Introduction

[SkullsquadronX]

I got two Shopsmith a ‘82 MV 500 upgraded to a 520 and one I bought pieces off of eBay out too a M7. I got 6 floating tables, 2 end tables, and 2 main tables. I’d like to add 2 more floating tables and main tables down the road.

[JPG]

Thank you. This tells me why I might need more than two tubes. I just never thought to set up this way because I have my own in feed out feed tables. I also do not have that many floating tables.

Nor that many aux tables.

[chapmanruss]

As you can see from the above post collecting Shopsmiths can be addicting. Many of us have more than one Shopsmith tool. I myself have two Mark V's with one completely upgraded to a Mark 7. I also have a Model 10ER, a 10E plus 2 10E's being restored and a Mark 2 to be restored. One of the 10E's being restored will be sold after it is finished.

As to having 4 27" connector tubes, most setups using the floating tables require 4 connector tubes. I do not know if your manual includes it but my Mark V 520 Manual from 1999 has a page of optional setups at the end of the assembly and alignment section. It shows 9 different ways to set up the main, extension and floating tables for different operations. Of course there are many more ways to set them up as shown in the previous posts. Having 4 connector tubes will add a lot more versatility to your Shopsmith set ups. Having the 5' connector tubes can add even more.

Like SkullsquadronX I have more available extension and floating tables and connector tubes. I have 2 of the 5' connector tubes plus a least 6 non Shopsmith 5' plus tubes I can use. If I can dream up a set up I can pretty much put it together. Flexibility is one of the big advantages to having a Shopsmith tool system.

[DLB]

If my starting point was 'I have this 510 but it is missing the connector tubes' I would be looking for longer 1" OD tubes to cut myself. I would probably make two at the 27" length, but I think if I had something between 36" and 48" that is what I would use most often. After you have four tubes you can grow into what else you would like as you use other setups, and possibly add regular and floating extension tables. The large table extension shown above with four floating and two regular extension tables looks like it uses three 60" -ish tubes.

I would use stainless, though I have nothing against the plated version that SS uses. I would go with much thicker walls, probably 0.120. (11 gauge, IIRC) That is especially important on long tubes for strength and rigidity.

Short tubes can also be useful. I have a pair of the 18" tubes as shown in the table extension pic posted above by SkullsquadronX and I use them all the time. But I sometimes wish they were 20" so I think that is the shortest I'd use if I made them myself. 18" will not make it through a main table and those extension brackets.

- David

[jsburger]

If my starting point was 'I have this 510 but it is missing the connector tubes' I would be looking for longer 1" OD tubes to cut myself. I would probably make two at the 27" length, but I think if I had something between 36" and 48" that is what I would use most often. After you have four tubes you can grow into what else you would like as you use other setups, and possibly add regular and floating extension tables. The large table extension shown above with four floating and two regular extension tables looks like it uses three 60" -ish tubes.

I would use stainless, though I have nothing against the plated version that SS uses. I would go with much thicker walls, probably 0.120. (11 gauge, IIRC) That is especially important on long tubes for strength and rigidity.

Short tubes can also be useful. I have a pair of the 18" tubes as shown in the table extension pic posted above by SkullsquadronX and I use them all the time. But I sometimes wish they were 20" so I think that is the shortest I'd use if I made them myself. 18" will not make it through a main table and those extension brackets.

- David

That is a picture of my SS before I built the dedicated shop in 2009. There are three 5' ShopSmith tubes and two 27" ShopSmith tubes.

I totally agree with the thick wall stainless idea. I bought two 6' lengths of 1" OD X .120" wall X .760" ID 304 Stainless Round Tubes online from Metals Depot. They are very rigid. I have four 5' Shopsmith tubes and they all have a very slight curve to them. The stainless tubes are very straight. I like the 6' length because if I have both fixed tables mounted I can add a floating table to the out board side of one of them.

[Jefblery47]

Hey i am also new here. Hey to all

[SkullsquadronX]

Hey, welcome to the group Jefblery47.

[dusty]

I too extend my welcome to jefblery. Tell us about yourself and your woodworking aspirations but please start a new thread to do that.