$50 Shopsmith Gloat

[Eric Larsen]

Pix forthcoming (after a clean/lube/adjust).

1955 vintage, model 500 Shop Smith. With jointer & jigsaw attachments. All original blades (new in boxes), all original books and manuals.

$50

Jointer is rusty. The main rails have some light rust. Otherwise in perfect shape.

So, who's got one of these things? And where do you go for more info about them?

I already have all my stationary tools -- except a decent drill press -- so the Shop Smith is going into DP mode for now. Possible restoration just for kicks later.

[J. Z. Guest]

I had one, before upgrading to a Mk. V.

I found the table saw on the old one to be nearly useless.

The other tools and the overall construction is top shelf though. This is how things used to be made in America back in the day. Solid, heavy steel.

Careful that you don't hurt yourself bringing it up to drill press mode. The head stock & rails are ungodly heavy, even with the headstock near the hinge.

Does it have the variable speed attachment, or will you be doing some belt-swapping? (mine had the variable speed attachment, which didn't work well)

My advice is to use it for the lathe, boring machine, disc sander, and drill press, and buy yourself a proper table saw. If you can get the jointer cleaned up, and aligned, that would be good.

If you don't have a manual, you can email Shopsmith and they'll probably send you a photocopy of one.

[Norman Pyles]

$50 sounds like a gloat to me. I always thought these things were cool, good luck on the restoration.

[Dewey Torres]

It has some things you may find useful:

http://www.shopsmithacademy.com/Tips.htm

Hope this helps!
Dewey

[Eric Larsen]

Well, I've gone through the big box o' junk that came with the tool.

Seems I don't have a fence. I *DO* have the top part of an industrial-grade bench-top can opener instead. I can see how someone could mix the two up. It looks kinda-sorta like a fence. Looks like I'll be building a fence in the near future. Either that, or I now have a 3/4 horse can opener! :eek:

I'm also lacking a chuck. Makes the Shop Smith a bit tough to use as a drill press. :(

Can anyone suggest places to buy used/reconditioned shopsmith accessories? Bits, chucks, knobs, fences, flux capacitors (it IS from 1955, after all) etc.

Thanks!

[Dave Verstraete]

Eric
There still is a SS website. I think that there might be a users forum on there or elsewhere. I still use my Shopsmith 510 for a drill press and a lathe. I like it for those two uses.


Great Buy by the way. Worthy of a gloat

[Heather Thompson]

Eric,

There is a ShopSmith users group on Yahoo that would be very helpful, friendly and knowledgeable people, just like here.

Heather

[Greg Hines, MD]

You can get replacement chucks and such from Shopsmith. However, realize that when you call them, they will try to get you to upgrade to their new table/fence system. My uncle did that and likes it, but if all you are going to use it for is drilling, it would never be worth it.

The relatively unique thing about the Shopsmith style of machine is horizontal boring. I use it for that often.

Doc