Any Ideas For A Tall Person?

rcat01 · Post by **rcat01** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 12:33 am

I don't know if I'm the only one out there, but a lot of times leaning over my Shopsmith for an extended amount of time causes me some back pain.

I'm not extraordinarily tall (6'3"), but tall enough that it becomes uncomfortable.

I thought about putting my SS up on cinderblocks, but don't really like that idea too much.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to work around this?

paulmcohen · Post by **paulmcohen** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 1:17 am

rcat01 wrote:I don't know if I'm the only one out there, but a lot of times leaning over my Shopsmith for an extended amount of time causes me some back pain.

I'm not extraordinarily tall (6'3"), but tall enough that it becomes uncomfortable.

I thought about putting my SS up on cinder-blocks, but don't really like that idea too much.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to work around this?

Nick Engler did a video on ways to raise the Shopsmith for lathe work, there are several working designs. I personally would not just put it on cinder-blocks.

paulmcohen · Post by **paulmcohen** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 1:17 am

rcat01 wrote:I don't know if I'm the only one out there, but a lot of times leaning over my Shopsmith for an extended amount of time causes me some back pain.

I'm not extraordinarily tall (6'3"), but tall enough that it becomes uncomfortable.

I thought about putting my SS up on cinder-blocks, but don't really like that idea too much.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to work around this?

Nick Engler did a video on ways to raise the Shopsmith for lathe work, there are several working designs. I personally would not just put it on cinder-blocks.

iclark · Post by **iclark** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 12:08 pm

I saved these pics from a Craigslist ad. seems like you could make a folding saw horse with legs like these stabilizers to go under the bench tubes when you want to raise it. could even build a dust collection chute into the back and under the tubes.

[ATTACH]6974[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]6975[/ATTACH]

possibly with casters like these
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page ... ter=caster
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page ... ter=caster
if they wouldn't add too much spring

joedw00 · Post by **joedw00** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 12:09 pm

rcat01
Welcome to the Forum. Where are you from??

paulmcohen · Post by **paulmcohen** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 12:28 am

iclark wrote:possibly with casters like these
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=21650&filter=caster
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=21407&filter=caster
if they wouldn't add too much spring

With casters and a lot of height I would worry about the machine being top heavy and too tall for most non-lathe operations.

iclark · Post by **iclark** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 9:03 am

paulmcohen wrote:With casters and a lot of height I would worry about the machine being top heavy and too tall for most non-lathe operations.

for lathe operations, you have to worry about both top heavy and about the effect of turning objects that have their Cg seriously off-axis. the legs in the pics I posted widened the base without increasing the height. for raising a SS and having it permanently on casters, I think that the caster's minimum separation (both wheels pivoted inward) needs to be more than the 19" of the SS feet.

as for non-lathe ops, since the goal is to get the lathe spindle to ~elbow height for the operator, seems like it might be too high for the table saw and planer ops but that most of the other operations would be adjusted properly for the operator (and the headstock would be closer to the hinge for the same height off the floor for vertical drill press work so easier to raise & lower without a lift assist).

sounds like a good reason to get a 2nd SS for table saw and sharpening of lathe chisels with the strip sander.

Ivan

nllaeder · Post by **nllaeder** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 10:59 am

Why not just lift it up on sawhorses, and strap it down to the horses when doing lathe operations?

I don't know about you, but when I set up the lathe, it seems to be for more than a couple of minutes use.

I'm 6'4" and have been thinking about this too.

I guess the sawhorses don't seem like a big deal to me, since I have a small shop, I have move s#!t every time I go to do something anyway.

rcat01 · Post by **rcat01** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 1:26 pm

joedw00 wrote:rcat01
Welcome to the Forum. Where are you from??

Thank you!

I'm from just outside of Atlanta, GA.

rcat01 · Post by **rcat01** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 1:31 pm

nllaeder wrote:Why not just lift it up on sawhorses, and strap it down to the horses when doing lathe operations?

I don't know about you, but when I set up the lathe, it seems to be for more than a couple of minutes use.

I'm 6'4" and have been thinking about this too.

I guess the sawhorses don't seem like a big deal to me, since I have a small shop, I have move s#!t every time I go to do something anyway.

I think that the sawhorses might be a pretty good idea...

I'd probably be a little too nervous putting it up on castors because of top-heaviness.