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Strength of a 500 carriage?
Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 8:59 pm
by jm51
Not sure if this is the right forum but here goes...
I'm planning a project that will mean the carriage tubes (minus table) are carrying maybe 60lbs or so.
Will the carriage and tubes handle this or will I need to double up and use 2 carriages and 4 tubes?
This is what it will be carrying...once I've figured what ali I need across the tubes and how to cut it:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... K:MEWAX:IT
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2-2KW-WATER-COOLE ... 3a6468c101
Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 9:49 pm
by holsgo
Deflection is the operative term...and I just don't know if they will deflect. I carry about 25 lbs with no issues but 60...well maybe you could run a test and put a bag of concrete on the table and see if the way tubes deflect at all. I don't think the carriage is the problem.
Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 11:09 pm
by billmayo
Will the carriage(s) be moving? A bag of concrete mix (80 pd.) would be a good test and be cheap. This is what I use to test weight carrying capability for my modifications. I have collected a few broken 500 carriages that the trunnion tube holes are broken off. I believe the unlocked headstock may have dropped onto the main table when being raised to the drill press position. I would believe the way tubes may deflect or bend a little so I would use 2 carriages and trunnions to be safe if testing shows the trunnions to move with the weight on them.
Feel free to contact me (
annbill.mayo@comcast.net) as I have made many changes and modifications to the Shopsmith equipment. An idea of what you are wanting to do would help assist you.
Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2011 6:24 am
by holsgo
I think you could take Bills advice but also fabricate a bracket that basically ties both the way and bench tubes together, so they work as one. I've thought about using 2 1 3/4 exhaust clamps clamped to each the way and bench tube with a steel bar welded between. There is sure to be no deflection with 4 steel tubes working as one unit. If i have a minute I'll try and weld up a set so you can get a pic.
Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2011 6:59 am
by algale
This does not directly answer your question but I recall the Universal Tool Rest that attaches to the carriage is 35 pounds. I have to assume that the engineers decided this amount of added weight would cause no measurable deflection.
Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2011 7:25 am
by jm51
Thanks for the replies.
What I will be attempting is an alternative 'headstock' for the Shopsmith. The idea might be a no go but that's how I learn, by failing often.
The water cooled spindles can go down to something like 12rpm with the right VFD and at full speed is a very quiet router when not actually cutting.
So instead of having a fixed SS headstock and moving table, it would have an up/down/tilting spindle to use with a (yet to be built) fixed table.
If it works, I've got me a router and tilting arbor saw plus a bandsaw that is slow enough to cut metal.
Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2011 12:07 pm
by damagi
jm51 wrote:Thanks for the replies.
What I will be attempting is an alternative 'headstock' for the Shopsmith. The idea might be a no go but that's how I learn, by failing often.
The water cooled spindles can go down to something like 12rpm with the right VFD and at full speed is a very quiet router when not actually cutting.
So instead of having a fixed SS headstock and moving table, it would have an up/down/tilting spindle to use with a (yet to be built) fixed table.
If it works, I've got me a router and tilting arbor saw plus a bandsaw that is slow enough to cut metal.
Sounds like you are getting pretty close to a bridgeport type machine.