Shopsmith Forums

I believe the SS has some limitations but they are just that, limitations and NOT show stoppers..

Dusty, I like the way you worded that.
I had thought about the lift assist (injured left arm) and wondered if there were any limitations to the use of the Mark V once it was installed. (I had already heard of the issue regarding the storage cabinets underneath)Thanks for pointing one out in this thread.
Good luck with those cuts!

[quote="I had thought about the lift assist (injured left arm) and wondered if there were any limitations to the use of the Mark V once it was installed. [/quote"]

Be careful here, pinkey. I'm not sure that the lift assist has any effect on this issue. Someone who doesn't have the lift assist will have to confirm that. You can see from my photo attachments that it may because it limits rightward movement of the carriage. If I could move the carriage 2" further there may be adequate clearance.

If you have physical limitations that effect your ability to lift the Shopsmith to vertical, you want the lift assist. It should be on your next purchase order (IMHO). There's a table in the catalog that shows the lift weight required with and without the lift assist. There is about a 50% reduction stated there and I think that is conservative. Yes, there is some potential storage space lost. Once again, life is full of tough decisions!

Thanks Dusty, I'll have to do some more checking before dismissing the lift in that case.

What are you trying to tell us Dusty? Are you telling us the "limitations" you found are Not with the Mark V, but with the added accessories?

Going back to Tim's post he can get a 3" blade with the table at 45 degrees. Are you trying to tell us the Lift Assist puts some minor limitations on sawing a long board at a 45 deg. bevel? Are you also telling us that if you use a sliding crosscut table that adds to the depth limitation? With those two accessories added there is a 3/4" limit to how thick a board can be sawed in two?

Excuse me, but it seems if you were to choose not to use the sled, and instead used the miter gauge with an extension, you would have a sawing depth of about an inch and a half.

How thick and wide is the 42" long board you wish to saw? Or is it a hypothetical board?

If you have any lifting limitation, I would highly recommend the Lift-Assist. You can only install 2 of the Shopsmith cabinets under the Shopsmith with the Lift-Assist installed. I personally do not like anything under the Shopsmith that my shoes/feet/legs may touch and distract me while using the Shopsmith. The Shopsmith cabinets looks really good in a stacked position. Also, I have found a few bowed way tubes that may have resulted from dropping the headstock when going to/from the drill press position. Since I have dropped my original Shopsmith headstock a few times when doing a change of position, my next Shopsmith (purchased new in 1980 for $525) stays in a permanent drill press position (minus most of the frame now). A great solution if you have the room.

pinkiewerewolf wrote:Thanks Dusty, I'll have to do some more checking before dismissing the lift in that case.

charlese wrote:What are you trying to tell us Dusty? Are you telling us the "limitations" you found are Not with the Mark V, but with the added accessories?

Going back to Tim's post he can get a 3" blade with the table at 45 degrees. Are you trying to tell us the Lift Assist puts some minor limitations on sawing a long board at a 45 deg. bevel? Are you also telling us that if you use a sliding crosscut table that adds to the depth limitation? With those two accessories added there is a 3/4" limit to how thick a board can be sawed in two?

Excuse me, but it seems if you were to choose not to use the sled, and instead used the miter gauge with an extension, you would have a sawing depth of about an inch and a half.

How thick and wide is the 42" long board you wish to saw? Or is it a hypothetical board?

No, it is not hypothetical. The stock is a full 3/4" thick and either 6", 8" or 9 1/4" wide. Purchased rough cut and surfaced planed to thickness.

Yes, if I remove the sled from the equation, I have more depth of cut, (about 1/2") as stated earlier. But I sort of like the cross cut sled that I have and I use it whenever I can.

If I can't, I'll have to use the rip fence on a floating extension table and extension tubes.

Yes, the lift assist MAY be a contributor. See the photos and an earlier post.

charlese wrote:...

Going back to Tim's post he can get a 3" blade with the table at 45 degrees. ...

In looking at he pictures you posted, yes, the lift assist is causing the problem you are having. That final few inches not available on the tubes IS causing your problem.

If I were you, Pinkie, I'd get the lift assist. (It's on my wish list, but more towards the bottom right now.) Ask yourself how many times you will need to cut a 45 degree bevel, and how many of those will be greater than 3/4"? For most people, the answer is few and even fewer. And for that probably once in a lifetime occasion, YOU CAN STILL TAKE THE LIFT OFF and replace it when you are done.

Hawk

dusty wrote:No, it is not hypothetical. The stock is a full 3/4" thick and either 6", 8" or 9 1/4" wide. Purchased rough cut and surfaced planed to thickness.

Yes, if I remove the sled from the equation, I have more depth of cut, (about 1/2") as stated earlier. But I sort of like the cross cut sled that I have and I use it whenever I can.

If I can't, I'll have to use the rip fence on a floating extension table and extension tubes.

Yes, the lift assist MAY be a contributor. See the photos and an earlier post.

Dusty,

Looking at picture 5 again, I noticed that your lift assist is about an inch or more from the end of the tubes. If you snugged it right to the end, that MIGHT give you enough play to solve your problem without any further work. If you look closely at that picture, moving the edge of that table that far away from the end looks like it would give you the necessary clearance

Another way to handle it would be an aux fence bolted to your miter gauge. That would give you the extra half inch to make sure that you got completely through the stock. Not as good as the sled, but very workable.

Third option would be to make your own sled of 3/8" or even 1/4" ply.
1) Put the bar on the ply, making sure that the ply WILL run through the blade. (The bar can simply a piece of the 3/8" ply cut to the width of the miter slot.)
2) Run the ply through the blade, creating a zero tolerance sled.
3) Using the cut edge, mount a fence, making sure it stays square.
4) Have fun cutting

You don't want to use the rip fence on a cross cut.

Hawk

dusty wrote:Be careful here, pinkey. I'm not sure that the lift assist has any effect on this issue. Someone who doesn't have the lift assist will have to confirm that. You can see from my photo attachments that it may because it limits rightward movement of the carriage. If I could move the carriage 2" further there may be adequate clearance.

If you have physical limitations that effect your ability to lift the Shopsmith to vertical, you want the lift assist. It should be on your next purchase order (IMHO). There's a table in the catalog that shows the lift weight required with and without the lift assist. There is about a 50% reduction stated there and I think that is conservative. Yes, there is some potential storage space lost. Once again, life is full of tough decisions!

Hi Dusty,
I have not yet installed the lift-assist on my Mark V: I went back to the shop and moved everything around. I still have 3" of blade and I can lower the table down to just above the saw arbor with the stock that I am cutting completely clearing the SS down to the floor.

brown_hawk wrote:Dusty,

Looking at picture 5 again, I noticed that your lift assist is about an inch or more from the end of the tubes. If you snugged it right to the end, that MIGHT give you enough play to solve your problem without any further work. If you look closely at that picture, moving the edge of that table that far away from the end looks like it would give you the necessary clearance

Another way to handle it would be an aux fence bolted to your miter gauge. That would give you the extra half inch to make sure that you got completely through the stock. Not as good as the sled, but very workable.

Third option would be to make your own sled of 3/8" or even 1/4" ply.
1) Put the bar on the ply, making sure that the ply WILL run through the blade. (The bar can simply a piece of the 3/8" ply cut to the width of the miter slot.)
2) Run the ply through the blade, creating a zero tolerance sled.
3) Using the cut edge, mount a fence, making sure it stays square.
4) Have fun cutting

You don't want to use the rip fence on a cross cut.

Hawk

Thank you, hawk, for your observations and comments.

Yes, if I did not have the lift assist we would probably not be having this discussion. It does look as though there would then be clearance. If I could move the lift assist hardware as you suggest, I might also gain clearance but I am unable to move that bracket. If I put the bracket up against the base arm, per the installation instructions, I am unable to attach the compression cylinder.

I can also gain some depth of cut by doing without the crosscut sled. I really don't want to do that but I may have no choice.