Shopsmith Forums

Just received my new (stronger) lift assist kit spring/shock assembly to work with my PowerPro headstock. Has anyone else gotten one yet and installed it? I haven't had a chance yet to attempt installing it, but it SURE is stiff. I'm not sure if I can compress it at all to install it.

tom_k/mo wrote:Just received my new (stronger) lift assist kit spring/shock assembly to work with my PowerPro headstock. Has anyone else gotten one yet and installed it? I haven't had a chance yet to attempt installing it, but it SURE is stiff. I'm not sure if I can compress it at all to install it.

I assume you received installation instructions for it. The original one was installed in the extended position and I cannot compress it either.

Can you imagine trying to compress it and having it get away from you when it was half compressed. That would be sorta like when the quill spring got away from me when I "almost" had it installed into the housing.:eek: I'll have scars from that for weeks.

Tom
The gas strut is installed with the machine in the upright position after the other hardware is installed. There is no way that one person can compress that cylinder. Don't forget that the strut has to take lot of weight off the machine with the headstock at the left end of the way tubes. That's a lot of leverage to overcome.
Bill V

wa2crk wrote:Tom
The gas strut is installed with the machine in the upright position after the other hardware is installed. There is no way that one person can compress that cylinder. Don't forget that the strut has to take lot of weight off the machine with the headstock at the left end of the way tubes. That's a lot of leverage to overcome.
Bill V

Some pix of the Mark 7 with the lift assist in both raised positions(and maybe one lowered as well) would help us understand this beast. I think I have a mental visualization of it, but pix would verify or correct it.

I am not sure the lever arm lengths are different for each position. Therefore I am not sure I understand the 'needs more force for the left raised position' statement. I am under the impression that the stronger tube is because of the heavier motor.

73's Bill!

dusty wrote:I assume you received installation instructions for it. The original one was installed in the extended position and I cannot compress it either.

Can you imagine trying to compress it and having it get away from you when it was half compressed. That would be sorta like when the quill spring got away from me when I "almost" had it installed into the housing.:eek: I'll have scars from that for weeks.

Dusty, no I didn't get any installation instructions with it, just the packing slip in the tube. I assumed you had to install it in the extended position, but the original one, even in the extended position had to be compressed about 1/8" or 1/4" to install. I was assuming this one would be the same.

I have the redesigned lift assist. I did receive instructions with my new gas cylinder. Involves removing the lower ball stud and adding a 5/16" flat washer, and reinstalling the stud. In the original instructions for installing the lift assist, the instructions have you slightly loosen the mounting block bolts for the upper arm assembly, and moving the upper arm blocks til the studs allowed the cylinder to be installed without compressing it. In my case, the blocks are less than 1/4" from the tail stock end. Tighten the bolts, and install the cylinder--no compression needed.

JPG
What I mean is that with the headstock to the left end of the machine there is maximum leverage against the lift cylinder. With that amount of weight out on a long lever the lifting force required is at a maximum. I would think that the pressure against the lift arm exerted by the cylinder is in the hundreds of pounds range.
Bill V
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I have a real hard time envisioning the lift assist that will allow, in real time, tilt from either end. That devise is certainly can not be what I have on my machine, CAN IT?

dusty wrote:I have a real hard time envisioning the lift assist that will allow, in real time, tilt from either end. That devise is certainly can not be what I have on my machine, CAN IT?

What I have in my 'mental' picture is that the arm 'bottoms out' in the horizontal position. The arm pulls the cylinder up and towards the 'right end' as normal. It moves straight up and curves toward the right end.

The arm pulls the cylinder up and to the left when pivoted to the left. The motion of the arm is also initially up, but the curve to the left is different from the rightward motion.

When raised to the right, the end on the arm is near vertical to the cylinder attachment point.

When raised to the left. the arm is further away from the hinge since the arm is curved away from the way tubes and the end is thus closer to the center.

It is this difference in the position of the end of the arm and cylinder end that permits the increased distance moved when tilted to the left. The cylinder ends up at an angle nearer to 45 than vertical. I have not analyzed the effect this has on the relative effectiveness of the cylinder spring at the different positions except that the right movement lift assist is reduced near the vertical position due to the near vertical force, whereas the left movement has a greater list assist due to the near 45 angle near the vertical position.

What I do not know is the arm length or the cylinder in/out dimension nor the arm offset below the way tubes. I have to assume the offset below the way tubes is sufficient to allow full travel when raised to the left.

I be curious if the cylinder length differs from the 'original'.

All this is deductive, not known facts by me(i.e. conjecture based upon the apparent fact that the only change needed is a stiffer cylinder).

I really would like to see a pix set to verify all this.

With the PowerPro installed, my headstock weighs about 17 lbs more. I have found that I can still lift the way tubes with headstock, table & carrage to vertical position just fine with the existing lift assist. I was going to purchase the new gas tube, but now I don't think I need to.

I've entered my seventh decade, and certainly do not possess any extra amount of strength. My advice, try your existing lift assist first, unless you have chronic back problems or other physical conditions that require more assist.