My new (to me) Sawsmith RAS

skou · Post by **skou** » Thu May 16, 2013 2:05 am

mickyd wrote:Gee Heathicus.....I used to be a woodworker...... :-(

Who is this guy?

And, what is he doing with such a SWEET ER?? That thing looks brand new!

MickyD, good to see you!

steve

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu May 16, 2013 10:49 am

skou wrote:Who is this guy?

And, what is he doing with such a SWEET ER?? That thing looks brand new!

MickyD, good to see you!

steve

When new, it was not 'polished'!;)

heathicus · Post by **heathicus** » Fri May 17, 2013 12:38 pm

I think my one disappointment with the Sawsmith so far is just the lack of information and community. There's a Yahoo group, but it doesn't seem very active. There's a couple badly photocopied manuals that can be found at the Yahoo group and at VintageMachinery.org. There's the Tool-Hunter blog page (which has probably been my favorite resource so far with all the old advertisements) and the date chart for serial numbers on Shopsmith's web site. A couple brief mentions on a couple forums. And that's about it.

It seems that I have rather quickly exhausted all of the web resources regarding the Sawsmith and I still feel like I don't really "know" my RAS. When I first discovered Shopsmith 10ER, it was like a whole new world of information and resources opened up to me. Active discussion forums, lots of documentation, analysis of the production variations through the years, etc.

When I do my restoration on the Sawsmith RAS, I think I'll try to document and post everything here. Something akin to what MickyD did with his Mark 5 and 10ER and what JPG40504 is doing with the old Mark VII. I wish something like that already existed for the RAS, but I can't find it. And I if I wish it existed, then I bet other people do too.

henecle · Post by **henecle** » Fri May 17, 2013 10:50 pm

you're not alone... I've picked up two recently along with some of the more elusive plastics parts from a third. Planning to use two and a half to make one. The Yahoo SS RAS group is probably the best source for assistance/data. Replacement belts and bearings seem to be the biggest impediment to restoration.

mickyd · Post by **mickyd** » Sat May 18, 2013 12:55 am

JPG40504 wrote:Hi
MickieD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whatchu say you young whipper snapper you? Tings good? Tings good here.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Sat May 18, 2013 1:47 pm

mickyd wrote:Whatchu say you young whipper snapper you? Tings good? Tings good here.

I am running out of places to 'store' parts for WIP!:D Soon to be revealed, a Mark 2 hybrid(some orphaned parts anyway).

Patience Grasshopper!;)

Lord knows we have been quite patient awaiting yer 'second coming'!

heathicus · Post by **heathicus** » Sat May 18, 2013 4:26 pm

I was planning on spending some good quality time with the RAS today, but a make-up tee ball game this morning that we only found out about last night, a migraine that started developing on the way back that is just now starting to subside, and a dinner party tonight at my wife's sister's tonight means I've lost out on a day to work on it or any of the projects I'min the mmiddle of.

BuckeyeDennis · Post by **BuckeyeDennis** » Sun May 19, 2013 1:36 am

heathicus wrote:I was planning on spending some good quality time with the RAS today, but a make-up tee ball game this morning that we only found out about last night, a migraine that started developing on the way back that is just now starting to subside, and a dinner party tonight at my wife's sister's tonight means I've lost out on a day to work on it or any of the projects I'min the mmiddle of.

Dang it! I just hate it when life gets in the way of woodworking. Happens to me all the time

Case in point, I just got home from my niece's wedding. Outdoor evening wedding, and Mother Nature was not kind. I have a 4WD SUV that I bought 10 years ago, and have never once needed to lock the center differential. Until tonight. To get through deep mud, and then climb a mud-slicked hill to leave a wedding! But hey, at least that part was pretty fun, and I even got to rescue the wedding photographer from her stuck "crossover" vehicle!

. Wanna see a photo of all the the mud caked on the cuffs of my best suit?

skou · Post by **skou** » Sun May 19, 2013 3:05 am

mickyd wrote:Whatchu say you young whipper snapper you? Tings good? Tings good here.

MickeyD, I just re read your 156 page rebuild of the ER. (well, only 56 pages, but who's countin'.)

I'm simply AMAZED!!

I've got the base of my old FrankenSmith ER that went through a trailer fire. (Base, headstock, MkV headrest, and ER tailstock. I'll get this mess running, soon. It does have a Skip-built DC motor and controller. (if anyone needs a GOOD power unit for the E or ER, talk to Skip!)

Yes, Skip's motor is still alive.

It's good to see you back here.

POST MORE!!

steve

heathicus · Post by **heathicus** » Tue Oct 01, 2013 12:17 am

I just picked up this rust bucket, merely for parts. It's in rough shape, covered with rust and oxidation. I don't know if the motor works because there is no power cord. But for $25, I couldn't resist.

It will also give me something to perform "experimental surgery" on so I don't have to fear messing up my production Sawsmith.