Shopsmith Forums

Going to rig up Nick's wooden jig that holds the headstock for repairs. Know it will not be too hard to come up with one on my own but wondering if his jig plan is available on-line anyplace?

I made myself a headstock repair jig/fixture many years ago. Originally I had clamped it to my truck tail gate for repairs at a customer's home. Gave up that idea as I never had the part(s) needed to repair that headstock with me.

After watching Nick and Jacob Anderson wrestle with headstocks while repairing them, I keep waiting for them to drop one. I believe my jig is much better (417) in allowing access and protecting the paint. A short piece of 2X4 under the motor pan is perfect for removing the motor pan screws and tilting the tubes up makes removing and installing the motor and motor pan very easy. I do all my headstock testing on this jig. I leave a headstock on the jig to provide power for the SPTs (not the thickness planer) for testing. It is where I repair the SPTs too using the Sleeve and Insert Assembly to hold the SPT in place. Depending on what height saw horses is used, the working level can be made to fit the user. I tilt the tubes up to work inside the headstock housing (419).

I used a base and base arm from a Shopsmith that fell off a truck and broke out the holes holding the leg. I never throw anything away. I use a way tube cut in half and a heavy steel metal piece to keep the way tubes level with the 2X12X54" board (width of tail gate). The base is bolted to the board using 2 longer bolts, recessed in the board, in place of the 2 tube lock bar bolts.

Let me know if any questions.

Looks GOOD to me! Tilt up a real plus.

I can really relate to "I never throw anything away".

The metal bar shown in 419 as a stop when lowered;
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Too bad you did not also drop the other end casting off truck!!:D

When I was in Florida learning at the knee of the master, that jig convinced me to leave the headstock on the way tubes while doing repairs. You can drop the motor pan on to the bench tubes with some boards to shim it up. You get the tilt feature by swinging the way tubes up to drill press mode.

Hmmm...Thats how my headstock has been sitting for a while. Too much "stuff" hitting the fan.

Does anyone have a picture of the repair jig that the shopsmith guys actually use. I would like to replicate that.

TonyB1649 wrote: ↑Sat Nov 14, 2020 1:02 pm Does anyone have a picture of the repair jig that the shopsmith guys actually use. I would like to replicate that.

You can see the wooden cradle they use in this video. Just a wooden box with the ends cut out to approximately the shape of the motor pan.
http://www.shopsmithacademy.com/SS_Arch ... rn_Pt2.htm

This video from James at Shopsmith Repair Woodworking Academy has some of the tools he has acquired over the years. Right around 3:23 he shows the headstock holding device he uses.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewNLebMuHWc

That "factory spring compression tool" James demonstrates at around the 5:22 mark in the above video is also a pretty neat thing to have!