Shorty or No Shorty

[nuhobby]

OPR at one end and Jointer at the other. Can this be a Shorty?

. . . .

There might be a good selling point there too. If I could convince her that since nearly all the parts are there already and all I need more is a couple hundred (or so) in order to have a complete OPR Station. Hmmm, timing is going to be all important.

Yes -- with a little extra work you can have the OPR and an accessory on a Shorty, see for example this idea:
https://forum.shopsmith.com/viewtopic.php?t=6384

For the challenge of convincing "the better half," lately I got a lot of entertainment from tractor restoration books by Roger Welsch. In a similar vein to his tractor tricks, you can convince her that a Shorty was less than half the cost of a full-length machine. And so on....

[robinson46176]

It would be easier to make the post in two(or more) interlocking pieces than elongate the SS.

I don't consider a post made in 3 pieces and sitting out in the blowing rain to be acceptable especially as porch post for stables.
Those big old butts sometimes swing around pretty hard. So do the horses. Kidding...
Actually my real concern would be a few roughneck boys (a couple come here) that would think nothing of running and grabbing a post and swinging around it throwing a serious horizontal load on one.

[pennview]

I've had a couple of thoughts on turning long stock on the Mark V. One way would be to bolt two Shopsmith together end to end with the second having the headstock removed. Two long 2x6s or 2x8s could be bolted to the four Shopsmith legs using the holes already there for mounting the shelf, with additional holes drilled if necessary for rigidity. Additional support could be had by bolting the bench tubes together using some "v" blocks, hose clamps, and stiff boards. You also could insert auxiliary tables in the adjoining ends of the Shopsmiths and then tie them together with a board clamped to the table tops. Putting tool posts in both carriages and then running a stiff board/angle iron between them would work for a tool rest.

Aligning the headstock and tailstock might be a challenge, but a laser pointer held in the chuck or one of those lasers used to bore site a rifle might help.

[JPG]

I don't consider a post made in 3 pieces and sitting out in the blowing rain to be acceptable especially as porch post for stables.
Those big old butts sometimes swing around pretty hard. So do the horses. Kidding...
Actually my real concern would be a few roughneck boys (a couple come here) that would think nothing of running and grabbing a post and swinging around it throwing a serious horizontal load on one.

Bore the 'sections' to accept a 2" iron pipe and use the pipe to align them. Then fill the pipe with concrete. I think that would take care of the horses ...ss(uh roughnecks).

[jsburger]

Depends on how you cut the tubes. I went to a metal fabrication shop and they cut them for free on their chop saw. Took about 30 seconds.

[dusty]

Depends on how you cut the tubes. I went to a metal fabrication shop and they cut them for free on their chop saw. Took about 30 seconds.

I have decided, mostly because of indecision on size, to not cut the tubes at all (for now). I am going to set it up in the shop, if I can find room, as a drill press. I think!:rolleyes:

[8iowa]

Dusty:

A wise decision.

[papahammer8]

i have 2 full size mk v's . 1 mini . but to save space i have a back storage room . to keep from making a second mini , i just drilled holes in wall at same height as the bench tubes. then i inserted the tubes into and put the leg back on and set it up as a drill press. with just a lil clearance from the wall. the leg asembly that is in the storage room . i store wood on. if i ever have need for it as a full size all i got to do is reverse what i did . just imagine the mk v in the drill press mode thats all u see on that wall. i built a cabinet to the left side to make all my bits handy hag1 jim

[farley]

that's smart, would love to see a pix

[alisfair]

OKOKOK I am not going to shorten my MV bed now. Sounds like a great idea thought since I am running out of room. I have two belt sanders, two band saws, 3 power stations, stand alone planer and stand alone jointer, delta table saw, floor model drill press. No I can't get rid of my tools, especially my
SS toys. Just purchased a 520 also. Wonder if I can use it when it is suspended from the ceiling of my shop?
Thanks for your advice too!
Tom