Shopsmith Forums

PROBLEM SOLVED
I was in the shop for a few minutes doing some other stuff today and I just had to take another look at extra table support possibilities for the Push-me, Pull-me drill press. That would of course apply equally as well to any Mark V drill press mode job.
I couldn't believe how simple it turned out to be...
I grabbed an extension table and shoved it into the sockets so it can be locked in place with the regular twist locks. The extension table stuck out far enough to fall right under the right hand miter slot on the table. In drill press mode those sockets are more rigid than when in lathe mode since they are now also supported by the lower part of the pivot end casting as well. I pulled a heavy oak chair over by the unit and while balancing with the chair I put a "huge" part of my more than ample weight on that extension table. Zero flex... anywhere. Far more than adequate to support any drilling or mortising operation.
From this point there are dozens and dozens of support possibilities to support between the extension table and the main table outer edge.
Extremely rigid so that no diagonal bracing will be necessary.
No disturbing anything when moving the whole unit or in my case when using the other side.
The extension table sticking out is not in the way at all when the main table is in place, so you will not be walking into it.
I'm satisfied with this solution for me...

beeg wrote:I "THINK" I understand what your sayin Farmer. But a PIC wood be nice.

Yeah, I was wishing I had taken a camera with me. I couldn't convince myself to walk the 400 feet back to the house and then back to the shop through all of that ice and drifting snow.
I have an extra digital camera or two around here. I should just take one down there and leave it. They are not much but it would do for most stuff. I could just download any pictures on the shop computer and stick them on a flash drive to bring them to the house. If I try to keep carrying the camera back and forth it would always be at the wrong place.

robinson46176 wrote:PROBLEM SOLVED
I was in the shop for a few minutes doing some other stuff today and I just had to take another look at extra table support possibilities for the Push-me, Pull-me drill press. That would of course apply equally as well to any Mark V drill press mode job.
I couldn't believe how simple it turned out to be...
I grabbed an extension table and shoved it into the sockets so it can be locked in place with the regular twist locks. The extension table stuck out far enough to fall right under the right hand miter slot on the table. In drill press mode those sockets are more rigid than when in lathe mode since they are now also supported by the lower part of the pivot end casting as well. I pulled a heavy oak chair over by the unit and while balancing with the chair I put a "huge" part of my more than ample weight on that extension table. Zero flex... anywhere. Far more than adequate to support any drilling or mortising operation.
From this point there are dozens and dozens of support possibilities to support between the extension table and the main table outer edge.
Extremely rigid so that no diagonal bracing will be necessary.
No disturbing anything when moving the whole unit or in my case when using the other side.
The extension table sticking out is not in the way at all when the main table is in place, so you will not be walking into it.
I'm satisfied with this solution for me...

I am certain that you are satisfied that you have resolved your flex problem but I do not understand how.

With my unit in the drill press mode, I installed and locked in place an extension table. The extension table is certainly more stable than the main table but this does not seem to have done anything to stabilize the main table (in the drill press mode).

What am I missing.

PS after sitting and staring for a while. UNLESS......If you are planning to put extension tubes in the front and rear rails of the extension table and push them up under the main table for support then maybe I get the picture. Are these representative of your plan?

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dusty wrote:I am certain that you are satisfied that you have resolved your flex problem but I do not understand how.

With my unit in the drill press mode, I installed and locked in place an extension table. The extension table is certainly more stable than the main table but this does not seem to have done anything to stabilize the main table (in the drill press mode).

What am I missing.

PS after sitting and staring for a while. UNLESS......If you are planning to put extension tubes in the front and rear rails of the extension table and push them up under the main table for support then maybe I get the picture. Are these representative of your plan?

Yes your PS sort of covers it. Remember that I am working with the old table system on this unit. No rails like the 510's / 520's
I had included this sentence, "From this point there are dozens and dozens of support possibilities to support between the extension table and the main table outer edge."
My current thoughts are leaning toward a very simple screw jack (or two) made with a piece of pipe with a properly shaped end to connect securely to the main table and using several nuts on a piece of heavy "all-thread" that will slip inside of the pipe. I'll try to get some pictures tomorrow.
It occurs to me that anyone that has the Maxi-Clamp system could use that to support between the tables.
Lots of different possibilities.

Dusty: Is that a miter gauge slot on your extension table?

Michael

michaeltoc wrote:Dusty: Is that a miter gauge slot on your extension table?

Michael

I am knot dusty, but, yes that is a miter guage slot. Dusty found a way to attach it to the extension table. There is a thread around here somewhere...maybe dusty will oblige with it's location.

michaeltoc wrote:Dusty: Is that a miter gauge slot on your extension table?

Michael

Yes, that is a miter track on an extension table. I am getting ready to do the same with two more tables. I'm going to drill both sides of the tables so that a track can be moved from one side to the other.

This thread goes into boring detail on the history. Post #22 gets to the meat of it all.

Farmer, you do good. Though I am not tempted to create a copy of your push/pull arrangement, I was intrigued by your approach to improve stabilization. It works really well on my 520 and it would certainly be the same for a 510. You'll have to work out the details for the others.

I am thinking of ways to make it micro-adjustable when angles other than 90 degrees are needed.

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I exchanged extension tables so that I could use the support leg down to the floor. The miter track interfered. I understand, Farmer, that you don't intend to use this feature but I feel that this cantilever sort of arrangement allows for some stress on the extension table legs that can be avoided with this modified approach.

Thank you for the ideas. They work great.

One more example of the "erector set approach".

Dusty,

Are you concerned about the holding power of the extension table rail bolts? Seems like they'd really have to bite in to handle the downward pressure of the drill press that sometimes builds up.

What do you think the chances the rail bolts would either slip and gouge the rail tubes or have to bite the tubes enough to hold and leave a mark?

Jim