Shopsmith

[kclark]

My dad is currently trying to find a used Shopsmith. For those of you out there that have or had them, is there anything that he needs to pay more attention to or anything that normally breaks on them, etc.

 

[Joe Scharle]

Most expensive part of a Shopsmith is the headstock. Consist of motor, speed control and spindle assembly. A replacement goes for about $1,300.00. The motor should start w/o hesitation, the speed changer should go through the range smoothly and not bind anywhere through the range. Shouldn't be any noise from the spindle except a whirring sound. No wobble at the shaft end, and extend full range smoothly as well. Mount a chuck on the shaft and spin a long bit. If the shaft is bent, the bit will show it up.

 

[MikeCSmith]

I have a used Shopsmith if you decide you want to get one. It belonged to my best friend who passed away last year. It's probably 20 years old but it works just fine. It hasn't been used very much for the past 10 years or so. It only has the table saw as far as attachments go. Just let me know if you are interested. By the way, I'm in the Charlotte area.

 

[AndyET]

I have used a Shopsmith for nearly 20 years and can recommend it for compact spaces.

There are a few times that I wish I had a larger shop space so I could have individual machines and more space work in. However, since I am limited to a one car garage for a workshop I use it extensively. It has been a very good tool for me. It can be set up to be very precise.

Joe Scharle made some good comments. You can go to www.shopsmith.com to review their information. You might want to look at the "Sawdust Sessions" which has several videos about setting up and using the Mark V.

After approximately 18 years of constant use, I had to rebuild my headstock. It was pretty straight forward.

If you have any specific questions feel free to contact me direct and I will be happy to give you what information I have. I also have all of the manuals and instructions and videos and can send you some of this if you need it.

Regards,

Andy
Andyet7@yahoo.com

 

[Joe Scharle]

Andy, are you making that offer to everyone? I have a Shopsmith and a Totalshop, both with a lot of years on them. Haven't had to rebuild a headstock yet...but you never know!

 

[kclark]

I have a used Shopsmith if you decide you want to get one. It belonged to my best friend who passed away last year. It's probably 20 years old but it works just fine. It hasn't been used very much for the past 10 years or so. It only has the table saw as far as attachments go. Just let me know if you are interested. By the way, I'm in the Charlotte area.

He may be interested if you had more attachments. He is looking at the table saw, lathe, bandsaw, horizontal drill and jointer as attachments.

 

[AndyET]

The Table saw, Lathe, and Horizontal Drill are the basic part of the Shopsmith............as I am sure you already know. The Jointer and Bandsaw are attachments to the basic Shopsmith framework. Good Luck finding one for a good price.

I have a Scrollsaw attachment that I would be happy to sell you. I bought it several years ago and have only used it two or three times. New these sell for about $700 but I am sure we can find a meeting of the minds if you are interested.

I would also be willing to discuss my Bandsaw attachment. I don't use it that much, but it has worked well for me. New the bandsaw sells for approximately $550. But once again, I am sure we can work something out.

 

[AndyET]

Andy, are you making that offer to everyone? I have a Shopsmith and a Totalshop, both with a lot of years on them. Haven't had to rebuild a headstock yet...but you never know!

Yes, Joe. I would be happy to share information with anyone who has questions about shopsmith or any other general woodworking project.

I am not familiar with the Totalshop tool. Is it similar to the Shopsmith?

 

[Joe Scharle]

Pretty much the same design, however the Totalshop was beefier. It was manufactured in SC until Shopsmith sued them. Only 2 pics in my albums. First is a Totalshop, then Shopsmith.

 

[walnutjerry]

My dad is currently trying to find a used Shopsmith. For those of you out there that have or had them, is there anything that he needs to pay more attention to or anything that normally breaks on them, etc.

The speed changer is probably the most critical thing to check------just make sure the machine is running before you turn the dial. I have a Shopsmith MarkV I rebuilt the changer on and it has been used very little since. It is available along with the manual and assorted arbors.

Jerry