Old and rusty ShopSmith--Is it junk?

[chapmanruss]

mytoiletsclogged,

You asked,

@chapmanruss--where did you find the replacement parts yours needed? Did you have to fabricate some or have a shop fabricate them?

Some parts I had, some were new replacement parts from Shopsmith, others were OEM parts bought used and some were more common parts. One part I was able repair to full function and like new, so I didn't have to find a used replacement. I probably saved $50 repairing that one over buying a used replacement. When sold, it included everything in that picture in my first post.

It would be a big undertaking to restore your Mark 5. Selling or giving away still usable parts may be the best thing to do. The aluminum parts, Tables, Bench Ends, etc. can be cleaned up while it may take more work for the rusted metal parts. Depending on how deep the rust goes on those parts would determine how usable they still are. The other factor is how much time you want to spend "cleaning" them.

I applaud your efforts not to simply "throw" away old stuff.

[mytoiletsclogged]

The aluminum parts, Tables, Bench Ends, etc. can be cleaned up while it may take more work for the rusted metal parts. Depending on how deep the rust goes on those parts would determine how usable they still are. The other factor is how much time you want to spend "cleaning" them.

I applaud your efforts not to simply "throw" away old stuff.

Thank you. For everything that's painted, I'm thinking just a garden hose wash and maybe a little brush scrubbing with soap and water.

For the rusted parts like those slide bars that gleam on the machines y'all have restored, after the same brush scrubbing to remove loose dirt and then a wet sanding with 400 wet-or-dry, what then comes to mind is how I cleaned up a 40 YO neglected rifle with surface rust--scrubbing with 0000 steel wool and a light oil.

[RFGuy]

Thank you. For everything that's painted, I'm thinking just a garden hose wash and maybe a little brush scrubbing with soap and water.

For the rusted parts like those slide bars that gleam on the machines y'all have restored, after the same brush scrubbing to remove loose dirt and then a wet sanding with 400 wet-or-dry, what then comes to mind is how I cleaned up a 40 YO neglected rifle with surface rust--scrubbing with 0000 steel wool and a light oil.

Okay, I wasn't going to bite on this thread because I have never restored any Shopsmith equipment, but I am curious. I bought my Shopsmith equipment new and it has been in a garage for decades significantly minimizing rust/corrosion. Russ and others on this forum do phenomenal work restoring old Shopsmith equipment, so I am NOT trying to contradict ANY of the advice you have been given already. They are masters at restoration of these machines. To my eye, from looking at your pictures, there is severe corrosion (rusting on steel parts and oxide on aluminum ones) to the point that the pits are going to be really severe. I don't know the Shopsmith used market that well, but I really doubt anyone is going to bite on buying used parts from this rig. I just don't want you wasting your time on a lost cause is all. Experts on the forum, PLEASE tell me that I am wrong here in my assessment?

P.S. You are NOT the only one that deplores the throwaway society that we live in today. I wish the junk furniture, i.e. IKEA, Walmart, etc., etc. didn't exist. I wish everyone would build, buy or hand down quality furniture. I wish artisans were more appreciated today as they were in the past. I wish plastics had NEVER been commercialized. I wish I didn't have to repair my appliances so often and that they were more reliable. I wish consumer electronics were NOT often designed, on purpose, to have a limited lifetime necessitating a new purchase/upgrade. And I used to work in the consumer electronics industry among others, so I know at least a little about what I am talking about. A common saying for a design was "cost, speed or quality, pick any 2". It was tongue in cheek, but it expressed our own frustration as design engineers of the reality disconnect between management and the markets and our desire to produce high quality circuits.

[mytoiletsclogged]

@RF Guy, I really appreciate that. I'm just thinking first a good wash to get the layer of barn dust off will tell more, and then for the slide bars, a little wet sanding will reveal pitting and how bad it is.

But what you're saying is exactly why I came to this forum. If I scrap it am I trashing something somebody else might have treasured, or is it worth my time to even clean up the parts?

[RFGuy]

@RF Guy, I really appreciate that. I'm just thinking first a good wash to get the layer of barn dust off will tell more, and then for the slide bars, a little wet sanding will reveal pitting and how bad it is.

But what you're saying is exactly why I came to this forum. If I scrap it am I trashing something somebody else might have treasured, or is it worth my time to even clean up the parts?

Part of why I stuck my nose in on this one is the pics that you shared. I have a 42" 4K UHD computer monitor, so when I view the forum, images leap off the screen so to speak. In other words, I don't need to zoom in to your pics to see how bad the rust/corrosion areas are. In the time I have been on this forum, I have seen some beautiful restorations by several forum members. Sometimes the start point was in quite bad shape. Of all of the restorations I have viewed in the past here, the start point for what you have looks much more severe to my untrained eye to those restorations. Like I said, I am not a restorer, and I know you are NOT looking to restore it but sell parts off. I just don't want you wasting your time, IF I am right, so I am asking the experts on the forum to do a deep dive on a few of your pics to see if anything there is really salvageable or not. Again all of this is just my opinion and I could be wrong. IF someone is viewing this forum with a smaller monitor/device and don't zoom in on those pics, they may not see the detail that I see.

[JPG]

Have you 'seen' MickyD's restorations(especially the model 10)?

Will add links if I find them.


viewtopic.php?t=3012

viewtopic.php?t=3078

[RFGuy]

Have you 'seen' MickyD's restorations(especially the model 10)?

Will add links if I find them.

JPG,

Do you mean this one?

viewtopic.php?p=37199#p37199

IF so, yes that is a beautiful restoration. Unfortunately, MickyD's pics are a bit lower resolution than the ones from mytoiletsclogged. The waytubes on that 10ER are quite severely rusted, but also keep in mind much thicker sidewall thickness on those 10ER tubes compared to a Mark V. The rest of the start point on MickyD's looks in much better shape with paint holding up well, considering. The table and etc. were missing from his start point, so not apples to apples comparison, but still I appreciate the reference point of MickyD's restoration. Far fewer 10ER's in the world than Mark V's and IMHO build quality of a 10ER is MUCH higher than a Mark V, so I applaud ANYONE that rebuilds a 10ER - no matter what shape it is in. This particular Mark V on this thread looked like a basket case to me, but I don't have experience in this arena with restorations and/or parting out a Mark V. Just curious what parts can reasonably be salvaged from this Mark V??? Keep in mind the OP doesn't even have the equipment with him, i.e. he has to drive there to help his cousins dispense with all the stuff at his uncle's place. So it is also about his time and energy on this project that I am thinking of.

[JPG]

Yes, but I had not located it.

Re: the rust way tubes on the 10, the damage is to the outer surface and his cleaned up nicely as long as the deeper pitting is tolerated(reasonable from a surface contact point of view). Thickness only applies to internal rust.

The mark 5 thread(3078) post 294 has link to hi-res pix of before/after. The bench tubes are of interest there.

[RFGuy]

Yes, but I had not located it.

Re: the rust way tubes on the 10, the damage is to the outer surface and his cleaned up nicely as long as the deeper pitting is tolerated(reasonable from a surface contact point of view). Thickness only applies to internal rust.

The mark 5 thread post 294 has link to hi-res pix of before/after. The bench tubes are of interest there.

JPG,

Thanks. I defer to you guys. I only wanted to ask the question given the OP's intent. Looking at 294 on MickyD's thread, it is another beautiful restoration. The starting point on that Mark V looks worse in ways to the one on this thread, particularly the lower waytubes, but other parts of it look better to me. Perhaps once mytoiletsclogged gets this one cleaned up, it could look more like MickyD's? Doesn't MickyD's have more intact paint on it though for the starting point? Just thinking that the OP should be working on unclogging that toilet instead of trying to part out this neglected Mark V...

[JPG]

I hope mtc's distaste of scrapping is strong enough to allow delaying decision until he has more time to consider the decision.

I fully appreciate others who consider it a hopeless cause since it looks so much so. But since I have seen what is possible(maybe here?) am not so quick to condemn it.

DAMN Location, Location, Location, again!