Shopsmith Forums

scottss · Post by **scottss** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 1:38 pm

My question is with the shopsmith mounted opr do you raise the power plant above the router arm? In one of the sawdust session it look like the power plant had been removed.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 1:47 pm

Has there been a sawdust session that featured the OPR? I thought the first OPR session was this coming Saturday.

james.miller · Post by **james.miller** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 2:27 pm

In the first Sawdust Session on mortising it looked like the headstock had been removed, probably to make the video easier to see.

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 9:03 pm

scottss wrote:My question is with the shopsmith mounted opr do you raise the power plant above the router arm? In one of the sawdust session it look like the power plant had been removed.

You place the headstock toward the left side of the table before raising the tubes. Here's the manual - instructions are included. - http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/prod ... Router.pdf

I found it is quite a heft to lift this way without a power lifter. The only power lift I have is an "armstrong" type. It might be a good idea to remove the headstock for this operation. I hadn't thought of that before. You could give it a good cleaning while it is off.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 6:33 am

charlese

That is one of the first signs. I know you have heard others say that "something else" is one of the first signs but they weren't being completely truthful.

Finding it difficult to raise your Shopsmith up into the drill press mode is truely one of the first signs of needing that "lift assist" . Up until now, you were young and vital. Now you are beginning to be like many of the rest of us.

Get the Lift Assist. It is fantastic, especially for us oldees.

Not available in drug stores.

scottss · Post by **scottss** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 10:26 am

Another opr question. Can you mount a router under the table of the opr like the regular router table?

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 10:42 am

scottss

If it's not designed that way, I'd bet that changing it so that you can is not much of a problem. Looking at the picture, it looks as though no mod is required except for hanging the router (cutting a hole for an insert).

http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/cata ... router.htm

You'll get an answer from a definitive source soon. I know there are a couple OPR owners who participate here regularly.

Cutting a hole for the insert may weaken the table top. I don't know how thick it is. This would suggest a need for under-table reinforcement.

P.S. If this question doesn't get answered before then, it would be a good question for this week's HandsOnline Sawdust Session.

reible · Post by **reible** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 12:31 pm

Hi,

The router table mounts to the main table (saw top) so you may find that mounting a router below is not going to work very well.

The older version like I have is made to have a router in the arm and one mounted below. If I ever get to it I will post some "tricks" I have found to using that "feature" that will make you think just how special the old design is.

Of course the new version has a few "tricks" that the old one can not do... so if I were a rich man, a very very rich man, I'd own both.

Ed

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 12:42 pm

Ed

Is the OPR to which you refer different than the one depicted in the URL that I attached to my previous post?

I don't understand your statement about the router table's being attached to the main table being an issue that would preclude using an under table router.

I gotta go look at some of your photos.

P.S. That didn't work. Like you said, you have the old style pin router which is designed to function with an under table router as well.

reible · Post by **reible** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 1:26 pm

dusty wrote:Ed

Is the OPR to which you refer different than the one depicted in the URL that I attached to my previous post?

I don't understand your statement about the router table's being attached to the main table being an issue that would preclude using an under table router.

I gotta go look at some of your photos.

P.S. That didn't work. Like you said, you have the old style pin router which is designed to function with an under table router as well.

Hi,

Yes the old one is a stand alone unit and if you have looked at my pictures (I have a few of them dealing with this model) you can see it is like a typical router table with a twist, that being the overhead part. The overhead part operates on a single large post but the functional parts are very close to the modern one.

If you go to your link and go to the last picture you see what you get. The gray table pictured mounts on top of the main work table. The miter slots are used to position with the use of the sliding t-nuts. The work table height adjustment gives you in/out movement just like in drill press mode. You can also tilt the table (something missing from the old design) or you can tilt the table a whole 90 deg... Anyway just below the router table is the saw table.

Anyway you look at it they did not design it for having a router from below, this is not to say someone couldn't take an main table and do some cutting and what not to make it work but most people will not do that.

Ed

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