Shopsmith Speed?

[paulmcohen]

If I had room for all the power stands I would have the room for dedicated tools (I don't want to debate which is better), I am most intrigued by the hoist on another thread. For under $200 I can get a cable hoist and track and use it to remove SPTs from the Shopsmith and move them to a storage location without lifting a finger. Now I just need to work out the details.

I already have the lift-assist so lifting my 520 to drill press model it now trivial.

I did notice since getting the Kreg Fence (now that is is installed it is a huge time saver for me) on the Bandsaw installed it it more difficult to remove and store.

[tchwrtr55]

Ed:
Maybe you could give me some pointers on using the shaping attachment. I put the router attachement on my SS. Good thing I started with a practice piece of wood. I was doing some edging with and ogee bit of some kind. I had the speed cranked up pretty good. Anyway it took the wood out of my hand and pitched it out the garage door and twenty feet down the driveway, fairly early into it. I got out my table and router and have not had the heart to try routing with the SS again .

I think I have the shaper arbor as well. Witht he size of those shaper bits, that arbor would still be in the package.

I do not have a speed increase attachment.

Thanks

Mark

[Nick]

Mark, I woud need more details to understand exactly what went wrong during your routing operation, but here are some pointers that apply to both routing and shaping:

Routing and shaping operations normally require a great deal of speed. The higher the RPMs, the more cuts per inch; the more cuts per inch, the smoother the finished shape. One the whole, routing requires more speed than shaping for the simple reason that router bits have only two cutting flutes, while shaper cutters have three. Generally, shapers run at speeds of 5,000 to 10,000 RPM, while routers run at speeds of 10,000 to 30,000 RPM. The Shopsmith, with an unassisted top speed just over 5,000 RPM, is adequate for shaping but makes an anemic router at best. You need a speed increaser to do any serious routing.

Without the speed increaser, you can still rout safely and effectively, but you should not use bits over 1" in diameter. Larger bits tend to be "grabby" at low speeds and may pull the work from your hands. You should also feed the wood very slowly (to maximize the cuts per inch) and remove no more than 1/16" of wood with each pass.

The same is true of shaping without a speed increaser. Feed the wood slowly to increase cuts per inch. If you have to remove large amounts of wood, do it in several passes. The higher speed produced by the speed increaser allows you to work more quickly and produce a smoother surface.

With all good wishes,

[charlese]

Ed:
Maybe you could give me some pointers on using the shaping attachment. I put the router attachement on my SS. Good thing I started with a practice piece of wood. I was doing some edging with and ogee bit of some kind. I had the speed cranked up pretty good. Anyway it took the wood out of my hand and pitched it out the garage door and twenty feet down the driveway, fairly early into it. I got out my table and router and have not had the heart to try routing with the SS again .

I think I have the shaper arbor as well. With he size of those shaper bits, that arbor would still be in the package.

I do not have a speed increase attachment.

Thanks

Mark

Mark - I have used the shaper quite successfully. My use is mostly limited to picture frames. The shaper arbor is almost the same as the dado arbor except I think the screw is longer on the shaper arbor. The shaper/drum sander fence is a big help when shaping straight pieces. For curved pieces, use a starter pin and rub a rub collar. As for technique, I start the cut from the top - adjusting the quill downward for successive cuts. Different bits and different rub collars will give a wide variety of shapes. Nicks advice is excellent! Being kind of a touchy feeley kind of woodworker, I take my own sweet time and try to remove very little wood at each pass - probably a 32nd - never more than 1/16".

I've also, in the past used router bits with the Mark V without a speed increaser. This is less than an optimal operation, but good edge shapes can be done on the Mark V. It takes very small cuts at each pass and using all available safety equipment- the fence or a starter pin and especially the shield (555373). The downward movement of the quill works well with router bits.

ALWAYS FEED INTO THE ROTATION OF THE BIT!!

[tchwrtr55]

Thanks fellas;

It sounds like I was probably getting a little too aggressive with feeding wood into the bit. It was an ogee bit of some sort (I can not remember which one for sure). Probably larger then one inch. When I get the nerve up again I might give it another try. I had a real heart check on the last attempt

thanks again,

Mark