Maintenance parts to buy (mothership concerns)

[DLB]

520 w/PowerPro

To me the PowerPro opens up a different set of concerns.
A spare Idler Shaft seems like a good idea. I haven't tried it yet, but some folks here have said that disassembly for bearing replacement wasn't possible. I hope that's not true, but presume one shaft may be destroyed in determining how to replace bearings.
Spares for Power Supply and Control Panel, possibly motor? Pretty pricey. Rarely available used. My current approach is to keep a conventional headstock as a backup to the PP, I'm considering making it into a M5-based Power Station.
I expect the robust secondary/used market will last for many years. I would only prepare with those things not usually available.

- David

[dusty]

Much to do about nothing!

[JPG]

paulrussell,

You should be concerned about the health of Shopsmith Inc. since they ceased to exist a decade ago.

Arg. Knew that but clearly forgot.

All:
Overall I'm most concerned about proprietary consumables and semi-consumables (such as planer knives). As several have mentioned, you don't know what will fail when. In my area machines come up for sale pretty regularly, and if the mothership crashes, they should end up even cheaper.

I have considered buying backups for my main table front extrusion and the fence extrusion, but mostly to pretty up the machine a bit down the road as these seem to get the brundt of wear.

I have debated the aluminum bandsaw table upgrade, but have never gotten to the point of pulling the trigger.

But like the rest of you, I hope my concerns are unfounded.

?????

[JPG]

. . . some folks here have said that disassembly for bearing replacement wasn't possible. . . .

- David

How come???? Whatzit look like???

[JPG]

. . . some folks here have said that disassembly for bearing replacement wasn't possible. . . .

- David

How come???? Whatzit look like??? (PP idler shaft)

[DLB]

. . . some folks here have said that disassembly for bearing replacement wasn't possible. . . .

- David

How come???? Whatzit look like???

This is the thread I was thinking of: viewtopic.php?t=23344

- David

[paulrussell]

?????

Smartphone oops. Thought i had deleted it.

[chapmanruss]

I do not believe that Shopsmith (RLF Brands LLC) is going away anytime soon. They just introduced the new DC-6000 Dust Collector which doesn't seem like something a company would do, going to the expense of designing a new product if they were going away. That and their sanding products line which seems to do well. As for us some parts have already been discontinued and as they sell out we have to go to the used market. This is well known to those of us with the Shopsmith/Magna Jig Saw. We have had discussions about parts for it on different threads. One common one has been the Gasket for the Housing Cover. Fortunately, for me, I purchased a couple extras and other parts when I saw the Jig Saw parts were being discontinued. In this case though one can be easily made. The same has happened with the Mark 5/V original Table System (500) parts. I had a broken rear trunnion on one I restored a while back and had to get a used one because they were no longer available from the factory. Things at Shopsmith will continue change over time with new Models or Products. Others, like the Mark V 500, 505 and now 510 will be discontinued but that does not mean all hope for them is lost. I guess my thought today is if you have a discontinued model you may look at what could be needed for it in the future and base stock-pilling parts with that in mind. I do have quite an assortment of mostly used spare parts for Shopsmith Tools going back to the Shopsmith Model 10E. That is mostly because I restore them as a hobby and have collected many over the years. One part I have is a new Mark 5/V 500 original style fence which I really don't have a use for right now since my Mark V's are a 520 and one upgraded to a Mark 7, but I have it. Maybe I'll need it for a restoration someday. How many of us have a spare P/N 501634 Set Screw ref # 44 which holds the Quill on track and from extending all the way out of the headstock. It is not a common set screw like others used on Shopsmith tools. I know I do thanks to a suggestion by John about buying spare parts with orders. Set Screws are easily lost, with an oops, when removed so I didn't want my Mark's being out of service when doing Quill Maintenance. Spending a lot of time searching the floor for missing parts is hard on the knees. Eventually they tend to show up so back into the extra parts they go.

[JPG]

That quill set screw is a half dog point.

I recently purchased a 'bag' of round point set screws.(ball shaped end) I consider them correct for non slanted arbors on the tapered flat. I consider the slanted arbors need a flat point set screw. Flat pointed set screws are easily made using the ss tool kit, miter gauge, and sanding disc.

[garys]

I find that very few parts on a Shopsmith will need replacing as they are very well engineered and built. Most machine failures stem from user mistakes and abuse. These old machines need very little maintenance or upkeep.
I keep spare couplers, and spare knives for my jointer and planer. Most other parts just keep working unless you have a motor failure. I've had almost no downtime on my Shopsmith in the last 30+ years and it gets pretty much daily use every day in Winter and it sits idle in the Summer.