Shopsmith Forums

Im thinking of going with a PowerPro but I was wondering if they can be used for extended periods of time? Like maybe two-four hrs at a time. I would be using it with a router bit to trim off the edges of slab wood and then using a drum sander attachment to finish off. I'm worried about it getting to hot.... I have ruined a belt on a markv because the headstock got to hot. After that happened I had to keep shutting it down to let the headstock cool off. We have a small home bussiness so stopping to let things cool down isnt a good thing.

I find that when I am sizing boards on the planer, my PP will be on at 4k to 5k for a couple of hours. It does get hot! (hotter than my Mark V head) so watch your hands.

If it gets too hot, it will shutdown (I have heard) but that hasn't happened to me - yet.

Forrest

I'd rather have it shut itself down to protect from overheating than have it allow me to burn it up by over working it BUT I don't believe either should happen.

In my opinion, if it gets hot enough to force a shut down there is inadequate cooling. Too much stuff packed in too small a space with inadequate air flow.

dusty wrote: . . .
In my opinion, if it gets hot enough to force a shut down there is inadequate cooling. Too much stuff packed in too small a space with inadequate air flow.

Me Too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

dusty wrote:I'd rather have it shut itself down to protect from overheating than have it allow me to burn it up by over working it BUT I don't believe either should happen.

In my opinion, if it gets hot enough to force a shut down there is inadequate cooling. Too much stuff packed in too small a space with inadequate air flow.

I firmly believe the Mark V has inadequate cooling for periods of operating time under heavy loads (thickness planer) for more than 15 minutes. Years ago, I modified a few motor pans by cutting a hole in the front of the motor pan so I could mount a longer DC motor. When I quit playing with the DC motor conversions, I put a 4" square screened louver vent (half of a 4"X8" floor vent) over these holes. I keep one of the these headstocks for myself for a few years with long periods of operating time. This headstock always remained cool and when I disassembled it later, there was no sawdust collected inside the headstock. I was only able to cut the hole in the motor pan using my 3" air powered grinder. I also have installed a few round louver vents over the LOGO access hole on the side. These headstocks appears to operate cooler but I never disassembled any of them later to check for sawdust. I sold a few of the round vent covers but never got any feedback so I quit offering them. I did have some interesting discussions with several Shopsmith engineers and QA people about the Mark V cooling during this time.

An interesting 'observation' is that the Mark VII has both an exhaust AND an intake on the bottom of the motor pan.

I personally have never had mine shut down over a heat issue but then I never run it that long. We have seen reports here on the forum that some people have seen the problem.

For what you are doing I wonder if you might want to take a look at the OPR. It uses a standard router which might get you better results and very likely less sanding.

http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/cata ... router.htm

It uses a standard router, say in the $100 + range that will take all the punishment and if it dies well it is just $100. (If the powerpro dies I'm guessing it will be way more then $100.)

http://www.amazon.com/Hitachi-M12VC-4-H ... chi+router

(Do note the 5-year warranty)

Either way you will be using up router bits and the investment in that will very quickly pass the cost of a router. (Based on it being used for trimming slabs, very likely needing bits in the $50 plus range....)


I don't want to second guess you too much but I'm thinking the drum sander will not be the best choice of ways to sand*. Perhaps the conical sanding disk or even a belt sander might be a better choice. Of course maybe I don't under stand what you are really doing here......

http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/cata ... anding.htm

BTW the powerpro is really nice and if you can afford to get one then by all means do so. I'd add a second or third one if I could afford to. Just not sure it is the best choice for what you want to do.

Ed

*I can explain this more if you're interested.

hdoilcan wrote:Im thinking of going with a PowerPro but I was wondering if they can be used for extended periods of time? Like maybe two-four hrs at a time. I would be using it with a router bit to trim off the edges of slab wood and then using a drum sander attachment to finish off. I'm worried about it getting to hot.... I have ruined a belt on a markv because the headstock got to hot. After that happened I had to keep shutting it down to let the headstock cool off. We have a small home bussiness so stopping to let things cool down isnt a good thing.

Here is what showed up on my display after several hours of turning and sanding 5 bowls one Saturday last Summer. It was 78 in my A/C ed garage/shop. The PP never stopped but I let it cool down for about an hour and it never has displayed that message again.
[ATTACH]24671[/ATTACH]

Since my PP came with my M7 I did not do a rebuild. Is there a fan with the the PP? If not, I wonder why. Computers have cooling fans to reduce the heat. If there is one, should it be a larger capacity? If there is not a fan, is it realistic to modify the case to accept a computer cooling fan?
Just wondering.

Be well,
Ben

I would suspect the reason for no fan is SS didn't want to suck dust into the internal workings.