Shopsmith Forums

My Mark V 500 is usually rolled out onto the driveway for use, and the 1-1/2" ledge at the overhead door has always been an obstacle. I used to lift and lower the machine, one end at a time, but after that got old, I made a movable 4' long wood ramp that tapers from 1-1/2" to about 1/4" to make the move easier. However, the legs still frequently hit near the bottom of the ramp. I am considering getting the larger 3" premium casters to replace my present 2" casters and NOT move the brackets higher, so the legs will have more clearance to the ground when rolling down the ramp. Does this sound feasible and has by chance has anyone else done the same thing? When I get ready to lower the machine for use, my thought was to place a wooden block under each of the 4 legs of about 1" thickness (or whatever the right thickness needs to be).

BR
The cams on the lifting mechanism can only lift the machine a specified distance. About 1/2 inch if i recall.
Installing the new casters without moving the brackets will not permit the legs to contact the floor. You can put the wooden blocks under the legs but that just restores the original clearance problem. Now the wood blocks will only clear the floor by 1/2 inch the same as the legs did. Just think about the geometry. Lift the machine higher and then extend the legs removes the advantage.
Bill V

Good point. I forgot to mention that the four blocks of wood would not be permanently attached, but just slid under the legs while the machine was still raised to its maximum height, and then the machine lowered to rest on the blocks of wood.

I too am a slave to pulling the shopsmith out into the driveway for a lot of the work I do. I too have the "step". In my case I have two ramps, both have a 2 x 4 laying 4" side down and a piece of plywood attached at the step and then a sharp taper on the thin side. I can roll the machine in and out with the "new" casters but once on the ruff driveway they don't fair a lot better then the old ones. On the smooth surfaces they work well just not the improvement I had hoped for on the drive way.

I sometimes do a straddle where part of the machine stays in the garage and part is parked on the ramp. I have over hang so this can allow me to work in weather were having the machine fully outside would not work. Of course if the wind is the wrong way this still doesn't work but I've been able to extend the days I can work outside by a few. In this configuration the outside portion sitting on the ramp has to have a piece of plywood slid under those legs and then lower so it sits on that. Of course the inside portion is also lowered but it doesn't need the plywood. This works fine.

So what you are thinking about should work. I would think that a "spacer" that is about 4 or 5 inches wide and 4 or 5 inches longer then the width of the shopsmith on each end would work. Of course your driveway has to have some decent flat areas or all bets are off. I would not go with 4 spacers as you could get some pretty hefty twists happening.

You could find some cheaper casters to try this out. I think I recall maybe Bill Mayo having found some.

Keep in mind if you have an older set of casters the levers might be to close and require you to grind the peddles or re-drill to locate the pedals or to add spacer washers to clear the pedals. If you have the newer casters set this is not an issue.

If you do go the new caster route from shopsmith you will get a template so you can add then new holes and test that out too. The geometry changes with the new set up and that may be enough to make things better or worse as to getting the machine out side. In my case it made it worse so I had to made the second ramp to fix the issue.

Please keep us informed as to what you do and how it works. I for one have the same issue and I expect other here do too.

Ed

I'm planning on trying to use double-lock 3" or larger urethane casters from Woodcraft by turning replacement caster holder posts that would have a properly sized threaded center. I might even make the posts an inch or two longer than stock. My thought is that these two things would allow me to a) use larger casters for easier rolling and to get in/out of my garage easier (and I only have about a 1/2" or so lip), b) raise the SS up a couple inches which will be better suited for my height, c) still prevent movement for any task that I'd do, and d) could return to stock by simply replacing the posts & casters with the originals. I've use these casters for other projects and then just don't move with even only two locked in place. I saw a video some time back of a person who did essentially this same thing, but I didn't have a metal lathe at the time, now I do, just don't yet have the experience nor that 'round tuit' time.

reible wrote:Keep in mind if you have an older set of casters the levers might be to close and require you to grind the peddles or re-drill to locate the pedals or to add spacer washers to clear the pedals. If you have the newer casters set this is not an issue.

I have read similar statements in other posts about the Premium Casters, and I never have been quite sure what it meant, or if I have the older or newer casters. Mine are from about 1980. Would it be that the pedal might hit the inside of the tapered leg if the bracket was raised? Following are some pictures, so maybe someone can enlighten me. I also took pictures of my present casters in the three different positions: down, first step up, second step up. Measuring to the bottom of the bracket, the first step only raises the machine about 1/16", and the second step raises it about 1/4" more, for total of about 5/16" rise. Still investigating larger casters from Shepard to see if I can find some comparable to the Shopsmith version but maybe at a lower cost.

In the old days the steps were called out at "0", 1/4" and then 1/2". Looking at the pictures it seems that your casters are possibly bent. It is also possible they are not oem? At any rate the steps you are measuring are well short of what I would expect.

You have the old caster assembly. If you get the new premium casters the lever will hit.

Here is a little light reading:
http://www.shopsmith.com/ss_forum/viewtopic.php?t=10221

At the point of me writing that thread things were a little messed up on the shopsmith end. I believe they have got their act together but have no personal experience to base that on.

Ed

Ed,
Thanks for the explanation and link to your thread detailing your experience. I now understand much better the potential conflict between the pedal and the top of the caster. My casters may well be bent or something else going on to account for small first step ... I'll have to look at them more closely. These are OEM casters (actually replacements bought from Shopsmith in 2007 after my 1980 originals wore out).

br549 wrote:Ed,
Thanks for the explanation and link to your thread detailing your experience. I now understand much better the potential conflict between the pedal and the top of the caster. My casters may well be bent or something else going on to account for small first step ... I'll have to look at them more closely. These are OEM casters (actually replacements bought from Shopsmith in 2007 after my 1980 originals wore out).

Just look at the pictures you posted. The casters may not be bent but the stem of the caster should come down almost directly above the axle. It does not.

I believe that you would see the issue very clearly if you just removed all four casters and put them side by side on the work bench.

Here is another thought, I know on my machines with the old mounting hardware for the legs that they would need tightening every once in a while. Vibrations of use or of moving can do that. If the legs or the casters assembly is loose then geometry changes and it is simple to check.

On some of my machines I have replaced that hardware with new that includes nuts with integral lock washers. For got where I found them but that way you don't have to try and keep a lock washer in place while reaching under the machine. Since doing so those machines have never had a problem with the fasteners loosing.

Ed