Retractable casters AND raise the height

[kmpres]

Hi guys, new member here. I have a Shopsmith Mark 510 that I bought new way back in 1986. A year later my employer sent me to Japan and I wasn't about to leave my Shopsmith behind so I took it with me - at their expense of course. I'm still in Japan and so is my Shopsmith, and it's quite possibly the only one in the country.

It's been a constant friend, and I've kept it upgraded over the years installing, among other things, larger casters and a power headstock conversion, but it's always had one problem. It's legs are too short for my 6'2" height and that makes it quite difficult for me to do any lathe turning. I need a way to raise the height of the machine just a few inches while still allowing it to roll around my tiny shop floor on casters.

Has anyone else had this problem and if so, how did you solve it? Simply putting the machine on blocks would raise the height but that would not allow the casters to extend far enough to move it around the floor.

Thanks for your help!

[Hobbyman2]

In our case my wife is around 5" , we made a platform for her to stand on .

[dusty]

I'm short and the Shopsmith table is too high (to be comfortable) for me. I guess that disqualifies me but I know of no other way to raise the quill height than putting some sort of risers under the legs (wheels).

[RFGuy]

I am 6'0" tall so I share your frustration for lathe operation. I don't have any good answers for you though. You may want to check out some of the ideas in the thread below regarding raising/lowering the height of your Shopsmith equipment. Personally, I would really like to have something like an autoquip lift (https://autoquip.com/products/scissor-l ... series-35/) where I could easily raise/lower my Mark V depending on the operation at hand. Unfortunately those aren't cheap. IF you primarily do lathe operation only, then you could consider to build a cabinet to replace the legs. Another alternative that has been suggested on the forum before is to build a small platform that the Shopsmith casters can roll up onto for lathe operation, but when doing tablesaw, e.g. you roll it off to lower the height. See JPG's comments on the 2nd link below.

viewtopic.php?p=265418#p265418

viewtopic.php?p=265528#p265528

[dusty]

I am 6'0" tall so I share your frustration for lathe operation. I don't have any good answers for you though. You may want to check out some of the ideas in the thread below regarding raising/lowering the height of your Shopsmith equipment. Personally, I would really like to have something like an autoquip lift (https://autoquip.com/products/scissor-l ... series-35/) where I could easily raise/lower my Mark V depending on the operation at hand. Unfortunately those aren't cheap. IF you primarily do lathe operation only, then you could consider to build a cabinet to replace the legs. Another alternative that has been suggested on the forum before is to build a small platform that the Shopsmith casters can roll up onto for lathe operation, but when doing tablesaw, e.g. you roll it off to lower the height. See JPG's comments on the 2nd link below.

viewtopic.php?p=265418#p265418

viewtopic.php?p=265528#p265528

Excellent idea! If the cabinet was build with an adjustable table height, it could solve my dilemma as well.

Now you have me thinking about setting my Shopsmith (without legs) on my Husky Work Bench which is adjustable.

[jmoore65]

What about building a box to go between the legs and the base mounts?

[chapmanruss]

Welcome to the Shopsmith Forum.

Instead of raising the Shopsmith for Lathe operations have you considering lowering yourself? I am 6' 2" also and find sitting on a stool to work well. Also it is more comfortable sitting with my bad back than standing in one place for any length of time.

[BuckeyeDennis]

I’m 6’3”, so my 520 table-saw height is great for me, but the lathe height is too low. I’m thinking that when I get around to installing the new upgraded casters, I’ll keep the brackets at their existing mounting height, and devise some “feet” to mount beneath the legs.

But this got me wondering: if you have the double-tilt upgrade (which I don’t), could removable riser blocks be designed for optional installation at the tilt points?

[kgfaro]

How about 2 dollies with locking casters seems simplistic but it's s cheap way to go with little change just bolt them to the legs

[GentlemanAdventurer]

I'm 6'5", and yes using the lathe is painful. I've used a tall stool in the past, and sat on it/leaned against it. Works ok for smaller projects.

Here are a couple of ideas I've contemplated. one is buying an extra set of legs off ebay or something and bolting or riveting them inside the current set about 6 inches down from the top, move wheels to new extension. Add some bracing (wood or metal between the new and old sides and it should be fairly stable at rest. Maybe a little top heavy when moving.

2nd idea; Build a 2x6 or 8 box to raise the SS. Angled in the front for some foot relief, or a cutaway of the front beam, for fool relief. Add after market removable casters to the outside of the box. Something like this: :https://www.rockler.com/rockler-workben ... ase-plates
Building the box option could allow you to add sand or gravel to the base. If you bolted the SS to the base, it could add some vibration dampening when turning larger objects.

Good luck. Keep us posted to your mods.