adrianpglover wrote: ↑Wed Nov 29, 2023 10:15 amWas using the lathe a while back and the tool rest arm cracked.
Honestly, this is pretty thin material for the amount of stresses that will be seen by it. Has anyone else been hit with this recently?
Adrian,
I haven't experienced this, but from my understanding this cracking is a common occurrence for the Shopsmith standard tool rest. There might be versions at one point in time that were better, but I don't know. A couple years ago I had on order from Shopsmith the UTR (universal tool rest) and the speed reducer to get started on more serious woodturning. Unfortunately both were a long lead time to get from them. A fellow Shopsmith owner loaned me both of theirs as they were in between projects at that moment and could spare them while I waited for mine to arrive from Shopsmith. In conversing with him, I learned that he had broken multiple standard tool rests and had contacted Shopsmith about it. They gave replacements but those too would break at the same weak point. He gave up on the standard tool rest and only uses the UTR now. Similarly, I only use the UTR and very briefly used my standard tool rest so mine never broke. I borrowed a family member's FB account and checked the Shopsmith user groups there and discovered multiple other owners had broken the standard tool rest in the same spot around that time period. I don't know how pervasive the problem of this tool rest cracking is, but I know it is a "known" issue in at least part of the Shopsmith community. My advice, for woodturning on the Mark V/7 is to get the UTR. Yes, it is expensive, yes it is heavy, but you won't regret it. Just hope that you don't have a shipping problem with yours like I did (details at links below):
Shopsmith is cruising for a legal bruising with this tool rest if it is known to crack.
The other deficiency in the standard tool rest is that no matter how much you tighten things down the tool rest will move; I discovered the movement was in the carriage and it doesn't matter how much you tighten it. Scott at MyGrowthRings did a video on this recently on YouTube and recommended grinding flats on the post that goes into the carriage. Mine came from the factory with the flats and it still moves.
The UTR is rock solid.
Gale's Law: The bigger the woodworking project, the less the mistakes show in any photo taken far enough away to show the entire project!
Didn't see the UTR go on sale with the Christmas sales. No funds for it in any case. Woke up this morning thinking about using JB Weld, either liquid or putty type, filling the crack, manufacturing hole, and part of the tool rest mount hole, let it cure, then drill out the tool rest mounting hole as a cheap repair. Not sure if it'd work or would be strong enough. Not sure if I have the right sized drill bit, come to think of it.
Thought? Concerns?
Mark 7 (new 2020 - pre-COVID) | 12" planer (new 2020 - pre-COVID) | 11" bandsaw | 4" jointer
Grizzly G1023RLWX (new 2013) | Grizzly G0583Z (new 2012) | DeWALT DW618PK
Oneida Dust Deputy (on 5g bucket bolted to a 10g oil drum, used only with planer & jointer)
adrianpglover wrote: ↑Sat Dec 30, 2023 8:59 am
Didn't see the UTR go on sale with the Christmas sales. No funds for it in any case. Woke up this morning thinking about using JB Weld, either liquid or putty type, filling the crack, manufacturing hole, and part of the tool rest mount hole, let it cure, then drill out the tool rest mounting hole as a cheap repair. Not sure if it'd work or would be strong enough. Not sure if I have the right sized drill bit, come to think of it.
Thought? Concerns?
Putitng aside whether you have the right sized drill bill, my concern would be whether JB Weld has sufficient strength characteristics (not sure if it is compression, tension or both that this would be subjected to) to deal with the forces of turning that led to the crack in the first instance. I wouldn't want my tool rest suddenly moving while in operation. If the UTR is out of your price range, maybe source a used (but unbroken) tool rest via ebay, etc. I know that yours isn't the only one that has cracked but they haven't all cracked.
The other option already mentioned, which I didn't see if you responded to, was to contract Shopsmith customer service and see if they will cover it under their warranty. They used to extend warranty coverage to any part with a manufacturing defect whether or not you were the original purchaser of the machine. Not sure of current policy.
Gale's Law: The bigger the woodworking project, the less the mistakes show in any photo taken far enough away to show the entire project!
algale wrote: ↑Sat Dec 30, 2023 9:12 amPutting aside whether you have the right sized drill bill, my concern would be whether JB Weld has sufficient strength characteristics (not sure if it is compression, tension or both that this would be subjected to) to deal with the forces of turning that led to the crack in the first instance. I wouldn't want my tool rest suddenly moving while in operation. If the UTR is out of your price range, maybe source a used (but unbroken) tool rest via ebay, etc. I know that yours isn't the only one that has cracked but they haven't all cracked.
The other option already mentioned, which I didn't see if you responded to, was to contract Shopsmith customer service and see if they will cover it under their warranty. They used to extend warranty coverage to any part with a manufacturing defect whether or not you were the original purchaser of the machine. Not sure of current policy.
+10
Honestly, woodturning is one of the more dangerous operations one can do with a Mark V/7. It isn't worth the risk of injury to try to turn with a "repaired" tool rest. JMO. I also echo Alan's comment about reaching out to the mothership to get a replacement, albeit with the caveat it will probably break again as I mentioned in my earlier post.
Is that extra hole threaded? If it was a set screw in it might stop it from cracking. Even if not threaded a piece of rod glued into the hole might be sufficient.
edma194 wrote: ↑Sat Dec 30, 2023 11:01 am
Is that extra hole threaded? If it was a set screw in it might stop it from cracking. Even if not threaded a piece of rod glued into the hole might be sufficient.
It is not threaded, and is ~0.4" in diameter. I considered threading one and then JB Welding a small bolt or threaded rod in place for reinforcement. I'm not sure how much this would help, welding a piece of aluminum rod would be better but I was keeping in the 'no welding' spirit.
The better 'off the shelf' approach IMO is a used Model 500 tool rest setup which IIUC does not include the offending hole. Preferably the later one that is not the threaded post. A 500 carriage would also be needed for small diameter turnings, as I mentioned earlier the closest the 500 tool rest will come to center line of the turning is about 1-1/2" when mounted on a 510+ carriage. Swapping carriages is pretty easy on a DT machine.
Goldie(Bought New SN 377425)/4" jointer/6" beltsander/12" planer/stripsander/bandsaw/powerstation /Scroll saw/Jig saw /Craftsman 10" ras/Craftsman 6" thicknessplaner/ Dayton10"tablesaw(restoredfromneighborstrashpile)/ Mark VII restoration in 'progress'/ 10E[/size](SN E3779) restoration in progress, a 510 on the back burner and a growing pile of items to be eventually returned to useful life. - aka Red Grange
That one is a 510+, and includes the hole where the OP's cracked. Seems to be priced right though.
- David
I knew YOU would notice the hole!
The last line of my previous post wasn't written by me, though it appears in my post. This has happened before, IIRC it's because some users can edit posts made by others. Maybe that's Admin and Moderators.(?) I'm sure it was accidental, I'm not calling anyone out.
RF Guy
