Flexible shaft

[bing5]

I sent them an email to try to get an answer. It looks like all of their units will fit the motor end of the Shopsmith but what is not clear is what you get on the hand-piece end and in the applications we are looking at does the HP matter?

Some of the lower HP units are a lot cheaper and are available with shorter shafts.

Yes you may be right - however I have used a 1/3 HP
spindle sander and it could have used more guts - thought that the combination of torque/hp and an infinatly variable speed might make more powerfull sculpting tool much like the suhner brand :

http://www.suhner-abrasive-expert.com/s ... sprache=EN

[bing5]

I took a closer look at the description/drawings, and it appears it does have a female 5/8" connection on the driven end.

The accessory end has a 9/16" threaded fitting. I do not know about adapting it to ss hubs.

The power of the motor is not so much a concern as is the rpm's.

Thanks don't shopsmiths go down to 700 and up to 5200rpm - thought wood sanding and grinding etc would be arond 800 - 1200 rpm ?

[JPG]

Thanks don't shopsmiths go down to 700 and up to 5200rpm - thought wood sanding and grinding etc would be arond 800 - 1200 rpm ?

That would be a reasonable speed range. Faster rpms would be problematic!

[gregf]

I don't sky dive and I avoid talking back to my wife...

Skydiving is safer.

(80 some jumps btw)

[tom_k/mo]

[quote="gregf"]Skydiving is safer. ]

My brother-in-law was a Aircraft Commander (pilot) of a C130 in the USAF. I asked him one time if he'd ever jumped... He said "There's absolutely no reason to jump out of a perfectly good aircraft"

[robinson46176]

That would be a reasonable speed range. Faster rpms would be problematic!

One we used for years during the 1940's and 50's and another I built on a stand (4H project) about 1957 both were powered by common 1750 RPM motors. I think they were 1/3 HP washing machine motors. The later one used a new Craftsman flex-shaft. I don't recall what the old one was. It was pretty old when my father got it during WW II. It had been used in a friends service station for many years with a small but wide wire wheel to buff tires and inner-tubes for patching. That was all we ever used it for. You use and patch a lot of tires on a farm.
The one I built we used a lot for grinding operations and with a 6" very heavy wire wheel. They fell out of used when electric hand drills became affordable for home shops. It seems funny today to think that it was that recent that hardly anybody had small electric hand drills. We had a big 1/2" hand drill which was very heavy to wrestle around for small stuff and geared very low. I got my first 1/4" drill kit for Christmas 1963 and I thought it was big money then. Today I have somewhere around a dozen of them and we look at them as a disposable item. Its been a long time since I used a flexible shaft for anything.

[bing5]

This is the responce from SS to a request to information on compatibility of flexible shafts to ss machines.

"We do not carry any flexible shafts for the MarkV. We do not have any one we can reefer you to. Sorry"

Not so helpfull so far.

[paulmcohen]

I took a closer look at the description/drawings, and it appears it does have a female 5/8" connection on the driven end.

The accessory end has a 9/16" threaded fitting. I do not know about adapting it to ss hubs.

The power of the motor is not so much a concern as is the rpm's.

Answer from Elwood's

Thank you for your interest in Elwood's Wyco Flexible Shafts. The shafts are designed and typically applied for motors with horsepower as listed on our flexible shaft specifications. Please refer to the following link:http://www.elwood.com/wyco_construction.shtml

Shaft hand pieces are finished with an 9/16"-18 thread. We offer a variety of arbors that mate directly to the hand pieces. The arbors adapt the shaft for use with many common accessories. Please refer to the following brochure that shows a partial list of arbors available (p. 2, bottom-half).

http://www.elwood.com/wyco_shaft_machine.pdf

---
The have units rated over 1 HP with 5/8" female connections.

[robinson46176]

Here is another flexible shaft application.
The second picture on this page is the most clear.
http://www.daviddrewmp.com/local/news.aspx?p=105549
How about a gear jointed flexible shaft.
Check out the "another view" links.
http://www.americanartifacts.com/smma/advert/aw84.htm
In this discussion there are a number of views of this kind of jointed shaft in use. Also check out the multi-use tool (a couple of pics on down the page too). A very simple "early" Shopsmith concept. A vise, grinder, drill press and lathe. Not quite up to Shopsmiths level of functionality.
http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/antique-machinery-history/unusual-vise-181907/

[JPG]

Here is another flexible shaft application.
The second picture on this page is the most clear.
http://www.daviddrewmp.com/local/news.aspx?p=105549
How about a gear jointed flexible shaft.
Check out the "another view" links.
http://www.americanartifacts.com/smma/advert/aw84.htm
In this discussion there are a number of views of this kind of jointed shaft in use. Also check out the multi-use tool (a couple of pics on down the page too). A very simple "early" Shopsmith concept. A vise, grinder, drill press and lathe. Not quite up to Shopsmiths level of functionality.
http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/antique-machinery-history/unusual-vise-181907/

My what an interesting 'side trip'! The stewart-warner connection was a surprise!

WHAT is a double board?????

Interesting smilies there also!