I inherited a Mark V, where to begin?

[AlanHiggins]

I recently "inherited" a "Green" Shopsmith Mark V from my 95 year old father-in-law, who has had to give up woodworking due to declining health. I joined the forums yesterday and have been browsing around trying to figure where to begin. I am reading the NEW OWNER and MARK V threads. There is so much information there it like trying to sip out of the proverbial firehouse. My first instinct is to take everything apart for cleaning and lubrication. The unit "seems" to run okay as is, but I'm not sure what is "okay".

My goal is to restore the unit and possibly add some upgrades to make it safer to use. (The table saw in particular looks like an accident waiting to happen!) I already have a Craftsman "job site" type table saw. However, I plan on keeping the Mark V to remind me of the great gentleman who used it before me ( from 1978 to 2022). Our extended family is full of woodworking projects he made and I would like to continue the tradition for his great and great great grand kids. So, if it is going to take up shop space, I need to get some utility out of it.

MarkV.jpg (61.57 KiB) Viewed 10332 times

A question to those with considerable Shopsmith experience: what would be the first things you would if you were in my position of having just received this unit? What upgrades should I consider? Any other words of wisdom?

I have searched high and low, looking for a model number/serial number, without luck. Can any one give me a hint of where to look?

Thanks in advance for any comments or recommendation you would care to offer.

[DLB]

First, welcome to the forum. You should find the Serial Number on the vent plate on the left side of the headstock. The vent plate surrounds the lower of the two spindles on that end. That is a fine looking Greenie. Looks like original paint. It is from the 50's. I have a similar model, and yours is in better shape than mine was when I got it in the 80's. Excellent condition for its age.

Safety first, since you asked. Check if the power cord has a ground. Early models did not, but many have been upgraded to include one. If it is not grounded, I would strongly encourage you to add a ground for the chassis. Add upper and lower saw guards if you don't have them. There are multiple versions of the guards. The Jointer goes on the other end of the machine when you use it, similarly ensure you have a guard for it and that it is working correctly.

It is a journey, especially with the old ones like this. You have started in the right place with those threads. Note that you may not have lubrication holes in your old sheaves, they can be easily added.

- David

[edma194]

Very nice looking. And look at that coupler on the joiner! Is that like the top one in this picture with setscrews? viewtopic.php?p=296205#p296205

Maybe not, hard to tell when the picture is enlarged.

If you don't have a set of documentation you should get some. All this time later the machines are mostly the same and most of the manuals will be useful. Even the Mark 7 and PowerPros still use the same basic headstock, replacing only the motor and speed changer. There is a new larger table system but otherwise pretty minor changes in everything else. So read the documentation on operating the machines, how all the locks work, how to up into drill press mode, waxing and other regular maintenance, and using the tool functions. The job site table saw you have may take care of most of your needs but you still may want to get all the saw blade guards and be prepared to use it in special cases. I think would cut dadoes using the Shopsmith with variable speed instead of a typical job site table saw.

Best of luck to you, you will have more fun than you can imagine. And then you can make things with it too.

[chapmanruss]

As David said you can find the serial number on the bottom of the plate that looks like the one below.

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The serial number will tell us when it was made and help in giving advice. There have been many changes made to the Mark 5/V over the years but the good news is even the oldest Mark 5 can be upgraded or use current replacement parts. Many have had parts replaced. Sometimes they can use individual parts while other times you have to replace assemblies. More on that as we go.

Hopefully you have an Owner's Manual with a parts diagram and list that came with it. Having the correct one for you year or even month of Mark 5 will help identify parts. The Mark 5 first made in 1954 through the Mark V 500 model with the original table (when the original table system was discontinued) operated pretty much the same. Any Mark 5 or Mark V 500 Owner's Manual can guide you through the operation of it.

The Jointer has a power coupler on the drive shaft but is broken on the Mark 5 side. Not surprising since that coupler is from the 1950's. It is the second one from the picture ED linked to.

Lastly, for now, since you already know how to post pictures they can be extremely helpful when asking questions.

[AlanHiggins]

Dave, Ed and Russ,

Thanks for the welcome and help.

Not sure I would have ever found that serial number without your help. It is serial # 565347.

SN265347.jpg (41.51 KiB) Viewed 10303 times

I also found a note on front of the manual in my father-in-law's handwriting listing the serial #565347 and "1954". So I guess I have a "Magna Mark 5" as opposed to a "Shopsmith Mark V".

Fortunately the power cord is grounded! My father-in-law apparently sent the head in to be repaired in 1978, so SS may have changed the cord then.

Here is a close up picture of the jointer coupler. I don't recognize it in the pictures that Ed linked to.

Coupler.jpg (54.14 KiB) Viewed 10303 times

It appears to be broken and duct taped together. I don't see the coupler listed in the parts diagram for the jointer. After seeing the close up picture, can you identify which coupler is the correct replacement part? BTW--The jointer is a Magna 4" Model 620.

I do have what appears to be the original manuals for the "Mark 5" and the MAGNA Jointer and a hardcover book entitled "POWER TOOL WOODWORKING FOR EVERYONE" by R. J. De Cristoford.. Shades of Ward Clever or Fred McMurry, I guess I need to get a pipe if I am going to use the Shopsmith and change my vocabulary: Me and forum spelling checker thought it was a "JOINER" as opposed to a "JOINTER" ;-)

Manuals.jpg (71.77 KiB) Viewed 10303 times

[edma194]

Me and forum spelling checker thought it was a "JOINER" as opposed to a "JOINTER" ;-)

It is 'JOINER', a joinery tool, not a jointery tool. It's not worth trying to explain to people though.

[AlanHiggins]

Dave, Ed and Russ or others

Below is a picture of everything that I found in my father-in-law's shop that I thought was associated with the Mark 5. I didn't find any type blade guard, riving knife or dust collection port. Perhaps they didn't have those in 1954? Is there any item missing that I should have?

Shopsmith.jpg (75.29 KiB) Viewed 10288 times

Thanks

[edma194]

Do you have arbor wrenches? Do you have a 12" sanding disk? Looks like you have a wobble dado blade, be careful with that if it's very old. Is that a grinding wheel next to that wooden table insert? Grinding wheels may need to be replaced as soon as 2 years after manufacturer. I'm sure people have used them for much longer than that but I am heeding one warning never to use any grinding wheel more than 7 years old. What is that behind it? Is it another grinding wheel mounted on a spindle? Looks like you have a couple of lathe centers, do you have lathe chisels?

I think you could use a more up to date manual if all you have is an originals but you can find pretty detailed information here in the forum and many of the accessory manuals are available on the Shopsmith website.

You are starting out in good shape. I noted in another thread that I got lucky when I purchased a used machine for my first Shopsmith. Here and elsewhere I've heard a lot of stories about used Shopsmiths with serious problems to overcome.

[thunderbirdbat]

Welcome to the forum. As a place to begin, talk to your father-in-law. Even is his health is declining, he should be able to tell you when he last did maintenance on the machine. He may even be able to walk you through doing the maintenance, change overs and answer some of your questions. He may not be able to do the woodworking anymore but he still has the knowledge, learn what you can from him.

As far as what to upgrade, if you plan to do large projects, the biggest update to the machine is the 520 tables and fence system. The extra support for large pieces is very nice. The DVR motor is nice but not necessarily needed. The double bearing quill can improve accuracy but again is not really needed.

[chapmanruss]

Alan,

To start with serial number 265347 was made in April 1954. It is a Shopsmith Mark 5 just as it says but made by the original company Magna Engineering Corporation. I had noticed the warning stickers in a previous picture and wondered if it had been back to the factory. Besides the power cord being changed I do wonder what else may have been changed/updated. Maybe the motor and/or other drive parts. The coupler for the Jointer to be powered by the lower shaft on the headstock can use the current one as only the first coupler had different ends. All that is required is the power coupler and the correct hubs which can be found at the link below.

https://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/cat ... oupler.htm

The early Mark 5's didn't come with blade guards but were available as optional accessories. I would not recommend trying to find the early Greenie version since it looks like you have 10" saw blades and it was designed for the 9" saw blades that came with the early Mark 5's. Also the early saw guard had a rectangular opening so not very good for dust collection. And lastly they are hard to find. If you are thinking of upgrading the table system the correct blade guard will come with it unless you buy parts used. The Mark 5 with the original table system aka Mark V 500 uses different blade guard sets than the Mark V 510, 505, 520, Mark 7 and Mark 4 does which all use the same guard. There have been 3 plus blade guards sets for the original table system.

In the mean time read the manuals which will help familiarize you with both the Mark 5 and the Jointer. The book Power Tool Woodworking for Everyone is a great reference on using the tools in more ways not covered in the Manuals.