Shopsmith turning comfort

burkhome · Post by **burkhome** » Sun Apr 21, 2013 8:07 am

I am currently trying to turn newell posts to finish a pine staircase I built. Not enough capacity on shopsmith to turn in one piece so I am turning a tenon on one end to be attached to square base. Problem is in order to hold the chisels low enough to get shearing action I am in a very uncomfortable stooping position making control a major problem. Anyone else delt with this. Thought about building a platform to set the shopsmith on. Put the project on hold till I can solve the problem.

kenbu · Post by **kenbu** » Sun Apr 21, 2013 9:14 am

I lifted my SS with a couple of 3 in. high platforms, one under each end, which raises it to a much more comfortable height for turning. This does make it more difficult to move the thing around, though. I'm wondering if anyone has designed riser blocks to fit between the legs and frame.

Ken

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Sun Apr 21, 2013 9:21 am

kenbu wrote:I lifted my SS with a couple of 3 in. high platforms, one under each end, which raises it to a much more comfortable height for turning. This does make it more difficult to move the thing around, though. I'm wondering if anyone has designed riser blocks to fit between the legs and frame.

Ken

If you are seriously interested in raising your Mark V, there is an article in the July/August issue of The Home Shop Machinist that details the making of a metal insert into each of the Shopsmith legs to elevate the lathe.

This article is one of four that discusses an engineer's approach to correcting some of the problems that he saw and experienced with his early model Mark 5.

roy_okc · Post by **roy_okc** » Sun Apr 21, 2013 11:09 am

Roger,

I also have raised my SS onto a temporary platform, around 5-6" and I'd like to go higher yet. I first used a couple 2x6s under each end, with wheels lowered; I'm presently using the base of a cabinet that I was trying to build to raise the SS (I used construction lumber which quickly twisted to an unusable amount). As long as your material is fairly balanced, you shouldn't have any problem with it coming off if your platform is decent and the SS's wheels are raised.

Roy

kenbu · Post by **kenbu** » Sun Apr 21, 2013 4:45 pm

dusty wrote:If you are seriously interested in raising your Mark V, there is an article in the July/August issue of The Home Shop Machinist that details the making of a metal insert into each of the Shopsmith legs to elevate the lathe.

This article is one of four that discusses an engineer's approach to correcting some of the problems that he saw and experienced with his early model Mark 5.

Sounds like it might be worth looking for at the library. Jul/Aug 2007?

burkhome · Post by **burkhome** » Mon Apr 22, 2013 7:04 am

Thanks...It would be nice to incorporate something into the frame but since I do use other features more often than the lathe, I think I'll just build a box with 2x6's and plywood. The only problem that I foresee is "where am I going to store the deck?"

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Mon Apr 22, 2013 10:06 am

burkhome wrote:Thanks...It would be nice to incorporate something into the frame but since I do use other features more often than the lathe, I think I'll just build a box with 2x6's and plywood. The only problem that I foresee is "where am I going to store the deck?"

Short tool rest that will fit into the tenon/quill area?