Questions for the experts on Upgrading to Powerpro

[everettdavis]

You have received a great bit of information and all of it has value.

My thoughts are expressed in the attached graphic.... Some say a picture is worth a thousand words.

When you buy your headstock / dual tilt upgrade, and do upgrade your father's gift to you, consider adding $149.99 for a Shop Deputy Work Center Conversion Kit.

Then you have both, a full feature set in the Power Pro, and your original headstock in a highly flexible, functional workstation.

Just my two cents, and your $150. Your dual tilt upgrade will provide you new base / tilt, and you reclaim the old for your Shop Deputy.

Shop Deputy.png (423.15 KiB) Viewed 7570 times

[dusty]

Thank you, Everett. You may have unknowingly just given me some very good advice. With my pending downsize I have been wondering about where I was going to store a lot of my "stuff".

You may have shown me a solution. It will not be a Dust Deputy per se but rather my Shorty mounted on a set of three or four row around cabinet like your post shows (three of the old vintage Shopsmith cabinets.

[jsburger]

Dusty, JPG, Thank you! This is exactly the sort of input I was looking for!!

I'm going to have to save up no matter when I upgrade, so as you say, there's no Hurry to make that change.

I've got a couple of lesser cost upgrades I'll seriously consider also:

the Universal Tool rest package is first, closely followed by a Nova G3 chuck (amazon though, saving $100 vs the mother ship price for that)

my shop is tiny (as compared to some I suppose), so the first thing my Dear Wife said when I told her I was bringing home the mark V was 'where are you going to put That??? Having 'slept on' that question, my answer is 'Right where my current lathe stand is... the Midi and the shop built stand will disappear and the Mark V will fit in the same spot!'

I've got another project in mind that will free up some space in the shop... by adding a small shed to the shop. I forgot to mention that I already have a DC-3300 in the shop, but my plan is to bump out a lean-to shed near my shop entrance for the DC, (with the remote foot switch to turn it on) which will free up some valuable floor space. Adding about 10sf to my 240 sf shop, doesn't sound like much, but...

I'm also excited to get the Mark V home so I can put the band-saw to use!



Dusty,
this is a major upgrade to my shop 'as is'. I see the powerpro as a refinement that will make it just 'that much' better. I'll check out the double tilt addition, though at first glance I don't see any huge advantage.

JPG +1 on the IIWM bit. I'm leaning heavily toward scrimping and saving up for the new headstock and keeping the old one. let me see if there's room on the credit card... um, NOPE not today. (darnit!)

Thanks again for the input, keep it coming!

Welcome to the forum Ned. Every one has given very good advice. I have nothing to add that hasn't been said already. At the end of the day it is your decision.

I will say one thing concerning the Nova G3 chuck. When you buy from SS you get the pin jaws and the SS adapter included. If you buy from anyone else you will have to buy as a minimum the SS adapter. The pin jaws and adapter are around $70 together so you should take that into consideration when you make your purchase. Also SS puts the chuck package on sale at various times.

Again welcome. You will find a wealth of information here.

[wa2crk]

Hi and welcome
If you are considering a Power Pro headstock just for the digital readout when lathe turning I have a different opinion. Lathe speed becomes a personal preference and a feel thing rather than an absolute number. After you get a little experience in turning you will set the speed by feel and how the tools are cutting and the numerical readout becomes almost meaningless. I never look at the speed number when I use the PP. I also have a Delta 46-460 VSR lathe which has three speed ranges with a 0 to 10 calibration on the dial with no numerical readout. Anyway my personal thoughts.
Bill V

[dusty]

Does anyone here on the forum have a Shop Deputy?

[jsburger]

Does anyone here on the forum have a Shop Deputy?

I don't have one but here is my take on it. You are paying $150 for two 26" way tubes. You are using your original head stock and end castings.

You can buy a set of way tubes and the end castings on eBay for not any more than that if you are patient.

Having said that, the add says all hardware. Unless SS has changed the double tilt upgrade the new end castings do not come with the bench tube clamps and bolts. You use the ones from your old end castings. So you would also have to buy them. I used my old end castings and head stock to make my dedicated drill press. I got the bench tube clamps from Bill Mayo.

Well, I just looked at the Shop Deputy page and it does not show bench tube clamps in the "whats included" picture so maybe the double tilt upgrade includes them now. So you are paying $150 for two 26" bench tubes and 4 bolts, nuts and washers.

[NedB2]

Welcome to the forum Ned. Every one has given very good advice. I have nothing to add that hasn't been said already. At the end of the day it is your decision.

I will say one thing concerning the Nova G3 chuck. When you buy from SS you get the pin jaws and the SS adapter included. If you buy from anyone else you will have to buy as a minimum the SS adapter. The pin jaws and adapter are around $70 together so you should take that into consideration when you make your purchase. Also SS puts the chuck package on sale at various times.

Again welcome. You will find a wealth of information here.

Thanks John!

I've already started down the 'Nova' rabbit hole, and have a set of pin jaws. SO while a second set wouldn't be bad, $110 for a G3 with insert at amazon with 2" jaws is fine.

[NedB2]

I think Dusty gave you very sound advice! Get machine clean it up, oil and lube it and use it.
Get to know and understand the machine, then and only then make your decision.
If you then do decide to upgrade you also better know which option to take.
Personal opinion, if I was only interested in just the variable speed aspect of the lathe function I would probably buy a Nova lathe and save money.

Ed, the more I think about it, the more I like how you think!


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[NedB2]

Well I got a little help the day before yesterday, And loaded the Mark five in my Prius. Managed to fit it all in in one trip.





Turns out I have a complete mark V Plus several extra tables and other spare parts dad picked up at a auction somewhere. Unfortunately it is about to snow here, following a heavy soaking rain. The Shopsmith is going to live in my car until at least Wednesday of next week.The soft ground means I can’t back up near my shop, and the 6 to 8 inches of snow that is forecast tomorrow I needs a day or so to melt.before I even attempt to try walking all of the parts to the back yard.


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[videobear]

I'm a Shopsmith Upgrade Addict. Started out with a 1970's vintage Mark V. Now it is essentially a Mark 7...double tilt, PowerPro, 520 table and rails and fence, etc. Plus the Lift Assist, new casters, and all the upgrades to the various special purpose tools!

I've enjoyed every upgrade, including the PowerPro. However, I must say that while I love the PowerPro's smooth, quiet operation and extra power, I really do NOT like the membrane keypad and low resolution LCD display. Plus the electronics represent a non-user-fixable point of failure. I miss the simplicity of the Mark V's mechanical speed control.

Definitely worth considering ALL the aspects of your options!