It's triplets

[docmirror]

OK, here''s a non-expert opinion. In the drill press mode, the head stock is fairly low. I"m not very tall and it works fine for me, but someone 6ft or taller will have to bend some to work the drill press.

As for changing the pivots, that would be a way to do it, but I know why Magna has it setup this way. The base is fairly narrow, and not like the splayed feet of the Mk V. I think they did this to make it more 'parkable' or storage reasons. When the unit is tipped up in drill press, it is moderately unstable, and any side loads could push it over pretty easy. I almost suffered this indignity a while back moving in drill press mode. There's a clear warning about this in the manuals. Making it offset pivots would only make this worse.

In the second pic above, you see the end of the vac canister, and under the lower ways you see a silver handle latch. When in the drill mode, that handle latch will lock the whole power head and ways in the vertical position so you can't shove the headstock and slam it back down on the pivots.

The pivot arms are an interesting arrangement with a double notch cam on the shaft which can turn and lock itself into the pivot receptacle, or turn the handle so the cams are both up, and it will release and tip either headstock up for drill or headstock down for router/shaper. My experience is, the unit will not go fast enough for most routing, and it will not go slow enough for some drilling. However, I have had very good luck drilling with mine by using slowest speed, and cutting fluid.

[edma194]

OK, here''s a non-expert opinion. In the drill press mode, the head stock is fairly low. I"m not very tall and it works fine for me, but someone 6ft or taller will have to bend some to work the drill press.

You have 3 Mark VIIs, expert enough I think. I'm 6' and try to avoid bending, although I don't mind sitting when I can.

As for changing the pivots, that would be a way to do it, but I know why Magna has it setup this way. The base is fairly narrow, and not like the splayed feet of the Mk V. I think they did this to make it more 'parkable' or storage reasons. When the unit is tipped up in drill press, it is moderately unstable, and any side loads could push it over pretty easy. I almost suffered this indignity a while back moving in drill press mode. There's a clear warning about this in the manuals. Making it offset pivots would only make this worse.

This is interesting. Not a problem I recall encountering with Model 5/7xx machines even with the headstock at maximum height. Is the cabinet and/or base frame flexing when that happens?

I still think the configuration is very interesting and cool looking. I'd consider trying to make something like the base cabinet to do this myself for my sanding machine. I wouldn't want to use the under table mode for routing on that, but for drum sanding and some shaping it would be kind of ideal. With a modified right bench tube pivot and the left pivot in the same place I could have the table at comfortable heights in either vertical position. I probably wouldn't mount a PowerPro on it but I'm considering adding reverse mode to one a conventional motor. There are good instructions for that somewhere, although I'm inclined to pay a motor shop to do it.

I'm pretty sure Shopsmith doesn't sell those brackets that the bench tubes pivot on, and then there's locking mechanisms also. If I could work those things out the cabinet and base frame with casters would be relatively easy to assemble.

Anyway, hope you have plenty of fun with your machines. Keep posting about them please.

[docmirror]

The base is an interesting design, much different method than the Mk V and all before it. I could wax philosophic for a while - but I won't. In the 1950s, and early 60s auto makers began to shift from body-on-frame to a new design system out of France called 'monocoque' which we simplified into unit-body, or unibody construction.

The rigidity of the base is remarkably solid. There is all stressed plate steel with all 90deg angles involved. Looking at the base, and the two plate steel runners below, it appears as though it would tend to flex or twist but there's not a bit of it under all types of motion or pressure. I have literally stood on the vac box and it didn't move a bit. The only weak spot I can find is the angle plate where the casters and cammed lock shafts are mounted. In nominal operation, and with a decent concrete floor, the Mk VII moves pretty well. We're 50+ years down the road from assembly of the Mk VII, and the designers likely gave it a lifespan of maybe 30 years, so it appears they've met the design goals.

I've replaced two sets of casters on Castor and Pollux(no pun intended), but those on Leda are working very well. Another fault would be related to these machines sitting outside, with rain accumulating around the base, and the braces for the casters, locking shafts, and the casters themselves.

Pollux is going up to my home in CO where it will be pressed into some wood work, although the thought of working with splinter media gives me the willies. I keep wanting to fire up the torch and weld a couple boards together, and that just doesn't work like one would expect from the world of metal. And glue - is for 6 year olds in 1st grade making murals and such. j/k

[docmirror]

Pivots and latches. Scroll back up and look at the pic of the units separated and still in the car. One can easily see the four pivot receivers and the silver latch on the vertical side of the vac box. It's also clear from the pivot socket or receiver how the camming system of the cross pivot arm works. There's a part circle with slots vertical. When the arm is in one position, the dual cammed small hub on the arm is a 'keeper' system where the cams are crosswise and the upper carrier and ways and headstock are secured very well in each end.

Then, turn the arm 90deg so the cammed flats line up with the flats in the receiver and viola'! lift the end handle and the whole asm pivots on the other arm. Best to not keep both latch arms in the open cammed position. However, to remove the upper asm from the base, two people can lift it off very easily with the cammed flats lined up on both ends.

Now, waxing philosophically, when I see small systems like this, in mechanical engineering it makes me think of all the time, and smarts involved in these machines. Taking the power-head, and making 5 or 7 or more tools out of it is a real test of design genius at work. Then adding the scroll saw, jigsaw, joiner, planer, air compressor, vac extended the use of the one power head smartly.

[larryhrockisland]

This is interesting. Not a problem I recall encountering with Model 5/7xx machines even with the headstock at maximum height. Is the cabinet and/or base frame flexing when that happens?

I still think the configuration is very interesting and cool looking. I'd consider trying to make something like the base cabinet to do this myself for my sanding machine. I wouldn't want to use the under table mode for routing on that, but for drum sanding and some shaping it would be kind of ideal. With a modified right bench tube pivot and the left pivot in the same place I could have the table at comfortable heights in either vertical position. I probably wouldn't mount a PowerPro on it but I'm considering adding reverse mode to one a conventional motor. There are good instructions for that somewhere, although I'm inclined to pay a motor shop to do it.

I'm pretty sure Shopsmith doesn't sell those brackets that the bench tubes pivot on, and then there's locking mechanisms also. If I could work those things out the cabinet and base frame with casters would be relatively easy to assemble.

Anyway, hope you have plenty of fun with your machines. Keep posting about them please.

https://www.reddit.com/r/shopsmith/comm ... ?rdt=40562 Found this on Reddit a while back. Might give some ideas for a homemade version. Maybe even a MarkIV size assuming the headstock is high enough in drill press mode.

[JPG]

pichurz. Now, I'm not sure yet, but at first blush, it appears the gilmer belt is not well aligned on the grooves. Which is not groovy. I'll loosen it up and do some hacking at it next week when I lube. I got a nice drill chuck with it, but no chuck key, and no allen. I've ordered both from amazon.

Poly-v belt, not Gilmer belt. You have a Mark 5/V poly-v belt.(9 ribs vs 14 on a MVII). Will work OK! A third party 14 rib version is available on e-bay(bandsaw tire warehouse)


Re moving pivot/vertical lock. The lock is between the pivot and the 'end'. Moving pivot towards 'end' crowds out the lock(it is mounted on the side of the lower box like base).

[edma194]

https://www.reddit.com/r/shopsmith/comm ... ?rdt=40562 Found this on Reddit a while back. Might give some ideas for a homemade version. Maybe even a MarkIV size assuming the headstock is high enough in drill press mode.

That's exactly what I want to achieve. In drill press mode the headstock will have plenty of clearance over the table, and then in under table mode the headstock can be positioned low enough to keep the table at a reasonable height. I think I have a different way to tilt the bench assembly on the left side for under table mode. I now have no choice but to try a wooden mockup of this. Thank you Larry and doc for all this info.

[edma194]

Duplicate. I must be hitting quote instead of edit.

[edma194]

Duplicate duplicate.

[larryhrockisland]

viewtopic.php?t=22414 Here’s an idea I had for a 10ER double tilt but I never followed through and built it. I like the one I posted above better for more compact storage when it’s tilted left.