Shopsmith Mark 5 What When and Where

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chapmanruss
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Re: Shopsmith Mark 5 What When and Where

Post by chapmanruss »

I have already talked about the different Models of the Mark V but let’s get into a little more detail about them. The original Mark 5 became the Mark V in 1980. It was sort of a name change only going from the number 5 to the Roman numeral V. With the introduction of the Mark V Model 510 and Model 505 in 1985 the original Mark V became the Model 500. Mark V’s made prior to 1985 are now commonly called 500’s too even though it didn’t exist yet. It is simpler to refer to earlier Mark V’s as 500 to better define them. Any Mark 5 which was the designation prior to 1980 is a Mark 5 and all had the original table system. Of course any Mark 5/V can be upgraded and then can be referred to as the upgraded model to better define it. The headstock and bench plus the tailstock were still the same but the table system including the carriage changed. Other parts that changed include the lathe tool rest arm and post. The table system includes not only the table, trunnion and posts but also the lower and upper guards along with the fence and fence rails. After about a year into production of the 510 and 505 Models the fence rail tubes changed their mounting. It is why you see references in upgrade listings made before 1986 and after. It is easy to tell the difference by looking at the tubes. Those with holes for the mounting screws are the early ones and those without holes are the later ones. Simple enough but there are other slight differences. Those other differences do not affect related parts used with the tables. The Model 520 introduced a new fence called the Pro Fence. It uses extruded aluminum fence rails and a wider fence. The remaining parts to the 520 table system are the same as the 510’s at the time of its introduction in 1999 and since. There was a change to the main table itself when it went from having ribs across the entire table to a solid face between the miter slots. The paint color used on the 510, 505 & 520 tables changed from gray to black.

I know this thread is supposed to be about the Mark 5 and Mark V Models but because the Mark 7 is similar to the Mark V in many respects, especially the 520 I will mention it here. Unlike the Mark VII from the 1960’s the current Mark 7 was built off the Mark V frame and allows a Mark V to be upgraded to a Mark 7. My Mark 7 is an upgraded Mark V 520. The Mark 7 uses the 520 table and fence system but with one difference. The table posts have teeth on both sides to allow it to be reversed for under table operations possible with the Mark 7 double tilt feature.

The last thing to keep in mind about the different Models of the Mark V is the use of accessories. I already covered the Shaper Fence in my previous post. Arbors are a big difference between the Mark V 500 and the Mark V Models 510, 505, 520 and Mark 7. As I said the lower and upper guards are part of the table system and the design of the lower guard for the Mark V 510, 505 & 520 requires longer arbors including a longer sanding disk hub. A plus for that lower Saw Blade Guard for the 510, 505, 520 & Mark 7 is that it can be used with the sanding disk for dust collection. All Lower Saw Blade Guards made for the Mark V 500 and earlier Mark 5/V's are not large enough to accommodate the 12” sanding disk. Shopsmith does sell a stripped-down version of the Lower Saw Blade Guard from the Models 510/505/520/M7 for the Model 500 to be used only with the 12” sanding disk for dust collection. It is part number 555167.
Russ

Mark V completely upgraded to Mark 7
Mark V 520
All SPT's & 2 Power Stations
Model 10ER S/N R64000 first one I restored on bench w/ metal ends & retractable casters.
Has Speed Changer, 4E Jointer, Jig Saw with lamp, a complete set of original accessories & much more.
Model 10E's S/N's 1076 & 1077 oldest ones I have restored. Mark 2 S/N 85959 restored. Others to be restored.
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chapmanruss
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Re: Shopsmith Mark 5 What When and Where

Post by chapmanruss »

One change to the Mark 5 I have always wondered about occurred in 1961 and I listed it in my post on March 27, 2021. It read
1961 Gilmer Drive changed to Poly V Drive. Serial numbers above 371347 are Poly V and 371347 and
below are Gilmer Drive. Units with a “C” at the end of their Serial number during this time require a special Quill. *2
I have yet to see a Mark 5 with a “C” at the end of its serial number. What makes me wonder about this is the requirement of a “special” quill. When the Mark 5 changed from the Gilmer Drive to the Poly V Drive not only did the Drive Sleeve Assembly change along with the Idler Shaft parts but the Quill also changed. The original Mark 5 Quill had 6 splines on the spindle shaft whereas the later quill for the Poly V Drive has 14 splines. So that has me wondering what is the difference about the “special” Quill on the Mark 5’s with a C at the end of their serial number. Is it the number of splines on the quill’s spindle shaft? Is it some other difference that makes it “special”? Could it be the first Poly V Drive Sleeve Assemblies were built on the Gilmer’s 6 spline sleeve? The early Quill Assembly with 6 splines should be useable with it and not need some “special” Quill but would be different from the common Poly V Drive Quill with 14 splines.

If any of you have or have seen one of these Mark 5’s please let us know.

EDIT

John Dalton shares his special "C" serial number later on page 9 of this thread.
Last edited by chapmanruss on Mon Oct 17, 2022 7:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Russ

Mark V completely upgraded to Mark 7
Mark V 520
All SPT's & 2 Power Stations
Model 10ER S/N R64000 first one I restored on bench w/ metal ends & retractable casters.
Has Speed Changer, 4E Jointer, Jig Saw with lamp, a complete set of original accessories & much more.
Model 10E's S/N's 1076 & 1077 oldest ones I have restored. Mark 2 S/N 85959 restored. Others to be restored.
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rpd
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Re: Shopsmith Mark 5 What When and Where

Post by rpd »

Someone posted on one of the Facebook groups photos of a spindle with an "odd" number of splines, ie more than a gilmer, and less than the current poly v. I tried to find the post, but the FB search function is shite, :(
I'll try looking again later. Perhaps that is the missing link.
Ron Dyck
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chapmanruss
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Re: Shopsmith Mark 5 What When and Where

Post by chapmanruss »

I have talked a little bit about the Saw Blade Guard Systems of the different models of the Mark 5/V before. Often in posts there are questions about which Saw Blade Guard the poster should get. For the Mark V 505, 510, 520 and Mark 7 that is an easy answer. There has been only one Saw Blade Guard System made for those models. So, what about the Mark 5 and Mark V 500. There have been several guards and an improvement made for them over the years. When it was introduced the Mark 5 did not come with a Saw Blade Guard but was an optional accessory the owner could buy. Now keep in mind the Mark 5 originally used a 9” saw blade and the original guard fit that size but not the later 10” blades.

The first Saw Blade Guard was part number 22 370 or 505678 (after the P/N numbers change in 1962). It had a square dust chute that doesn’t allow for dust collection without making some kind of adapter. It could be used with up to 9” blades. It was made out of cast aluminum and other metal parts.

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22 370.jpg
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The next Saw Blade Guard made for the Mark 5 was part numbers 505627 and 505628 for the Upper and Lower Saw Blade Guards. These two parts were sold individually and the Upper Guard (P/N 505627) was also used with the Lower Saw Guard (P/N 505705) originally for the Mark VII. This guard system has a 2-1/2” round port for saw dust collection and can be used with 10” blades. A spacer was available to increase the width of the lower guard.

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505627 Upper and 505628 Lower Saw Blade Guards r.jpg
505627 Upper and 505628 Lower Saw Blade Guards r.jpg (85.54 KiB) Viewed 1885 times
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The Saw Blade Guard to come next for the Mark V was part number 505875 made from sometime in the early 1980's until November 1987. It replaced P/Ns 505627 & 505628 on Mark V’s with Serial Numbers below 222396. It is a multi-part system with the upper guard mounting to the rear table tube and lower guard parts to quill and table trunnion. It had only a single 1-1/4" dust port. Made of plastic this was the first guard to have a clear upper guard allowing the user to see the blade. All the earlier guards were cast aluminum with other metal parts.

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505875 V1 500 Saw Blade Guard Assembly 1980s r.jpg
505875 V1 500 Saw Blade Guard Assembly 1980s r.jpg (102.66 KiB) Viewed 1885 times
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The most recent was the updated version of the 505875 Guard above and an upgrade kit was made available to upgrade the 1-1/4” dust port. It has two 2-1/2” dust ports and the parts to change the earlier version to that are the only differences. The upgrade kit is still shown in the online catalog but the complete guard is not.

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505875 V2 500 Saw Blade Guard Assembly.jpg
505875 V2 500 Saw Blade Guard Assembly.jpg (17.37 KiB) Viewed 1885 times
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The Saw Blade Guard System for the Mark V 505, 510, 520 and Mark 7 is part number 514366 Upper Saw Guard with P/N 514358 Lower Saw Guard. Its design requires longer arbors to be used with it. It can accommodate the 12” sanding disk to be used for disk sanding dust collection.

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514336 - 514358.jpg
514336 - 514358.jpg (194.31 KiB) Viewed 1885 times
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Anyone looking for a Saw Blade Guard for their Mark 5/V should be aware that there are other Shopsmith/Magna Saw Blade Guards that have been made over the years. The Model 10E and 10ER, the Mark 2 and the Magna Table Saw have guards that are not intended or will not work on the Mark 5/V.
Russ

Mark V completely upgraded to Mark 7
Mark V 520
All SPT's & 2 Power Stations
Model 10ER S/N R64000 first one I restored on bench w/ metal ends & retractable casters.
Has Speed Changer, 4E Jointer, Jig Saw with lamp, a complete set of original accessories & much more.
Model 10E's S/N's 1076 & 1077 oldest ones I have restored. Mark 2 S/N 85959 restored. Others to be restored.
edma194
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Re: Shopsmith Mark 5 What When and Where

Post by edma194 »

chapmanruss wrote: Wed Jun 30, 2021 2:00 pm One change to the Mark 5 I have always wondered about occurred in 1961 and I listed it in my post on March 27, 2021. It read
1961 Gilmer Drive changed to Poly V Drive. Serial numbers above 371347 are Poly V and 371347 and
below are Gilmer Drive. Units with a “C” at the end of their Serial number during this time require a special Quill. *2
I'm considering a Goldie with serial number 372579, I assume it will have a Poly-V belt. This would have been made in late 1961 or early in 1962 according to references. There are mentions of some Goldies made with 1 1/8HP motors but no clear indication of dates or associated serial numbers. This one is kind of far away and I'm not likely to get up and examine it anytime soon but I might be more inclined to make the trip if it had the larger motor.

Is there any record of serial numbers for the last of those Goldies and if some of them did have the 1 1/8 motor?
Ed from Rhode Island

510 PowerPro Double Tilt:Greenie PowerPro Drill Press:500 Sanding Shorty w/Belt&Strip Sanders
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1961 Goldie:1960 Sawsmith RAS:10ER
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chapmanruss
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Re: Shopsmith Mark 5 What When and Where

Post by chapmanruss »

The Mark 5 Goldie S/N 372579 was made in August 1961 according to the chart. The August and September starting numbers are actual and not estimates. It should have the Poly V Drive. As for the motor they changed to the 1-1/8 HP Motor by June 1961. Check the Vent/Serial Number cover plate on the belt cover. The original motor size is one of the items listed on it. That is if the motor has not been replaced. See the lower right side on the plate below.

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372200 Mark 5 Yuba Goldie Jun 61.jpg
372200 Mark 5 Yuba Goldie Jun 61.jpg (192.01 KiB) Viewed 1868 times
Russ

Mark V completely upgraded to Mark 7
Mark V 520
All SPT's & 2 Power Stations
Model 10ER S/N R64000 first one I restored on bench w/ metal ends & retractable casters.
Has Speed Changer, 4E Jointer, Jig Saw with lamp, a complete set of original accessories & much more.
Model 10E's S/N's 1076 & 1077 oldest ones I have restored. Mark 2 S/N 85959 restored. Others to be restored.
edma194
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Re: Shopsmith Mark 5 What When and Where

Post by edma194 »

chapmanruss wrote: Wed Jul 14, 2021 11:34 am The Mark 5 Goldie S/N 372579 was made in August 1961 according to the chart. The August and September starting numbers are actual and not estimates. It should have the Poly V Drive. As for the motor they changed to the 1-1/8 HP Motor by June 1961. Check the Vent/Serial Number cover plate on the belt cover. The original motor size is one of the items listed on it. That is if the motor has not been replaced. See the lower right side on the plate below.

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372200 Mark 5 Yuba Goldie Jun 61.jpg
Thanks! I can ask about the nameplate. If it has the bigger motor I'm very tempted to take the trip to get this machine. It's up in Maine, which is closer to the Arctic Circle than I usually travel, but for some reason I want a Goldie and with the larger motor I can make good use of it.
Ed from Rhode Island

510 PowerPro Double Tilt:Greenie PowerPro Drill Press:500 Sanding Shorty w/Belt&Strip Sanders
Super Sawsmith 2000:Scroll Saw w/Stand:Joint-Matic:Power Station:Power Stand:Bandsaw:Joiner:Jigsaw
1961 Goldie:1960 Sawsmith RAS:10ER
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chapmanruss
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Re: Shopsmith Mark 5 What When and Where

Post by chapmanruss »

I have restored 1 Goldie and it came out beautiful. It was made in October 1960 but at some point the motor had been changed to the 1-1/8 HP motor. From time to time I wish I had kept it but I cannot keep all of the restorations I have done. Just not enough room.

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IMG_0273 r.jpg
IMG_0273 r.jpg (119.88 KiB) Viewed 1844 times
Russ

Mark V completely upgraded to Mark 7
Mark V 520
All SPT's & 2 Power Stations
Model 10ER S/N R64000 first one I restored on bench w/ metal ends & retractable casters.
Has Speed Changer, 4E Jointer, Jig Saw with lamp, a complete set of original accessories & much more.
Model 10E's S/N's 1076 & 1077 oldest ones I have restored. Mark 2 S/N 85959 restored. Others to be restored.
edma194
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Re: Shopsmith Mark 5 What When and Where

Post by edma194 »

That is gorgeous Russ.
Ed from Rhode Island

510 PowerPro Double Tilt:Greenie PowerPro Drill Press:500 Sanding Shorty w/Belt&Strip Sanders
Super Sawsmith 2000:Scroll Saw w/Stand:Joint-Matic:Power Station:Power Stand:Bandsaw:Joiner:Jigsaw
1961 Goldie:1960 Sawsmith RAS:10ER
RFGuy
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Re: Shopsmith Mark 5 What When and Where

Post by RFGuy »

edma194 wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 1:09 pm That is gorgeous Russ.
I agree as well. It is a great looking machine and restoration. I am surprised Shopsmith doesn't experiment with doing some different color schemes for anniversary editions, etc. I am not saying I don't like the standard gray, but I just wonder if it couldn't be an opportunity for them to bring back the goldie color scheme or experiment with a new one? I know other woodworking machine companies that do special color schemes for anniversary models to drive more sales...
Last edited by RFGuy on Sun Feb 05, 2023 10:13 am, edited 1 time in total.
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