Shopsmith Forums

UncleLarry wrote:Oh, Russ, by the way, those caster wheels on the machine you restored... are they original? Mine does not have them. Is there somewhere I could buy them?

They show up on eBay all the time.

The Retractable Casters have always been an optional item for the Mark 5/V. Sometimes included in a package deal. The caster wheels themselves on my restored Mark 5 are replacements. I do not recall when they went from metal caster wheels to hard rubber. These were and still are an option so retractable caster sets may not have been purchased at the same time as a Mark 5/V.

As John said they are often available used or you could purchase a new set from Shopsmith. Another option would be the newer 3" wheels which move the Mark tools around much easier than the original 2" wheels. I have them for my Mark V 520 and Mark 7 and would not want to go back to 2" wheels. If you decide to buy a used set, compare the cost to new ones including shipping. Shipping for items purchased on ebay tends to be much higher that shipping from Shopsmith. Also check the condition of the wheels themselves to avoid an additional cost of having to replace them. Just the replacement casters are $4.95 each. The new Retractable Caster Sets have unpainted castings so can leave them as is or paint them to match your Mark 5.

UncleLarry wrote:Oh, Russ, by the way, those caster wheels on the machine you restored... are they original? Mine does not have them. Is there somewhere I could buy them?

Try SS Inc.

Well, its been a few days, or more, but I finally got a chance to go to the basement and take another look at my new Greenie... getting familiar with it. As I went through the boxes of accessories and parts I discovered that I had an extra saw table. The one in the box appears to have never been used so I guess Uncle Larry or Cousin Mark bought it but never installed it. They look pretty much the same and both have a part number cast into them: "F-4605". But there are minor differences, the most noticeable is that the new table has an extra slot between the miter gage slot and the edge of the table. I don't know that's for, no mention of it in the original manual. I'm searching for the answer.

When setting up to rip, there is a small range where one cannot set the rip fence totally on the main table or totally on the aux table. The second slot provides a way to rip within that range. The cast in rip fence rails do not lend themselves to bridging the rip fence between the two tables.

and if you get a second carriage You can add a second table and have a nice big table.

Thanks for the replies. It's starting to make sense to me, I'm new to Shopsmith. I've been using a 10" table saw for many years and my rip fence is limited to 24". It's good to know that I can go much wider with the SS. It will take a while, but I'll get there. THANKS!

That the extra slot was called the Outboard Slot when it started with the Mark 2. It is mentioned in the Mark 2 Manual but I have not found it mentioned in Mark 5 Manuals until the 1976 Shopsmith Inc. Mark V Manual even though it was added to the Mark 5 shortly after the Mark 2 was introduced in December of 1957. Late "Greenies" have the extra slot and it was also a feature on the Mark VII. It is referred to as the Extra Saw Slot in the Mark V Manual. The Slot doesn't show up in the parts lists and diagrams for the Mark 5 until 1961 for the Spare Parts Lists I have. The Extra Saw Slot was discontinued at the beginning of 1980.

For those who caught it I did say Mark V for the 1976 manual although the machine itself still said Mark 5. Both Mark V and Mark 5 were used during the 1970's, The tool marking didn't change until 1980 but most printed materials, including the manuals, had Mark V. It's part of the confusion of do you have a Mark 5 or Mark V. It's the same tool just a different way of expressing the number.

I have had some time the last few days to tinker and get to know my Greenie. I want to learn all the functions and get everything moving and sliding before I tear down the headstock. In my process of moving things, I discovered a new product and would like your opinion of it. I found WD 40 Rust Release Penetrant Spray. It seems to dissolve rust quickly and free up frozen part very well. Has anyone out there used this? What do you think?

OK, I have another question for those of you who are familiar with Shopsmith. I’m having a lot of trouble freeing up the saw table tilt. By looking at the illustration on page 7 of the Summary Manual PDF, it appears that I have a model 500 because there is a trunnion on only one side. The problem is that the pivot point, the pin or bushing, is frozen, very tightly. I have soaked it in penetrating oil and have been tapping it with a rubber hammer. I supported the trunnion with blocks of wood and tried to drive the pin out but I’m afraid to tap too hard or put too much pressure on it because it is cast aluminum, I don’t want to break anything. Any suggestions on how to free up the table tilt? Am I overlooking a hidden set screw?