Bmaatl,
Hopefully you already found my posting to you in
Dating a Mark 5 by it's serial number. It looks like in your post there you tried to add a picture but it didn't come through for some reason. Adding pictures to posts can be very helpful in understanding what is being talked about.
In your post above you said,
I am trying to understand what all the capabilities are of this machine.
That would be nearly impossible to explain here. There is so much you can do with a Shopsmith Mark 5 and the accessories including SPT's. The Mark 5 is a 5 in 1 tool meaning it is a Table Saw, Disk Sander, Drill Press, Horizontal Boring Machine (drill press laying down) and a Lathe. With additional accessories and SPT's like the Bandsaw you can do so much more.
Did you get an Owner's Manual with your Mark 5 and the Bandsaw? These will be a starting point for learning what you can do with them and how to properly maintain them. If you did not get a Bandsaw Manual it is available to download for free as a PDF from the Manual & Information list under the Learn section of this website. There are two Bandsaw manuals there, one for the older Bandsaw with the cast iron table and one for the newer aluminum table. The manual will help you get that Bandsaw back together and set up for use. In the same place you can find the Mark V 500 (same as a Mark 5) Owner's Manual for sale. Manuals for other Mark V models are also listed there and the difference in the Mark V models is the Table/Fence system it has. If your Mark 5 has been upgraded, it could be a Mark V 510/505 or 520 now.
Besides the Owner's Manual there are two companion books/instructions that you may find helpful. The first is the book
Power Tool Woodworking for Everyone. This book shows woodworking techniques using the Shopsmith tools. It was first published in 1953 and featured the Shopsmith Model 10ER which was the predecessor to the Mark 5. Revised to have the Mark 5, the 2nd edition was released in 1955. The current edition is the 4th. This book covers uses not included in the Owner's Manual. The other helpful instruction book to consider is the
Shopsmith Mark V Self-Study Guide. It walks you through doing different tasks to help you get to know your Mark V better.
Shopsmith has used a 1-1/4" Arbor for the Mark 5 since its introduction in 1954. It can use 5/8" Arbor hole blades and many users opt for that. Having a 5/8" Arbor will give you additional flexibility on blade choices.
Changing to the upgraded 3" Casters is not a difficult task. Yes, you will need to drill new holes in the legs to raise the Retractable Castor Assembly. There is a problem owners with older Retractable Castor Assemblies have when upgrading which is the location of the foot pedal on the rod. Older assemblies had the foot pedal closer to the end which interferes with the 3" casters rotating to change the direction to roll. Newer assemblies have the foot pedal a bit further away from the end of the rod.
You asked,
Are there any attachments that can be picked up for a decent price to improve the setup?
This will depend on what tasks you want to be able to do with your Shopsmith tools. If buying used do shop around. Use caution if buying used as condition may be a factor. Don't buy something because it is cheaper than new only to have to do a bunch of repairs to make it work again and cost more in the long run than new. I have seen many times used items for sale that end up costing more when including shipping than buying new from Shopsmith.
