Power Station w/Belt Sander

judaspre1982 · Post by **judaspre1982** » Thu Feb 04, 2010 5:02 pm

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JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu Feb 04, 2010 6:06 pm

judaspre1982 wrote:Hi
I need some info on the SS power station. I have the opportunity to get a model yr 2000 power station w/belt sander for $325.00. I really dont need the power station but I want the belt sander. Are the power stations a good power source for the SPTs or is it lack luster compared to the MK 5/V headstock? I am going tonight at 6pm to look at the setup. Also is $325.00 a reasonable price for the combo? I just dont know enough about either tool. Any info will help.
Thanks----Dave

The most significant 'difference' is the limited speed range.(850 - 3850)

This range is quite adequate for either sander and the band saw or jig/scroll saw.

The top speed is too slow for driving the jointer, but it is possible.

Its footprint is smaller than a mark 5/V.

I think you will like it and not regret purchasing it.

Check the motor bearings(they do require periodic oiling). EDIT > Recent manual says sealed bearings. Recent posts says bronze bushings. Check it out!

$325 is a fair price indeed considering your judgement re condition!

Do not overlook the ability to disc sand using an extension table.

judaspre1982 · Post by **judaspre1982** » Thu Feb 04, 2010 6:23 pm

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cincinnati · Post by **cincinnati** » Thu Feb 04, 2010 10:32 pm

Dave,

Keep us up to date what you find in the power station. Would be good info for the archives here.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Fri Feb 05, 2010 6:44 am

If the motor has oil cups on both ends - oil it. I could not tell the difference when I finally oiled mine - after fifteen or so years but I felt better.

Once that is done, I don't know what else there is to do in the way of maintenance.

If you feel compelled, you can check the belts for condition and then tension but the Power Station is pretty much maintenance free.

The point has been made that the speed is limited and is not adequate for use with the jointer but if you are doing anything on softer woods it works fine. Slow your feed rate and let the cutters work. It is NOT the power base of choice but we don't always get what we want.

Having it in the shop will give you some 'nice to have' versatility.

If you want to bog it down just get some mesquite to mill.

judaspre1982 · Post by **judaspre1982** » Fri Feb 05, 2010 4:48 pm

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dusty · Post by **dusty** » Fri Feb 05, 2010 6:18 pm

I will try to answer a couple of your questions about the Power Station (comments also apply to a Crafters Station).

I do not have to change the motor mount position to remove and reinstall belts. I remove the small pulley (off the end of the shaft) with the belts in place. To do this I change the speed control to High Speed. This loosens the back belt enough to allow the pulley to be pulled off the shaft.

Once that is done, the belts are very easy to maneuver on and off the pulleys. The speed control can now be changed at will.

You can see from these pictures that the belts are never really tight. There is a lot of slack in the belts and I suspect that slack contributes to the noise level when the unit is running.

One could pull the motor belt much tighter by repositioning the motor but there is NOTHING that can be done to modify the tension level on the other belt. That tension is set by the natural positioning of the sheaves.

I can not tell you how the belt tension was when the units were new. Way back then I wasn't smart enough to pay attention, let alone take pictures.

[ATTACH]7790[/ATTACH]
High Speed
[ATTACH]7791[/ATTACH]
Low Speed
[ATTACH]7792[/ATTACH]
Set Screw
[ATTACH]7793[/ATTACH]
Belt Tension

judaspre1982 · Post by **judaspre1982** » Fri Feb 05, 2010 7:25 pm

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dusty · Post by **dusty** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 5:24 am

You may very well be correct about the motor position but the advise comes much too late. I have had the motors removed from both units and made no attempt to record the original position.

As a result, I had to develop my own approach.

I tension the motor drive belt in the normal way with the speed control set at low speed. In this manner, the drive belt rides high in its sheave and the motor can be positioned for the desired deflection of the drive belt. I would estimate that at about 1".

That seems a lot when we normally look for belt deflection at 1/8" but that is where it seems to run the best.

I communicated with Nick when I purchased the Crafter's Station but was unable to gather any technical data other than what is in the manual.

Every thing seems to run with no problem but they are noisy. I think the noise and vibration that does exist is from the flutter in the belts.

judaspre1982 · Post by **judaspre1982** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 3:27 pm

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