be here this Friday.

I have left over parts from my 500 to 520 upgrade so this will be a 500 table/carriage arrangement so the 18" still seems good to me.

Ed

[JPG]

[quote="reible" . . .

How did you hole the tubes? I have a pipe clamp for water pipe but I think it will mark up the tubes...........

. . .

Ed[/quote]

Right hand pulling the pipe cutter.

Left hand holding/rotating the tube.


Light cuts!!!


The tubes are harder than 'pipe'.

[ChrisNeilan]

When I made my shorty I found the fastest and easiest method was to grab my sawsall and just cut them. Used a standard blade. Then sanded the cut smooth and square on 12" sanding disk. Took all of five minutes max and both were done.