Shopsmith Forums

Welcome to this forum for shopsmith aficionados.

Last Edited July 2, 2022

Rule #1 Never ever ever turn the speed control dial unless the the shafts are rotating either by manual or motor power.

Rule #2 Lubricate the sheaves often. #10 Machine oil - Turbine oil - 3 in one oil - Sewing machine oil . . .

Rule #3 Use Johnson's ORIGINAL paste wax to both prevent rust and to make things slide easier. JPW is no longer available. Alternatives are Trewax, MinWax finishing wax.

Rule #4 Always lock the carriage and headstock prior to raising to vertical!

Rule #5 Always check all locks before starting any operation. There are either 5 or 4 of them depending on the operation.

Rule #5a When tightening an arbor onto the quill shaft, rock the arbor to insure the set screw is centered over the tapered flat. That prevents subsequent loosening.(added 2016)

Suggestion #1 Watch session # 11 followed by sessions 21 through 24 of the saw dust sessions linked to here

Suggestion #2 Watch the 'premiere' session on table alignment. Gauge not required, just more exacting!!!

Suggested printable download #1 http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/productmanuals/MKVMaintenance_1_10.pdf

Suggested printable download #2 http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/productmanuals/MKVSTDPartsList%20_1_14.pdf

These downloads are of a 520 model, but other than the table, fence, fence rails and minor differences to the headstock, is the same as other Mark 5/V models.

Do not hesitate to ask questions. There are some good people here and are willing to share their knowledge and experience. There are no dumb/stupid/ridiculous/asinine questions. We have all at one time or more been there done that and can empathize with your confusion. Do not be bashful!

And for more from the mothership - http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/star ... signup.htm (new 2015)


Check post #5, this thread! Good Job Dalton!!! viewtopic.php?p=85291#p85291

Check #6 also! Ditto Dalton! viewtopic.php?p=87637#p87637

Another great post - https://www.shopsmith.com/ss_forum/view ... 90#p185690 Fix for a very common problem and it tells how to avoid the problem. (added 2016)

More good reference reading* - https://www.shopsmith.com/ss_forum/view ... 90#p185690

And* * Thanks to Everett! (Mar 2017)


And now a very useful link.
http://www.lhdigest.com/SS/PDFsearch.cfm

Manuals and other stuff.

JPG40504 wrote:Welcome to this forum for shopsmith aficionados.

Rule #5 Always check all locks before starting any operation. There are either 5 or 4 of them depending on the operation.

So guilty of violating this one this weekend. Fortunately I only wasted the cutoff and not the production piece (which got steadily wider in a nice taper effect).

JPG40504 wrote: Rule #5 Always check all locks before starting any operation. There are either 5 or 4 of them depending on the operation.

Suggestion: I like to go "around the clock" on the 5-point check: Carriage lock, Table height lock, Headstock lock, Quill lock, Table tilt lock. By always following this routine, I don't miss anything.

Thank you!

Great info for us newbies! Thanks

A few good links:

1. First, mickyd's catalog of repair discussions on this forum. This is my toolbar bookmark for accessing the forum. The Sawdust Sessions are the second bullet and walk you through cleaning and lubricating of the headstock as well as rebuilding it. Be sure to check out the useful documents uploaded to the blackboard. Also, Mike's restorationthreads listed there answer a lot of basic questions about the process.
2. Ebay is a great place for replacement parts on the classic machines and you can sometimes get them new from Shopsmith, Inc. for about the same price.
3. If your machine didn't come with a copy of "Power Tool Woodworking for Everyone" I highly recommend it, as it has much how-to information in it and a lot of great ideas for jigs and homemade accessories, also available on the Shopsmith website in hard copy and digital version. Other literature you may need is a manual, which is available from Shopsmith in hard copy or you can download digital copies from the 1950's here.
4. Here's Nick Engler's disassembly and cleaning instructions.
5. Shopsmith Most Common Problems and Remedies
6. Exploded diagrams with the parts lists are available on Shopsmith's Service and Repair Parts Index so you will know where to get parts and the applicable terminology for discussing them.
8. The All-In-One Wood Tools site has a list of repair and replacement instructions. Also helpful is JPG's illustrated assembly instructions (still a work in progress).
7. Instructions for posting photos. Post lots!

Lastly, the "search" function on this forum is a powerful tool for finding help when you need it. Just be sure to enter words with four letters or more.

All the best.

Headstock Service Manual Pages 1-12

Headstock Service Manual Page 13-21

Thank you ..

FYI the top post on this thread has been edited to include links to the online manual and parts list that Dusty provided in another thread. It was suggested by Iv2wdwvk that they be added to the thread.