Shopsmith Mark V11????

[billmayo]

I suppose that good maintenance in this case would involve regular replacement of the bearing whether it was failing or not. On a Mark VII or a Mark V even without the bearing failing the temperatures can raise pretty high inside of the headstock during hard long run use. I have long given thought to installing a blower at the rear inspection port blowing filtered fresh air into the headstock (with maybe something like a 3" muffin fan) which would exit out the bottom slots and around the left side shafts. It would use something like a small automotive pleated air filter to keep dust out. It would also pressurize the inside of the headstock slightly which would keep dust from migrating in through other openings. It should make all of the headstock components run considerably cooler. By blowing directly on that cam it might even be enough to prevent it from melting before the bearing started making noise and you knowing it was getting bad. It would be about a $10 fan and a $2 filter...

Farmer; I cut a hole in the end of the motor pan (that is some hard metal) and installed a 4" 110 VAC muffin fan with half of a 4"X8" louvered vent cover with screen on the muffin fan input side to cool a DC motor that did not work out for me. I removed the muffin fan and left the vent cover over the hole.

I installed a 1 1/8 Shopsmith motor in the motor pan and use it on a headstock. I found the headstock operated much cooler and with very little sawdust inside the headstock after many hours of use. This motor pan hole seems to help eliminate any vacuum (may create a little pressure) inside the headstock preventing any sawdust coming in around all the small headstock openings. The Shopsmith motor really moves a lot of air for its cooling so I saw no need for the muffin fan.

[robinson46176]

From over on the other Shopsmith forum:

http://www.ssug.org/index.php?option=co ... 8&id=10618

Interesting...
Also an interesting question as far as price.
A fellow I was acquainted with years ago had a rare ancient automobile that needed a set of gears for the transmission. There were only a very small number of that car sold and there were only about 2 dozen or less known in the country when he was looking for gears. He finally found a company willing to make the gears but they wanted around $1200 per set and he had to buy 6 sets... He did manage to sell a couple of the extra gear sets and he wanted extras on hand for himself. When the dust settled he had his antique auto fixed at a scary cost and plenty of spares.
The big difference here is that his antique auto was considered virtually priceless but a nice Mark VII with a new cam is still only worth a couple of hundred bucks...
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How many Mark VII's were made and how many are still out there.
Mass produced in China by the millions that is about a .49¢ part. Hand produced a few at a time the cost is probably more that the limited market will bear to recover much of the hidden cost. That limited market also would vary wildly. For me and some others who wouldn't find making a single replacement by hand all that daunting, it would not be worth as much to us. For some others it might be their only salvation for a machine they love and that was maybe passed from father to son to grandson. For them it might be worth a $100.
Still others would say "What is a Mark VII?"

[mickyd]

Yes, the problem isn't really with the cam melting... It is not being able to order a new one and a spare...
I keep thinking I will take a cam off and take it to someone with a CNC mill and price having a few made but I just can't seem to get around to it. ......

Don't forget to make a good paper trace of the cam so that some of us creative ones and try duplicating it on our own.

[mickyd]

From over on the other Shopsmith forum:

http://www.ssug.org/index.php?option=com_kunena&Itemid=100005&func=view&catid=8&id=10618

The avatar shown on that post ssug post looks remarkable similar to ShopSmith user ryansm7 in post #56. The ssug user name is ryan.....
Ain't I observant

[robinson46176]

The avatar shown on that post ssug post looks remarkable similar to ShopSmith user ryansm7 in post #56. The ssug user name is ryan.....
Ain't I observant

That one was so obvious that I saw it last week even though he didn't post this one until today...
And I'm old and senile...

[robinson46176]

I walked down to the woodshop after I fed the horses this gloomy evening to see what info I could pull up.
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My best Mark VII...
Serial number 407887 - also says "Item Number 5000 21" (the 5000 is printed and the "21" is stamped in)
It says "Mark VII" on the serial number plate (printed) and it says "Mark 7" on the little plate under the switch. It also says "Mark VII" on the base box. It has a very obviously factory made second blade slot in the edge of the table.
It has a three pedal caster lift somewhat similar to a Mark V. The sides of the feet flare out.
It has all red plastic knobs.
The speed cam is good.
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My second (basically complete) Mark VII...
Serial number 400078 - No other numbers.
It says Mark VII" on the serial number plate (printed) and it says "Mark 7" on the little plate under the switch. It also says "Mark VII" on the base box.
I have not found its table yet to check it... I did find 7 Mark 5 tables and 9 Mark V headstocks, a jointer I had forgotten about and 3 jig saws. That dang table is here somewhere but I don't use it so it could have crawled under something bigger.
It has the 3 pedal caster lift set but also has about a 1" angle iron added across the ends to widen the base about 3 inches front and back. If it is not factory done it is quite neatly done with machine screws that look like they belong. Could this have been an optional accessory? The feet are straight down on the sides.
It has all red plastic knobs.
The speed cam is good.
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My Frankensmith...
Serial number unknown.
(Mark 5 [greenie] headstock, Mark V carriage and table and Mark V extension tables). I only have 2 Mark VII tables.
I have the remains of the original headstock but it had been stripped ofthe motor and speed changer parts. The PO had cobbled a crude heavy angle iron "bracket" (loose term) across the back and hung an odd motor on it and they were driving the quill with a vee belt pulley on the upper left output shaft on the drive sleeve assembly (just one speed). The belt cover (and serial # plate) was gone along with the motor pan and and all related parts.
I do not have a Mark VII table for it but it does have a Mark VII carriage. I can go either way on the table. It has a caster set where you lift the end of the unit and flip them either under the unit to roll or flip them over the top of the feet out of they way so it can sit on its feet. The feet are straight down on the sides. This caster set is of heavy construction and if it is not Shopsmith it is after-market made for the Shopsmith Mark VII. It is obviously not home brew.
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This is open and free information and anyone can feel free to move it, use it or share it with other sites.

[ryansm7]

On a Mark VII or a Mark V even without the bearing failing the temperatures can raise pretty high inside of the headstock during hard long run use.... By blowing directly on that cam it might even be enough to prevent it from melting before the bearing started making noise and you knowing it was getting bad...

I think the noise made by the M7 would be much higher than the noise made by a small bearing going bad. So detecting it would not be so easy (especially for those of us that have damaged ear drums). Also, a fan blowing would probably not provide sufficient cooling] I installed a 1 1/8 Shopsmith motor in the motor pan and use it on a headstock. I found the headstock operated much cooler and with very little sawdust inside the headstock after many hours of use. This motor pan hole seems to help eliminate any vacuum (may create a little pressure) inside the headstock preventing any sawdust coming in around all the small headstock openings. The Shopsmith motor really moves a lot of air for its cooling so I saw no need for the muffin fan. [/QUOTE]

billmayo; thank you for bringing up something very important; ambient temperature in the headstock housing; I did not consider that while making this batch of CAMs. The material used has a heat distortion temperature around 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The Shopsmith is in the basement where the temperature never gets above 75 degrees and the humidity is only about 30%.
Last night I ran a “shake and bake” test with 3 of the cams. And yep! The cams did distort at 200 degrees. So I’ve been looking at other materials.
Does anyone know how hot it gets in the headstock?

It looks like there is a new post over on the other Shopsmith forum:

http://www.ssug.org/index.php?option=co ... 8&id=10618


By the way, dusty, you are correct. I did see the similarity between Ryan & RyansM7.
Thanks for the help... and keep it coming

[riddler]

I just picked up the elusive Mark VII (elusive to me in Baltimore that is:) ) It looks as if the SPT's and table inserts from the Mark V are all compatible but that the shaper fence is insufficiently long. Did Shopsmith make a shaper fence for the Mark VII , and if so, does anyone have a spare they are willing to sell? Any info is appreciated. I love this site--there is a lot of enthusiasm and knowledge to tap into.

[SDSSmith]

I just picked up the elusive Mark VII (elusive to me in Baltimore that is:) ) It looks as if the SPT's and table inserts from the Mark V are all compatible but that the shaper fence is insufficiently long. Did Shopsmith make a shaper fence for the Mark VII , and if so, does anyone have a spare they are willing to sell? Any info is appreciated. I love this site--there is a lot of enthusiasm and knowledge to tap into.

There was a shaper fence that was unique to the Mark VII. I had one but have since let it go. I will see if I still have a picture of it.

[SDSSmith]

I just picked up the elusive Mark VII (elusive to me in Baltimore that is:) ) It looks as if the SPT's and table inserts from the Mark V are all compatible but that the shaper fence is insufficiently long. Did Shopsmith make a shaper fence for the Mark VII , and if so, does anyone have a spare they are willing to sell? Any info is appreciated. I love this site--there is a lot of enthusiasm and knowledge to tap into.

Here are pics of the Mark VII fence I had. As I recall it is in Pennsylvania now.[ATTACH]12770[/ATTACH]
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