Shopsmith Forums

Hello all I have been a mkv owner since 1984. I have just converted to the power headstock and I’m getting ready to install a lift assist. My question is, in the lift assist video the guy turns the front way tube to get the headstock and carriage to move smoothly. How do you loosen the cast base so the tube can be rotated. The video shows him tightening the screw in the cast base, but I don’t have anything like that. Any help would be greatly appreciated .

Look UNDER the tubes.

You may or may not need to rotate the tubes. If it slides decently then a good cleaning and wax will be all that is needed. I personally have never had the need to do that on any of my machines but I know others that have. A solution only when needed.

Ed

The set screws that must be loosened in order to rotate the Bench Tubes are located in the Base Arm Assembly and in the Tie Bar. The only reason you would want to do this would be to allow the Headstock and Carriage to slide back and forth freely and only then if they do not slide freely. When you rotate the tubes the objective is to find a position where bent tubes do not adversely effect the carriage of headstock from sliding back and forth.

In the two images posted here, they are easy to see but with the Bench Tubes installed, the two screws in the Base Arm Assembly are in behind the hinge pin for the Arm Assembly and not so easy to see or reach with the allen wrench.

I had to put mine in drill press mode and maneuver my Allen wrench around the hinge bar deal (I can't think of the official name for it) to see the screws.

AEA wrote: Fri Dec 11, 2020 10:46 am I had to put mine in drill press mode and maneuver my Allen wrench around the hinge bar deal (I can't think of the official name for it) to see the screws.

Yes, you can be where the hinge pin would be in one of the photos I posted. When fully assembled that setscrew is nearly impossible to see or get an allen wrench into. Note that with the Double Tilt upgrade, the set screws are moved to the top where they are accessible. I have considered drilling and tapping my 510 to do the same.

yes it was tricky to get to. I stood on one foot, faced north, tilted my hat, and stuck my tongue out to the side and finally got it.

(Well maybe the tongue part was true)

Thanks to all, I finally found them and was able to rotate them to a position where both the headstock and the carriage slide without effort. Thanks again to all!