Lift assist

[cincinnati]

I got mine yesterday after being backordered since October. Can't wait to get it installed. I truly believe that the headstock is getting heavier as I get older!

Let us know your first thoughts

[8iowa]

Norman:

I too experienced what I thought was excessive lift on one tube. I was still dissatified after talking to customer service. Then I made things worse by removing the tubes to check them for straightness.

Thanks to Nick Engler's instructions I was able to correct both problems. I did not have the lift assist installed properly in the first place and then I found that the weld inside both tubes need to have the same orientation on both sides.

Now the lift assist works perfectly, and the headstock slides easily.

[JPG]

Norman:

I too experienced what I thought was excessive lift on one tube. I was still dissatified after talking to customer service. Then I made things worse by removing the tubes to check them for straightness.

Thanks to Nick Engler's instructions I was able to correct both problems. I did not have the lift assist installed properly in the first place and then I found that the weld inside both tubes need to have the same orientation on both sides.

Now the lift assist works perfectly, and the headstock slides easily.

What effect does the weld orientation have? Are the tubes not 'round'?

[friscomike]

Howdy,

I finally gave up trying to level the bed and disconnected the lift assist. I'll try again if my back starts hurting. It is more important to me for the saw to be level than for the lift to be easy. I'm only 63, lol.

Without the assist connected, the head stock glides with only the push of a finger. Since I can't tell where the welded seams are located, I don't know if they are oriented the same way.

Best,
mike

[dusty]

Howdy,

I finally gave up trying to level the bed and disconnected the lift assist. I'll try again if my back starts hurting. It is more important to me for the saw to be level than for the lift to be easy. I'm only 63, lol.

Without the assist connected, the head stock glides with only the push of a finger. Since I can't tell where the welded seams are located, I don't know if they are oriented the same way.

Best,
mike

Several of us have experienced difficulties after the installation of the lift assist. I haye to hear that your problem is bad enough that you have to give up (for now) on the effort.

I resolved my problem without knowing about the weld. I still do not know where the weld is located on my tubes. I did rotate my tubes but I did that for my own, non-technical reasons. I was attempting to redistribute the wear points..

Why does installation of the lift assist cause this problem? That is the question.

I don't know the answer but I surmise that during the installation the tubes are pulled/pushed out of parallel. Being that way, the headstock squeezes against the tubes making it hard to move. Just theory.

I do not understand how the weld would effect the tubes so I have not bought into that theory yet either.

I'm just thankful that mine is installed because I really need it. Hope you can get yours done also.

[michaeltoc]

What effect does the weld orientation have? Are the tubes not 'round'?

Yes - they are round, but not necessarily straight. The nature of welding the tube causes it to curve slightly. Suppose the way tubes were mounted with the curves in opposite directions. They would then be closer together (or farther away) in the middle, making the headstock harder to move at that point. By orienting the tubes so that the curves are parallel will enable the headstock to slide smoothly along the length. I'm not sure how this affects the lift-assist, but apparently it does.

I ordered my 2 weeks ago, but hopefully it will come soon.

Michael

[ryanbp01]

I have had mine since they first came out. Works with no problem.

BPR

[fjimp]

The first 520 I added the lift assist too gave me a few issues but seemed to correct itself after a few minor adjustments. I found comments about the tube welds interesting. On the second machine upon which I did a Lift Assist assembly. I had issues with the headstock sliding freely on the tubes prior to purchasing the lift assist. Someone likely Bill Mayo suggested I rotate the tubes one at a time to correct the non slide issue. I was very lucky and had made only two minor adjustments when the headstock began sliding more freely. Given my propensity leave success alone I ceased making adjustments. When I added the lift assist a few weeks later the install was far easier than on the first Mark V. I thank you foe explaining why the cure worked.

As to waiting for a backache to install the lift assist; sorry but I think that just me be a short sighted decision. That backache could be caused by lifting a headstock and render you incapable of enjoying your shop for a long period of time. An ounce of prevention is far easier to handle than a pound of cure. Jim

[robinson46176]

I studied them when they first came out and of course wished for one (like everything else) but then decided that I would use that money for other things. I have kept them in mind in case I felt later that I needed one. I am a modification design nut and quite frankly the lift assist while it has a few drawbacks (like the space it uses underneath) is not an easy device to redesign to improve it. I have looked at some options starting over from scratch but there just are not a lot of easy other options other than something pulling up from overhead. A lot of possibilities would be far more in the way than the Shopsmith lift assist.
It has been more of a curiosity to me than a need. A typical hay wagon floor is at least 3 feet up from the ground. I can still stand on the ground and throw 50# bales 4 levels high without having to climb up on the wagon to finish. Lifting a Shopsmith to drill press position is never a problem. That, of course could change quickly for any of us.
Now, with the push-me pull-me drill press I doubt that I will more than very rarely ever need to pivot one up to vertical. Still I like looking at them and thinking about possibilities.
Now if I wanted a lift assist it would be for the 10-ER... That sucker is heavy...

[jimthej]

When I first installed the lift assist, there was a problem with the carriage. It was very hard to move the carriage over to the lift assist. I was doing some turning at the time and under time constraints, so I strong-armed it. After I dismounted the Universal Lathe mount, I took the time to release the bolts on the way tube blocks of the lift assist and move the carriage a few times to see what would happen. Things got a little better. Then I did a triple wax of the way tubes. Yeah, I know new layers of wax just replace the prior layer. However, I find that recoats get better results than a single shot.
The wax job seems to have fixed it. Been almost 2 months and it is working great.
YMMV