mark v mini

[papahammer8]

good day gentlemen . have have some spare parts want to build a mini.. what r the best lenghts to cut way tubes.

[Nick]

Depends on whether the carriage you're using is from a 500 or a 510/520. It also depends on what you want to do with the mini once you've made it. Do you want to mount an SPT on it? Several different SPTs? Do you plan the use the tablel? Will you use it as a lathe? Do you have a way-tube mounted thickness planer that you'd like to run? All of these decisions -- and more --effect the optimum length of the tubes.

At the Academy, I made a sharpening station from a mini and completely discarded the table and carriage. The way tubes are extremely short. In my home shop, I converted an old 500 to a sanding station and kept the table. The way tubes are about 3-1/2 feet long. Drew and I have planes to convert a Shopsmith frame into a super-duper routing machine with a 520 table and no headstock -- we'll shorten the tubes by 20 inches. All of which is the demonstrate that there's no pat answer to your question. It depends on you and your needs.

With all good wishes,

[papahammer8]

thanks nick read several post this am. found where u made a sanding station out of one thats what i had in mind.i saved all spare parts from 500 to 510 upgrade. have a spare headstock. new shop as plenty of space. not as in old garage.i seen ur mini when my wife and came and visited last aug.

[billmayo]

The bench tubes must be 3/4" longer than the way tubes regradless of length. For the MINI, I cut the 52 3/4" bench tubes in half (one cut) to 26 3/8". I cut the way tubes to 25 5/8" (2 cuts) for the way tubes. This is too short for the carriage and main table to fit but makes an excellant power station for the SPTs.

I went to making a SHORTY (18" shorter) with the way tubes at 34" and the bench tubes at 34 3/4". I tried 30" and 32" first. I wanted a sharpening station and this was the shortest length where I could mount the conical sanding disc with the 500 main table and carriage. This allows me to use all of the normal Shopsmith functions/setups. I only keep one regular Shopsmith for tubes cleaning and polishing. The rest are SHORTYs and a MINI.

Bill Mayo

QUOTE=papahammer8]good day gentlemen . have have some spare parts want to build a mini.. what r the best lenghts to cut way tubes.[/QUOTE]

[nuhobby]

Hi,

On the Shorty -- I was wondering if it can work OK as a drill-press, or is there a balancing concern there?

Thanks,

[billmayo]

The MINI is too short to support the carriage and main table or the drill press function. I begin making a SHORTY (18" shorter) a couple years ago to support the drill press, sharpening station, sanding station, power stand, power station, crafters station, pen and bowl lathe functions. It supports all functions except the sawing function for my use. I recently used a 2'X2' movable cabinet with the Shopsmith base bolted to the top and the way tubes in the upright position. I mounted the carriage and headstock on backwards on the way tubes. I use a 2 ton hydranic jack to raise and lower the headstock. I have additional supports under the table bar to support the the main table. This setup will support the latest OPR setup in place of the headstock as well. Also, I am using this setup as a metal milling machine with a X/Y vise bolted to the main table. A SHORTY is shown as my picture.

Hi,

On the Shorty -- I was wondering if it can work OK as a drill-press, or is there a balancing concern there?

Thanks,

[nuhobby]

Thanks, Bill,

I had come to a similar conclusion. I have 2-1/2 Mark V's now. Besides the 2 full-size units, I have a 3rd used one which had a burnt-up motor. It is now "chopped" and I arrived at a similar method of putting the carriage-table on backwards. I will soon have my OPR to mount on that one.

[wdelliott]

I'm wondering what size shorty or mini would be suggested for an overarm pin router.

Bill
Ravenna, TX