Shopsmith Forums

Last week, one of my wive's friends gives me a call telling me her grandfather is liquidating his shop and asked if I wanted a planer. I don't really 'need' a planer but I've been watching CL and checking out the big box stores for a deal on a lunchbox planer. I ask her to take some pictures and I'd let her know if I was interested. She sends me a picture of a Pro Planer - serial 032690 (I'm guessing that's a date?). I only knew about the SS Mark V.

While I was in my Thanksgiving food coma - I began researching SS PPs like mad and stumbled upon this forum. After reading a bit I soon realized that the Pro Planer was likely going to be outside of my range to buy a 'want' instead of a 'need'. I saw them listed throughout the web from $140 for a nearly dead one to upwards of $800. I was a bit scared of the replacement costs of parts but thought the cast iron sled and non-disposable knives would outweigh the upfront cost.

I called her grandpa and was upfront and honest with him and said I didn't really need one but wanted one but was scared of the replacement parts costs. I mentioned that I wasn't sure what a fair price would be considering how little I knew about them and the price range I'd found online. I told him I could buy a new basic lunchbox planer for ~$300 so I could only budget $200. He asked if I could do $250 and he'd throw in a spare set of new knives - I agreed and picked it up yesterday.

It's in great shape - I ran about 20' through it and checked the knives, feeder speed and jack screws and it purred like a kitten. We rolled it to my truck on it's SS casters, loaded it up and I took it home.

I have no doubt he knew what a deal he was giving and I'm sure it's because I take care of a lot of his granddaughters' home repairs for the cost of parts and a 6 pack of craft beer. He also showed me a lot of his other tools he wants to sell and there is a LOT of SS equipment... So, if anyone wants something - let me know and I'll see if he has it.

Anyhow, I've read the manual but was wondering if you all had any additional advice on it's upkeep and usage?

Thanks in advance!

Welcome to the forum. It sounds like this may be your one and only piece of Shopsmith equipment in your shop; but I hope this won't be your one and only post to the Forum.

You got a great piece of equipment at a great price. Certainly, there's no planer you could buy in the price range you paid that compares to the Pro Planer.

As for your wife's friend's grandfather's other shop equipment, I'd encourage craiglist (maybe you could help him since he gave you such a nice deal). Then you could post a link to the listing in the "Heads Up Bargain Available" thread in the Community Forum.

Keep the table waxed(Johnson's paste wax) and the jack posts clean.

Get the dust collection attachment, if it does not have. Watch the videos on servicing, maintenance. Now you "need" a SS mk series with a conical sanding disk and planer blade holder to sharpen the blades!

PS: did it come with the blade setting tool?

No - it didn't come with the setting tool. His granddaughter has the manual at home so he may have stored the setting tool with the manual but I'm banking he didn't.

I'm helping his granddaughter inventory the items and getting her started with fair pricing on the equipment. We plan on using CL, online forums and friends to move the tools. Once I have a list with more information, I'll post here if that's permissible?

Welcome and its a start any way to a Shopsmith addiction. Where are you located ? Maybe we have someone in your area that can help.

djta11 wrote:Once I have a list with more information, I'll post here if that's permissible?

It's against the rules to sell equipment on this forum.

But, I encourage you to search out the many previous posts dealing with maintenance dos and donts. Lots of really knowledgeable people here have blazed a very useful trail.

I suggest you post to the 'Heads up' thread the craigslist location. Then anyone interested can look for themselves. A link to one of the items would be ok. After all that is the intended purpose of that thread, and Admin has co-operated by making it sticky'.

In the Community Section.