Just got a Power Station!

scooters · Post by **scooters** » Sat Sep 04, 2010 8:31 pm

Found a Power Station on Craigslist and bought it for $180!
It seems to work well and looks nearly new.

Any hints?

It did not come with a manual. I'm not a cheapskate, but is there enough in there to make it worth buying?

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Sat Sep 04, 2010 8:41 pm

scooters wrote:Found a Power Station on Craigslist and bought it for $180!
It seems to work well and looks nearly new.

Any hints?

It did not come with a manual. I'm not a cheapskate, but is there enough in there to make it worth buying?

It is over 40 pages thick. It covers mounting most of the SPT's in detail. It contains a speed chart(settings to rpm). Not much re maintenance.

Tis your choice. It isn't very $$$$. Add it to your next 'order'.

Check the motor for oiling holes and oil it if found.(not easy to get to!)

doug45601 · Post by **doug45601** » Sun Sep 05, 2010 9:17 am

The power station works well with belt sander, strip sander, bandsaw. It will drive the jointer but not very well.

I found my Power Station on ebay a couple years back with the casters. Cost me 150 pluse 40 shipping. Bought it in the summer time when wood working tools seem to be cheap.. Not had a bit of trouble out of it and the manual I received with it give a little maintenance upkeep, setup and speed settings.. Read it once and played by ear since.

Nice handy tool to setup your belt sander with..

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Sun Sep 05, 2010 9:40 am

Yep! Top speed too slow for jointer! Bandsaw is a squatter most of the time!

billmayo · Post by **billmayo** » Mon Sep 06, 2010 8:47 am

JPG40504 wrote:Yep! Top speed too slow for jointer! Bandsaw is a squatter most of the time!

Yes, this is the reason I sell the MINI (26 3/8" shorter tubes, no carriage) with the 3/4 HP motor (reversible) as a substitute for the Power Station. I find the 3/4 HP motor is excellant for powering any of the SPTs except the thickness planer.

shipwright · Post by **shipwright** » Mon Sep 06, 2010 10:42 am

This may just be a silly question but couldn't you sub a 3450 RPM motor if you wanted a power station for a jointer?

Paul M

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Mon Sep 06, 2010 11:07 am

shipwright wrote:This may just be a silly question but couldn't you sub a 3450 RPM motor if you wanted a power station for a jointer?

Paul M

Question NOT silly!(assuming you are unaware it is already a 3450rpm motor;))

The PS output speed range is 850 to 3850 rpm.

The SS aux output shaft(idler) is 1.6 the main output shaft.

The jointer recommended range(SS) is M to S (2400 - 3800) for various wood hardness and cut depth. Adjusting the settings for the main.idler ratio results in a range of 3840 - 6080rpm.

Also the Power Station motor is smaller. (3/4HP)

shipwright · Post by **shipwright** » Mon Sep 06, 2010 11:17 am

Assuming is always risky, but this time you were right. So why is this not a simple pulley ratio question?

Paul M

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Mon Sep 06, 2010 11:50 am

shipwright wrote:Assuming is always risky, but this time you were right. So why is this not a simple pulley ratio question?

Paul M

Hoo kay! BTW Good Morning! The power station has an adjustable speed contraption(a variable pulley that has fixed outer flanges and a movable center flange{quite similar in principle to the 10E/ER speed changer}) that varies the speed ratio between the motor and the output shaft.(It also has two belts as the 10E/ER has) All this is internal to a 'transmission housing' and is controlled by an external lever that slides the 'contraption' up and down relative to the motor and output shafts. The motor shaft is below the contraption, and the output shaft is above. The output shaft has a spring loaded floating sheave pulley. When the 'contraption' is pulled up(away from the motor shaft, the 'motor' belt is pulled deeper into the contraption thus moving the center flange causing the output shaft belt to move out towards the outside of the pulley and the output belt moves deeper into the floating shaft pulley.(this increases the output shaft speed) When the contraption is allowed to fall back down(by the external lever), the reverse occurs.

This is sorta like a Mark 5/V in reverse.(floating sheave on the output shaft, rather than the motor shaft)

The 'contraption' shaft is attached to a 'sled' that slides in very sloppy grooves. The sled is moved by the external control lever.

Sorry for all the 'Bloody' details, but I realize 'inquiring minds' feed on them!

Bon Appetit! Sorry about the French! Yer on the wrong side of the continent(make that near the coast of)! I do not know what the Scottish say!

shipwright · Post by **shipwright** » Mon Sep 06, 2010 12:02 pm

Sounds like a home made power station would be a whole lot easier, operating like a 10 ER without the speed changer. And I'm OK with French, Italian or English as you prefer.

Paul M

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