Shopsmith Forums

I bought the double tilt base upgrade along with the new Power Pro Headstock. Am I thinking correctly that I should pull my old head stock then do the base upgrade and then install the new Power Pro? It seems like it would be easier than tipping my machine over to do the double tilt.

Am I missing something?

Thanks for any advice or input...

When I arrived in the U.P. in April, I had both the DIY Power Pro conversion and the double tilt upgrade waiting for me. Customer service advised doing the double tilt first, as the lighter heqadstock makes the "turning the machine upside down" much easier.

Intrestingly, if you are using the lift assist with the quick release, I found that the connecting bar between the bench tube lift asssit supports needs to be a little over 1 inch from the new tilt base in order to give you enough room to reach, loosen, and tighten the locking knob. This in turn required me to file a both a round and a square notch in the bar in order to avoid interferrence with the gas tube and the lift assist arm.

Thanks for the suggestion. I was hoping I could do the conversion to the double tilt with no head stock at all.

8iowa wrote:When I arrived in the U.P. in April, I had both the DIY Power Pro conversion and the double tilt upgrade waiting for me. Customer service advised doing the double tilt first, as the lighter headstock makes the "turning the machine upside down" much easier.

Interestingly, if you are using the lift assist with the quick release, I found that the connecting bar between the bench tube lift assist supports needs to be a little over 1 inch from the new tilt base in order to give you enough room to reach, loosen, and tighten the locking knob. This in turn required me to file a both a round and a square notch in the bar in order to avoid interference with the gas tube and the lift assist arm.

The only way I would get the upgraded new lift assist cylinder installed was to put the quick release on the bottom support. The instructions that come with mine have three figures and two show it one way and the other shows it the way I have installed it.

I called Shopsmith Friday to ask and all their instructions have 4 pictures and also show the cylinder in both orientations. They could not find the instructions I have even thought my cyclinder was packaged last week.

My instructions also talk about needing a washer (which did not come in the package) but I did not need one.

Having done the double tile upgrade per shopsmith instructions, I probably wouldn't do it that way again. I would probably remove the headstock, all the tubes, etc. I would remove the tie bar/pivots and install those seperately from the bases, then adjust to match. Granted, I was doing it alone that day, so it would have been easier with help.

damagi wrote:Having done the double tile upgrade per shopsmith instructions, I probably wouldn't do it that way again. I would probably remove the headstock, all the tubes, etc. I would remove the tie bar/pivots and install those seperately from the bases, then adjust to match. Granted, I was doing it alone that day, so it would have been easier with help.

Not having done the double tilt upgrade, I think I would do it as follows:

Since the tie bar comes off, I would also remove the headstock.

Slide the headstock to the left end. Slide the carriage up against the headstock. Put an extension table on the tailstock end, put the work table in the carriage and adjust the worktable and extension table to the same height and lock them in position.

Remove the tie bar and headstock, then temporarily reattach the tie bar.

Then flip the whole shebang upside down onto the table tops.

Remove the leg from the old end casting.

Place a spacer between the way and bench tubes near the end to be changed. Then remove both the tie bar and the old end casting.

Slide the new part onto the WAY tubes and temporarily secure the screws.

Slide the new base onto the bench tubes(raise the tubes to clear the way tube part).

Lower the bench tubes and adjust the fit of the two new parts, then tighten the bench tubes securely. Again temporarily secure the way tube part.


Attach the leg to the new base.

Flip it back onto the legs.

Raise the new end of the way tubes, remove the new part and slip on the headstock.

Reattach the new way tube piece back to proper fitting with the new base.

JMHO!

Bellevue58 wrote:Thanks for the suggestion. I was hoping I could do the conversion to the double tilt with no head stock at all.

If you can, take pictures as you do it, than post it, it would do a great deal for the understanding of this operation.
Thanks and good luck, I am not there yet, but I intend to do so one day.