Must-Have Shopsmith Upgrades List

[Forrest]

I have a Shopsmith Mark V 500 w/ (and the only upgrade having been done) a PowerPro Gen 1 headstock upgrade. Slowly I've been getting it up to date. I bought another Mark V 520 and have swapped all of the 520 parts over to the PowerPro Upgraded Headstock.

I'm now at the point where I have to decide which old SPTs and Mark V parts are worth upgrading vs. trying to buy new versions of on the used market.

Mainly I'm looking at the old jointer. It's got beat up knives, the old blade guard, and the old assembly/wedges. Is it worth it to spend the $300 to upgrade the assembly & featherboard/blade guard or should I look for a whole new jointer? Has there been more changes? It's hard to find iterative info about these things. There's a ton of parts and upgrades that I could do to the whole machine, but I have no idea where to spend my money.

If you have advice about the jointer (or go-to upgrades in general as I have basically an original Mark V 500 (just with the new 520 table), I would love to hear them. The Shopsmith is made for me, I added a 8'x17' shop space in my downtown loft so space is limited. I am dedicated to making this the centerpiece in my small shop and want it to perform as good as I know it is capable of.

For reference, I am eyeing the following upgrades:
- PowerPro 1 to PowerPro 2 Upgrade
- DC3300 to DC6000 Upgrade
- Jointer Cutterhead Assembly
- Jointer Feather Guard Upgrade
- Jointer Complete Auxiliary Fence Package
- Jointer Guard and Dust Collection Upgrade Kit
- Bandsaw Accessory Kit
- Bandsaw Shaft Guard Upgrade
- Bandsaw Urethane Tire Set
- Riving Knife Upgrade
- Shopsmith Adjustable Stop Collar
- Quick Index Quill Feed

All of these upgrades total around $2100 so I probably won't purchase them all at once. If you would skip any of the above, look for anything on the used market, or have additional upgrades/parts to add to my list, please let me know!

[JPG]

I would be inclined to 'upgrade' as the need arises.

As for the jointer, I only perceive a NEED for new blades. The old wedges and old blade guard were and ARE quite adequate.

[Forrest]

I would be inclined to 'upgrade' as the need arises.

As for the jointer, I only perceive a NEED for new blades. The old wedges and old blade guard were and ARE quite adequate.

That's good to hear. I was leaning towards the cutterhead upgrade because it came with new blades also (making it an extra $150 for the assembly & wedges). But if that $150 isn't gaining me much, I'd rather the money go elsewhere. That said, I am definitely open for upgrades that aren't NEEDED, but are felt. It's just hard to tell if things like the new assembly are truly more efficient in use or just design.

[nuhobby]

The Riving Knife is one I use all the time; nice component.

[RFGuy]

I have to ask first what types of projects you are building (or want to build) because it really makes a difference in what is recommended to you, i.e. advice varies depending on your needs/wants given a particular shop size. An optimal tool set can be VERY different between someone building cabinets versus someone building craft projects versus someone who wants to do woodturning versus etc., etc. I know fairly well what works & doesn't work in a small woodshop having worked out of a 1 car garage type size for over 2 decades now. Prior to this, I learned woodworking in the 12' x 18' shop that I helped my Dad build from the ground up. Starting on his crappy Craftsman™ TS and then moving on to his 510 I know how confining a small shop space can be. Your shop is even smaller than this. I love my 520, but it has its limitations. Also, in 2024 there are better options in some areas so I choose to use my 520 where I think it works best and where I best enjoy using it. In some areas I have moved on to other brand and function tools. Just one example of this is I no longer break down sheet goods on my 520 and prefer a tracksaw for this. It is also much safer IMHO. The 520 table system upgrade is well worth it, in my opinion. I don't have the PowerPro, but many here love it. The Shopsmith 4" jointer has high build quality for what it is. What it is though, is a short bed, narrow width jointer. This limits its usefulness to short length, narrow width lumber. What kind of lumber are you buying and what scale are your projects? I tend to make furniture, i.e. larger projects where a long bed, wide width jointer is more of a necessity. IF you are buying straight & true S4S lumber then this 4" jointer might be adequate for edge jointing. IF NOT buying S4S and you plan to plane and mill your own lumber (like I do) then this 4" jointer is severely lacking. For a small shop like yours, I assume you must be buying S4S or working more with sheet goods. However, if needed, you could either hand plane and joint, or use a lunchbox planer and a planer sled to face joint. Edge jointing can be done with a tracksaw and guiderail or also by hand with a hand plane. The DC6000 upgrade has NO better airflow than the DC3300 to begin with. Also, there have been several who have reported issues with installing this upgrade and have had leaks, so unless your DC3300 has some issue I wouldn't even consider the DC6000 upgrade. Honestly, I think that money can be better spent in either a better dust collector or even downgrading to a high quality ShopVac. I did airflow testing in my shop and found my ShopVac™ with a mini cyclone (ClearVue™ CV06) performed equivalent to my DC3300. For a small shop, the versatility and compactness of a shop vacuum can be a better choice than the DC3300, but it sounds like you already have the DC3300. Note the filter bags on the DC3300 are very leaky (12" tall filter hood only filters downs to 7µm and the 24" filter hood down to 5µm, but the 42" filter hood filters down to 1µm), which is another reason why I switched to my ShopVac™ running higher quality HEPA filtration (most filter down to 0.3µm) to save my lungs. Your shop space has me concerned. Is it adjacent to the loft space, or is there division, i.e. walls, no shared ventilation, etc.? Reason that I ask is woodworking can be a dangerous hobby to the lungs. I have personally known people who had to scale back significantly how much woodworking they could do because of lung related medical issues directly resulting from their woodworking business. Because I work out of my garage and a door allows air infiltration into my home, I am more zealous about removing particulate dust from my garage both for me and my family. I run a Dylos laser particle counter to measure how much dust is in the air that I am breathing in my shop, but there is also a more affordable Chinese knockoff module you can buy from Amazon that seems to match it fairly well if cost is an issue. Be careful if you are living in this loft and the shop is shared space or has any ventilation that is shared with it. Supplemental air filtration should also be used in ANY shop and can be as simple & economical as a 20" box fan from Home Depot with a HEPA HVAC filter taped to one side. Don't get the orange (red in website pic) urethane tires from Shopsmith for the bandsaw. They slide off eventually. Happened to me and several others on this forum. Someone sells blue urethane ones for the Shopsmith bandsaw on eBay and they are well worth it IMHO. Just search for Blue Max with Shopsmith bandsaw urethane tires on eBay. I really like the Quick Index Quill Feed upgrade. It is a luxury, but I really like the 5/8 Inch Keyless Drill Chuck Package (#556273) for any drill press work that I do on my 520. It, like a lot of upgrades, are more palatable if you wait for an email sales special from Shopsmith which is when I purchased mine. Sadly they don't make the Storage Cabinet System (red rolling cabinets) anymore, but I found these to be really useful in my small shop for keeping everything I need close at hand for my Mark V. Definitely agree with JPG that you should probably only upgrade as you need stuff, unless there is an upgrade you want from Shopsmith and have concerns about them going out of business (they went bankrupt twice in the past); IF SO, then buy it now.

NOT a Shopsmith upgrade, but I highly enjoy using the Jessem Clear-Cut TS™ Stock Guides on my 520. It greatly reduces the possibility of a kickback and I feel much more confident (& safer) doing rip cuts on my 520 than I did before.

Jessem Clear-Cut TS™ Stock Guides on Shopsmith 520 Fence:
viewtopic.php?p=255807#p255807

DC6000 Upgrade???
viewtopic.php?p=304080#p304080

Dust Collection Starting Point:
http://billpentz.com/woodworking/cyclone/index.php

Shopsmith Urethane bandsaw tires coming off:
viewtopic.php?t=22967

Amazon Dust Laser Particle Counter link on this thread:
viewtopic.php?p=303873#p303873

Shopsmith Storage Cabinet System:
viewtopic.php?p=223871#p223871

How to Mill Lumber (proper jointer usage):
viewtopic.php?p=315002#p315002

[DLB]

Adding to what others have said:
I use the bandsaw fence, which is available separately or in the kit you mentioned.
I like the dust collection for the Jointer.
I like and use the indexed quill feed.

- David

[thunderbirdbat]

One of the upgrades I would do is to the dust collector. I would replace the filter bag with a pleated filter. Wynn filters are used quite often but are fairly expensive. I have seen dust collector upgrades where others have used Donaldson filters off of amazon. Some of the filters used in the dust collector have been marketed for heavy equipment air filters but the specs are the same as the Wynn dust collection filters but cheaper if cost is an issue. If you do a search for Wynn filters there are many threads where they are talked about. Here is one that talks about putting one on a DC3300. viewtopic.php?p=276991#p276991

[chapmanruss]

Forrest,

Welcome to the Shopsmith Forum.

You have already received some good responses. One of the best is from JPG who said

I would be inclined to 'upgrade' as the need arises.

Since you asked about the Jointer here is my 2 cents worth and a little history. Since its introduction as the Model 4E Jointer in 1953 made for the original Shopsmith 5 in 1 Tools, the Model 10E and 10ER it has gone through some changes. When the Mark 5 was introduced in 1954 the Jointer was changed to be able to mount it on the Mark 5, so the Mounting posts were added to the Base/Outfeed Table casting. This was the first change to the Jointer. Others have followed and most can be added to even that first Model 4E Jointer. The change to the larger Diameter Cutter Head occurred in November 1990. A depth adjustment stop called the Infeed Stop was added just above the label plate beginning in 1984. It's a feature that cannot be added to older Jointers since part of it is in the table's casting.

It sounds like you need new knives if the current ones are too far gone for sharpening. The knives have remained the same over the years and can be used in the old (pre-November 1990) Cutter Head or the newer one. As long as you have all three wedges and the screws for holding them in place and knife adjustment screws using the older Cutter Head is fine. Do know that Shopsmith no longer sells replacement wedges, etc. for the old Cutter Head.

I would recommend getting the Jointer Guard and Dust Collection Upgrade Kit to add dust collection to your Jointer if it doesn't already have it. I did that to my 1979 Jointer and it makes a world of difference in keeping the workspace cleaner. Because the Dust Chute cannot be added to the Model 4E Jointer mine is more of a museum piece.

The Feather Guard Upgrade may be something to look at if you want a little more control holding boards against the fence. I did add it to my Jointer. If the Cutter Guard you have is damaged then go ahead and get the Feather Guard as a replacement. I made my own Auxiliary Fence. Maybe not as nice as the OEM one but still very functional.

As for other SPT's they all have had some changes or upgrades over the years. You list some things for the Bandsaw you seem interested in. The biggest change to the Bandsaw was going from the cast iron table to the aluminum one. The table yours has will determine what upgrades or additional accessories it may be able to use. The cast iron table uses the Miter from the Mark V for a fence. It locks in place with that set screw in the middle of the bar. The aluminum table has a fence accessory that can be added along with an extension for the table width and a circle cutter. All Bandsaw changes/upgrades including the aluminum table can be added to any age Bandsaw.

If the tires on your Bandsaw need replacing you could go with the recommendations already given for the Urethane Tires. If the tires on it are in good usable condition you can continue using them. Don't replace them just to get the Urethane Tires. If it has the OEM rubber glue on tires in good condition, they are fine to use. I have them on my Bandsaws and am perfectly happy with them. I have a set of the Shopsmith orange Urethane Tires still new in the package but have chosen not to use them because of comments/recommendations in other posts here on the Forum. I did put Blue Max Urethane Tires on one Bandsaw I restored and sold. That person runs a furniture restoration shop and has been happy with that Bandsaw.

Okay a little more than 2 cents worth. Keep asking questions and let us know how things are going.

[Forrest]

I have to ask first what types of projects you are building (or want to build) because it really makes a difference in what is recommended to you, i.e. advice varies depending on your needs/wants given a particular shop size. An optimal tool set can be VERY different between someone building cabinets versus someone building craft projects versus someone who wants to do woodturning versus etc., etc. I know fairly well what works & doesn't work in a small woodshop having worked out of a 1 car garage type size for over 2 decades now. Prior to this, I learned woodworking in the 12' x 18' shop that I helped my Dad build from the ground up. Starting on his crappy Craftsman™ TS and then moving on to his 510 I know how confining a small shop space can be. Your shop is even smaller than this. I love my 520, but it has its limitations. Also, in 2024 there are better options in some areas so I choose to use my 520 where I think it works best and where I best enjoy using it. In some areas I have moved on to other brand and function tools. Just one example of this is I no longer break down sheet goods on my 520 and prefer a tracksaw for this. It is also much safer IMHO. The 520 table system upgrade is well worth it, in my opinion. I don't have the PowerPro, but many here love it. The Shopsmith 4" jointer has high build quality for what it is. What it is though, is a short bed, narrow width jointer. This limits its usefulness to short length, narrow width lumber. What kind of lumber are you buying and what scale are your projects? I tend to make furniture, i.e. larger projects where a long bed, wide width jointer is more of a necessity. IF you are buying straight & true S4S lumber then this 4" jointer might be adequate for edge jointing. IF NOT buying S4S and you plan to plane and mill your own lumber (like I do) then this 4" jointer is severely lacking. For a small shop like yours, I assume you must be buying S4S or working more with sheet goods. However, if needed, you could either hand plane and joint, or use a lunchbox planer and a planer sled to face joint. Edge jointing can be done with a tracksaw and guiderail or also by hand with a hand plane. The DC6000 upgrade has NO better airflow than the DC3300 to begin with. Also, there have been several who have reported issues with installing this upgrade and have had leaks, so unless your DC3300 has some issue I wouldn't even consider the DC6000 upgrade. Honestly, I think that money can be better spent in either a better dust collector or even downgrading to a high quality ShopVac. I did airflow testing in my shop and found my ShopVac™ with a mini cyclone (ClearVue™ CV06) performed equivalent to my DC3300. For a small shop, the versatility and compactness of a shop vacuum can be a better choice than the DC3300, but it sounds like you already have the DC3300. Note the filter bags on the DC3300 are very leaky (12" tall filter hood only filters downs to 7µm and the 24" filter hood down to 5µm, but the 42" filter hood filters down to 1µm), which is another reason why I switched to my ShopVac™ running higher quality HEPA filtration (most filter down to 0.3µm) to save my lungs. Your shop space has me concerned. Is it adjacent to the loft space, or is there division, i.e. walls, no shared ventilation, etc.? Reason that I ask is woodworking can be a dangerous hobby to the lungs. I have personally known people who had to scale back significantly how much woodworking they could do because of lung related medical issues directly resulting from their woodworking business. Because I work out of my garage and a door allows air infiltration into my home, I am more zealous about removing particulate dust from my garage both for me and my family. I run a Dylos laser particle counter to measure how much dust is in the air that I am breathing in my shop, but there is also a more affordable Chinese knockoff module you can buy from Amazon that seems to match it fairly well if cost is an issue. Be careful if you are living in this loft and the shop is shared space or has any ventilation that is shared with it. Supplemental air filtration should also be used in ANY shop and can be as simple & economical as a 20" box fan from Home Depot with a HEPA HVAC filter taped to one side. Don't get the orange (red in website pic) urethane tires from Shopsmith for the bandsaw. They slide off eventually. Happened to me and several others on this forum. Someone sells blue urethane ones for the Shopsmith bandsaw on eBay and they are well worth it IMHO. Just search for Blue Max with Shopsmith bandsaw urethane tires on eBay. I really like the Quick Index Quill Feed upgrade. It is a luxury, but I really like the 5/8 Inch Keyless Drill Chuck Package (#556273) for any drill press work that I do on my 520. It, like a lot of upgrades, are more palatable if you wait for an email sales special from Shopsmith which is when I purchased mine. Sadly they don't make the Storage Cabinet System (red rolling cabinets) anymore, but I found these to be really useful in my small shop for keeping everything I need close at hand for my Mark V. Definitely agree with JPG that you should probably only upgrade as you need stuff, unless there is an upgrade you want from Shopsmith and have concerns about them going out of business (they went bankrupt twice in the past); IF SO, then buy it now.

NOT a Shopsmith upgrade, but I highly enjoy using the Jessem Clear-Cut TS™ Stock Guides on my 520. It greatly reduces the possibility of a kickback and I feel much more confident (& safer) doing rip cuts on my 520 than I did before.

Jessem Clear-Cut TS™ Stock Guides on Shopsmith 520 Fence:
viewtopic.php?p=255807#p255807

DC6000 Upgrade???
viewtopic.php?p=304080#p304080

Dust Collection Starting Point:
http://billpentz.com/woodworking/cyclone/index.php

Shopsmith Urethane bandsaw tires coming off:
viewtopic.php?t=22967

Amazon Dust Laser Particle Counter link on this thread:
viewtopic.php?p=303873#p303873

Shopsmith Storage Cabinet System:
viewtopic.php?p=223871#p223871

How to Mill Lumber (proper jointer usage):
viewtopic.php?p=315002#p315002

Really appreciate this response. My projects are kind of all over the place, but I split time between cabinets and other similar "large" scale furniture and small storage boxes. Currently am working mostly with sheet goods and S4S boards, but I want to move towards milling my own lumber. My plan is to pick up a 12-13" surface planer to compliment the 4" edge jointer of the Shopsmith. I don't think I have brought home anything larger than 12/4, but I do know the 4" will limit. I just don't have the space to dedicate to a 6" or larger dedicated jointer.

I do already have the DC3300 and it works just fine honestly. It sounds like hard tubing would make a bigger difference than the DC6000 upgrade so I might just do that. I have debated the 42" hood. I am also cautious when it comes to health concerns. It is a small space, but 17" ceilings and a 10' tall window that can be fully open to outside. I have also built a wall dividing the rest of the loft from the workshop. I run 2 larger multi-stage air purifiers in the loft and I try to leave the dust collection on with the ports open for a while after I finish working (this would be more effective with the larger hood). Along with wearing a respirator most of the time when I am in the shop.

After this message, new knives, the larger hood, and those BlueMax tires are on the short list.

[Forrest]

One of the upgrades I would do is to the dust collector. I would replace the filter bag with a pleated filter. Wynn filters are used quite often but are fairly expensive. I have seen dust collector upgrades where others have used Donaldson filters off of amazon. Some of the filters used in the dust collector have been marketed for heavy equipment air filters but the specs are the same as the Wynn dust collection filters but cheaper if cost is an issue. If you do a search for Wynn filters there are many threads where they are talked about. Here is one that talks about putting one on a DC3300. viewtopic.php?p=276991#p276991

Super interesting. Will look into this before buying the 42" hood.