Hello everyone! I am glad I found this site as it has been helping me a lot. I recently was given a Shopsmith by a family friend. It hadn't been used for a few years and she knew it would get some use if it came to my house.
I was surprised when I started looking at all of the things it came with. It looks like I hit the mother-lode! This 'ol girl has been around a while. I cleaned/oiled it up enough to make sure it works and just puttered around with a little piece of wood yesterday.
Being this old, is there any items I should be concerned with?
The next question is where do you want to go with it? Restore to its best possible condition? It is in VEEERY good condition for its age(somebody took real good care if it!).
If the way tubes have NOT been waxed recently that would be a good start. Clean with mineral spirits first. Use Johnson's paste FLOOR wax ORIGINAL formula. UPC 46500 00202. Got my last can at Home Depot. The band saw table if currently smooth could use the same treatment.
For longer term 'restoration' you might want to check out the posts regarding electrolysis rust removal. Do a search on 'electrolysis'. Any wax applied NOW can be removed LATER with mineral spirits.
Goldie(Bought New SN 377425)/4" jointer/6" beltsander/12" planer/stripsander/bandsaw/powerstation /Scroll saw/Jig saw /Craftsman 10" ras/Craftsman 6" thicknessplaner/ Dayton10"tablesaw(restoredfromneighborstrashpile)/ Mark VII restoration in 'progress'/ 10E[/size](SN E3779) restoration in progress, a 510 on the back burner and a growing pile of items to be eventually returned to useful life. - aka Red Grange
Welcome to these forums. I am glad that this site has been helpful for you. Posting members are very helpful. As for your new toy: Treat 'er nice and she will treat you nice. Say, in the picture of the drawer contents there is a wood wheel with an arbor on it. Have you figured out what it is for? It looks like it could be a shopmade sanding disk? Or maybe an indexing wheel? Or?
Is this your first piece of woodworking equipment? If so, it should give you good experience, but be careful; you could soon be lusting for a newer version.
One more ? if you do knot mind: I am knot real familiar with the 10E or 10ER, and I see your extension table in the top picture. It has an interesting mounting fixture. Can you describe how it mounts? The Mark V's use 2 tubes (similar to your bandsaw), but that one looks like a single piece of metal with a slot to allow height adjustment.
Thanks for sharing and have fun!
Tim
Buying US made products will help keep YOUR job or retirement funds safer.
Hi kahouna! Not only am I glad you found this Forum, but also that you shared your fortune with us. Beautiful first post, and excellent photos.
Recently, I saw a local add for a 10ER for $50 here in Lancaster. The only SPT it had with it was a jig saw. I didn't buy it (my loss). If it had half the goodies you got with yours, I would have re-thought the situation. Obviously, your machine has been used extensively, as noted by the associated tools, respected and well cared for, as shown in the photos. (Yes, SS owners are known to be emotional about their machines!)
This forum is surely enhanced by your participation.
Octogenarian's have an earned right to be a curmudgeon.
Chuck in Lancaster, CA
Welcome to the forum. Besides the information you can get on this forum, I would suggest that you try to get a book titled Power Tool Wordworking For Everyone, which pretty much was written for Shopsmith Users. If you can find an older version that may be better since you have a tool that was built very early. I am attaching a link to one such book I just found on ebay that was published in 1955 which would definitely apply to your machine. Also Shopsmith offers DVD's now which cover maintenance of the Shopsmiths. You may want to check out your drive belts which may be in need of replacing because of age. Otherwise, enjoy your "gift" I would love to have someone give me a gift like that.
I don't own a 10ER myself, but I can see by your photos that your tool's previous owner had invested in the optional "Power-Mount Adapter" which allowed the 10ER to use the "new" Mark 5 Special Purpose Tools (such as your bandsaw) that is a great option to have!
In addition to this forum you might want to checkout SSUG.org. There is a 10ER section and archive at SSUG that you might find interesting.
Kahouna: Notice that YOUR SS is in better condition than that super restored one WAS(Cincinnati's link). Not that you will be able to bring yours to that level, appreciate what YOU HAVE.
TIM: Notice the extension table mount in the lower pix in Cincinnati's link).
P.S. Go to 'home' in Cincinnati's link(mkctools.com) to see more of this fine restoration work!!!!!!!
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Goldie(Bought New SN 377425)/4" jointer/6" beltsander/12" planer/stripsander/bandsaw/powerstation /Scroll saw/Jig saw /Craftsman 10" ras/Craftsman 6" thicknessplaner/ Dayton10"tablesaw(restoredfromneighborstrashpile)/ Mark VII restoration in 'progress'/ 10E[/size](SN E3779) restoration in progress, a 510 on the back burner and a growing pile of items to be eventually returned to useful life. - aka Red Grange
JPG40504 wrote:Kahouna: Notice that YOUR SS is in better condition than that super restored one WAS(Cincinnati's link). Not that you will be able to bring yours to that level, appreciate what YOU HAVE.
TIM: Notice the extension table mount in the lower pix in Cincinnati's link).
Thanks JPG,
That is what I thought when I saw kahouna's picture, but I had knot seen one before.
And thanks cincinnatti for posting that link.
Tim
Buying US made products will help keep YOUR job or retirement funds safer.
