Shopsmith Lift Help

[doeringr]

Any other shoppy users out there getting stiff backs from bending down a little lower than you should when turning?
I've been tossing around the idea of elevating my shoppy several inches off the concrete in order to get a better angle with turning and to give my back a break.
My only concern is that whatever I build will need to be pretty stiff and snug as well as HEAVY. Some of you know that when you get a good chunk on the shopmith, she tends to give a bit. I'd need something substantial and snug to keep her in place.

Do any of you guys or gals lift the shoppy up? Looking for ideas. Thanks.

 

[wicook]

I've been having the same problem. I recently (a few weeks ago) built a rectangular frame with two 2x4s sitting under two 2x10s with shop casters under the 2x10s. The Shopsmith is screwed down to the 2x10s. It's far from pretty, but so far I haven't had any problems with stability.

 

[Firefyter-emt]

Better yet, take it a step further and screw plywood to the bottom and the top. Maybe a bit of glue as well to hold it tight and then fill the cavitys with sand. I would add six level feet made from hockey pucks, one in each corner and two in the middle. Add some sand in the box and level the feet from inside the box. Once it's all level, now fill the box with sand and install the top plywood. If you lay it out right, your SS will bolt right onto the main frame work and not the plywood.

Now you have your height as needed and a plenty of weight down where you need it!

 

[Randy_]

Looking at it from another direction......buy a stool of the proper height and sit. If the height isn't right cut off the legs until it is. This solution, of course, will only work for pens and other small projects where you don't need a little body English for your turning technique.

If the SS is used on a concrete floor and doesn't get moved around the simplest thing would be to install four expanding anchors in the floor (there are several different types), cut some 2x4's into square pieces and drill a 1/2" hole in the center of each, then stack 2 or 3 under each leg as needed and bolt the lathe to the shop floor. I don't know exactly what the bottom of a SS leg looks like so O don't know exactly how the mechanical attachment would be accomplisher; but it couldn't be that difficult.

 

[Chuck Key]

Wish I could find the photo on the net again where someone added two sheet metal risers to his. One between the headrest and the leg, the other between the bench assembly base and leg. Looked very neat but would like to view it again before attempting the mofification. The other question I have is where the mod will put some of the other functions. The lathe will be just the right height but the saw and drill press functions etc. may be out of reach being too high. As far as adding weight, I move mine around the shop inside and outside on occasion to add much weight will make it difficult to move. The out of balance issue is some what addressed by having installed a DC variable speed motor with very slow low end rpm.

When you mentioned lift help I expected you to be talking about lifting the machine from horizontal to drill press mode. I addressed that issue before Shopsmith came out with their version. Here is the movie

Chuckie

 

[doeringr]

Thanks all for your advice. This is giving me some ideas. I thought what I might do is create 2 "boxes" out of 2X6's or 2X8's. The box would fit the outside diameter of the footprint of the legs. Then, I would fill that box with cement and level them both off to the same height, but leaving an inch or two for the legs to rest against the inside walls of the boxes. Then, I could just lift my shoppy into place using those two boxes. May join the boxes below with 2X4's to create a bit more stability. Let me know what you think. Thanks.